Comparison

ShadowDraw vs Prêt à Makeup

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

Head to head
About

ShadowDraw

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
Read full description

Learn to draw with confidence using your Apple Pencil. Featured by Apple as App of the Day in 2023 and 2025. ShadowDraw® is the easiest way for beginners to learn how to draw on iPad using their Apple Pencil. Our guided lessons teach you step-by-step by showing the real strokes of professional artists, helping you build confidence, accuracy, and real drawing fundamentals from your very first session. LEARN TO DRAW THE SMART, BEGINNER-FRIENDLY WAY
 ShadowDraw breaks every drawing into simple, guided steps. You follow the same strokes as a professional artist, learning: * Line control * Shapes & construction * Proportions * Shading * Final detailing
 Each step unlocks only after you complete the previous one, giving you a structured, supportive learning path—like having a private art teacher with you on your iPad. THOUSANDS OF STEP-BY-STEP LESSONS
 Explore beginner-friendly drawing lessons across the most popular art subjects: * Manga & Anime Characters * People & Portraits * Animals (cats, dogs, horses, birds, dragons, and more) * Architecture & Buildings * Botanical & Nature Drawing * Birds & Butterflies * Coloring & Simple Shading * Holiday & Seasonal Art * Warm-Ups & Foundations * Sketching Basics
 With over 2,000 guided tutorials, there’s always something inspiring to draw. PRACTICE YOUR WAY
 ShadowDraw offers two flexible learning modes: Art Teacher Mode
 We pick brushes and colors so beginners can focus on fundamentals. Sketch My Way
 Choose your own tools and colors for creative freedom. BUILD A DAILY DRAWING HABIT 
Short, approachable lessons help you build confidence and stay consistent. ShadowDraw makes daily practice easy, fun, and motivating—even for busy beginners. RECOGNIZED BY APPLE & TRUSTED WORLDWIDE 
ShadowDraw has been featured in the App Store collections, including: * Incredible iPad Apps * Great with Apple Pencil * Apple Pencil Starter Kit * Better with Apple Pencil * The Best Drawing Apps * The Best Apps for Creatives ShadowDraw has also ranked as the #1 Drawing App in its category. Apple writes: 
“With over 1,500 hand-drawn lessons developed by real artists, ShadowDraw is a drawing app for beginners who want to improve their skills through daily step-by-step exercises.” PRAISED BY THE PRESS
 The New York Times
“ShadowDraw… teaches drawing forms by having you follow along the animated pen strokes of another artist in an updated take on the ‘copying the masters’ approach.” MacBreak Weekly — Pick of the Week
“…the next generation of step-by-step.” Also featured by CNET and Creative Bloq. LEARN TOGETHER WITH SHADOWDRAW+
 A ShadowDraw+ membership unlocks the full library and supports Family Sharing, so everyone in your household can learn to draw at their own pace. WE’RE HERE TO HELP 
Need support or have feedback? Contact us anytime through in-app Chat Support. Email: support@shadowdrawapp.com
 Website: shadowdrawapp.com 
Instagram: @shadowdraw For our EULA agreement, please visit: 
https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ShadowDraw® and Shadow Draw™ are trademarks of Shadow Draw Inc.

About

Prêt à Makeup

Explore and experiment with makeup artistry in a virtual studio. This app offers realistic textures, extensive tools, and face templates to create and perfect any look. Ideal for both beginners and experienced artists to express their style and master makeup techniques.

Highlights
  • Updated interface for enhanced usability
  • Over 60 themed face templates
  • 700+ curated makeup products
  • Realistic makeup textures
  • Real-time mirroring for symmetrical looks
  • Adjustable ring light for different lighting
  • Organize projects into galleries
Features
Read full description

