# VanillaPen vs Artleap by Lightricks

VanillaPen and Artleap by Lightricks both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of VanillaPen's written reviews are positive against 36% of Artleap by Lightricks's. VanillaPen also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Artleap by Lightricks's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (19K vs 3.5K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. VanillaPen sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Artleap by Lightricks sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Artleap by Lightricks holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Artleap by Lightricks has 19K ratings behind it against 3.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of VanillaPen's written reviews are positive against 36% of Artleap by Lightricks's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

VanillaPen ships an update every 6 weeks, Artleap by Lightricks fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | VanillaPen | Artleap by Lightricks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vanillapen-design-studio/id866563170/reviews) | **[4.7 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artleap-by-lightricks/id1503066339/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3.5K | **19K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.6% of reviews** | 36.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 344 MB | 271 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RoadRocks](https://appshunter.io/developer/1295007260) | [Lightricks Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/606310584) |

## What reviewers say

### VanillaPen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vanillapen-design-studio/id866563170)

Create professional artwork, stories, and designs with a vast library of over a million elements. This powerful studio offers advanced editing tools and a user-friendly workflow, making design accessible to everyone, regardless of experience.

**Highlights:** Over 1 million design elements, Advanced editing tools, User-friendly workflow, Design stories and posts, Create logos and artwork, Album and movie poster design

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Vanillapen yearly subscription | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Variety of design elements
- 💡 Helpful for creating posters and graphics
- 🎨 Great for small jobs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Limited access to features without subscription
- 🔒 Paid version doesn't transfer across devices
- 📵 Inability to save work in progress

**Reported bugs**

- Text formatting issues
- Distortion of designs when saving
- Disappearing text and elements
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add ability to import custom images
- Improve text editing functionality
- Provide more free design elements
- Add option to lock layers and elements in place
- Implement auto-save feature


### Artleap by Lightricks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artleap-by-lightricks/id1503066339)

Effortlessly create stunning visual art with one-tap photo editing. Achieve popular effects like double exposures, dispersions, and surreal sky replacements without prior experience. Explore endless combinations of filters and art styles to express your creativity.

**Highlights:** One-tap photo editing, Double exposure effects, Dispersion effects, Collage creation, Sky replacement, Art filters and combinations

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited access | $7.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easily create artistic photos
- 👍 Fun and creative effects
- 💡 Unique and innovative features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall for many features
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 App not compatible with latest iOS versions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately on launch
- Purchased content unavailable or unable to download
- Syncing and sharing issues across devices

**Requested features**

- More customization options for overlays and filters
- Ability to save and export edited photos without paying
- Better customer support and communication from developers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VanillaPen free?

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

### Is Artleap by Lightricks free?

Artleap by Lightricks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, VanillaPen or Artleap by Lightricks?

Artleap by Lightricks is rated higher. VanillaPen averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Artleap by Lightricks averages 4.7 from 19K ratings.

### Do VanillaPen or Artleap by Lightricks have ads?

Neither VanillaPen nor Artleap by Lightricks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, VanillaPen or Artleap by Lightricks?

VanillaPen ships an update every 6 weeks, and Artleap by Lightricks fortnightly. Most recently, VanillaPen was updated on October 30, 2026 and Artleap by Lightricks on October 30, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*