Blender vs ibisPaint X
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Blender is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 7.9. Blender wins on 5 of the 5 scores, ibisPaint X on 0.
3D artists, indie game makers and animators who want pro tools for free
Students and hobby artists who want a capable free app on an iPad or phone
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Blender | ibisPaint X |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Design & Creativity | Design & Creativity |
| Category rank | #2 of 10 | #10 of 10 |
| Developer | Blender Foundation | ibis inc. |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | — | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is Blender better than ibisPaint X?
Blender is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 7.9. Blender wins on 5 of the 5 scores, ibisPaint X on 0.
Which is cheaper, Blender or ibisPaint X?
Blender: Free forever for any purpose, including commercial work. ibisPaint X: Free with ads; ad removal is $15.99 once, or Premium is $4.49 a month. On value for money, Blender scores higher.
Do Blender and ibisPaint X work on the same devices?
Only Blender runs on Linux. Only ibisPaint X runs on iPhone & iPad, Android.
Which is more private, Blender or ibisPaint X?
Blender scores higher on privacy (9.6/10). No account or registration needed. Blender doesn't go online by default: Allow Online Access stays off until you turn it on, and an offline mode locks it off.
Strengths and weaknesses
Blender
- Free and open source, even for commercial work
- No account, and it works fully offline
- One app covers modeling through final render
- Steep learning curve with a dense interface
- Mac version needs Apple silicon
- No iPad or Android tablet version yet
Blender is a complete 3D studio that costs nothing. Model, sculpt, animate, simulate, render with Cycles or real-time EEVEE, draw 2D animation with Grease Pencil and even edit video, all in one app. It's open source, needs no account and works offline, and version 5.2 added node-based cloth and hair physics. Be ready for a steep learning curve, and on Mac it needs Apple silicon.
Full Blender review
ibisPaint X
- Generous free version with a huge brush library
- Animation, vector and comic tools in one app
- Runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac
- Ads in the free version unless you pay
- Privacy label lists data used to track you
- Free vector tool use is capped at an hour a day
ibisPaint X shows how deep a free drawing app can go. You get a huge brush library, layers with blend modes, vector and text tools, screentones, rulers, frame-by-frame animation and time-lapse recording, and it runs on phones as well as iPad. The catch is the business model: ads in the free version, Premium for the best filters and unlimited vector use, and a privacy label that lists data used to track you.
Full ibisPaint X review