APP STORE AWARDS 2023: iPad App of the Year Immerse yourself in a world where creativity seamlessly blends with reality through Prêt-à-Makeup, an app designed to revolutionize the way you approach makeup. This app is not just a tool, but a canvas that empowers you to explore, experiment, and elevate your makeup artistry. Whether you’re an aspiring makeup artist seeking to refine your techniques or a beauty enthusiast eager to express your unique style, Prêt-à-Makeup is your ultimate companion. Dive into a virtual studio where lifelike textures and an extensive range of cosmetic tools await your creative touch. The app offers an intuitive interface that makes it easy to bring your imaginative ideas to life, experimenting with bold looks or subtle enhancements with precision. As you navigate through the app, you'll discover features that not only enhance your skills but also inspire innovation. Every tool is meticulously designed to provide an authentic makeup experience. Imagine being able to test out new products, perfect your techniques, and develop your signature look without any limitations. The app is crafted to cater to every skill level, offering tutorials and tips for beginners while providing advanced tools for seasoned artists. Whether you’re preparing for a special occasion or simply experimenting with new trends, Prêt-à-Makeup is your gateway to mastering the art of makeup. Embrace your inner artist, challenge your limits, and let your creativity shine through every brushstroke. With Prêt-à-Makeup, the possibilities are endless, and the journey to beauty mastery is just a click away. FEATURES - Updated interface: a fresh new look that enhances usability and aesthetics - Face templates: explore a collection of over 60 themed face templates, with new additions coming regularly - Makeup kits: enhanced kits with over 700 products curated to match your preferences and style - Realistic textures: makeup products with realistic textures including matte, gloss, metallic, creamy, highlight and glitter reveal faces with stunning realism - History: keep track of the makeup products you've used in each project - Mirror: create a makeup look on one side of the face while mirroring it in real-time for symmetrical perfection - Ring Light: see your designs in different lighting by tilting your device - Galleries: organize your makeup projects into galleries for easy access and management - New sharing options: share your makeup creations with the world and even generate a video of your makeup in Ring Light mode SUBSCRIPTION PRICING AND TERMS Prêt-à-Makeup is a subscription app. Download it for free and try selected features. Get unlimited access for 7 days free. If you choose to subscribe to one of the two auto-renewing subscription options (year or month), payment will be charged to your Apple account. Your Prêt-à-Makeup subscription will automatically renew at the end of each term and your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the rate of your select plan. Auto-renewal may be turned off at any time by going to your settings in the App Store after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Politics: https://pretamakeup.com/privacy

Screenshots

Prêt à Makeup4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: ShadowDraw at free with in-app purchases against Prêt à Makeup's subscription. ShadowDraw also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 35%). Prêt à Makeup's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (38K vs 1.8K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. ShadowDraw sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Prêt à Makeup sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Prêt à Makeup holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Prêt à Makeup has 38K 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 35% of Prêt à Makeup's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, Prêt à Makeup every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
ShadowDraw versus Prêt à Makeup: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowDrawPrêt à Makeup
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (1.8K ratings)4.4 (38K ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.4% of reviews — better35.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.8K38K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#120 — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size820 MB446 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperShadow DrawPrêt-à-Template

Customer experience

ShadowDraw

All ratings1,622 ratings
Positive77.0%
Neutral6.4%
Negative16.6%
Written reviews483 reviews
Positive59.4%
Neutral13.0%
Negative27.5%

Prêt à Makeup

All ratings38,462 ratings
Positive83.1%
Neutral6.0%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews1,801 reviews
Positive35.0%
Neutral16.4%
Negative48.6%

User reviews

ShadowDraw

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 💰 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

Prêt à Makeup

From 38K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Realistic and fun
  • 🎨 Variety of makeup options
  • 🎨 Unique lighting effects
  • 👍 User-friendly interface

Room to improve

  • 💰 Too many paid features
  • 🔒 Limited free options
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🛠️ Lack of blending tools

Bugs and requests

ShadowDraw

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Prêt à Makeup

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Progress not saving after crashes
  • Symmetry tool not always working
  • Makeup application issues (e.g. harsh lines)

Requested features

5 requests
  • More free makeup palettes and faces
  • Brush/blending tool options
  • Ability to adjust brush size
  • Contour and bronzer options
  • Hair color and style customization

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ShadowDraw

Subscriptions2
  • ShadowDraw: Monthly Plan7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • ShadowDraw: Yearly Plan7 Days trial$49.991 Year
7 purchases

Prêt à Makeup

Subscriptions4
  • Premium Access: One Week!7 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Black Friday Subscription1 Month trial$5.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$11.491 Month
Show 1 more
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time3
  • 10 Tokens$3.99
  • 30 Tokens$6.99
  • 50 Tokens$9.99

Questions

Is ShadowDraw free?
ShadowDraw is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Prêt à Makeup free?
Prêt à Makeup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ShadowDraw or Prêt à Makeup?
Prêt à Makeup is rated higher. ShadowDraw averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Prêt à Makeup averages 4.4 from 38K ratings.
Do ShadowDraw or Prêt à Makeup have ads?
Both ShadowDraw and Prêt à Makeup show ads.
Which is updated more often, ShadowDraw or Prêt à Makeup?
ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, and Prêt à Makeup every 10 days. Most recently, ShadowDraw was updated on November 6, 2026 and Prêt à Makeup on November 8, 2026.

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