# Calligraphy Handbook vs Paintstorm Studio Lite

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Calligraphy Handbook at 70% against Paintstorm Studio Lite's 24%. Calligraphy Handbook also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.1). Paintstorm Studio Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calligraphy Handbook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Paintstorm Studio Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

Calligraphy Handbook holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 518 and 262 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Calligraphy Handbook's written reviews are positive against 24% of Paintstorm Studio Lite's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy Handbook | Paintstorm Studio Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (518 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075/reviews)** | [4.0 (262 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintstorm-studio-lite/id1097147869/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **518** | 262 |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 24.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 257 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.1 |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon](https://appshunter.io/developer/417852567) | [Sergei Komarov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1060632106) |

## What reviewers say

### Calligraphy Handbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075)

This app is a digital tool for learning and practicing calligraphy. It offers various pens, colors, and effects for both beginners and experienced artists. Users can also challenge friends or test their skills with a calligraphy game.

**Highlights:** Digital pens and papers for learning, Unique pen and color effects, Calligraphy game for skill evaluation, 11 calligraphic pens and 1 pointed pen, 19 calligraphic hands in various styles, Layer management for artistic creation, Export creations to camera roll or email

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Features | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for learning calligraphy
- 💡 Variety of font styles and color options
- 👍 Calming and meditative experience
- 👍 Great for beginners and intermediate users
- 👍 Useful for practicing without supplies

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Misleading about free features
- 🔒 Lack of palm rejection and input issues
- 👎 Overly strict grading system
- 👎 Limited free features, need to pay for full access

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when switching between uppercase and lowercase letters
- Undo feature causes freezing and loss of progress
- Inconsistent performance and lag when using Apple Pencil
- Restoration of in-app purchases not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add more font styles, especially Gothic and modern
- Implement better palm rejection and input handling
- Allow users to favorite/save preferred font styles
- Add the ability to practice full words and sentences
- Improve export and sharing options


### Paintstorm Studio Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintstorm-studio-lite/id1097147869)

This app offers professional digital painting tools for artists of all levels. It provides extensive brush customization, stroke correction, and intuitive controls to enhance the mobile art creation experience. Discover new possibilities for digital drawing with advanced features and Apple Pencil support.

**Highlights:** Extensive brush customization, Stroke post-correction, Apple Pencil support, Dynamic interface, Mirror drawing, Standard tools pack

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Excellent brushes and color mixing
- 🎨 Sophisticated drawing tools
- 🖌️ Advanced interface like desktop apps
- 🖥️ Powerful features on par with desktop software

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚧 Cluttered and confusing interface
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and performance issues
- 💦 Annoying watermark on exported artwork
- 🔍 Lack of clear instructions and tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening or switching between projects
- Brush settings and color wheel disappearing unexpectedly
- Inability to save or recover unsaved artwork

**Requested features**

- Remove watermark option
- Ability to import photos and images
- Better organization and customization of UI
- More intuitive brush and tool controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calligraphy Handbook free?

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

### Is Paintstorm Studio Lite free?

Paintstorm Studio Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Calligraphy Handbook or Paintstorm Studio Lite?

Calligraphy Handbook is rated higher. Calligraphy Handbook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 518 ratings, while Paintstorm Studio Lite averages 4.0 from 262 ratings.

### Do Calligraphy Handbook or Paintstorm Studio Lite have ads?

Neither Calligraphy Handbook nor Paintstorm Studio Lite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Calligraphy Handbook or Paintstorm Studio Lite?

Calligraphy Handbook ships an update every 4 months, and Paintstorm Studio Lite every 4 months. Most recently, Calligraphy Handbook was updated on October 14, 2026 and Paintstorm Studio Lite on October 15, 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.*