# 8bit Painter vs XP Maker

The clearest difference is ads: XP Maker at none against 8bit Painter's shown. XP Maker also leads on review sentiment (98% vs 85%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). 8bit Painter's advantage is ratings volume (6.7K vs 105) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

XP Maker holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 8bit Painter has 6.7K ratings behind it against 105, 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 98% of XP Maker's.

8bit Painter ships an update monthly, XP Maker every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 8bit Painter | XP Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (6.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-painter-pixel-art/id894301273/reviews) | **[4.8 (105 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xp-maker/id6475613532/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.7K** | 105 |
| Positive reviews | 85.1% of reviews | **98.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 108 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Takayuki Miyagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/894301276) | [David Alvarez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1444697550) |

## 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


### XP Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xp-maker/id6475613532)

Design unique pixel-art avatars with a vast selection of items and color variations. Easily create thousands of distinct character combinations and share your creations.

**Highlights:** Create pixel-art avatars, 14 item categories, Color variations, Thousands of combinations, Easy to use interface, Share creations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Xp Maker Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great for creating avatars
- ✨ Fun and entertaining
- 🤩 High quality app
- 💖 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

-  anúncios when downloading
- 🔒 Many features locked
- 💰 Some content behind paywall
- 💸 Microtransactions for customization
- 🚫 No skirts for free

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot delete a duo concept
- A tiny bug emerged

**Requested features**

- Add movement options (walking, running)
- Basketball app for NBA characters
- More poses for free
- Wallpaper options
- More hair options (anime/series)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 8bit Painter free?

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

### Is XP Maker free?

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

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

XP Maker is rated higher. 8bit Painter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.7K ratings, while XP Maker averages 4.8 from 105 ratings.

### Do 8bit Painter or XP Maker have ads?

8bit Painter shows ads; XP Maker does not.

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

8bit Painter ships an update monthly, and XP Maker every 3 months. Most recently, 8bit Painter was updated on November 1, 2026 and XP Maker on October 22, 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.*