Lab.zip vs PicoChat for iMessage
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lab.zip
A visual research platform for creatives, offering curated references and contextual analysis for design inspiration. It provides focused research to help users find clarity and direction in their creative projects.
- Visual discovery
- Contextual analysis
- Curated references
- In-depth research
- Personal library access
- Inspiration for creatives
Read full descriptionHide full description
Lab.zip is a visual research platform for creatives, offering visual discovery, context, and clarity for design research. WHAT YOU’LL FIND • In-depth visual research on products, designers, and cultural movements • Curated references with contextual analysis WHY LAB.ZIP Lab.zip is not a social network, a media outlet, or a marketplace. It is a focused research environment built to help creatives find clarity, direction, and inspiration through connected references. LAB.ZIP PREMIUM Lab.zip Premium unlocks extended in-app access to in-depth research Premium includes: • Extended research content • Exclusive curated reference materials • Access to your personal Lab.zip library on desktop SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available monthly or annually and renew automatically unless canceled before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription in your account settings. LEGAL Terms of Use: https://www.lab.zip/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.lab.zip/privacy-policy
PicoChat for iMessage
Relive the nostalgia of early 2000s handheld messaging with this retro drawing app for iMessage. Create tiny pixel art, use unique emoji, and share your creations with friends, even if they don't have the app installed. Features include undo, saving favorites, and customization options.
- Create tiny drawings in iMessage
- Dozens of pixel emoji
- Undo mistakes
- Save favorite drawings
- Customize name and color
Read full descriptionHide full description
Remember sitting on the bus and messaging your friends via your favorite two-screened handheld? Relive those memories with PicoChat, a tiny retro drawing app for iMessage! Featuring all the nostalgic features you remember and a few extras including the ability to undo, save favorites, and more! This open-source iMessage app is perfect for sending drawings to your friends who can see you art even if they don't have the app installed. With PicoChat, you can: • Create tiny drawings right in iMessage • Use dozens of pixel emoji • Undo mistakes with the click of a button • Save favorites to come back to later • Customize your name and color scheme And much more, download PicoChat today and try it out for yourself! Note: The terms Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and PictoChat are registered trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd. This app is in no way affiliated with Nintendo.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PicoChat for iMessage at none against Lab.zip's 2. PicoChat for iMessage also leads on update cadence (daily vs fortnightly) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Lab.zip sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.00 per month. PicoChat for iMessage asks for nothing beyond the download.
PicoChat for iMessage holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PicoChat for iMessage has 98 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Lab.zip's written reviews are positive against 79% of PicoChat for iMessage's.
Lab.zip ships an update fortnightly, PicoChat for iMessage daily. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lab.zip | PicoChat for iMessage |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (4 ratings) | 4.5 (98 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | 79.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 98 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lab.zip Inc | Idrees Hassan |
Customer experience
Lab.zip
PicoChat for iMessage
Bugs and requests
Lab.zip
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
PicoChat for iMessage
Reported bugs
4 issues- Settings don't save
- Cursor turns into scribbles when writing too fast
- Rainbow pen lags the app and force closes messages
- Doesn't accommodate all screen sizes
Requested features
4 requests- Bigger keyboard size
- Dark Mode support
- Scaling fix for iPad
- Ability to transform photos into drawings
In-app purchases
Lab.zip
- Premium Monthly$8.001 Month
- Premium Yearly$72.001 Year
PicoChat for iMessage
No in-app purchases









