# ArtBuddy vs PaintSteps

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ArtBuddy at 15.1 against PaintSteps's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ArtBuddy sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month and PaintSteps sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ArtBuddy ships an update every 3 weeks, PaintSteps monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArtBuddy | PaintSteps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Size | 66 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Justinus Laurentius van den Berg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877926746) | [PULSAR LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/485209178) |

## What reviewers say

### ArtBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artbuddy-learn-to-paint/id6759326740)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ArtBuddy monthly | $3.99 | per month |


### PaintSteps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintsteps/id6797368480)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PaintSteps Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArtBuddy free?

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

### Is PaintSteps free?

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

### Do ArtBuddy or PaintSteps have ads?

Neither ArtBuddy nor PaintSteps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArtBuddy or PaintSteps?

ArtBuddy ships an update every 3 weeks, and PaintSteps monthly. Most recently, ArtBuddy was updated on October 25, 2026 and PaintSteps on October 31, 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.*