Comparison

8bit Painter vs Folioscope

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

Head to head
About

8bit Painter

Create pixel art and 8-bit style illustrations with intuitive tools. Easily design social media icons, game skins, patterns, and even patterns for crafts like Perler beads. Import photos to convert them into pixel art, with options to remove backgrounds.

Highlights
  • Intuitive pixel art drawing tools
  • Photo import and conversion to pixel art
  • Background removal for imported images
  • Stylus support for precise drawing on iPad
  • Multiple canvas sizes
  • Export transparent PNG images
  • Artwork data import/export
Read full description

Over 6 million downloads! An easy-to-use app for creating pixel art and 8-bit style artwork. 8bit Painter is a simple pixel art drawing app that beginners can start enjoying right away. With intuitive controls, you can easily create pixel art for social media icons, game skins, illustrations, patterns, and more. It is also great for making designs for Perler beads, cross-stitch, knitting, and other handmade projects. Key Features - Simple controls that are easy for anyone to use - Clear, focused tools for creating pixel art - Perfect for beginners - Great for making social media icons and game skins - Import photos and convert them into pixel art - Remove photo backgrounds and import just the subject - Draw with Apple Pencil or a compatible stylus using a stylus-only setting on iPad - Choose colors intuitively with a color wheel, sliders, and palettes - Export transparent images in PNG format - Export and import your artwork data Canvas Sizes 16x16 / 24x24 / 32x32 / 48x48 / 64x64 / 96x96 / 128x128 / 160x160 / 192x192 Choose the right canvas size for your project, from small social media icons to detailed pixel art and craft patterns. Image Import Import your favorite photos and automatically convert them into pixel art. Keep the background or remove it to import just the subject. You can refine the cutout by cropping to a smaller area, or undo the last cutout. Great for creating social media icons, game skins, and pixel art assets. Drawing with a Stylus on iPad Turn on “Draw with a Stylus Only” to edit the canvas using Apple Pencil or a compatible stylus that your iPad recognizes as a pen. This prevents accidental marks from your fingers while still letting you use them to zoom, pan, and tap buttons. Color Selection Choose a base color with the color wheel, then fine-tune it with sliders or HEX input. You can also pick colors quickly from preset palettes, or save frequently used colors to your custom color palette for reuse. Artwork Data Management Export artwork data saved in your Gallery from the Settings screen, and import it again when needed. This is helpful for keeping your pixel art safe, preparing for a device change, or reinstalling the app. Artwork Storage - The initial artwork storage limit is 30 artworks - Expand the limit up to 600 artworks by watching rewarded video ads or purchasing the Remove Ads add-on Image Export - Choose from 3 export sizes - Supports transparent PNG images - Useful for social media posts, game skins, and exporting assets Remove Ads Add-On - Hides all ads - Expands the artwork storage limit to 600 artworks - Can be restored after reinstalling the app - One-time purchase How to Expand Your Storage Limit - Each rewarded video ad you watch increases your artwork storage limit by 5 artworks, up to 600 - Purchasing the Remove Ads add-on expands your artwork storage limit to 600 artworks Recommended For - Anyone who wants to start creating pixel art - People who want to make their own social media icons - Anyone who wants to create game skins easily - People making designs for Perler beads or cross-stitch - People designing knitting patterns or handmade projects - Anyone who wants to turn photos into pixel art - People looking for a simple pixel art editor - Anyone who wants to manage their artwork data and keep using the app over time Enjoy creating pixel art and 8-bit style artwork with 8bit Painter!

About

Folioscope

Create frame-by-frame animations with intuitive drawing and animation tools. Share your creations with a vibrant community, participate in contests, and learn new techniques. Export your art as GIFs, videos, or PDFs without watermarks.

Highlights
  • Frame-by-frame animation
  • Drawing tools (pen, eraser, colors)
  • Onion skinning
  • Community sharing and contests
  • GIF, video, PDF export
  • Tutorials and inspiration
Read full description

