# Calligraphy HD vs Paintwork

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Paintwork at 65% against Calligraphy HD's 10%. Paintwork also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.6) and ads (none vs shown). Calligraphy HD's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calligraphy HD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Paintwork sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Paintwork holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paintwork has 17K ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of Calligraphy HD's written reviews are positive against 65% of Paintwork's.

Calligraphy HD ships an update every 3 months, Paintwork weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy HD | Paintwork |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-hd/id972731593/reviews) | **[4.6 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintwork-infinite-notebook/id1052957498/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 64 | **17K** |
| Positive reviews | 10.4% of reviews | **65.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 200 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TOUCHSCREEN LEARNING LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/501694854) | [伟典 苏](https://appshunter.io/developer/1024628394) |

## What reviewers say

### Calligraphy HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-hd/id972731593)

Explore the art of calligraphy with a wide selection of digital nibs and brushes. Customize stroke thickness, texture, and pen angle to develop your unique lettering style. Save your creations to your device's photo gallery.

**Highlights:** Customizable nibs and brushes, Adjustable stroke thickness, Varying stroke texture, Pen angle control, Variety of backgrounds, Save artwork to gallery

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Calligraphy HD Full App | $2.99 | one-time |


### Paintwork

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintwork-infinite-notebook/id1052957498)

Create handwritten notes, diaries, and drawings with a vast array of tools. Features include customizable brushes, vector graphics, a rich color palette, and image import. Export your creations as PDFs or images.

**Highlights:** Customizable brushes and erasers, Extensive vector graphics tools, Rich color palette, Image and material import, Handwriting assistance, PDF and image export, Customizable backgrounds and canvas

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription premium | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription premium | $3.99 | per year |
| Unlock local version | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Vast selection of brushes and tools
- 💻 Works well on various devices
- 🎨 Allows for creative expression
- 💰 Free to use with no paywall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Certain features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches causing crashes or data loss
- 🎨 Limited color palette and blending options
- 🔍 Lack of intuitive UI and tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- App freezing or crashing when using certain features
- Artwork getting deleted or not saving properly
- Inability to import or work with external images

**Requested features**

- Add more color options and blending tools
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
- Provide more tutorials and onboarding for new users
- Allow users to save and access their artwork easily


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calligraphy HD free?

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

### Is Paintwork free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Calligraphy HD or Paintwork?

Paintwork is rated higher. Calligraphy HD averages 1.6 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while Paintwork averages 4.6 from 17K ratings.

### Do Calligraphy HD or Paintwork have ads?

Calligraphy HD shows ads; Paintwork does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calligraphy HD or Paintwork?

Calligraphy HD ships an update every 3 months, and Paintwork weekly. Most recently, Calligraphy HD was updated on October 16, 2026 and Paintwork on October 14, 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.*