Comparison

Charactool vs malmal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Charactool

Create and customize 3D body models with adjustable parameters for height, build, and proportions. Pose characters precisely with intuitive controls and choose from various shading styles, including realistic and cel-shaded options. Export models in multiple 3D formats for use in other creative software.

Highlights
  • Customizable body types and proportions
  • Intuitive joint controls for posing
  • Multiple shading styles (realistic, cel-shaded)
  • Anatomy shading for muscle detail
  • 3D export in GLB, FBX, OBJ, USDZ (Pro)
  • Designed for illustrators and concept artists
Read full description

CUSTOMIZE ANY BODY TYPE ∙ Go beyond cookie-cutter 3D models ∙ Adjust height, build, proportions, and dozens of body parameters ∙ Create any character from slim to muscular, tall to short, and everything in between POSE IT YOUR WAY ∙ Set up any pose with intuitive joint controls ∙ Rotate, adjust, and fine-tune every angle to match your scene ∙ No more awkward stock poses — create exactly what your art demands MULTIPLE SHADING STYLES ∙ Switch between realistic, cel-shaded, and 3D animation styles ∙ Use anatomy shading to see muscle lines and color-coded muscle groups ∙ Find the perfect look to match your art style and workflow EXPORT IN 3D FORMATS (Pro subscribers only) ∙ GLB, FBX, OBJ, and USDZ supported ∙ Use your models in Clip Studio, Blender, and other creative tools ∙ Take your customized 3D characters into any workflow BUILT FOR ARTISTS ∙ Designed by an artist, for artists ∙ Perfect for webtoons, manga, illustrations, and concept art ∙ Get accurate body references without relying on stereotypical 3D models Terms of Use: https://charactool.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://charactool.com/privacy

About

malmal

Collaborate on digital art with friends and a global community. Explore endless canvases, customize brushes, and share your creations in a vibrant gallery. Connect with fellow artists and find inspiration in this creative space.

Highlights
  • Collaborative drawing
  • Endless digital canvases
  • Customizable brushes
  • In-app chat
  • Public and private drawing boards
  • Artwork gallery
Features
Read full description

Since 2018 in your browser, now as a fully fledged app: malmal 2.0 is out now! Features include: - Drawing with friends and strangers - Endless digital canvases - Private and public drawing boards with freely selectable background colors - Multiple customisable brushes - In-app chat - A gallery for all the great artworks Join our global community of passionate artists of all skill levels and backgrounds! Malmal is a place where you can find new friends and get inspired. We look forward to having you here! Screenshots are featuring art by miwoo and SpaceCadet. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Charactool4 screens
malmal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: malmal at weekly against Charactool's every 2 weeks. malmal also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 89%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Charactool sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and malmal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Charactool holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 89% of Charactool's written reviews are positive against 100% of malmal's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Charactool ships an update every 2 weeks, malmal weekly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Charactool versus malmal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCharactoolmalmal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (20 ratings) — better4.5 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings20 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size460 MB68 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperUJULIN Co.LUCAS MERLIN MEURER

Customer experience

Charactool

All ratings15 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral5.6%
Negative5.6%

malmal

All ratings13 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Charactool

Subscriptions4
  • Charactool Plus – Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Charactool Pro – Monthly7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Charactool Plus – Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Charactool Pro – Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
2 purchases

malmal

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Charactool free?
Charactool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is malmal free?
malmal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Charactool or malmal?
Charactool is rated higher. Charactool averages 4.7 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while malmal averages 4.5 from 13 ratings.
Do Charactool or malmal have ads?
Neither Charactool nor malmal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Charactool or malmal?
Charactool ships an update every 2 weeks, and malmal weekly. Most recently, Charactool was updated on October 25, 2026 and malmal on October 25, 2026.

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