Comparison

PixelForge vs Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas

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

Head to head
About

PixelForge

Features
Read full description

The pixel art studio built for game developers, sprite artists, and retro creators. Draw, animate frame-by-frame, and export spritesheets โ€” 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.

About

Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas

Features
Read full description

Create pixel art with ease. Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas is a pixel art editor that lets you draw on grids from 8x8 to 128x128. With 5 drawing tools, a 64-color palette, and up to 3 layers, you can create everything from retro game sprites to modern pixel art. FLEXIBLE CANVAS SIZES Choose from 8x8, 16x16, 32x32, 64x64, or 128x128 grids (128x128 is unlockable). Pick the right size for tiny icons or detailed pixel art. 5 DRAWING TOOLS Pencil, eraser, flood fill, line, and rectangle tools. Intuitive controls let you draw exactly what you envision. COLOR PALETTE 64 built-in colors plus custom color support. Find the perfect shade for your creations. LAYER SUPPORT Up to 3 layers for separating elements like backgrounds and characters. Enables professional pixel art workflows. SYMMETRY MODES Horizontal and vertical mirror modes for efficient symmetric designs. Perfect for characters and patterns. TRANSPARENT PNG EXPORT Export finished art as transparent PNG files with adjustable scale. Use them as stickers, icons, social media avatars, and more. REFERENCE IMAGE IMPORT Import images as underlays for tracing. Easily convert your favorite illustrations into pixel art. GALLERY MANAGEMENT Save your artwork to the gallery for easy access, editing, and sharing. PINCH ZOOM & PAN Two-finger zoom and pan for precise dot placement on any canvas size.

Screenshots

PixelForge4 screens
Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PixelForge at every 2 weeks against Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. PixelForge sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PixelForge ships an update every 2 weeks, Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
PixelForge versus Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixelForgePixel Art Maker PixelCanvas
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks โ€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better16.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size55 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMohamed NagyNotake Shoji

In-app purchases

5 purchases

PixelForge

One-time5
  • PixelForge Pro - Lifetime$0.99
  • 20 AI Credits$0.99
  • Lifetime$2.99
Show 2 more
  • 100 AI Credits$2.99
  • 500 AI Credits$12.99
1 purchases

Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas

One-time1
  • Hide Ads & Support$1.99

Questions

Is PixelForge free?
PixelForge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas free?
Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PixelForge or Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas have ads?
Both PixelForge and Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas show ads.
Which is updated more often, PixelForge or Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas?
PixelForge ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas every 2 months. Most recently, PixelForge was updated on September 6, 2026 and Pixel Art Maker PixelCanvas on September 18, 2026.

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