# Sketchar vs PainterAR

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Sketchar at 9.8K against PainterAR's 663. Sketchar also leads on chart position (#130 vs unranked). PainterAR's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sketchar sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and PainterAR sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Sketchar against 4.4 for PainterAR. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketchar has 9.8K ratings behind it against 663, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 33% and 33% positive.

Sketchar ships an update every 3 weeks, PainterAR weekly. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sketchar | PainterAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchar-ar-drawing-app/id1221482822/reviews) | **[4.4 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | 663 |
| Positive reviews | **33.4% of reviews** | 32.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#130** | — |
| Size | 227 MB | 190 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SketchAR](https://appshunter.io/developer/1221482821) | [Painter AR Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896290460) |

## What reviewers say

### Sketchar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchar-ar-drawing-app/id1221482822)

**Currently charting:** #130 Top Grossing · Graphics & Design, #167 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Learn to draw with augmented reality and AI-powered lessons. This app offers a comprehensive drawing tool, community contests, and personalized learning plans to enhance your artistic skills. Practice art to relieve stress and impress others with your creations.

**Highlights:** Augmented Reality drawing guidance, AI-powered personalized learning plans, 550+ drawing lessons, Comprehensive drawing toolset, Community contests and collaboration, Stress relief through art practice

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Week | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Sketchar PRO | $10.99 | per month |
| 1 month | $17.99 | per month |
| 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| SketchAR PRO | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year | $42.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $44.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $69.99 | per year |
| SketchAR PRO | $69.99 | per year |
| Sketchar: Learn to Draw | $69.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $79.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for projecting digital art
- 🚀 AR technology makes a superior stencil
- 👍 Helpful for learning to draw
- 👍 Amazing app, game changer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy AR tracking and detection
- 🐛 Laggy and unstable performance
- 💰 Overly restrictive free version
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

**Reported bugs**

- AR tracking frequently loses paper
- App crashes and resets progress
- Ads disrupt drawing and cause loss of work
- Brightness/lighting issues affect performance

**Requested features**

- Add more free drawing lessons and content
- Improve AR tracking and stability
- Allow drawing without full page detection
- Add more drawing tools and brushes for free users
- Improve organization and navigation of lessons


### PainterAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657)

Transform your paper sketches into digital art with augmented reality projection and advanced tracing tools. This app offers a complete workflow from initial drawing to digital inking and coloring, with professional layering and a curated inspiration library.

**Highlights:** AR drawing with stable projection, Advanced AR anchor mode for free movement, Smart plane detection for instant surface recognition, Import sketches for digital inking, 30+ professional brushes, Infinite layers system for complex edits, Curated inspiration library and courses

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PainterAR-PRO | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| First 3-Day Free | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Painter PRO | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| PainterAR-PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PainterAR-PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| PainterAR PRO | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| Special Offer | $29.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| PainterAR-PRO | $29.99 | per year |
| First 3-Day Free | $34.99 | per year |
| PainterAR PRO | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Helpful for drawing and improving art skills
- ⏱️ Saves time in the drawing process
- 📚 Provides useful tutorials and guides

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overly restrictive free trial and paywall for full features
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs that disrupt the drawing process
- 🔍 Difficult to use own photos without paying
- 🤖 AR mode is not very responsive or accurate

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently during use
- Issues with loading own photos and images
- AR mode is unreliable and hard to control

**Requested features**

- Add more free drawing options and templates
- Improve the ability to use own photos and images
- Provide better instructions and tutorials for new users
- Fix crashes and stability issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sketchar free?

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

### Is PainterAR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sketchar or PainterAR?

PainterAR is rated higher. Sketchar averages 4.2 out of 5 from 9.8K ratings, while PainterAR averages 4.4 from 663 ratings.

### Do Sketchar or PainterAR have ads?

Neither Sketchar nor PainterAR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sketchar or PainterAR?

Sketchar ships an update every 3 weeks, and PainterAR weekly. Most recently, Sketchar was updated on October 22, 2026 and PainterAR on October 22, 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.*