# Cupixel vs PainterAR

Cupixel and PainterAR both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of Cupixel's written reviews are positive against 33% of PainterAR's. PainterAR's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cupixel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and PainterAR sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Cupixel against 4.4 for PainterAR. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 663 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Cupixel's written reviews are positive against 33% of PainterAR's.

Cupixel ships an update every 3 weeks, PainterAR weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cupixel | PainterAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cupixel-photo-tracing-app/id1250853688/reviews)** | [4.4 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 663 |
| Positive reviews | **65.3% of reviews** | 32.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 88 MB | 210 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cupixel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1250853687) | [Painter AR Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896290460) |

## What reviewers say

### Cupixel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cupixel-photo-tracing-app/id1250853688)

This app uses augmented reality to help you trace any image onto any surface, with step-by-step art classes from expert artists. Convert your photos into outlines or choose from a library of artwork to create your masterpiece.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality tracing, AI photo to outline conversion, Thousands of artist-led classes, Trace on any surface, Text tracing tool, Time lapse video recording

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Box Owners Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Cupixel Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Cupixel Partners Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Cupixel Membership | $12.99 | per month |
| Cupixel Membership | $12.99 | per month |
| Cupixel Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Cupixel Partners Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Box Owners Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Box Owners Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Cupixel Yearly | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Helps improve drawing skills
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 💡 Innovative AR tracing technology
- 🤝 Helpful and responsive customer support
- 🎨 Variety of art mediums and tutorials

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription required for full features
- 🐛 Tracing feature issues and camera problems
- 💰 Expensive subscription cost
- 🚫 Limited free content and trial period

**Reported bugs**

- Tracing feature not working as advertised
- Camera calibration issues and image distortion
- App crashes and freezes on some devices

**Requested features**

- More free content and trial options
- Ability to use own photos without subscription
- Improved tracing functionality and stability
- Adjustable stand height and better ergonomics


### PainterAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657)

Transform your sketches into digital art with augmented reality tracing and advanced digital inking tools. This app offers a complete workflow from paper to digital, with features for beginners and professionals alike. Explore a curated library of inspiration and progressive courses to enhance your artistic skills.

**Highlights:** AR drawing with stable projection, Advanced AR anchor mode for precise placement, Smart plane detection for instant creation, Import sketches for digital inking, 30+ professional brushes, Infinite layers system, Curated inspiration library and courses

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PainterAR-PRO | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| First 3-Day Free | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Painter PRO | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| PainterAR-PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Special Offer | $29.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| PainterAR-PRO | $29.99 | per year |
| First 3-Day Free | $34.99 | per year |
| PainterAR PRO | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Helpful for drawing and improving art skills
- ⏱️ Saves time in the drawing process
- 📚 Provides useful tutorials and guides

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overly restrictive free trial and paywall for full features
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs that disrupt the drawing process
- 🔍 Difficult to use own photos without paying
- 🤖 AR mode is not very responsive or accurate

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently during use
- Issues with loading own photos and images
- AR mode is unreliable and hard to control

**Requested features**

- Add more free drawing options and templates
- Improve the ability to use own photos and images
- Provide better instructions and tutorials for new users
- Fix crashes and stability issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cupixel free?

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

### Is PainterAR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cupixel or PainterAR?

Cupixel is rated higher. Cupixel averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while PainterAR averages 4.4 from 663 ratings.

### Do Cupixel or PainterAR have ads?

Neither Cupixel nor PainterAR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cupixel or PainterAR?

Cupixel ships an update every 3 weeks, and PainterAR weekly. Most recently, Cupixel was updated on November 2, 2026 and PainterAR on November 7, 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.*