Lake and Paint Alive are both calm coloring apps for adults on iPhone and iPad, but they put their effort in different places. Lake is a large library of hand-drawn books from independent artists. Paint Alive is a smaller studio built around real crayon texture that always stays inside the lines. If you mostly want variety and artist collections, Lake is hard to beat. If you want each canvas to feel like crayon on paper, with a palette made for it, Paint Alive is worth a look.
How do Paint Alive and Lake compare?
| Paint Alive | Lake | |
|---|---|---|
| Library | 250+ original canvases | 1,500+ drawings from 100+ independent artists |
| New artwork | New canvases added over time, plus a daily pick | A new 12-page book at least once a month |
| Coloring style | Crayon and pencil texture that stays inside each shape; tap to fill or paint freely | Artistic brushes with color inside or outside the lines |
| Color help | Several palettes made for each canvas, and an optional color guide | 700+ shades, palettes and a mood-based palette |
| Ads | None | None mentioned in the listing |
| Sync | Paintings are saved on your device | Works offline and syncs with iCloud |
| US price | $7.99/week, $15.99/month or $39.99/year | $2.99/week, $9.99/month, or $39.99–$59.99/year |
| App Store rating | Too new to show a rating yet | 4.6 from 82K ratings, Editors' Choice |
Sources: the US App Store listings for Lake and Paint Alive, checked on October 24, 2026. Prices change; check the listing before you subscribe.
Where is Lake stronger?
- Size and variety. Over 1,500 drawings and regular new books mean you are unlikely to run out.
- Independent artists. Each book has its own illustrator and style, and part of the subscription supports them.
- Extras. Importing your own drawing or photo, glitter and smudge brushes, ASMR brush sounds and a coloring journal.
- iCloud sync between your devices, and a long track record with a high rating.
- Lower weekly and monthly prices.
Where is Paint Alive different?
- Texture you can see. Strokes carry the grain of a real crayon or colored pencil, layered and soft, instead of a flat digital fill.
- Color never slips past the lines. Each shape holds its color, so you can zoom in and paint fast without tidying edges afterwards.
- Palettes made for each canvas. Every canvas comes with several palettes chosen for it, and you can see each one painted before you start. An optional color guide shows where each color goes.
- Detail you can choose. Filter by Relaxed, Detailed or Intricate, from a one-sitting bloom to a rose window with nearly 2,000 shapes.
- A smaller, quieter studio with no ads, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean and Arabic.
Which should you choose?
Choose Lake if you want the biggest choice of artist-made books, love discovering new illustrators, or want iCloud sync across devices.
Choose Paint Alive if the feel of the coloring matters most to you: real crayon texture, clean edges and a palette that suits the picture. It is best for people who like to settle into one detailed canvas rather than browse hundreds.
You can try Paint Alive's artwork before downloading anything: every canvas is also a free printable coloring page.
Lake is a trademark of its owner. Paint Alive is not affiliated with Lake.