Comparison

ShadowDraw vs Learn How to Draw Tutorials

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

Learn How to Draw Tutorials

Master drawing with animated, step-by-step tutorials and an AR tracing viewer. Practice a wide range of subjects, from animals and fashion to your own photos, to improve your skills.

Highlights
  • Animated step-by-step drawing tutorials
  • AR tracing viewer for real-time practice
  • Trace your own photos
  • Diverse drawing categories (animals, people, fashion, etc.)
  • Save favorite tutorials
  • Static drawing examples
Features
Read full description

Learn to draw with step-by-step tutorials, animated lessons, and an AR tracing viewer. Explore categories from animals to fashion to master your drawing skills or trace your own photos, perfect for beginners or anyone wanting to improve. Explore and practice drawing: - Animals – from cats and dogs to wild creatures - Flowers & Nature – plants, leaves, and cacti - People & Anatomy – portraits, figures, and anatomy references - Kawaii & Anime – cute and stylized characters - Vehicles & Architecture – cars, planes, buildings, and perspective guides - Fashion & Tattoos – clothing, designs, and creative ideas - Branches & Leaves – nature details for realistic drawing - Your Own Photos – trace any photo from your device or camera for personalized practice - Favorites – save your favorite drawings and tutorials for quick access Choose between animated step-by-step tutorials or static examples. Use the AR viewer to trace on real paper, improving your precision and learning faster. Each category contains curated examples, helping you practice specific styles or subjects. - AR Tracing Mode: place your device above your paper and trace live using the AR viewer. Improve your hand-eye coordination and quickly learn proportions by overlaying the lines in real space. - Step-by-Step Drawing: animated lessons break complex drawings into simple steps, making it easy to follow along and learn fundamental techniques. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your skills, this app gives you all the tools you need to learn, practice, and master drawing. Perfect for artists of all ages! For questions please contact support [@] wienelware.nl EULA: https://www.wienelware.nl/apps/terms-drawing.html

Screenshots

Learn How to Draw Tutorials4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Learn How to Draw Tutorials at 4.4 against ShadowDraw's 4.1. Learn How to Draw Tutorials also leads on device support (3 vs 1). ShadowDraw's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 49%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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 Learn How to Draw Tutorials sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Learn How to Draw Tutorials holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of ShadowDraw's written reviews are positive against 49% of Learn How to Draw Tutorials'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, Learn How to Draw Tutorials monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ShadowDraw versus Learn How to Draw Tutorials: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowDrawLearn How to Draw Tutorials
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (1.7K ratings)4.4 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.3% of reviews — better48.6% of reviews
Number of ratings1.7K — better1.3K
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size820 MB137 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperShadow DrawLidwien Veugen

Customer experience

ShadowDraw

All ratings1,622 ratings
Positive77.0%
Neutral6.4%
Negative16.6%
Written reviews482 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral13.1%
Negative27.6%

Learn How to Draw Tutorials

All ratings1,305 ratings
Positive83.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive48.6%
Neutral11.4%
Negative40.0%

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

Learn How to Draw Tutorials

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ShadowDraw

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

Learn How to Draw Tutorials

Subscriptions3
  • How to draw lessons & tutorials PRO3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • How to draw lessons & tutorials PRO2 variants$6.991 Month
  • How to draw lessons & tutorials PRO3 Days trial2 variants$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • How to draw lessons & tutorials PRO2 variants$44.99

Questions

Is ShadowDraw free?
ShadowDraw is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Learn How to Draw Tutorials free?
Learn How to Draw Tutorials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ShadowDraw or Learn How to Draw Tutorials?
Learn How to Draw Tutorials is rated higher. ShadowDraw averages 4.1 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Learn How to Draw Tutorials averages 4.4 from 1.3K ratings.
Do ShadowDraw or Learn How to Draw Tutorials have ads?
Both ShadowDraw and Learn How to Draw Tutorials show ads.
Which is updated more often, ShadowDraw or Learn How to Draw Tutorials?
ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, and Learn How to Draw Tutorials monthly. Most recently, ShadowDraw was updated on September 22, 2026 and Learn How to Draw Tutorials on September 21, 2026.

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