# Sketchbook® vs Clip Studio Paint for iPhone

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sketchbook® at 77% against Clip Studio Paint for iPhone's 36%. Sketchbook® also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (221K vs 1.8K). Clip Studio Paint for iPhone's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sketchbook® sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Clip Studio Paint for iPhone sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sketchbook® holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketchbook® has 221K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Sketchbook®'s written reviews are positive against 36% of Clip Studio Paint for iPhone's.

Sketchbook® ships an update every 2 months, Clip Studio Paint for iPhone every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sketchbook® | Clip Studio Paint for iPhone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (221K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchbook/id883738213/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clip-studio-paint-for-iphone/id1483037022/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **221K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | **76.6% of reviews** | 35.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#36** | #112 |
| Size | 144 MB | 561 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sketchbook, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569383806) | [CELSYS,Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/291038364) |

## What reviewers say

### Sketchbook®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchbook/id883738213)

**Currently charting:** #36 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app provides a professional-grade drawing and painting experience for artists and illustrators. It offers a natural drawing feel with customizable tools, layers, and guides for precision. Unlock advanced features like custom brushes and canvas resizing with an optional premium purchase.

**Highlights:** Full complement of brush types, Highly customizable brushes, Guides, rulers, and stroke tools, Layers with blend modes, Clean and unobtrusive interface, Custom brush creation (premium), Canvas resizing (premium)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing, free, and no ads
- 👍 Lots of brushes and customization options
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Great for beginners and professionals
- 👍 Smooth performance and no lag

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Blurry or corrupted images when saving or copying
- 🐛 Glitches with color selection and layers
- 🐛 Inability to rotate canvas or access gallery easily
- 🐛 Lack of blurring and clipping mask tools

**Reported bugs**

- Layers randomly deleted or corrupted
- Freezing when using certain tools like the eyedropper
- Saving issues leading to loss of progress
- Incompatibility with newer iPad Pro devices

**Requested features**

- Add blurring and clipping mask tools
- Improve gallery and canvas rotation functionality
- Allow custom font import
- Add effects like glow, stroke, and drop shadow
- Implement layer grouping and organization


### Clip Studio Paint for iPhone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clip-studio-paint-for-iphone/id1483037022)

**Currently charting:** #112 Top Free · Graphics & Design, #144 Top Grossing · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Create professional-quality digital art, comics, and animations with a vast array of brushes, materials, and editing tools. Offers features for beginners and pros, including 3D models for reference and advanced layer management.

**Highlights:** Unlimited brushes with realistic textures, Vast library of artist-made materials, Advanced coloring tools with Shading Assist, 3D models for anatomy and perspective reference, Comprehensive comic creation tools, Professional animation features, Non-destructive editing and layer management

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Monthly Smartphone Plan | $0.99 | per month |
| EX Monthly Smartphone Plan | $2.49 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Single-Device Plan | $4.89 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Single-Device Plan | $4.89 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Dual-Device Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Dual-Device Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| EX Monthly Single-Device Plan | $9.69 | per month |
| EX Monthly Single-Device Plan | $9.69 | per month |
| EX Monthly Dual-Device Plan | $13.49 | per month |
| EX Monthly Dual-Device Plan | $13.49 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Great for digital art
- 👍 Smooth drawing experience
- 💡 Useful 3D model integration
- 🎨 Powerful drawing tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Restrictive time limit for free users
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🤔 Confusing user interface
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Login and account issues
- Unresponsive brushes and tools
- Inability to access purchased content
- Drawings not saving properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to save and continue drawings across sessions
- More free brushes and tools
- Improved mobile optimization
- Perpetual license option for mobile


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sketchbook® free?

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

### Is Clip Studio Paint for iPhone free?

Clip Studio Paint for iPhone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sketchbook® or Clip Studio Paint for iPhone?

Sketchbook® is rated higher. Sketchbook® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 221K ratings, while Clip Studio Paint for iPhone averages 4.4 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Sketchbook® or Clip Studio Paint for iPhone have ads?

Neither Sketchbook® nor Clip Studio Paint for iPhone shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sketchbook® or Clip Studio Paint for iPhone?

Sketchbook® ships an update every 2 months, and Clip Studio Paint for iPhone every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sketchbook® was updated on November 9, 2026 and Clip Studio Paint for iPhone on November 7, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Sketchbook® or Clip Studio Paint for iPhone?

Sketchbook® currently peaks at #36 in the App Store charts, and Clip Studio Paint for iPhone at #112. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*