Clip Studio Paint
by CELSYS
Clip Studio Paint is a subscription illustration, comic and animation app for iPad, with desktop and Android versions.
- Price
- Subscription: PRO from $4.89/month, EX from $9.69/month
- Runs on
- iPadOS, macOS, Windows, Android, ChromeOS
- Rating
- ★ 4.7 on the App Store (14K ratings)
Art Set 4
by Lofopi
Art Set 4 is an iPad painting app focused on hyper-realistic traditional media, with free core tools and a one-time Pro upgrade.
- Price
- Free; Unlock All $12.99 one-time
- Runs on
- iPadOS
- Rating
- ★ 4.6 on the App Store (29K ratings)
Key differences
Only Clip Studio Paint has
- Mac: Yes, desktop version
Feature comparison
| Feature | Clip Studio Paint |
Art Set 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | Subscription: PRO from $4.89/month, EX from $9.69/month | Free; Unlock All $12.99 one-time |
| Free version | 30-day free trial; saving and exporting need a plan | Yes, core realistic tools |
| Subscription | Required to save and export | None |
| Ad-free | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| No account needed | Clip Studio account needed to buy a plan | Not advertised |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Separate app, Clip Studio Paint for iPhone | No, iPad only |
| Mac | Yes, desktop version | No, iPad only |
| Android and Chromebook | Yes | Not advertised |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | Built-in set plus thousands of community brushes | Core tools free; 200 advanced brushes in Pro |
| Brush customization | Brush shape, texture, paper quality and more | Size, opacity, flow, grain, loading, dynamics |
| Brush import | Clip Studio Assets community brushes | Not advertised |
| Apple Pencil | Supported | Deeply integrated |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Panel frames; multi-page projects with EX | Not advertised |
| Screentones | Yes | Not advertised |
| Text and lettering | Text and speech balloons | Not advertised |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Blend modes | Yes | Pro |
| Masks | Masks and clipping across multiple layers | Layer masks and alpha lock (Pro) |
| Adjustments and filters | Non-destructive color adjustment layers, gradient maps, filters | Hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, blur (Pro) |
| Selection tools | Lasso, magnetic lasso and more | Quick masking for local adjustments |
| Liquify and distortion | Liquify, mesh transform, puppet warp | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Symmetry ruler | Pro |
| Perspective guides | Perspective rulers and 3D shapes | Not advertised |
| Shape correction | Figure tools and rulers | Shape primitives (Pro) |
| Gradients | Gradient tool and gradient maps | Not advertised |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Metallic colors |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Frame-by-frame; unlimited frames with EX | Not advertised |
| 3D painting | 3D figures for reference, not painting | Raised 3D paint texture, not 3D models |
| Timelapse | Yes | Yes |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | None advertised | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Import and export | Export |
| Export formats | PSD, PNG, JPEG, TIFF and more | PSD and images |
| CMYK and print | CMYK export for print | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 (14K ratings) | 4.6 / 5 (29K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 8, 2026 | November 16, 2023 |
| Languages | 10 | 1 |
Price
Both are free to download, but they charge for different things.
Clip Studio Paint on iPad is a subscription. There is a 30-day free trial, after which you need a plan to save and export: PRO starts at $4.89 a month and EX, which adds multi-page comics and unlimited animation frames, at $9.69 a month on the US App Store. Plans are priced by how many devices you use.
Art Set 4 is free to download with its core realistic tools. A single $12.99 Unlock All purchase adds 200 advanced brushes, layer features, symmetry and adjustments, with no subscription.
Platforms
Both run on iPad. Only Clip Studio Paint runs on iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android and Chromebook.
Clip Studio Paint runs on iPad, with a separate app for iPhone, desktop versions for Mac and Windows, and versions for Android and Chromebook. Buying a plan requires a Clip Studio account.
Art Set 4: On the App Store, Art Set 4 is available for iPad and Apple Vision Pro only, not iPhone or Mac, and the app was last updated in November 2023.
Brushes
Clip Studio Paint ships with brushes that mimic real art materials and lets you adjust brush shape, texture and paper quality in detail. Its Clip Studio Assets community offers thousands of artist-made brushes and materials.
Art Set 4 is all about realistic traditional media: oil paint, fluid watercolor that flows as you paint, oil pastel, pencil, marker, wax crayon and 3D paint you can etch back into. The canvas tracks where paint is wet or dry, and Pro adds 200 more brushes.
Comics and manga
Clip Studio Paint is the most complete comic tool here: panel frames, speech balloons, text, effect lines and screentones, with multi-page projects for print, web comics and webtoons in the EX plan.
Art Set 4 is a traditional-media painting app and does not advertise comic page or screentone tools.
Layers and editing
Clip Studio Paint: Layers support masks and clipping across multiple layers, non-destructive color adjustment layers and gradient maps. Liquify, mesh transformation and puppet warp let you fix proportions after you draw, and Color Match pulls colors from a reference image.
Art Set 4: Pro unlocks layer masks, blend modes, alpha lock and transforms, plus localized adjustments for hue, saturation, brightness, contrast and blur through quick masking.
Drawing tools and extras
Clip Studio Paint has posable 3D figures and 3D shapes for reference and perspective, perspective and symmetry rulers, Shading Assist for lighting, and frame-by-frame animation, with unlimited frames in EX.
Art Set 4: Drawing aids are simple: flood fill, symmetry and shape primitives in Pro, Slow Draw for smooth lines, and textured papers and canvases. It records a timelapse and exports layered PSD files.
Which should you choose?
Choose Clip Studio Paint if
- You make comics, manga or webtoons and want panels, balloons and screentones
- You want posable 3D figures as a drawing reference
- You want frame-by-frame animation
- You want non-destructive adjustment layers
Choose Art Set 4 if
- You want hyper-realistic oils, watercolors and pastels
- You want watercolor that flows and paint that stays wet on the canvas
- You prefer a one-time upgrade to a subscription
- You want realistic tools free before deciding to upgrade
Frequently asked questions
Is Clip Studio Paint better than Art Set 4?
Neither is better for everyone. Clip Studio Paint is the better pick if you make comics, manga or webtoons and want panels, balloons and screentones, or you want posable 3D figures as a drawing reference. Art Set 4 suits you better if you want hyper-realistic oils, watercolors and pastels, or you want watercolor that flows and paint that stays wet on the canvas.
Is Clip Studio Paint free?
Not fully. Clip Studio Paint has a 30-day free trial on iPad, but saving and exporting need a paid plan afterwards. Plans start at $4.89 a month for PRO and $9.69 a month for EX on the US App Store.
Is Art Set 4 free?
Yes, Art Set 4 is free to download with its core realistic tools. A one-time $12.99 Unlock All purchase adds 200 advanced brushes and the professional features, with no subscription.
Which works on iPhone, Clip Studio Paint or Art Set 4?
Clip Studio Paint has a separate iPhone app, Clip Studio Paint for iPhone. Art Set 4 is not available on iPhone.
Do Clip Studio Paint and Art Set 4 work on Android?
Clip Studio Paint has an Android version. Art Set 4 does not list an Android version.
Do Clip Studio Paint or Art Set 4 use generative AI?
Clip Studio Paint does not advertise any generative AI features. Art Set 4 does not advertise any generative AI features.
Sources
Facts checked on October 2, 2026. Prices are from the US App Store, and features from each app's listing and official site. Apps change often, so check the App Store for current prices and features. Clip Studio Paint and Art Set 4 are trademarks of their respective owners. App icons come from each app's App Store listing and belong to their owners. Paintrix Studio is not affiliated with the makers of Clip Studio Paint and Art Set 4.