Comparison

SimplePixels vs PixelPad

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

Head to head
About

SimplePixels

Read full description

A casual pixel art app for all. Create simple pixel art and export as an image or GIF. Step #1: Create a new project - Choose a frame size between 8 and 16 pixels Step #2: Draw a frame - Tap to draw or import an image Step #3: Repeat and export - Duplicate and draw up to 15 frames - Export a single frame as an image, or all frames as a GIF Step #4: Showcase your favorite - Showcase your favorite project on the home screen Subscribe to SimplePixels Pro for all features: 1. Predefined color palettes 2. More board sizes 3. Two-finger pinch/swipe to zoom in and move around for large boards 4. Swipe to draw Even more coming soon Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.logicui.com/simplepixels/privacy

About

PixelPad

Features
Read full description

PixelPad is a focused pixel art and sprite animation studio for iPad and iPhone. Draw precise pixels with Apple Pencil or touch, build frame-by-frame animations, and export assets without leaving your device. DRAW WITH PRECISION • Work on crisp 8×8 to 128×128 canvases • Use Pencil, Eraser, Fill, Eyedropper, and Selection tools • Pan and zoom without losing the pixel grid • Undo and redo complete strokes ANIMATE FRAME BY FRAME • Add, duplicate, delete, and reorder frames • Set a project frame rate or tune timing per frame • Compare neighboring frames with color-coded onion skins • Preview animation with the same timing used for GIF export BUILD YOUR PALETTE • Add, remove, and reorder colors • Start with built-in palettes • Save reusable custom palette presets EXPORT GAME-READY ASSETS • Export transparent or solid-background PNGs • Create animated GIFs • Arrange sprite sheets by rows and columns • Control frame spacing and 1×, 2×, or 4× scale PRIVATE BY DEFAULT PixelPad currently works offline, requires no account, and stores projects on your device. Export through the standard share sheet whenever you are ready. The app starts in English. Korean is available at any time in Settings.

Screenshots

SimplePixels4 screens
PixelPad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PixelPad at none against SimplePixels's 2. PixelPad also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). SimplePixels's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price and device support 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. SimplePixels sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. PixelPad asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SimplePixels ships an update fortnightly, PixelPad every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
SimplePixels versus PixelPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplePixelsPixelPad
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWen Hao ChongDAEHONG MIN

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SimplePixels

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$4.991 Year
None

PixelPad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SimplePixels free?
SimplePixels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PixelPad free?
PixelPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SimplePixels or PixelPad have ads?
PixelPad shows ads; SimplePixels does not.
Which is updated more often, SimplePixels or PixelPad?
SimplePixels ships an update fortnightly, and PixelPad every 2 days. Most recently, SimplePixels was updated on October 19, 2026 and PixelPad on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons