# ShadowDraw vs Clip Studio Paint

The clearest difference is ads: Clip Studio Paint at none against ShadowDraw's shown. Clip Studio Paint also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (15K vs 1.8K). ShadowDraw's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 46%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShadowDraw sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Clip Studio Paint sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.89 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Clip Studio Paint holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clip Studio Paint has 15K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of ShadowDraw's written reviews are positive against 46% of Clip Studio Paint's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, Clip Studio Paint every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShadowDraw | Clip Studio Paint |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowdraw-learn-how-to-draw/id1223507083/reviews) | **[4.7 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clip-studio-paint/id1262985592/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.8K | **15K** |
| Positive reviews | **59.4% of reviews** | 45.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 820 MB | 583 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shadow Draw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1223507082) | [CELSYS,Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/291038364) |

## What reviewers say

### ShadowDraw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowdraw-learn-how-to-draw/id1223507083)

Learn to draw with guided, step-by-step lessons designed for beginners. Follow the strokes of professional artists to build confidence and master fundamental techniques. Explore thousands of tutorials across various popular art subjects.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step guided drawing lessons, Thousands of tutorials, Manga, anime, people, animals, and nature subjects, Art Teacher Mode, Sketch My Way Mode, Builds drawing fundamentals

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ShadowDraw: Monthly Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| ShadowDraw: Yearly Plan | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for beginners
- 🎨 Variety of drawing topics
- 👍 Intuitive step-by-step guidance
- 💡 Relaxing and therapeutic experience
- 🤖 Responsive customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy at times
- 🤔 Tracing-focused approach may not teach drawing fundamentals
- 🔍 Difficulty finding purchased content
- 🔀 Jumping between steps too quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Drawings disappearing after completion
- App crashing on launch for some users
- Eraser tool not working properly with coloring feature

**Requested features**

- More free drawing content
- Canvas rotation and reference image positioning
- Ability to save progress on drawings
- Clearer visual indicators for brush/pen changes
- Side-by-side drawing mode to practice without tracing


### Clip Studio Paint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clip-studio-paint/id1262985592)

Create digital art with a vast array of brushes, textures, and colors. This app offers tools for drawing, painting, comic creation, and animation, with features like 3D models for reference and advanced layer options. It provides a free trial and subscription plans for full access.

**Highlights:** Unlimited custom brushes, Realistic color mixing, Artist-made materials, 3D model references, Comic creation tools, Animation features, Advanced layer editing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Monthly | $4.89 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Single-Device Plan | $4.89 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Single-Device Plan | $4.89 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Dual-Device Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| EX Monthly | $9.69 | per month |
| EX Monthly Single-Device Plan | $9.69 | per month |
| EX Monthly Single-Device Plan | $9.69 | per month |
| EX Monthly Dual-Device Plan | $13.49 | per month |
| PRO Annual Single-Device Plan | $28.90 | per year |
| PRO Annual Single-Device Plan | $28.90 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best drawing software for iPad
- 🎨 Powerful features like vector layers
- 💻 Seamless transition from desktop to iPad
- 👍 Great for comics and illustrations
- 🎨 Diverse brushes and materials

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Confusing interface for beginners
- 🔒 Requires internet connection to save
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💻 Lacks full desktop feature parity

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to save work without subscription
- Laggy performance with large files
- Unreliable auto-save and recovery
- Issues with brush and tool responsiveness

**Requested features**

- One-time purchase option
- Improved file management and cloud integration
- Simplified interface for casual users
- More animation and 3D tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShadowDraw free?

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

### Is Clip Studio Paint free?

Clip Studio Paint is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ShadowDraw or Clip Studio Paint?

Clip Studio Paint is rated higher. ShadowDraw averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Clip Studio Paint averages 4.7 from 15K ratings.

### Do ShadowDraw or Clip Studio Paint have ads?

ShadowDraw shows ads; Clip Studio Paint does not.

### Which is updated more often, ShadowDraw or Clip Studio Paint?

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, and Clip Studio Paint every 3 weeks. Most recently, ShadowDraw was updated on November 6, 2026 and Clip Studio Paint on November 8, 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.*