PixelForge vs ArtPort
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
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 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.
ArtPort
Read full descriptionHide full description
ArtPort: Your Creative Harbor for Pixel Art & Animation ArtPort is a professional-grade pixel art creation and animation studio, carefully crafted to provide a seamless and inspiring experience for digital artists. Whether you are sketching a quick 8-bit character or animating a complex scene, ArtPort delivers all the essential tools you need right to your mobile device. Powerful Animation Timeline: Intuitive frame and layer management. Group your frames into Clips/Tags for easy organization. Advanced Onion Skinning to guide your animations perfectly. Adjust playback speed and frame duration on the go. Professional Drawing Tools: Precision tools: Pen, Eraser, Line, Rectangle, and Ellipse. Smart Selections: Magic Wand, Lasso, and Box selection with live transform handles and dimension tracking. Symmetry drawing to create perfect mirrored designs. Clipping Masks and layer opacity controls for advanced shading. Optimized Workflow: Smart undo/redo history system. Cross-platform gesture support (Pinch to zoom and pan). Customizable color palettes with global color linking. Import external images directly into your canvas. Export & Share: Export your artwork as PNG, animated GIF, or ZIP archives. Generate professional Sprite-sheets with a single tap. Dock your ideas and let your imagination sail. Download ArtPort today and bring your pixel art to life!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: ArtPort at none against PixelForge's shown. ArtPort also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. PixelForge sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and ArtPort sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PixelForge ships an update fortnightly, ArtPort every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PixelForge | ArtPort |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 5 days โ better |
| Ads | Yes | No โ better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac โ better |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 119 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mohamed Nagy | Ali Taleb |
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
ArtPort
- Full Access$0.99









