# MagicalDraw vs Pastela

The clearest difference is rating: Pastela at 4.6 against MagicalDraw's 3.5. Pastela also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 64%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). MagicalDraw's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pastela sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. MagicalDraw asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pastela holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pastela has 98 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of MagicalDraw's written reviews are positive against 87% of Pastela's.

MagicalDraw ships an update monthly, Pastela every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MagicalDraw | Pastela |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicaldraw/id808837765/reviews) | **[4.6 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastela/id6478907270/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **98** |
| Positive reviews | 63.8% of reviews | **86.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 24 MB | 204 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aki Ueno](https://appshunter.io/developer/717956926) | [pixiv Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/337248566) |

## What reviewers say

### MagicalDraw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicaldraw/id808837765)

Create and join real-time collaborative drawing sessions instantly, with no registration needed. Enjoy a vast, customizable canvas with layers, shake correction, and undo features. Save, load, and share your creations, or even play drawing games together.

**Highlights:** Instant drawing room creation, No registration required, Real-time multi-user drawing, Vast, resizable canvas, Layer support and undo function, Save, load, and share drawings, Password protection and social login

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pastela

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastela/id6478907270)

This app offers a seamless drawing and illustration experience with a spacious canvas and a variety of brushes. It features cloud-based autosave, iPad-specific customization, and integration with pixiv for easy sharing. Enhance your creative process with powerful tools and flexible options.

**Highlights:** Spacious canvas, Variety of brushes, Cloud-based autosave, iPad customization, pixiv integration, Layer management, Filters

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Light plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Standard plan | $7.99 | per month |
| Advanced plan | $15.99 | per month |
| Deluxe plan | $23.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MagicalDraw free?

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

### Is Pastela free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MagicalDraw or Pastela?

Pastela is rated higher. MagicalDraw averages 3.5 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Pastela averages 4.6 from 98 ratings.

### Do MagicalDraw or Pastela have ads?

Both MagicalDraw and Pastela show ads.

### Which is updated more often, MagicalDraw or Pastela?

MagicalDraw ships an update monthly, and Pastela every 2 weeks. Most recently, MagicalDraw was updated on October 29, 2026 and Pastela on October 25, 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.*