# Calligraphy Handbook vs Pixel art editor

The clearest difference is ads: Calligraphy Handbook at none against Pixel art editor's shown. Calligraphy Handbook also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). Pixel art editor's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calligraphy Handbook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pixel art editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Calligraphy Handbook against 4.6 for Pixel art editor. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 518 and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Calligraphy Handbook's written reviews are positive against 81% of Pixel art editor's.

Calligraphy Handbook ships an update every 4 months, Pixel art editor every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy Handbook | Pixel art editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (518 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-editor-dottable/id946923840/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 518 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 74.1% of reviews | **80.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 257 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon](https://appshunter.io/developer/417852567) | [Yosuke Seki](https://appshunter.io/developer/824851972) |

## 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


### Pixel art editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-editor-dottable/id946923840)

Easily create pixel art with a range of professional tools, including layer editing, custom color creation, and various painting brushes. Export your creations as animated GIFs or PNG files. Load images for tracing or convert them directly into pixel art.

**Highlights:** Layer editing (add, delete, copy, display), Various painting tools (pen, syringe, rectangle), Animated GIF export, Custom color creation and saving, Load images for tracing, Convert pictures to pixel art

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Removing ads, and increasing project storage limit | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great for pixel art
- 💡 Useful for game development
- 🚀 Efficient for small textures
- 🎨 Good color selection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited storage/canvas size
- 🐛 Blurry image exports
- 🔒 Limited layers
- 🔒 Lack of zoom/pan functionality
- 🔒 Restricted color options (no black/white/gray)

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to select custom colors
- Deletes unsaved work when exiting the app
- Ads interrupt music playback
- Transparent GIFs not exporting correctly

**Requested features**

- Add palm rejection to prevent accidental drawing
- Increase maximum canvas size
- Add ability to rename/organize artworks
- Implement auto-color option for imported images
- Add line tool and more advanced drawing tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calligraphy Handbook free?

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

### Is Pixel art editor free?

Pixel art editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Calligraphy Handbook or Pixel art editor?

Pixel art editor is rated higher. Calligraphy Handbook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 518 ratings, while Pixel art editor averages 4.6 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Calligraphy Handbook or Pixel art editor have ads?

Pixel art editor shows ads; Calligraphy Handbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calligraphy Handbook or Pixel art editor?

Calligraphy Handbook ships an update every 4 months, and Pixel art editor every 2 months. Most recently, Calligraphy Handbook was updated on September 12, 2026 and Pixel art editor on September 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.*