ibis Paint X
by ibis
ibis Paint X is a free, ad-supported drawing and animation app for iPhone, iPad and Android with a huge online library of brushes and materials.
- Price
- Free with ads; Premium $4.49/month or ad removal $15.99
- Runs on
- iOS, iPadOS, Android
- Rating
- ★ 4.7 on the App Store (298K 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 ibis Paint X has
- iPhone: Yes, same app
Feature comparison
| Feature | ibis Paint X |
Art Set 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | Free with ads; Premium $4.49/month or ad removal $15.99 | Free; Unlock All $12.99 one-time |
| Free version | Yes, ad-supported | Yes, core realistic tools |
| Subscription | Optional Premium membership | None |
| Ad-free | No, ads unless removed for $15.99 | Not advertised |
| No account needed | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes, same app | No, iPad only |
| Mac | Not advertised | No, iPad only |
| Android and Chromebook | Yes | Not advertised |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 130,000+ | Core tools free; 200 advanced brushes in Pro |
| Brush customization | Customizable brushes | Size, opacity, flow, grain, loading, dynamics |
| Brush import | Online brush library | Not advertised |
| Apple Pencil | Supported | Deeply integrated |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Screentones | 46 screentones | Not advertised |
| Text and lettering | 3,000+ fonts | Not advertised |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Blend modes | 27 | Pro |
| Masks | Clipping | Layer masks and alpha lock (Pro) |
| Adjustments and filters | 86 image filters | Hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, blur (Pro) |
| Selection tools | Selection tools | Quick masking for local adjustments |
| Liquify and distortion | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Symmetry and radial rulers | Pro |
| Perspective guides | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Shape correction | Shape and vector tools | Shape primitives (Pro) |
| Gradients | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Metallic colors |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Frame-by-frame, with music and audio | Not advertised |
| 3D painting | Not advertised | Raised 3D paint texture, not 3D models |
| Timelapse | Yes | Yes |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | No image generation; AI Disturbance protects art from AI training | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Not advertised | Export |
| Export formats | Images and timelapse video | PSD and images |
| CMYK and print | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 (298K ratings) | 4.6 / 5 (29K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 29, 2026 | November 16, 2023 |
| Languages | 18 | 1 |
Price
Both are free to download, but they charge for different things.
ibis Paint X is free with ads. Ads can be removed for $15.99 once, or Premium membership, which adds extra features and materials, costs $4.49 a month or $27.99 a year on the US App Store.
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 ibis Paint X runs on iPhone and Android.
ibis Paint X is one app for iPhone and iPad, and it is also available on Android.
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
ibis Paint X advertises more than 130,000 brushes along with 30,000+ materials and 46 screentones, which makes it one of the biggest brush collections of any drawing app.
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
ibis Paint X is popular for manga, with 46 screentones, more than 3,000 fonts for lettering and a large online library of inking brushes.
Art Set 4 is a traditional-media painting app and does not advertise comic page or screentone tools.
Layers and editing
ibis Paint X: It offers 27 layer blend modes, clipping, 86 image filters, vector tools and a reference window, which is a lot of power for a free app.
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
ibis Paint X: Drawing aids include radial and symmetry rulers. ibis Paint X also does frame-by-frame animation with music and audio, records a timelapse, and has an AI Disturbance feature meant to protect your art from AI training.
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 ibis Paint X if
- You want a huge library of brushes, materials and fonts
- You want a powerful free app and do not mind ads
- You want frame-by-frame animation with music and audio
- You also draw on an Android phone or tablet
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 3D paint you can etch back into
Frequently asked questions
Is ibis Paint X better than Art Set 4?
Neither is better for everyone. ibis Paint X is the better pick if you want a huge library of brushes, materials and fonts, or you want a powerful free app and do not mind ads. 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 ibis Paint X free?
Yes, ibis Paint X is free with ads. You can remove ads for $15.99 once, or subscribe to Premium for $4.49 a month or $27.99 a year for extra features and materials.
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, ibis Paint X or Art Set 4?
ibis Paint X runs on iPhone in the same app as on iPad. Art Set 4 is not available on iPhone.
Do ibis Paint X and Art Set 4 work on Android?
ibis Paint X has an Android version. Art Set 4 does not list an Android version.
Do ibis Paint X or Art Set 4 use generative AI?
ibis Paint X does not advertise AI image generation, and its AI Disturbance feature is designed to make your artwork harder for AI to learn from. 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. ibis Paint X 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 ibis Paint X and Art Set 4.