# Dot Lab vs iBeads

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dot Lab at 96% against iBeads's 42%. Dot Lab also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.7) and ads (none vs shown). iBeads's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dot Lab sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and iBeads sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dot Lab holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Dot Lab's written reviews are positive against 42% of iBeads's.

Dot Lab ships an update fortnightly, iBeads every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dot Lab | iBeads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dot-lab-perler-beads-pattern/id6504469120/reviews)** | [3.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibeads/id6746666092/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **96.4% of reviews** | 42.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 80 MB | 244 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [桂华 冉](https://appshunter.io/developer/1751093769) | [杭州百塑科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1817772538) |

## What reviewers say

### Dot Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dot-lab-perler-beads-pattern/id6504469120)

Create pixel art for NFTs, avatars, or fuse bead patterns with intuitive drawing tools and customizable palettes. Generate detailed patterns for crafts like perler beads and crochet, with options for efficient creation and sharing.

**Highlights:** Efficient drawing tools, Multiple canvas sizes, Rich color options and palette management, Automatic pattern generation for crafts, Workstation for secondary creations, Share and save artwork, Data backup and canvas lock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Annual member | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $22.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


### iBeads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibeads/id6746666092)

Effortlessly transform photos into pixel art bead drawings with intelligent color scheme identification. Offers adjustable canvas sizes, precise bead count calculations, and advanced editing tools for pixel-level modification. Export high-definition patterns with color labels for various crafting projects.

**Highlights:** Photo to bead drawing conversion, Automatic color scheme identification, Adjustable canvas size (16x16 to 256x256), Accurate bead color statistics, Manual pixel editing, Swatch management, High-definition drawing export (PNG/PDF)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 42 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 14 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 224 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 448 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 616 Coins | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dot Lab free?

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

### Is iBeads free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dot Lab or iBeads?

Dot Lab is rated higher. Dot Lab averages 4.5 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while iBeads averages 3.7 from 10 ratings.

### Do Dot Lab or iBeads have ads?

iBeads shows ads; Dot Lab does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dot Lab or iBeads?

Dot Lab ships an update fortnightly, and iBeads every 3 days. Most recently, Dot Lab was updated on September 23, 2026 and iBeads on September 22, 2026.

---

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