# 8bit Painter vs CUSTOM CAST

The clearest difference is rating: 8bit Painter at 4.6 against CUSTOM CAST's 3.4. 8bit Painter also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 48%). CUSTOM CAST's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 8bit Painter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CUSTOM CAST sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

8bit Painter holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.5K and 4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of 8bit Painter's written reviews are positive against 48% of CUSTOM CAST's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 8bit Painter | CUSTOM CAST |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-painter-pixel-art/id894301273/reviews)** | [3.4 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-cast/id1436588949/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.5K** | 4K |
| Positive reviews | **85.4% of reviews** | 47.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 896 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Takayuki Miyagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/894301276) | [DWANGO Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/297539595) |

## 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


### CUSTOM CAST

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-cast/id1436588949)

Design unique 3D characters with extensive customization options for body parts, clothing, and accessories. Save multiple creations, pose them for social media, or use them as a virtual avatar for live streaming with facial tracking and AR capabilities.

**Highlights:** Extensive character customization, Save multiple character designs, Social media sharing with stickers/frames, Virtual streamer functionality, Facial motion tracking, AR integration

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 160cc | $0.99 | one-time |
| 480cc | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1000cc | $5.99 | one-time |
| 3000cc | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6000cc | $39.99 | one-time |
| 10000cc | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐️ Excellent character customization
- 🎨 Wide variety of clothing and accessories
- 📹 Useful VTuber features
- 🎨 Highly creative and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏳ Lengthy download and loading times
- 🔍 Limited male clothing options
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen issues when customizing characters
- Glitches with clothing and accessories
- Tracking and camera issues
- Inconsistent performance and crashes

**Requested features**

- More free clothing and accessory options
- Ability to customize hair color and facial features
- More diverse body types and skin tones
- Improved performance and reduced loading times
- Add more male-oriented clothing and styles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 8bit Painter free?

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

### Is CUSTOM CAST free?

CUSTOM CAST is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 8bit Painter or CUSTOM CAST?

8bit Painter is rated higher. 8bit Painter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.5K ratings, while CUSTOM CAST averages 3.4 from 4K ratings.

### Do 8bit Painter or CUSTOM CAST have ads?

Both 8bit Painter and CUSTOM CAST show ads.

### Which is updated more often, 8bit Painter or CUSTOM CAST?

8bit Painter ships an update every 5 weeks, and CUSTOM CAST every 5 weeks. Most recently, 8bit Painter was updated on October 16, 2026 and CUSTOM CAST on October 17, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*