# Comic Draw by plasq vs Charcoal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Charcoal at none against Comic Draw by plasq's 3. Charcoal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). Comic Draw by plasq's advantage is ratings volume (750 vs 144) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Comic Draw by plasq sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Charcoal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Charcoal holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Comic Draw by plasq has 750 ratings behind it against 144, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Comic Draw by plasq's written reviews are positive against 77% of Charcoal's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Comic Draw by plasq | Charcoal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (750 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comic-draw-by-plasq/id947061777/reviews) | **[4.5 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **750** | 144 |
| Positive reviews | 67.2% of reviews | **76.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 240 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [plasq LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/284959710) | [Lars Augustin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806278075) |

## What reviewers say

### Comic Draw by plasq

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comic-draw-by-plasq/id947061777)

Create and view comics on your iPad with a comprehensive set of tools. Features include brushes, fonts, layers, and perspective guides. An in-app purchase unlocks full editing capabilities.

**Highlights:** Comic creation and viewing, 34 bundled brushes, 130+ bundled comic fonts, Layer support, Perspective guides, Comic lettering tools, In-app purchase for full editing

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Unlock Full App | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful comic creation tool
- 👍 Streamlined workflow from script to final comic
- 🎨 Great drawing tools and brushes
- 💡 Useful perspective guides
- 📝 Integrated script writing feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Locked behind paywall, free trial too short
- 💤 Unintuitive UI and learning curve
- 🎨 Limited customization options for brushes and tools
- 🔍 Difficult to import/export files to/from other apps

**Reported bugs**

- Brush freehand tool not working with Apple Pencil
- Layers getting misaligned when using undo
- Crashes when trying to drag and zoom images
- Saved comics disappearing after updates

**Requested features**

- Ability to import/export PSD files
- More keyboard shortcuts and power user features
- Improved color picker with RGB/CMYK/Hex support
- Ability to work on double-page spreads
- Masking/clipping tools for panels


### Charcoal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484)

This app offers a simple yet powerful sketching experience with rich tools and beautiful color palettes. Easily create and export your artwork for use in other graphics programs. It supports modern iOS features like multiple windows and dark mode for enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** Simple sketching interface, Rich drawing tools, Beautiful color palettes, Export sketches, Multiple window support, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive
- 👍 Great for quick sketching
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 💰 Free with no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Limited color palette
- 🎨 Lack of customization options
- 🎨 Missing advanced drawing tools
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Saved sketches lose quality
- Palette colors change unexpectedly
- Freezing when opening color palette

**Requested features**

- Ability to change brush/pen size
- Layers and blending tools
- Color wheel and custom color selection
- Import/export options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Comic Draw by plasq free?

Comic Draw by plasq is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Charcoal free?

Charcoal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Comic Draw by plasq or Charcoal?

Charcoal is rated higher. Comic Draw by plasq averages 4.1 out of 5 from 750 ratings, while Charcoal averages 4.5 from 144 ratings.

### Do Comic Draw by plasq or Charcoal have ads?

Comic Draw by plasq shows ads; Charcoal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Comic Draw by plasq or Charcoal?

Comic Draw by plasq ships an update every 2 months, and Charcoal every 2 months. Most recently, Comic Draw by plasq was updated on October 24, 2026 and Charcoal on October 26, 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.*