Comparison

Calligraphy Penmanship vs Trace it ! Let's draw app

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

Head to head
About

Calligraphy Penmanship

Create digital calligraphy artworks with a realistic pointed pen experience. Adjust pressure and smoothness for elegant shades and fine strokes. Learn and practice lettering with guided exercises and decorative elements.

Highlights
  • Realistic pointed pen simulation
  • Adjustable pressure and smoothness
  • Stroke-by-stroke learning exercises
  • Letter tracing with guide lines
  • Ornamental frame creation
  • Text typing with embellishments
  • Gradient and alternated color effects
Features
Read full description

Most of penmen use only a pointed pen to create all their artworks. This seems incredible to realize digitally on a mobile device. Except if you have in hands the appropriate tool and an excellent app. Calligraphy Penmanship is bringing the best experience ever to calligraphers and letters lovers to create digital artworks on a famous mobile device. Just use it like a pointed ink pen. A tiny variation of your hand pressure will create elegant and majestic shades. We have added a bonus to your freehand drawing: the ability to adjust to your hand the pressure and smoothness of the pen. The fineness of the strokes is really surprising. We have found some advantages of the digital Penmanship: - You don't need to reload your pen with ink. - You don't need to clean your pen nibs when changing the colors. - The undo function let you create a great number of variation of a single stroke. Free your imagination without pain. Main features: - Flourished hands to learn and practice Penmanship. The most important technique to master is to push or pull your pencil in order to create thin and fat lines in one single stroke. - Learning: you can evaluate your progress with stroke by stroke exercises. Try your best to trace the models and hit the high scores. This is the best way to understand the anatomy of each letter. and each decorative curve. - Training: with each letter, a full training page provides models to trace, guide lines and grids. - Learn to decorate beautifully your lettering works. You can find simple patterns to trace, to change or to improve. With this updated version, you have the ability to create ornamental frames where to insert your works. Frame creating is based on a multiple combination of different types of symmetry drawing. This function is really easy to understand and practice. - Want to create your own lettering words and quotes ? Try out the text typing keyboard. How it works: type your text, validate, then trace them with embellishments and ornaments. - A set of plain color for your pen. But also two specific effects: gradient and alternated colors. This is on of our best deal for unique lettering creations. - A 3 day free trial is activated when you open the app for the first time. Enough time to have the pleasure to perform your lettering. What's your next project ? Why not sending a beautifully framed quote or invitation to a friend, entirely created with your lettering ? Warning: even you can draw with your fingers, this app offers the best experience with the Apple Pencil.

About

Trace it ! Let's draw app

Easily create stunning drawings and illustrations by tracing images from your device or camera onto physical paper. Perfect for artists of all ages looking to practice and learn new drawing techniques.

Highlights
  • Trace any image from device or camera
  • Use with physical paper for stenciling
  • Adjust zoom and image opacity
  • Includes pre-defined drawing images
  • Create stencils and coloring sheets
  • Practice drawing and fonts
Features
Read full description

Want to draw like a pro? With Trace It! you can trace any image onto paper by looking through your phone's camera. Pick an image, place a sheet of paper in front of your phone and follow the lines while looking at the screen: the image appears semi-transparent over the paper and your hand. HOW IT WORKS - Choose one of the included images, a photo from your library, or take a picture right away. - Move, rotate and resize the image with your fingers. - Adjust the opacity and the camera zoom. - Lock the image so it doesn't move while you draw. NEW - AR mode: the image stays anchored to your paper even when you move the phone, no tripod needed. - Line filter with adjustable detail and thickness, plus black & white and inverted filters. - Grid to copy proportions with the grid method. - Flip the image horizontally or vertically. - Favorites and recent images in the gallery. - Lightbox: use the screen as a light box and lock it while you trace on top of it. - Share images to Trace It! from Photos, Safari or Files. - Torch, reference points and iPad improvements. FOR EVERYONE Perfect for learning to draw, practicing calligraphy and lettering, making stencils, coloring pages, murals and crafts. Great for kids, students and artists of all ages. Ads bothering you? Watch a short video and enjoy 30 minutes without ads, enough for a drawing.

Screenshots

Trace it ! Let's draw app4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Calligraphy Penmanship at 4.4 against Trace it ! Let's draw app's 2.7. Calligraphy Penmanship also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (56% vs 21%). Trace it ! Let's draw app's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price and device support 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. Calligraphy Penmanship sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Trace it ! Let's draw app asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Calligraphy Penmanship holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calligraphy Penmanship has 841 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Calligraphy Penmanship's written reviews are positive against 21% of Trace it ! Let's draw app's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calligraphy Penmanship ships an update every 4 months, Trace it ! Let's draw app every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Calligraphy Penmanship versus Trace it ! Let's draw app: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalligraphy PenmanshipTrace it ! Let's draw app
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (841 ratings) — better2.7 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews55.8% of reviews — better21.4% of reviews
Number of ratings841 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 14 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size306 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEtienne Nguyen Tan HonAlberto del Rio

Customer experience

Calligraphy Penmanship

All ratings843 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral4.3%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews113 reviews
Positive55.8%
Neutral8.0%
Negative36.3%

Trace it ! Let's draw app

All ratings14 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral21.4%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive21.4%
Neutral21.4%
Negative57.1%

Bugs and requests

Calligraphy Penmanship

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes and app freezes
  • Issues with in-app purchases and restoring purchases
  • Incompatibility with certain devices and iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • More font and style options
  • Ability to move and resize letter guides
  • Improved pressure sensitivity and responsiveness
  • Option to switch sidebar to right side for lefties

Trace it ! Let's draw app

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Calligraphy Penmanship

One-time3
  • The Old School French Cursive Hand$1.99
  • Copperplate Hand$1.99
  • Unlock tools and 6 basic alphabets$3.99
None

Trace it ! Let's draw app

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Calligraphy Penmanship free?
Calligraphy Penmanship is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Trace it ! Let's draw app free?
Trace it ! Let's draw app is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Calligraphy Penmanship or Trace it ! Let's draw app?
Calligraphy Penmanship is rated higher. Calligraphy Penmanship averages 4.4 out of 5 from 841 ratings, while Trace it ! Let's draw app averages 2.7 from 15 ratings.
Do Calligraphy Penmanship or Trace it ! Let's draw app have ads?
Trace it ! Let's draw app shows ads; Calligraphy Penmanship does not.
Which is updated more often, Calligraphy Penmanship or Trace it ! Let's draw app?
Calligraphy Penmanship ships an update every 4 months, and Trace it ! Let's draw app every 14 months. Most recently, Calligraphy Penmanship was updated on October 29, 2026 and Trace it ! Let's draw app on October 30, 2026.

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