# ShadowDraw vs DrawBuddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ShadowDraw at 59% against DrawBuddy's 19%. ShadowDraw also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 481). DrawBuddy's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.4 vs 4.2). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShadowDraw sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and DrawBuddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

DrawBuddy holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 481 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of ShadowDraw's written reviews are positive against 19% of DrawBuddy'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, DrawBuddy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShadowDraw | DrawBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowdraw-learn-how-to-draw/id1223507083/reviews) | **[4.4 (481 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawbuddy-how-to-draw/id6445878162/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 481 |
| Positive reviews | **59.4% of reviews** | 19.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 820 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shadow Draw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1223507082) | [Bohdan Hlushko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1622883946) |

## 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


### DrawBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawbuddy-how-to-draw/id6445878162)

Learn to draw with step-by-step tutorials and guides designed for artists of all levels. Enhance your digital art skills using Apple Pencil with a variety of drawing categories. Practice on the go with quick draw options and create masterpieces.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step drawing tutorials, Digital art creation, Apple Pencil support, Quick draw practice, Multiple drawing categories, Skill enhancement for beginners and professionals

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly subscription | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Weekly subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Three month subscription | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Monthly subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Access | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Amazing drawings
- 👍 Good app for drawing
- 👍 Great app potential

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires payment for basic features
- 💰 Free trial issues
- 💰 Unexpected charges
- 💰 App not free
- 💰 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Video not playing during free trial
- Payment pop-ups prevent drawing
- Charged full month instead of trial

**Requested features**

- More drawing options
- More pictures/drawings
- Make the app free
- Add pencil tool back


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShadowDraw free?

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

### Is DrawBuddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ShadowDraw or DrawBuddy?

DrawBuddy is rated higher. ShadowDraw averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while DrawBuddy averages 4.4 from 481 ratings.

### Do ShadowDraw or DrawBuddy have ads?

ShadowDraw shows ads; DrawBuddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, ShadowDraw or DrawBuddy?

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, and DrawBuddy every 3 weeks. Most recently, ShadowDraw was updated on October 27, 2026 and DrawBuddy on October 25, 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.*