DrawRef vs Shortcut Remote
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DrawRef
This utility app helps artists by displaying drawing references in a picture-in-picture mode. It allows you to easily access your gallery, select an image, and overlay it on your screen while using your preferred drawing application. You can resize, reposition, and even hide the reference image to optimize your workspace.
- Picture-in-picture reference display
- Instant gallery access
- Selectable reference image parts
- Adjustable reference image position
- Scalable reference image
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DrawRef suits your needs perfectly if you use references while drawing. The app is designed to save your time and effort by focusing on what really matters in your art process. With DrawRef you can finally stop using a split screen mode and enjoy a picture-in-picture view of your drawing references. DrawRef allows you to save screen real estate for reference images while drawing. You can access the gallery instantly from the app, choose an image for the reference and put it into picture-in-picture mode. Then open your favorite drawing app and enjoy the process. Move the image to any corner, scale it and temporarily hide it by swiping it to the side of the screen. You can also select a part of the image to use it as a reference in the pic-in-pic mode. This utility app will help you in your daily art routine. DrawRef is rather minimalistic, so you don’t need tutorials to start using it and benefit from saving screen real estate. In case you have any questions or app related offers, please, write us on drawrefapp@gmail.com. Features: - instant gallery access; - picture-in-picture image view; - using a part of the image as a reference in pic-in-pic mode; - moving an image by dragging it to other corners of your screen; - pinching/unpinching the image to scale it.
Shortcut Remote
Customize wireless shortcut remote button functions on your mobile device. Enhance your creative workflow with pre-set software configurations for popular tools.
- Customize remote button functions
- Wireless connectivity
- Mobile device integration
- Pre-set software configurations
- Enhance creative workflow
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XPPen tools help users customize wireless shortcut remote button functions on mobile devices (providing some commonly used software presets), better assisting your creativity.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: DrawRef at 92% against Shortcut Remote's 14%. DrawRef also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (70 vs 19). Shortcut Remote's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DrawRef holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of DrawRef's written reviews are positive against 14% of Shortcut Remote's.
DrawRef ships an update every 9 months, Shortcut Remote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DrawRef | Shortcut Remote |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (70 ratings) — better | 1.5 (19 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 91.7% of reviews — better | 14.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 70 — better | 19 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vasilii Sverchkov | 深圳汉王友基科技有限公司 |
Customer experience
DrawRef
Shortcut Remote
Bugs and requests
DrawRef
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Shortcut Remote
Reported bugs
15 issues- Shortcut remote not connecting
- App crashes
- App connects but does nothing
- Cannot save shortcuts
- App doesn't work on iPad
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Not saving changes
- Keys don't change
- App not working
- Buttons not mapping
- App fails to modify keys
- App does not open
- Connection issues
- Software keyboard US layout issue
- UI only supports portrait mode
- Shortcut remote not saving assigned key binding
Requested features
7 requests- Fix shortcut remote connection issue
- Allow remote connection only to iPad
- Provide detailed connection and usage guides for iPad
- Add support for Ibispaint
- Add K11 switching function
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Support JIS keyboard layout
- Support landscape UI
In-app purchases
DrawRef
No in-app purchases
Shortcut Remote
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DrawRef free?
Is Shortcut Remote free?
Which has better reviews, DrawRef or Shortcut Remote?
Do DrawRef or Shortcut Remote have ads?
Which is updated more often, DrawRef or Shortcut Remote?
Other comparisons
