# Calligraphy HD vs Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

The clearest difference is rating: Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet at 4.7 against Calligraphy HD's 1.6. Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet also leads on review sentiment (46% vs 10%) and ads (none vs shown). Calligraphy HD's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calligraphy HD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet has 3.8K 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 46% of Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy HD | Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-hd/id972731593/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astropad-studio-drawing-tablet/id1181582576/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 64 | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 10.4% of reviews | **46.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 19 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TOUCHSCREEN LEARNING LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/501694854) | [Astro HQ](https://appshunter.io/developer/934510729) |

## 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 |


### Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astropad-studio-drawing-tablet/id1181582576)

Transform your iPad into a professional wireless drawing tablet for demanding creative work. Enjoy customizable workspaces, gesture shortcuts, and high-speed connectivity for efficient digital art creation on Mac and PC.

**Highlights:** Wireless or USB connectivity, Customizable gesture shortcuts, Keyboard support, Pressure curve customization, Second display functionality, Optimized for Apple Pencil

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Astropad Studio Annual | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works great
- 🚀 Fantastic drawing experience
- 🚀 Seamless integration with desktop apps
- 👍 Customizable shortcuts and gestures
- 👍 Pressure sensitivity and cursor preview

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Crashes and connection issues
- 🐛 Laggy performance, especially over Wi-Fi
- 💡 Lacks dual-screen functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and disconnects
- Compatibility issues with certain apps
- Unresponsive or glitchy input

**Requested features**

- Ability to use iPad as a secondary display
- More affordable one-time purchase option
- Improved stability and performance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calligraphy HD free?

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

### Is Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet free?

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Calligraphy HD or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet?

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet is rated higher. Calligraphy HD averages 1.6 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet averages 4.7 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Calligraphy HD or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet have ads?

Calligraphy HD shows ads; Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calligraphy HD or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet?

Calligraphy HD ships an update every 3 months, and Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet every 3 months. Most recently, Calligraphy HD was updated on October 20, 2026 and Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet on October 29, 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.*