# Pixel Art Maker vs Draw Desk

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pixel Art Maker at every 9 days against Draw Desk's every 11 months. Pixel Art Maker also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 63%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Art Maker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Draw Desk sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pixel Art Maker holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Art Maker has 11K ratings behind it against 460, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Pixel Art Maker's written reviews are positive against 63% of Draw Desk's.

Pixel Art Maker ships an update every 9 days, Draw Desk every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Art Maker | Draw Desk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-maker/id897806469/reviews)** | [4.4 (460 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draw-desk-doodle-with-painter/id1088580097/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 460 |
| Positive reviews | **91.0% of reviews** | 62.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nekomimimi](https://appshunter.io/developer/382809814) | [国文 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1030371719) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Art Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-maker/id897806469)

Create and animate pixel art with a user-friendly drawing tool. Convert photos into pixel art, customize color palettes, and export your creations as GIFs. Offers both free and premium features for enhanced capabilities.

**Highlights:** Pixel art drawing up to 256x256, Photo to pixel art conversion, Animated pixel art creation, Customizable color palettes, Export as animated GIF, Scalable artwork export

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for making mods
- 🚀 Great for pixel art and animations
- 🚀 Intuitive and practical
- 🚀 Lots of customization options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or save issues
- 🐛 Difficulty moving or selecting specific pixels
- 🐛 Limited color palette options

**Reported bugs**

- Exported images not retaining transparency
- Color picker not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add a redo button
- Implement layers and better color management
- Increase maximum canvas size
- Add a paint bucket tool
- Allow importing/exporting of animations


### Draw Desk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draw-desk-doodle-with-painter/id1088580097)

Unleash your creativity with a versatile drawing and editing tool. Select from a wide array of brushes, shapes, and colors to sketch, doodle, or add text to your photos. Easily save and share your artistic creations.

**Highlights:** Multiple drawing tools (Pen, Line, Eraser, Text), Shape drawing (Rect, Ellipse), Extensive color palette, Save and share creations, Photo editing capabilities

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and simple interface
- 🎨 Good for drawing and creative work
- 💾 Ability to save work to folders
- ⚡ No startup delay, instant drawing
- 🎯 Versatile for various uses (homework, diagrams, memes)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🐛 App crashes when selecting custom colors
- 🔍 Cannot zoom in on drawings
- ⚠️ Laggy performance
- ❌ Limited color options

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when picking custom color from color wheel
- App deletes user artwork
- Ads pop up when switching between apps
- Mute button on ads doesn't work
- Laggy performance with ads

**Requested features**

- Layer support for advanced drawing
- Zoom functionality
- More color choices and options
- Different pen styles
- Stamp tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Art Maker free?

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

### Is Draw Desk free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Art Maker or Draw Desk?

Pixel Art Maker is rated higher. Pixel Art Maker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Draw Desk averages 4.4 from 460 ratings.

### Do Pixel Art Maker or Draw Desk have ads?

Both Pixel Art Maker and Draw Desk show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Art Maker or Draw Desk?

Pixel Art Maker ships an update every 9 days, and Draw Desk every 11 months. Most recently, Pixel Art Maker was updated on November 1, 2026 and Draw Desk on October 31, 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.*