# 8bit Painter vs Folioscope

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.

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.

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.

8bit Painter ships an update monthly, Folioscope weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 8bit Painter | Folioscope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (6.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-painter-pixel-art/id894301273/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/folioscope-animation-network/id1084331400/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.7K** | 1.2K |
| Positive reviews | 85.1% of reviews | **92.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Takayuki Miyagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/894301276) | [1Button SARL](https://appshunter.io/developer/388888785) |

## What reviewers say

### 8bit Painter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-painter-pixel-art/id894301273)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Folioscope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/folioscope-animation-network/id1084331400)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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 6, 2026 and Folioscope on November 4, 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.*