Comparison

Dot Writer vs AR Sketch Studio

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dot Writer

Features
Read full description

Draw pixel art and animations with your finger. - Draw on a grid canvas with pen, fill, line and eraser - Pinch to zoom in and draw fine details - Stack frames to make flip-book style animations - Onion skin shows the previous and next frames faintly, so drawing motion is easy - Major grid lines every few cells help with larger art - Choose the playback speed: slow, normal or fast - Undo, redo, and go back through your drawing history Send your art as an animated GIF, a video (MP4) or an image to LINE, X, Instagram, TikTok and other social and messaging apps. Pick a format from the share button and your art is scaled up with every pixel crisp. For Instagram and TikTok, which don't accept GIFs, send a square or vertical video. You can also save to Photos or export all frames as a Zip. Your sketches sync across your iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in with the same Apple Account through iCloud. Import images and animated GIFs from other apps by choosing Dot Kaku from the share sheet. Sample animations are included the first time you open the app. On iPad and Mac, a workspace lets you split the large screen into panels and draw several sketches side by side, with a live animation preview. On iPad, draw with your finger or Apple Pencil, move with two fingers, and pinch to zoom. Pricing - Drawing, saving, sharing and iCloud sync are free on iPhone, iPad and Mac. - The workspace features (split panels, preview, rectangle and lasso selection) are available as a one-time in-app purchase. Buy once and use them on both iPad and Mac with the same Apple Account. - On iPad, the workspace features are free to try until December 31, 2026.

About

AR Sketch Studio

This app uses augmented reality to help you draw, sketch, and paint. Trace projected images onto surfaces, color them, and even convert your own photos into sketches. It's designed for artists of all levels to explore their creativity.

Highlights
  • Draw and trace with AR technology
  • Color and finish creations
  • 1000+ free tracing templates
  • Convert own pictures for drawing
  • Record time-lapse drawing videos
  • AI conversion tool
Features
Read full description

AR Drawing: Paint & Sketch - a powerful tool for artists, designers, and creative individuals. Have you tried AR helping with your drawings? Introduce AR Drawing: Paint & Sketch - a revolutionary app that uses Augmented Reality (AR) to transform the way you draw, sketch, and paint. AR Drawing: Paint & Sketch is an innovative mobile app that helps you learn to draw sketches and allows you to create stunning drawings and paintings using augmented reality technology by camera. Now it's time for you to draw and sketch anything you want on any surface! Just trace a projected picture on paper and color it, drawing has never been easier. With just a few steps, you can complete your painting. AR Drawing: Paint & Sketch will help you learn to draw sketches at ease! How to use: 1. Locate the phone on a steady tripod or object. 2. Open AR Drawing: Paint & Sketch. 3. Import or choose a picture from Art Gallery 4. Convert your picture into a border sketch. 5. Adjust the AR version of the picture on canvas or paper. 6. Create your own stunning masterpieces! Main Features - Draw and trace with AR technology. - Color and finish your creation. - 1000+ Free samples of painting and tracing templates to trace anything. - Lots of tracing genres to trace anything: Animals, Nature, Food, Anime etc. - Convert your own picture for easy drawing using the AI Conversion tool. - Record time-lapse videos of your drawings, capture, analyze, and refine your workflows. - Improve sketches with various options to create a complete photo drawing - User-friendly features and interface make it easy to learn and use for both beginners and experienced artists. - Discover your creative genius and bring your imagination to life. - You can register a premium account with all the features of app without ads - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - Links to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy can be found below: https://friday1game.com/ - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Explore the world of augmented reality art and take your creativity to a new level. Download AR Drawing: Paint & Sketch today and start drawing out of your imagination! If you find AR Drawing: Paint & Sketch helpful, please rate us and share AR Drawing: Paint & Sketch with your friends. Thank you!

Screenshots

Dot Writer4 screens
AR Sketch Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dot Writer at none against AR Sketch Studio's 2. Dot Writer also leads on ads (none vs shown). AR Sketch Studio's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 20 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AR Sketch Studio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Dot Writer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dot Writer ships an update every 20 months, AR Sketch Studio fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Dot Writer versus AR Sketch Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDot WriterAR Sketch Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.6 (2.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB149 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShinya SatoHuy Nguyen

Bugs and requests

Dot Writer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

AR Sketch Studio

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Drawings not aligning properly
  • Sudden app crashes or freezes
  • Inconsistent performance across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free drawing options
  • Improved camera integration and controls
  • Reduced ads or ad-free version
  • Additional drawing tools and customization

In-app purchases

None

Dot Writer

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

AR Sketch Studio

Subscriptions2
  • AR Drawing Weekly3 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • AR Drawing Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Dot Writer free?
Dot Writer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AR Sketch Studio free?
AR Sketch Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dot Writer or AR Sketch Studio have ads?
AR Sketch Studio shows ads; Dot Writer does not.
Which is updated more often, Dot Writer or AR Sketch Studio?
Dot Writer ships an update every 20 months, and AR Sketch Studio fortnightly. Most recently, Dot Writer was updated on October 24, 2026 and AR Sketch Studio on October 23, 2026.

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