# Drawing References Pro vs Artist Tools

The clearest difference is price: Artist Tools at Free against Drawing References Pro's $4.99. Artist Tools also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Drawing References Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Artist Tools is free to download; Drawing References Pro costs $4.99 up front. Artist Tools sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Drawing References Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

Drawing References Pro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Drawing References Pro ships an update every 2 months, Artist Tools every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drawing References Pro | Artist Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-references-pro/id1441945328/reviews)** | [4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artist-tools/id6756378078/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#148** | — |
| Size | 110 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [fnx.io](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441645733) | [Hessam Emami](https://appshunter.io/developer/1860351783) |

## What reviewers say

### Drawing References Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-references-pro/id1441945328)

**Currently charting:** #148 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Access a vast library of portrait and pose references for artistic practice. Enhance your workflow with tools like photo import, mirroring, grids, and timed gesture drawing. Compare your work directly to references with a unique transparent overlay feature.

**Highlights:** Portrait and pose reference library, Import photos from phone/Google Drive, Reference manipulation tools, Timed gesture drawing mode, Transparent overlay comparison

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Artist Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artist-tools/id6756378078)

This app provides objective tools to analyze reference images for drawing. It helps artists improve tonal accuracy, check proportions, and understand value structures using traditional art school techniques. Features include value studies, color simplification, and various drawing guides.

**Highlights:** Value study analysis, Color simplification, Black mirror tool, Invert and flip reference, Line and plumb line guides, Grid overlay (rule of thirds, golden ratio), Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium - Promo | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription - Promo | $24.99 | per year |
| Unlock Full App | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drawing References Pro free?

Drawing References Pro costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Artist Tools free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Drawing References Pro or Artist Tools?

Drawing References Pro is rated higher. Drawing References Pro averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Artist Tools averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Drawing References Pro or Artist Tools have ads?

Neither Drawing References Pro nor Artist Tools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drawing References Pro or Artist Tools?

Drawing References Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Artist Tools every 11 days. Most recently, Drawing References Pro was updated on October 29, 2026 and Artist Tools on October 24, 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.*