PxPad vs PixelForge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PxPad
Create pixel art and game sprites with a powerful native editor for iOS. Offers a full suite of tools, layers, and export options for retro art enthusiasts and game developers.
- Brush, eraser, fill, select, move, eyedropper tools
- Layers and undo/redo functionality
- Zoom, pan, and rotate gestures
- Image import and export (PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, ICO, PX)
- iCloud integration and Files app previews
- Dark mode and left-handed mode
Read full descriptionHide full description
Create stunning pixel art with PxPad, a powerful native sprite editor for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Perfect for game developers, artists, and retro art enthusiasts. Features • Brush, eraser, fill, select, move, and eyedropper tools • Undo / redo feature • Zoom / pan / rotate gestures • Layers • Multiple artboards in one document • Image imports • iCloud integration • Files app icon previews • Dark mode • Export PNG / JPG / GIF / WebP / ICO / PX • Export multiple artboards at once • Canvas resizing • Full color picker • Haptics • Apple Pencil support on compatible iPads • Left-handed mode • Sample files • 41 Languages Create retro art, game graphics and sprite sheets across iPhone, iPad and Mac, with iCloud integration, native sharing and file previews. Touch shortcuts and gestures • Double-tap with the brush to fill an area (enable in Settings). • Press and hold on the canvas while using the brush, eraser or fill tool to pick a color. • 2 finger tap: Undo • 3 finger tap: Redo • 2 finger pan: Pan view • 2 finger pinch: Zoom view • 2 finger rotate: Rotate canvas • Swipe gesture on folder previews, in the grid view, to cycle through previews. • Drag eyedropper onto canvas to activate with one gesture. Notes • When editing, an orange circle by the file name indicates the file is unsaved. Green briefly confirms a successful save. Red indicates a save error. • Import .px files by moving them into the PxPad folder (see Settings). If you like PxPad, please let me know in a review! Thank you, Andy (The Developer) License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
PixelForge
Read full descriptionHide full description
The pixel art studio built for game developers, sprite artists, and retro creators. Draw, animate frame-by-frame, and export spritesheets — all on iPhone and iPad. No subscription required to start. PROFESSIONAL PIXEL ART TOOLS - Precision Drawing - Pixel-perfect brushes with customizable sizes (1-3px) - Advanced Layer System - Unlimited layers for complex artwork (Pro) - Color Management - HSV color picker with custom palette creation - Shape Tools - Draw circles, rectangles, lines with pixel precision - Smart Selection - Lasso, rectangle, and magic wand selection tools - Eyedropper Tool - Sample any color directly from your canvas ANIMATION FEATURES - Frame-by-Frame Editor - Full control over every frame - Timeline Control - Adjust frame duration and playback speed - Frame Management - Add, duplicate, delete, and reorder frames - Onion Skinning - See adjacent frames while editing for smooth animation - Play/Pause Preview - Preview animations in real-time - Export - Save as animated GIF or sprite sheets ADVANCED FEATURES - Image Import - Convert photos to pixel art with dithering - Tiling Preview - Create seamless textures and patterns - Canvas Resizing - From 1x1 to 256x256 pixels - Undo/Redo - 50-step history - Clipboard Support - Copy, cut, and paste selections - Color Replace - Swap colors across your entire project - Dithering Patterns - Retro-style gradients and shading EXPORT OPTIONS - PNG, GIF, and sprite sheet export - Auto-save so you never lose work - Share directly from the app PERFECT FOR - Game developers creating sprites and tilesets - Pixel artists and illustrators - Retro game enthusiasts - Animation hobbyists - Anyone who loves pixel art FREE AND PRO Free tier includes: - 2 layers, 4 animation frames - All basic drawing tools - Project saving and export Pro unlocks: - Unlimited layers and frames - Premium tools: dithering, gradient fill, magic wand, color replace, move tool - Tiling preview mode UNIVERSAL APP Optimized for both iPhone and iPad. Hardware-accelerated rendering via Skia for smooth, responsive drawing. Download PixelForge and start building your pixel art today.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PxPad at none against PixelForge's 5. PxPad also leads on ads (none vs shown). PixelForge's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.5). 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
Both are free to download. PixelForge sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. PxPad asks for nothing beyond the download.
PxPad ships an update every 6 months, PixelForge fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PxPad | PixelForge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 55 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrew Moloney | Mohamed Nagy |
In-app purchases
PxPad
No in-app purchases
PixelForge
- PixelForge Pro - Lifetime$0.99
- 20 AI Credits$0.99
- Lifetime$2.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- 100 AI Credits$2.99
- 500 AI Credits$12.99








