# Pixa vs Study Guard

Pixa and Study Guard both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Pixa's written reviews are positive against 26% of Study Guard's. Pixa also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and ratings volume (2K vs 390). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixa sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Study Guard sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Pixa against 4.6 for Study Guard. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixa has 2K ratings behind it against 390, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Pixa's written reviews are positive against 26% of Study Guard's.

Pixa ships an update every 3 weeks, Study Guard every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixa | Study Guard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixa-my-year-in-pixels/id6480351200/reviews) | [4.6 (390 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-guard-study-and-focus/id6744607430/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 390 |
| Positive reviews | **75.1% of reviews** | 26.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Size | 90 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tulip Tech AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1738783603) | [Jason Mayo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1808403182) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixa-my-year-in-pixels/id6480351200)

Visually track your year by logging daily activities in a customizable pixel grid. Add notes and photos to your entries and view statistics to gain insights into your habits and life organization. Export your data for safekeeping.

**Highlights:** Customizable pixel logs, Add notes and photos, Yearly statistics and data visualization, Exportable data, Widgets for home screen

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $17.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime access | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Great idea and execution
- 🎨 Customizable colors and designs
- 📊 Useful statistics and data visualization
- 🕰️ Helpful for tracking daily activities
- 🧠 Aids in organization and self-awareness

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Limited free features, requires premium subscription
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches, app crashes and freezes
- 🕰️ Slow loading times and performance issues
- 📝 Notes feature needs improvement
- 🔢 Desire for more than 2 free logs/trackers

**Reported bugs**

- Entries shifting by one day
- Inability to change names and colors of keys
- Constant loading issues and white screens
- Logged out and unable to log back in

**Requested features**

- Export to PDF option
- Ability to log multiple moods/states per day
- Widget support for home screen
- Notes feature with better functionality
- More free logs/trackers for non-premium users


### Study Guard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-guard-study-and-focus/id6744607430)

This app transforms social media habits into a learning tool by requiring flashcard mastery to unlock phone access. It offers AI-powered flashcard generation from notes and PDFs, custom creation, and progress tracking to boost focus and academic success.

**Highlights:** Social media leverage for study motivation, Flashcard mastery unlocks phone access, AI flashcard generator from notes/PDFs, Custom flashcard creation, Temporary social media blocking, Progress tracking and insights, Unlimited flashcard sets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Study Guard (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Study Guard Plus | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Study Guard Plus Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Study Guard (Yearly) | $34.99 | per year |
| Study Guard (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixa free?

Pixa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Study Guard free?

Study Guard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pixa or Study Guard?

Pixa and Study Guard are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2K and 390 ratings respectively.

### Do Pixa or Study Guard have ads?

Neither Pixa nor Study Guard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixa or Study Guard?

Pixa ships an update every 3 weeks, and Study Guard every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pixa was updated on November 5, 2026 and Study Guard on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*