# ShadowDraw vs Sketch Pro

The clearest difference is rating: Sketch Pro at 4.7 against ShadowDraw's 4.2. Sketch Pro also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 59%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, 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 Sketch Pro sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sketch Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketch Pro has 12K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of ShadowDraw's written reviews are positive against 81% of Sketch Pro's.

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, Sketch Pro every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShadowDraw | Sketch Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowdraw-learn-how-to-draw/id1223507083/reviews) | **[4.7 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketch-pro-draw-and-create-art/id1663200797/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.8K | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | **80.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 820 MB | 333 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shadow Draw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1223507082) | [4Axis Technologies Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1413114553) |

## 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


### Sketch Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketch-pro-draw-and-create-art/id1663200797)

This professional art app offers advanced AI tools for digital painting, illustration, and animation. Create stunning artwork with custom brushes, text-to-image generation, and intelligent editing features. It's designed to streamline your creative workflow on iPads and iPhones.

**Highlights:** Customizable brushes, Text to Image AI, Sketch to Image AI, Magic Edit AI, Auto-Coloring AI, Animation Assist, Advanced Layer System

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SketchPro Premium Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| SketchPro Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| SketchPro Monthly Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| SketchPro Premium Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| SketchPro Premium Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| SketchPro Yearly Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| SketchPro Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| SketchPro Yearly Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| SketchPro Yearly Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| SketchPro Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| SketchPro Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| SketchPro Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| SketchPro Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| 100 Tokens | $3.99 | one-time |
| 200 Tokens | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 Tokens | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful drawing tools
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🎨 Extensive brush and material options
- 💡 Customizable brushes
- 🎨 Versatile for various art styles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🔒 Concerns about subscription model and lifetime access
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and adjusting certain features
- 🔍 Steep learning curve for some advanced tools
- 💰 Subscription fees for full functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Drawings randomly deleted or lost
- Inability to load or access previous artwork
- Crashes when trying to import photos

**Requested features**

- Add liquify tool
- Improve layer management and manipulation
- Provide more default brushes
- Implement undo/redo functionality
- Add shape tools for perfect geometric shapes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShadowDraw free?

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

### Is Sketch Pro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ShadowDraw or Sketch Pro?

Sketch Pro is rated higher. ShadowDraw averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Sketch Pro averages 4.7 from 12K ratings.

### Do ShadowDraw or Sketch Pro have ads?

Both ShadowDraw and Sketch Pro show ads.

### Which is updated more often, ShadowDraw or Sketch Pro?

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, and Sketch Pro every 2 weeks. Most recently, ShadowDraw was updated on October 22, 2026 and Sketch Pro 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.*