Folioscope is the best app for creating terrific frame-by-frame animations in no time! Use simple yet powerful tools to draw your animations. Share your best creations with the community. Participate in themed contests to improve yourself and become a master animator. Join us and have fun :) Folioscope is a flipbook & animation maker, designed to help you express your creativity with the help of a community of thousands of creators that will inspire you to make amazing drawings and animations. All-in-one creation experience, great for Drawing, Animating, Sketching, Storyboarding, Learning, Designing, and finding Creative Inspiration. Draw pictures and bring them to life, frame by frame! Create Cartoons, Pixel Art, Animes, Mangas, Comics, Flipbooks... and share them with the world. Share your creations within the app's social feed, and on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or any other popular platform of your choice! Learn new Animation Techniques by following Tutorials created by the community. Controls are intuitive and easy to use, to turn you quickly into a professional flipbook artist ;) All Folioscope Features are available for free! Download Folioscope today and join an amazing community of animators. DRAWING TOOLS: - Pen & Eraser in Multiple Sizes - Selection Tools - Paint Bucket - Draw in Multiple Colors - Apple Pencil Support - 3D Touch compatibility - Dithering Tools (Pixel Art) - Zoom-in and zoom-out ANIMATION TOOLS: - Animating frame-by-frame is super easy with our intuitive tools - Onion skin - Frames viewer - Visualize your flipbook page by page - Back/forward animation controls - And more! EXPORT TOOLS: - Export in Folioscope's Social Network - Share on other apps - Save on your phone - Video, GIF, PDF export supported with NO WATERMARK ;) - Archive your work and send it to other Folioscopers for them to edit GET INSPIRED AND SHARE YOUR WORK - Browse creators' profiles and discover their amazing art - Scroll through the timeline to discover new animations - Share your art within the app and get social with the community - Challenge yourself with our contests and win special prizes! - Improve your techniques thanks to Tutorials offered by your fellow animators GET SUPPORT If you have a question about Folioscope, or a suggestion to make, or anything else, feel free to contact us at support@1button.co

Screenshots

8bit Painter4 screens
Folioscope4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Folioscope at weekly against 8bit Painter's monthly. Folioscope also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). 8bit Painter's advantage is ratings volume (6.7K vs 1.2K). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. 8bit Painter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Folioscope sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for 8bit Painter against 4.6 for Folioscope. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 8bit Painter has 6.7K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of 8bit Painter's written reviews are positive against 93% of Folioscope's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

8bit Painter ships an update monthly, Folioscope weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
8bit Painter versus Folioscope: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter8bit PainterFolioscope
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (6.7K ratings)4.6 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews92.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.7K — better1.2K
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB52 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTakayuki Miyagawa1Button SARL

Customer experience

8bit Painter

All ratings6,702 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral4.2%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews336 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral6.5%
Negative8.3%

Folioscope

All ratings1,190 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral3.5%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews1,592 reviews
Positive92.6%
Neutral4.0%
Negative3.5%

User reviews

8bit Painter

From 6.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🥰 Fun and addictive
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🎨 Great for pixel art
  • 💡 Helpful for crafting projects
  • 🤩 Awesome app overall

Room to improve

  • 🤬 Annoying ads
  • 🔒 Limited canvas sizes
  • 🎨 Lack of color customization
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

Folioscope

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Great community
  • 🌟 Awesome for beginners
  • ⭐️ Smooth animations
  • 💡 Unique pixel art style

Room to improve

  • 🎨 Limited color palette
  • 🔧 Lack of advanced tools
  • 📢 Too many ads
  • 🔒 Account/login issues

Bugs and requests

8bit Painter

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Distortion when importing images
  • Inability to delete saved artworks

Requested features

5 requests
  • Custom canvas sizes
  • More color options and palettes
  • Ability to delete or rearrange colors
  • Layers and animation support
  • Copy/paste and selection tools

Folioscope

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Animations not saving properly
  • Crashes and freezes when uploading
  • Confirmation email issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more colors and color mixing options
  • Implement rotation and resizing tools
  • Introduce audio support for animations
  • Provide custom canvas sizes
  • Add a tutorial or onboarding experience

In-app purchases

1 purchases

8bit Painter

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$5.99
1 purchases

Folioscope

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is 8bit Painter free?
8bit Painter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Folioscope free?
Folioscope is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 8bit Painter or Folioscope?
Folioscope is rated higher. 8bit Painter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.7K ratings, while Folioscope averages 4.6 from 1.2K ratings.
Do 8bit Painter or Folioscope have ads?
Both 8bit Painter and Folioscope show ads.
Which is updated more often, 8bit Painter or Folioscope?
8bit Painter ships an update monthly, and Folioscope weekly. Most recently, 8bit Painter was updated on November 1, 2026 and Folioscope on November 4, 2026.

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