# Sketchar vs TraceAR

The clearest difference is rating: Sketchar at 4.2 against TraceAR's 1.0. Sketchar also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 0%) and ratings volume (9.9K vs 3). TraceAR's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sketchar sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and TraceAR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sketchar holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketchar has 9.9K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Sketchar's written reviews are positive against 0% of TraceAR's.

Sketchar ships an update every 3 weeks, TraceAR daily. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sketchar | TraceAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (9.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchar-ar-drawing-app/id1221482822/reviews)** | [1.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracear/id1512800198/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.9K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **33.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#121** | — |
| Size | 227 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SketchAR](https://appshunter.io/developer/1221482821) | [DavidsonAHW](https://appshunter.io/developer/463893642) |

## What reviewers say

### Sketchar

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

**Currently charting:** #121 Top Grossing · Graphics & Design, #162 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 (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Week | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Sketchar PRO | $10.99 | per month |
| 1 month | $17.99 | per month |
| 1 Year | $34.99 | 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


### TraceAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracear/id1512800198)

Transform photos into outlines and use augmented reality to project them onto paper for tracing via your device's camera. A demo is included, with an in-app purchase to unlock your personal photo library.

**Highlights:** Photo to outline conversion, Augmented reality projection, Trace images with device camera, Demo image for testing, Unlock personal photo library via IAP

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Photo Library | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sketchar free?

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

### Is TraceAR free?

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

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

Sketchar is rated higher. Sketchar averages 4.2 out of 5 from 9.9K ratings, while TraceAR averages 1.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Sketchar or TraceAR have ads?

Neither Sketchar nor TraceAR shows ads.

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

Sketchar ships an update every 3 weeks, and TraceAR daily. Most recently, Sketchar was updated on November 7, 2026 and TraceAR on November 3, 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.*