# 8bit Painter vs dotpict

The clearest difference is update cadence: dotpict at every 4 days against 8bit Painter's every 5 weeks. 8bit Painter's advantage is ratings volume (6.5K vs 787) and review sentiment (85% vs 77%). On price, rating, 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 dotpict sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. 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 dotpict. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 8bit Painter has 6.5K ratings behind it against 787, 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 77% of dotpict's.

8bit Painter ships an update every 5 weeks, dotpict every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 8bit Painter | dotpict |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-painter-pixel-art/id894301273/reviews) | [4.6 (787 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotpict/id995653343/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.5K** | 787 |
| Positive reviews | **85.4% of reviews** | 77.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.7** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Takayuki Miyagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/894301276) | [DOT PICTO LIMITED LIABILITY CO.](https://appshunter.io/developer/995653342) |

## 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


### dotpict

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotpict/id995653343)

Create and share pixel art with an intuitive drawing tool. Features include animation creation, autosave, and daily drawing challenges. Connect with a vibrant community of artists, browse thousands of daily artworks, and participate in events.

**Highlights:** Pixel art creation, Animation creation, Daily themes and events, Community posting and interaction, Autosave, Mesh pens, borders, and previews

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| dotpict Premium | $3.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Variety of color palettes
- 🙌 Great community
- 💻 Convenient for mobile pixel art
- 🎨 Simple and intuitive drawing tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Strict content moderation leading to false bans
- 💬 Lack of messaging/commenting system
- 🎨 Limited color palette options
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and viewing other users' art

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and login issues
- Drawing tools and cursor glitching
- Inability to save or transfer canvases between devices
- Inconsistent performance on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add layers and ability to rearrange them
- Implement onion skinning for animations
- Allow custom canvas sizes
- Introduce a premium version to remove ads
- Add a reference window for drawing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 8bit Painter free?

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

### Is dotpict free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 8bit Painter or dotpict?

8bit Painter and dotpict are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6.5K and 787 ratings respectively.

### Do 8bit Painter or dotpict have ads?

Both 8bit Painter and dotpict show ads.

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

8bit Painter ships an update every 5 weeks, and dotpict every 4 days. Most recently, 8bit Painter was updated on September 22, 2026 and dotpict on September 24, 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.*