Comparison

ShadowDraw vs Arf Studio

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

Arf Studio

Features
Read full description

Make every picture your own with Arf Studio, a calm, guided coloring app designed for Apple Pencil and touch. Explore 100+ original illustrations across animals, boba and drinks, fruit, food, playful trends, nature, and space. Each lesson highlights one clear piece at a time. Choose the suggested color or pick your own, then paint inside the highlighted area—your strokes stay within its boundary. COLOR WITH CONFIDENCE • Step-by-step piece guidance • Bounded paint areas • Apple Pencil and touch support • Adjustable paint and eraser sizes • Undo, redo, clear, and draw-again controls KEEP YOUR FAVORITES CLOSE • Browse by category or search • Favorite artworks • Jump back into recent drawings • Track finished lessons • Continue from your saved step PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything needed to color is bundled in Arf Studio. There is no account, login, advertising, subscription, in-app purchase, analytics, tracking, or required internet connection. Drawings, favorites, recents, and progress stay in the app on your device. New curated artwork arrives in future app updates.

Screenshots

Arf Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Arf Studio at none against ShadowDraw's 2. Arf Studio also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Arf Studio asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, Arf Studio every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ShadowDraw versus Arf Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowDrawArf Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (1.8K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews59.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.8K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size820 MB232 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperShadow DrawZUBIN DENG

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

Arf Studio

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
None

Arf Studio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ShadowDraw free?
ShadowDraw is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Arf Studio free?
Arf Studio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ShadowDraw or Arf Studio have ads?
ShadowDraw shows ads; Arf Studio does not.
Which is updated more often, ShadowDraw or Arf Studio?
ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, and Arf Studio every 2 days. Most recently, ShadowDraw was updated on November 1, 2026 and Arf Studio on October 31, 2026.

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