# Calligraphy HD vs Charcoal

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Charcoal at 77% against Calligraphy HD's 10%. Charcoal also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.6) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Calligraphy HD's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calligraphy HD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Charcoal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Charcoal holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 144 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of Calligraphy HD's written reviews are positive against 77% of Charcoal's.

Calligraphy HD ships an update every 3 months, Charcoal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy HD | Charcoal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-hd/id972731593/reviews) | **[4.5 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 64 | **144** |
| Positive reviews | 10.4% of reviews | **76.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 19 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TOUCHSCREEN LEARNING LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/501694854) | [Lars Augustin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806278075) |

## 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 |


### 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 Calligraphy HD free?

Calligraphy HD 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, Calligraphy HD or Charcoal?

Charcoal is rated higher. Calligraphy HD averages 1.6 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while Charcoal averages 4.5 from 144 ratings.

### Do Calligraphy HD or Charcoal have ads?

Calligraphy HD shows ads; Charcoal does not.

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

Calligraphy HD ships an update every 3 months, and Charcoal every 2 months. Most recently, Calligraphy HD was updated on October 20, 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.*