# Pencil Loop! vs Pixel Away

The clearest difference is ads: Pixel Away at none against Pencil Loop!'s shown. Pixel Away also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Pencil Loop!'s advantage is review sentiment (39% vs 26%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pencil Loop! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pixel Away sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Pencil Loop! against 4.8 for Pixel Away. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 687 and 628 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 39% of Pencil Loop!'s written reviews are positive against 26% of Pixel Away's.

Pencil Loop! ships an update every 10 days, Pixel Away weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil Loop! | Pixel Away |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (687 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-loop/id6753226130/reviews) | **[4.8 (628 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-away/id6756136527/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **687** | 628 |
| Positive reviews | **39.3% of reviews** | 25.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 496 MB | 190 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rollic Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1452111779) | [Punaj Mikaye](https://appshunter.io/developer/1736246385) |

## What reviewers say

### Pencil Loop!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-loop/id6753226130)

Engage in a relaxing art puzzle game where you guide pencil boxes through a loop to sharpen and color them. Reveal vibrant hidden images step by step with simple logic and satisfying animations. Enjoy hundreds of handcrafted levels for a calming yet addictive experience.

**Highlights:** Sharpen and color pencil boxes, Reveal hidden colorful images, Hundreds of handcrafted levels, Relaxing, no-timer gameplay, Offline play, Simple one-touch controls

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coin Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Rescue Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 2 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Mini Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 3 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Medium Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |
| Super Offer | $29.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 4 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 5 | $54.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 6 | $99.99 | one-time |


### Pixel Away

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-away/id6756136527)

Tap to launch color carriers onto a conveyor belt. Carriers release balls to match pixel cubes, clearing the board. Manage carrier ammo and conveyor capacity for strategic progression.

**Highlights:** Tap to launch carriers, Match colored balls to pixel cubes, Manage carrier ammo count, Utilize conveyor belt capacity, Strategic timing and ordering, Progressive board clearing

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coin Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Limited Revive Offer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 2 | $7.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $7.99 | one-time |
| Small Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Golden Pass | $11.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer Pack 1 | $11.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 3 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Medium Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 4 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Day 1 Offer Large Bundle | $39.99 | one-time |
| Large Bundle | $39.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 5 | $54.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pencil Loop! free?

Pencil Loop! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pixel Away free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pencil Loop! or Pixel Away?

Pixel Away is rated higher. Pencil Loop! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 687 ratings, while Pixel Away averages 4.8 from 628 ratings.

### Do Pencil Loop! or Pixel Away have ads?

Pencil Loop! shows ads; Pixel Away does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pencil Loop! or Pixel Away?

Pencil Loop! ships an update every 10 days, and Pixel Away weekly. Most recently, Pencil Loop! was updated on September 4, 2026 and Pixel Away on September 23, 2026.

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