# 8bit Painter vs Pixel Art Maker

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 8bit Painter at 85% against Pixel Art Maker's 17%. 8bit Painter also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.0) and ratings volume (6.5K vs 7). Pixel Art Maker's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 8bit Painter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pixel Art Maker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

8bit Painter holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 8bit Painter has 6.5K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of 8bit Painter's written reviews are positive against 17% of Pixel Art Maker's.

8bit Painter ships an update every 5 weeks, Pixel Art Maker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and August 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 8bit Painter | Pixel Art Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-painter-pixel-art/id894301273/reviews)** | [2.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-maker-8-bit-pixels/id1148359066/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.5K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **85.4% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 29 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Takayuki Miyagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/894301276) | [Sandeep Bhandari](https://appshunter.io/developer/794284640) |

## What reviewers say

### 8bit Painter

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

Create fun and easy pixel art with intuitive controls. Perfect for beginners, this app lets you design SNS icons, game assets, or craft patterns. Import photos to pixelize them and export your creations as transparent PNGs.

**Highlights:** Beginner-friendly interface, Essential pixel drawing tools, Photo to pixel art conversion, Customizable color palettes, Transparent PNG export, Multiple canvas sizes

**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


### Pixel Art Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-maker-8-bit-pixels/id1148359066)

Create 8-bit pixel art with a powerful editor. Convert images into pixel art and use them as stickers or build them directly in Minecraft PE worlds. Features include transparent pixel support and a true color palette.

**Highlights:** 8-bit pixel art editor, Convert images to pixel art, Use pixel art as stickers, Build pixel art in Minecraft PE, Transparent pixel support, True color palette

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Forever Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 8bit Painter free?

8bit Painter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pixel Art Maker free?

Pixel Art Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 8bit Painter or Pixel Art Maker?

8bit Painter is rated higher. 8bit Painter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.5K ratings, while Pixel Art Maker averages 2.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do 8bit Painter or Pixel Art Maker have ads?

Both 8bit Painter and Pixel Art Maker show ads.

### Which is updated more often, 8bit Painter or Pixel Art Maker?

8bit Painter ships an update every 5 weeks, and Pixel Art Maker every 2 months. Most recently, 8bit Painter was updated on September 28, 2026 and Pixel Art Maker on August 17, 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.*