Comparison

Handpix vs StarSeed

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

Head to head
About

Handpix

Create intricate bead patterns with professional drawing tools, layer management, and realistic ironing previews. Easily convert photos to pixel art and export customizable designs for sharing or building.

Highlights
  • Professional drawing tools
  • Multi-layer support
  • Realistic ironing effect preview
  • Photo to pixel art conversion
  • Customizable pattern export
  • iCloud cross-device sync
  • Built-in pegboard for building
Features
Read full description

Core Features: Professional Drawing Tools An eraser that removes by color block, a paint bucket with drag-to-fill, one-tap outlining, and line, rectangle, and ellipse tools that make every stroke effortless. The lasso tool lets you cut, copy, paste, select all, or invert a selection — and paste across layers or even across canvases. Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal symmetry axes mean you never have to draw a mirrored pattern twice. Layer Management Full multi-layer drawing with one-tap clear, duplicate, and focus mode for every layer. Handy Gestures Two-finger undo, three-finger redo, and the "Magic Cube" — a floating widget that toggles color codes and replays your creation process. Ironing-Effect Preview Preview six realistic ironing finishes: full melt (no-hole), bath-mitt texture, towel texture, coarse glitter, fine glitter, and linen. One-Tap Pixelization Turn photos and cartoon images into pixel art in a single tap, with your choice of style and target color count. All-in-One Share Image Studio Create social-media-ready images right inside the app — swap backgrounds, add pattern shadows, and more. Fully Customizable Pattern Export Major and minor grid lines, ruler colors, color card styles, signature and text watermarks, mirrored output, and export-by-color — tune everything until it's exactly how you want it. iCloud Cross-Device Creating Your work syncs in real time between iPad and iPhone via iCloud. Built-in Pegboard Import smart PDF patterns, .handpix files, or your in-app projects — then build bead by bead, sorted by color code or split into 5x5、10×10 sections. Who Is It For? - Pattern designers: draw efficiently, preview the finished look, export social covers, and share patterns in multiple formats. - Bead hobbyists: turn your avatar, pet, favorite artwork, or original characters into bead patterns. - Bead and craft shops: design, adjust, and deliver ready-to-build patterns for your customers. Supports Apple Pencil and touch. Long-press anywhere to discover 130+ features! Handpix — the professional pixel artist's choice. Privacy Policy: https://handpix.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

StarSeed

Features
Read full description

StarSeed is a bead pattern maker and pixel art editor designed for fuse bead, Perler bead, Hama bead, Artkal bead, and pixel bead creators. Turn photos into printable bead patterns, draw original pixel art, create text-based pixel designs, count required bead colors, and export clean PDF patterns for real-world crafting. Main features: - Photo to bead pattern: convert pictures from your photo library into pixel bead grids. - Background removal: isolate the main subject before creating a cleaner bead pattern. - Real bead palette matching: supports common bead palettes including Perler, Hama, Artkal, MARD, and COCO. - Pixel art editor: draw with brush, eraser, fill, eyedropper, shapes, text, mirror, and move tools. - Text to pixel pattern: turn names, words, and short phrases into pixel-style bead designs. - Pattern library: save, rename, view, and continue editing your own bead patterns. - Material count: automatically calculate how many beads are needed for each color. - Printable PDF export: create bead pattern sheets with coordinates, color IDs, grid lines, material list, total bead count, and physical size. - Built-in gallery: browse curated bead pattern ideas and save them to your library. - Crafting timer: record your bead-making time and mood, with Live Activity support on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. - iCloud sync: keep your personal pattern library available across your devices. Great for: - Making Perler bead patterns from photos - Creating Hama bead, Artkal bead, MARD bead, and fuse bead designs - Designing pixel avatars, pixel gifts, keychains, coasters, charms, and handmade crafts - Preparing craft patterns for kids, family activities, DIY projects, and fan art - Printing clear bead grids, color charts, and material lists StarSeed is built around real bead-making workflows, from photo conversion and palette matching to printable patterns and focused crafting sessions.

Screenshots

Handpix4 screens
StarSeed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StarSeed at none against Handpix's 2. Handpix's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Handpix sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. StarSeed asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handpix ships an update weekly, StarSeed every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Handpix versus StarSeed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandpixStarSeed
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer寻 刘凇源 张

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Handpix

Subscriptions1
  • Handpix Pro 月度会员$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Handpix Pro 永久会员$14.99
None

StarSeed

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handpix free?
Handpix is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StarSeed free?
StarSeed is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Handpix or StarSeed have ads?
Neither Handpix nor StarSeed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handpix or StarSeed?
Handpix ships an update weekly, and StarSeed every 3 weeks. Most recently, Handpix was updated on November 5, 2026 and StarSeed on October 31, 2026.

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