Color by Number Apps Without Ads in 2026 (and What It Costs)

A handful of color by number apps have no ads at all, and several more let you remove them. Ad-free falls into three groups: apps built without ads (Lake and Color Tap, per our roundup and their store listings), free apps with a one-time purchase that removes ads (Happy Color, reportedly), and subscriptions that bundle ad removal. Airplane mode is a workaround, not a fix. Full-screen ads between pictures are the ones to avoid, so check for those first.

What does "no ads" actually mean in a color by number app?

It depends on the ad format, and the three formats don't annoy you equally.

• Banner ads. A thin strip of advertising fixed to the top or bottom of the screen. It's always there, but it doesn't interrupt what you're doing.
• Full-screen ads between pictures. These take over the whole display, usually when you finish a picture or reopen the app, and you wait for a close button.
• Optional reward videos. You choose to watch a short video and get something back, such as a hint or bonus coins. Say no and nothing happens.

Searches for a color by number app with no ads usually mean the second format, sometimes the first. The third is a choice you can decline. Decide which ones you can live with before you install anything.

Pixfun is our app, so weigh our bias accordingly. It appears below because it fits one of the routes, and we'll say plainly where it falls short.

Route	Examples	How ads go away	What to check first
Apps that say they have no ads	Lake, Color Tap (per our roundup and their listings)	The listing says the app doesn't show them	Price and billing on the listing, and recent reviews that confirm the no-ads claim
One-time purchase	Happy Color (reportedly), Pixfun	You pay once and ads are removed	Exactly which ad types the purchase removes
Subscription	Many large free apps, Pixfun Pro	Ads are removed while you subscribe	Recurring cost, and cancelling before renewal
Airplane mode	Any app	Ads can't load offline	New pictures, daily content and sync may stop

Competitor prices are left out on purpose, since they change and vary by store. Check each listing.

Which color by number apps say they have no ads?

Not many. Plenty of the biggest free apps are paid for by ads, so an ad free color by number app is the exception.

Lake is the one our roundup of the best color by number apps describes as a paid app with no ads. We haven't quoted a price, so check the current price and how it's billed on the store listing.

Color Tap's listing presents it as an ad-free color by number app built for kids. That may suit you if you want something simple and quiet, but look at the artwork first.

Treat all of this as what listings and reviews say, not as a guarantee, because ad load can change with an update. Google Play listings carry a "Contains ads" label, a quick first check. On either store, sort reviews by newest and skim them for mentions of ads before you commit.

How do you remove ads from Happy Color?

Happy Color reportedly sells a one-time "Remove ads" purchase, and reports put it under Settings > General in the app. Menus change between versions, so look in the app rather than trusting our directions.

Banners, ads between pictures and ads when you reopen the app: third-party sources say the purchase removes all three. Hints reportedly still need ads. The price is reportedly around $7.99, though figures vary, so check it in the app before you buy. Prices are USD, set by the app stores, and may vary by region.

A one-time purchase suits anyone who wants a color by number app with no subscription: you pay once and stop being interrupted. Before you pay in any free app, three questions are worth asking.

Does the purchase remove only the banner, or the full-screen ads too? The listing and recent reviews usually say. Will reward videos stay? They often do, which is fine if they're optional and only earn extras.

Last, can you restore the purchase on a new phone? Look for a restore option before you buy, not after you switch devices. Pixfun sells a one-time removal too, and it gets its own section below.

Does a subscription remove ads, and is it worth it?

Many of the larger free color by number apps sell a subscription, and ad removal is usually one of the things it includes. Plans often bundle other perks too. We haven't quoted prices here because they vary by app, region and store, and they change.

A subscription makes sense if you color most days and want the extra content that comes with it. It's a poor deal if ads are your only complaint, because you'd pay every week, month or year to remove something that a one-time purchase can remove for good in the apps that offer one.

Read the renewal terms on the paywall before you tap anything. If you start a free trial and don't want to continue, cancel in your App Store or Google Play subscription settings at least a day before it renews.

Does airplane mode really block color by number ads?

It can cut many of them, because most ads need an internet connection to load. Reports say people use it with Happy Color for exactly that reason. It's a workaround, though.

Apps that download their library need a connection to fetch any picture you haven't opened yet, so new pictures may not load. Daily rewards, challenges and progress sync usually need to reach the app's servers and may stop working. And your phone goes quiet. Calls and texts over cellular stop, and switching Wi-Fi back on to fix that can bring the ads back as well.

Use it for a single session, on a flight or a commute, with pictures you've already started. As a permanent plan it's a poor one — and a bad idea for anyone who needs to stay reachable.

How do you set up a color by number app for a parent or grandparent?

One Facebook group thread we came across describes a mother who loves paint by numbers but gets confused every time an ad pops up. That's the kind of trouble ads can cause. A full-screen ad can look like the app has broken, and one mis-tap on a small close button can open a store page.

So the biggest decision is the app itself. Pick one without full-screen ads: a banner is easy to ignore, and a takeover isn't. If the app sells a one-time ad removal, buying it for them is easier than explaining a subscription. Reward videos? Tell them those are a choice and that not tapping is fine.

Money comes second. Both iPhone and Android have a setting that asks for approval or a password before a purchase goes through, so an accidental tap on a "remove ads" or subscription button won't go anywhere without you. Skip airplane mode for this one, too, because a phone that can't ring isn't what a parent needs.

Do all of this before their first session, not after the first surprise charge.

How does Pixfun handle ads?

• No full-screen ads at all. None between pictures or when you open the app. That's true for free users too.
• One banner at the bottom on the free tier. It shows on the main tabs and while you're coloring. We won't call the free tier ad-free, because it isn't.
• Every video ad is optional. You choose to watch one for a reward such as bonus coins, access to an artwork or a streak repair.

A one-time $9.99 purchase ("Remove Ads Forever") removes the banner for good, with no subscription. Pixfun Pro removes it too and gives access to all 10,000+ artworks, for $3.49/week (3-day free trial), $7.99/month, or $39.99/year. Optional reward videos stay available after you remove the banner, as a way to earn coins. Prices are USD, set by the app stores, and may vary by region.

Two things count against us. If the reported Happy Color price is right, its ad removal costs less than ours. And Pixfun is a pixel-grid app, where you tap numbered cells, so if you'd rather color illustrations than pixel art, it may not be what you're after. When you're choosing between apps, our comparison pages show how Pixfun differs from other coloring apps side by side.

Pixfun is free to download on iOS and Android, and you can start coloring without an account.

Which ad-free route should you pick?

If you want no ads at all and don't mind paying, start with apps whose listings say they have none, such as Lake as our roundup describes it. Check the price and billing before you buy. Prefer to judge the pictures first? A free app with a one-time removal purchase lets you try it, then pay once if the ads bother you.

A subscription only makes sense if you color most days and want the extra content, so read the renewal terms first. Airplane mode is for a quiet session or two. And if you're setting things up for someone else, pick an app without full-screen ads and turn on purchase approval before anything else.

Our own lean: if ads are the only thing bothering you, a one-time purchase beats a subscription on cost. It's also the route we happen to sell, so check that opinion against the table.

Ready to color without the interruptions?

If you'd like to see the setup above for yourself, download Pixfun free on iOS or Android. The free tier keeps that single bottom banner until you remove it. New to the format? Our beginner's guide to pixel art coloring by number explains how a session works.