# PixelBead vs Glyphon

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Glyphon at none against PixelBead's 4. PixelBead's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PixelBead sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Glyphon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PixelBead | Glyphon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glyphon/id6769979376/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 49 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [笑海 吕](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883077978) | [Jussi Edlund](https://appshunter.io/developer/522007567) |

## What reviewers say

### PixelBead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelbead-bead-pattern/id6761889951)

Transform your photos into bead patterns quickly and easily. Automatically match colors, generate grids, and refine your designs with powerful editing tools. Supports popular bead brands and offers premium features for advanced users.

**Highlights:** Photo to bead pattern conversion, Automatic color matching and grid generation, Support for Perler, Hama, Artkal, Nabbi brands, Manual pattern editing tools, Bead usage statistics, High-resolution PDF/PNG export (Premium)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PixelBead Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| PixelBead Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| PixelBead Lifetime Offer | $12.99 | one-time |
| PixelBead Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


### Glyphon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glyphon/id6769979376)

Create pixel fonts for retro games or unique display faces. Draw, refine, and export your typeface in industry-standard formats. Sync your work across Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

**Highlights:** Pixel-perfect glyph drawing, Full Unicode support, Export to TTF, BDF, and JSON, Per-glyph advance width control, Live text preview, iCloud sync across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PixelBead free?

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

### Is Glyphon free?

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

### Do PixelBead or Glyphon have ads?

Neither PixelBead nor Glyphon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PixelBead or Glyphon?

PixelBead ships an update every 2 weeks, and Glyphon every 2 weeks. Most recently, PixelBead was updated on October 8, 2026 and Glyphon on October 7, 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.*