# Pixel Art Maker vs Perlypop

The clearest difference is ads: Perlypop at none against Pixel Art Maker's shown. Perlypop also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). Pixel Art Maker's advantage is ratings volume (11K vs 453) and review sentiment (91% vs 78%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Art Maker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Perlypop sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Pixel Art Maker against 4.7 for Perlypop. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Art Maker has 11K ratings behind it against 453, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Pixel Art Maker's written reviews are positive against 78% of Perlypop's.

Pixel Art Maker ships an update every 9 days, Perlypop fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Art Maker | Perlypop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-maker/id897806469/reviews)** | [4.7 (453 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/perlypop-perler-beads/id1450794449/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 453 |
| Positive reviews | **91.0% of reviews** | 77.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 15 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Nekomimimi](https://appshunter.io/developer/382809814) | [Subtlabs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1124491603) |

## 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


### Perlypop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/perlypop-perler-beads/id1450794449)

Easily create custom fuse bead patterns from photos or by drawing. Supports various bead brands and sizes, with tools to help you visualize and track your progress. Export designs as printable PDFs.

**Highlights:** Create patterns from photos, Draw custom designs, Supports Perler, Hama, Artkal, Nabbi beads, Midi and Mini bead sizes, Export as printable PDF, Track project progress

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Special Offer | $19.99 | one-time |
| Full Version | $75.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best app for perler/fuse bead designs
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Excellent customization options
- 💡 Helpful features like color swapping and bead count
- 🎨 Supports multiple bead brands (Perler, Artkal, Hama)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid features behind paywall
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Limited support for smaller projects
- 🎨 Struggles with converting some images accurately

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on certain iPad models after updates
- Issues with converting transparent images or sprites
- Inconsistent color matching when importing images

**Requested features**

- Ability to order supplies directly from the app
- Option to save and share custom palettes
- Support for larger pattern sizes (over 10 boards)
- Improved printing/export options
- Integration with other design/art apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Art Maker free?

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

### Is Perlypop free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Art Maker or Perlypop?

Pixel Art Maker is rated higher. Pixel Art Maker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Perlypop averages 4.7 from 453 ratings.

### Do Pixel Art Maker or Perlypop have ads?

Pixel Art Maker shows ads; Perlypop does not.

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

Pixel Art Maker ships an update every 9 days, and Perlypop fortnightly. Most recently, Pixel Art Maker was updated on October 29, 2026 and Perlypop on October 21, 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.*