# Manikin vs DrawRef

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DrawRef at none against Manikin's 1. DrawRef also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 74%). Manikin's advantage is ratings volume (4.4K vs 70) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Manikin sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DrawRef asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Manikin against 4.7 for DrawRef. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Manikin has 4.4K ratings behind it against 70, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Manikin's written reviews are positive against 92% of DrawRef's.

Manikin ships an update every 2 months, DrawRef every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Manikin | DrawRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manikin/id1020666956/reviews) | **[4.7 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawref/id1446586198/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 70 |
| Positive reviews | 74.1% of reviews | **91.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 226 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UNSH VOF](https://appshunter.io/developer/1020666955) | [Vasilii Sverchkov](https://appshunter.io/developer/638740211) |

## What reviewers say

### Manikin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manikin/id1020666956)

This app provides a 3D posing tool for artists, offering a collection of models and tools to help with drawing anatomically correct figures. It allows for quick scene creation, storyboard generation, and comic book illustration framing, with intuitive posing and adjustable camera and lighting.

**Highlights:** 3D model posing, Anatomy reference, Intuitive controls, Adjustable camera and lighting, Character animations, Cutout screenshots

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Manikin - full | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Dramatically speeds up workflow
- 👍 Smooth and speedy posing
- 👍 Helped improve drawings
- 👍 Useful for reference poses
- 👍 Easy to use and understand

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Camera controls feel unnatural
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Difficult to move and select objects
- 🐛 Confusing UI with unclear buttons
- 🐛 Laggy and unresponsive at times

**Reported bugs**

- Unlocked items disappearing
- Horizontal camera toggle not working
- Pose resets when using certain features
- Inability to move multiple models independently

**Requested features**

- Digitigrade leg toggle
- Ability to scale and customize body parts
- Add animal models (e.g. cats, dogs)
- Ability to import custom 3D models
- Perspective slider for camera view


### DrawRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawref/id1446586198)

This utility app helps artists by displaying drawing references in a picture-in-picture mode. It allows you to easily access your gallery, select an image, and overlay it on your screen while using your preferred drawing application. You can resize, reposition, and even hide the reference image to optimize your workspace.

**Highlights:** Picture-in-picture reference display, Instant gallery access, Selectable reference image parts, Adjustable reference image position, Scalable reference image

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Manikin free?

Manikin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DrawRef free?

DrawRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Manikin or DrawRef?

DrawRef is rated higher. Manikin averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while DrawRef averages 4.7 from 70 ratings.

### Do Manikin or DrawRef have ads?

Neither Manikin nor DrawRef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Manikin or DrawRef?

Manikin ships an update every 2 months, and DrawRef every 9 months. Most recently, Manikin was updated on November 1, 2026 and DrawRef on November 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*