# penX vs Palettra

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: penX at none against Palettra's 3. penX also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Palettra's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Palettra sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. penX asks for nothing beyond the download.

penX ships an update every 6 weeks, Palettra every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | penX | Palettra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palettra/id6782158329/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 33 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shenzhen Xinyun Zhilian Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1842688252) | [新焰 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882014839) |

## What reviewers say

### penX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penx/id6754246123)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Palettra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palettra/id6782158329)

This tool helps researchers, students, and designers recolor scientific figures and images. It offers professional and adaptive color palettes, allowing you to remap chart colors and export high-quality images for various professional uses.

**Highlights:** Professional color palettes, Adaptive palette generation, Image and PDF import, Chart color remapping, High-quality image export (PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PDF), Cross-platform access

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Palettra Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Palettra Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Palettra Pro Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is penX free?

penX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Palettra free?

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

### Do penX or Palettra have ads?

Neither penX nor Palettra shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, penX or Palettra?

penX ships an update every 6 weeks, and Palettra every 4 days. Most recently, penX was updated on October 10, 2026 and Palettra on October 9, 2026.

---

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