Comparison

Pixel Playground Lite vs VPN Pumpkin

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

Head to head
About

Pixel Playground Lite

Create retro-style graphics with a powerful yet simple pixel art editor. Offers a clean interface, intuitive tools, and smart color management for precise drawing. Export your creations as PNGs.

Highlights
  • Intuitive interface
  • Robust toolset
  • Smart color palettes
  • Precise drawing controls
  • Unlimited undo steps
  • PNG export
Features
Read full description

*** Please note: This FREE version puts an overlay on exported PNGs. Saved documents can later be opened in full version if iCloud is enabled! *** - "Wow — just wow, I've played with nearly ALL of the pixel editors out there (I use them daily) and none come close to this in terms of slickness.", UK - "I'm a HUGE fan of Pixel Playground! It's the only iOS pixel art app that's as well designed as iOS itself. Almost every design decision is perfect.", US - "This is Absolutely what you should expect from a great pixel art tool. Some of the tools here work like magic. Nice touches everywhere in the app.", UK - "Extremely feature rich but not bloated. Love the factual names of the colours too.", UK - "This really is a great pixel editor. The interface is refreshing and there’s a surprisingly robust toolset augmented with useful gesture controls. Pixel drawing is precise.", US - "The tutorials are fun and very effective at teaching the app’s features.", US - "Inuitive, fast. Really surprised to see several really cool tools. Lock color. Draw to select. Long press to sample. Nice.", Denmark ---- Do pixel editors have to be as retro as pixel art itself? No! Professionals, hobbyists and newcomers – rejoice! Pixel Playground is here, and it's powerful, beautiful and simple. INTERFACE - Simple & clean with no clutter between you and your art - Intuitive document organizer - Document bounds grow as needed - Super responsive drawing - Fast and smooth pan and zoom - Unlimited undo steps - Portrait or landscape anytime - Instant launch TOOLS - Freehand, lines, boxes, ellipses, flood-fill - Cool auto contour tool - Intuitive tool size: matches finger-tip size at any zoom level - Flood-fill and contour tools supports 4 or 8 pixel neighborhoods - Powerful selection: paint a mask using regular tools - Easy to move stuff around - Cut, copy, paste COLORS - Smart palette with existing document colors - Extensive palette with all recent colors - Paint opacity setting - Automatic color naming for easy reference - Long press to sample existing colors - Lock all pixels of one color - Lock all pixels except one color - Adjust individual colors in your art - Auto erase when drawing on same color SAVING - Syncs using iCloud - Auto saves your work - Export as regular PNGs - Save to photos, air drop, facebook, twitter, etc. BONUS - No in-app purchases - Magic undo/redo transitions - Minimal file size (1,5 MB!) Turn on iCloud sync, and you can access your documents if you upgrade to the full version!

About

VPN Pumpkin

This service encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address, transforming public Wi-Fi into a secure private network. It offers a one-click connection to access the internet anonymously and securely, with numerous high-speed servers worldwide.

Highlights
  • Hides and changes IP address
  • Encrypts internet traffic
  • One-click secure connection
  • High-speed global servers
  • Anonymous and protected browsing
  • Turns public Wi-Fi private
Features
Read full description

VPN Pumpkin is the simple, fast VPN with no sign-up. No account, no email, no credit card — just tap once and you're connected. WHY VPN PUMPKIN • No sign-up required — start using it instantly, we never ask for your personal info • One-tap connect — one button to secure your connection, no setup • No ads getting in your way • Servers in 14 countries — US, UK, Japan, Germany, Canada, Singapore, France, Netherlands, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Poland and more • Auto-fastest server — we pick the quickest server for you automatically • Works everywhere — Wi-Fi, 5G, 4G and 3G STAY SAFE ON PUBLIC WI-FI Coffee shops, airports, hotels — public networks aren't always safe. VPN Pumpkin encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address, so you can browse more privately wherever you are. SIMPLE, HONEST PRICING Try VPN Pumpkin free for 3 days. After that, it's just $29.99/year. Cancel anytime. Download VPN Pumpkin and get a faster, more private connection in one tap. — SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS • Free 3-day trial, then $29.99/year (other plans available in-app) • Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings • Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ • Privacy Policy: https://pastebin.com/raw/2RAU97sT

Screenshots

Pixel Playground Lite4 screens
VPN Pumpkin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: VPN Pumpkin at 5.0 against Pixel Playground Lite's 3.3. VPN Pumpkin also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Pixel Playground Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. VPN Pumpkin sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Pixel Playground Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VPN Pumpkin holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 5 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixel Playground Lite ships an update every 2 months, VPN Pumpkin every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Pixel Playground Lite versus VPN Pumpkin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixel Playground LiteVPN Pumpkin
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (4 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings45 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStudio MeeALKAALINK

Customer experience

Pixel Playground Lite

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

VPN Pumpkin

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Pixel Playground Lite

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

VPN Pumpkin

Subscriptions4
  • VIP Weekly Trial3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • VIP Monthly Trial3 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • VIP Yearly$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • VIP Yearly Trial7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Pixel Playground Lite free?
Pixel Playground Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VPN Pumpkin free?
VPN Pumpkin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pixel Playground Lite or VPN Pumpkin?
VPN Pumpkin is rated higher. Pixel Playground Lite averages 3.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while VPN Pumpkin averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Pixel Playground Lite or VPN Pumpkin have ads?
Neither Pixel Playground Lite nor VPN Pumpkin shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pixel Playground Lite or VPN Pumpkin?
Pixel Playground Lite ships an update every 2 months, and VPN Pumpkin every 3 months. Most recently, Pixel Playground Lite was updated on November 6, 2026 and VPN Pumpkin on November 3, 2026.

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