Comparison

Drawing References Pro vs Chrooma Colors

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Drawing References Pro

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
Read full description

Do you like portraits or figure drawing? Then welcome! Here is what you will find in our app: * Huge collection of portrait and pose references for your practice. * Import your own photos from phone or Google Drive. * Flip, mirror, always on screen, customizable overlay grid, convert to greyscale, blur, ... everything you need to turn your reference photo into a stunning drawing. * Timed mode for gesture drawing practice. AND: Take a photo of your drawing and compare it with the reference using our unique transparent overlay ... that's hard to explain ... you just need to try it for yourself :-) Very helpful, you'll see! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.drawingreferencesapp.com/privacy-policy/

About

Chrooma Colors

Features
Read full description

Play with colors. See what you've been missing. Chrooma uses real color science, not RGB shortcuts. Extract a palette from any photo and understand immediately why those colors work together: which harmonies are present, where they sit in Munsell space, what temperature balance they create. Or mix your own colors with spectral calculations that model how pigments actually behave. PHOTO ANALYSIS Pull a palette from any photo and understand it immediately: • Unlimited extraction from camera or library • Harmony detection, temperature mapping, balance analysis • Dedicated fullscreen modal with one-tap export • See what Pro analysis unlocks before you buy EXPLORE — 23 Interactive Challenges Put your color vision to the test for real. Sort Munsell value steps, identify simultaneous contrasts, reconstruct palettes from memory. Scoring uses CIEDE2000 perceptual difference. You'll discover where your perception is sharp and where it isn't. COMPOSE — 56 Generative Styles Turn any palette into shareable art. Geometric tiles, flow fields, Voronoi cells, aurora gradients, Albers-style overlays. Export as PNG or animated MP4. EXPLAIN — Color Theory You Can See 10 interactive pages: Itten's 7 contrasts, Munsell notation, Goethe's color theory, 460+ color names with etymology and history, gamut visualization, harmony rules, light physics. Not a textbook. Every concept is something you interact with. MIX — Paint Recipes with Spectral Physics Kubelka-Munk theory models how light scatters through pigment layers. Blue + yellow produces a muted olive, not bright green, because that's what real paint does. Spectral reflectance curves from 24 real pigments (Golden Heavy Body Acrylics, measured with a spectrophotometer). Separate engines for paint, light, and colorant. COLOR COMPARE Pick two colors and see exactly how they relate. Perceptual distance (ΔE₀₀), WCAG contrast ratio, harmony type, temperature delta, Itten contrasts. MORE • Gradient comparison across 4 color spaces (HSL, Lab, OKLCh, sRGB) • Color of the Day with a new curated color every morning • Weekly palettes tied to seasons and weather • Your Color Imprint, a personality profile that evolves monthly • Palette management with unlimited palettes • Works offline, no account required WHO USES CHROOMA? Painters who want to understand why their mixes don't turn out as expected. Art students studying Itten and Munsell. If you're decorating a room and need to pull a palette from a photo, it does that. And if you just want more than a hex picker, the challenges alone are worth it. PRICING Free to explore. One purchase unlocks everything. No subscription, no ads, ever. PRIVACY No account. Your palettes stay on your device. Optional anonymous analytics, adjustable in Settings.

Screenshots

Drawing References Pro4 screens
Chrooma Colors4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chrooma Colors at Free against Drawing References Pro's $4.99. Chrooma Colors also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). Drawing References Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#145 vs unranked). On ads, 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

Chrooma Colors is free to download; Drawing References Pro costs $4.99 up front. Chrooma Colors sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Drawing References Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drawing References Pro ships an update every 2 months, Chrooma Colors every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Drawing References Pro versus Chrooma Colors: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrawing References ProChrooma Colors
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#145 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB53 MB
Age rating12+4+
Developerfnx.ioJulien Brun

In-app purchases

None

Drawing References Pro

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Chrooma Colors

One-time1
  • Chrooma Colors Pro$6.99

Questions

Is Drawing References Pro free?
Drawing References Pro costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chrooma Colors free?
Chrooma Colors is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Drawing References Pro or Chrooma Colors have ads?
Neither Drawing References Pro nor Chrooma Colors shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drawing References Pro or Chrooma Colors?
Drawing References Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Chrooma Colors every 11 days. Most recently, Drawing References Pro was updated on October 14, 2026 and Chrooma Colors on October 10, 2026.

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