iArtbook vs DrawBuddy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iArtbook
This app offers a robust digital art creation experience with unlimited layers, blend modes, and masks. It features advanced brush customization, calligraphy tools, and animation capabilities. Ideal for artists seeking professional-grade drawing and painting tools on their device.
- Unlimited layers with blend modes and masks
- Advanced brush customization and calligraphy tools
- Animation creation with multiple layers and export options
- Apple Pencil support with pressure and tilt
- Time-Lapse video recording
- Learn to draw by copying professional art
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Fun painting app, based on Unlimited Layers with Blend Modes and Masks Any brush can be used with 3 professional-level realtime technologies of calligraphy: Line Delay, Rope Stabilization and Correction, combine it for best results. With 100% calligraphy the line will be very smooth even if you are drawing with your finger Brushes can be Dry, Glossy and Wet. There are 3 types of Wet brushes: Without Pull, With Pull and Super-Precise. Any brush can instantly became Smudge-brush with Finger instrument. Textured brushes are also supported If you like to draw with simple round brush, there are quick settings for Hardness, Ovality & Rotation of your brush shape. Or, if you prefer realistic brushes, large Pro-Library of shapes (>1000 textures) can be used to create new brushes of any type Apple Pencil is fully supported, including Touch Force, Tilt, Azimuth and Predicted Points. There are settings for each Pencil ability. You also can disable finger-painting, if you never use it Gestures: 2-fingers tap for Undo and 3-fingers tap for Redo any action For color choosing there are 2 different Color Pickers and Palettes with Gradient Mixer. Use long-pressure gesture for quick color choosing Time-Lapse video recording is enabled by default FEATURES LIST: Create Animation: * Unlimited frames of animation * Multiple animation layers * Export to mp4, hevc, gif, apng Learn How to Draw by copying Professional Art: * Use any Painting or Sketch as a Lesson * Tap left side of screen to switch between your painting and the lesson * 4 lesson types: "Equal size", "First Layer", "Horizontal split", "Vertical split" Brushes: * Preinstalled professional brushes * Glossy brushes * 50+ brush settings * Shapes library * Calligraphy * Apple Pencil support * Smudge brushes with 3 different smudge technologies * Export-import of brushes * Dynamic shape * Realistic brushes * Any brush can became a smudge brush with Smudge tool Colors: * 2 Color Pickers * Color mixer * Palettes * Import/Export of palettes Interface: * Right and left handed interface * Light or dark interface * Custom interface color Layers: * Unlimited layers * Dynamic ssd/operative memory using for layers * Masks * Clear / Fill / Select / Sort / Duplicate * Blend modes * Opacity and visibility * Import any image as a layer * Transform without loosing image quality Gestures: * 2-Fingers tap for Undo * 3-Fingers tap for Redo * Long pressure for quick color choosing * Bucket Tool: Drag the Color circle onto the canvas * Only-gestures control with Swipes Advanced: * Flip canvas horizontally * Time-Lapse video recording * Transform instrument * Selection tool * PNG with transparency creation
DrawBuddy
Learn to draw with step-by-step tutorials and guides designed for artists of all levels. Enhance your digital art skills using Apple Pencil with a variety of drawing categories. Practice on the go with quick draw options and create masterpieces.
- Step-by-step drawing tutorials
- Digital art creation
- Apple Pencil support
- Quick draw practice
- Multiple drawing categories
- Skill enhancement for beginners and professionals
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This drawing app for iPad is the perfect tool for artists of all the levels to create a stunning digital art. With the use of the Apple Pencil, users can easily learn how to draw and develop their skills with the help of the art drawing tutorials and step-by-step guides. The app also features quick draw options for those who want to practice their skills on the go. Drawing lessons are available for users to improve their techniques and create masterpieces. Whether you're a beginner or a professional, this digital drawing app will provide everything you need to enhance your artistic abilities. The app offers a range of categories for drawing, including: • Architecture • Home Interior • Celebrities • People • Artists • Animals • Landscapes • Nature • Dinosaurs • Children • And others Download our drawing app for iPad and don’t forget to share it with your friends on social media or messengers. The app contains the following subscription options: • A 1-month membership costs from $6.99 • A 3-month membership costs from $12.99. • A 1-year membership costs from $29.99 after a 7-day free trial. The price is for US customers. Pricing in other countries may vary, and actual charges may be converted to your local currency, depending on the country of residence. Payment will be charged to the iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period and will identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user, and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of the free trial will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. • Privacy Policy: https://tappa.tech/drawbuddy/privacy-policy • EULA: https://tappa.tech/drawbuddy/eula • Terms of use: https://tappa.tech/drawbuddy/terms-of-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DrawBuddy at 4.4 against iArtbook's 3.8. iArtbook's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (44% vs 19%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. iArtbook sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and DrawBuddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
DrawBuddy holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iArtbook has 12K ratings behind it against 481, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of iArtbook's written reviews are positive against 19% of DrawBuddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
iArtbook ships an update every 8 days, DrawBuddy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iArtbook | DrawBuddy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (12K ratings) | 4.4 (481 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews — better | 19.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12K — better | 481 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | #99 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.3 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 388 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alexander Kondrashov | Bohdan Hlushko |
Customer experience
iArtbook
DrawBuddy
User reviews
iArtbook
From 12K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great free alternative to Procreate
- 👍 Variety of brushes and textures
- 🎨 Excellent for drawing and animation
- 💡 Ability to create custom brushes
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Confusing UI and navigation
- 📤 Ads for premium features too frequent
- 🎨 Limited selection of basic brushes
DrawBuddy
From 481 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Amazing drawings
- 👍 Good app for drawing
- 👍 Great app potential
Room to improve
- 💰 Requires payment for basic features
- 💰 Free trial issues
- 💰 Unexpected charges
- 💰 App not free
- 💰 Expensive subscription
Bugs and requests
iArtbook
Reported bugs
3 issues- Layers glitching and creating unwanted artifacts
- Inability to save or export artwork properly
- Brush and tool settings not persisting between sessions
Requested features
4 requests- Add symmetry tool
- Implement layer folders and management
- Include audio support for animations
- Improve selection and transformation tools
DrawBuddy
Reported bugs
3 issues- Video not playing during free trial
- Payment pop-ups prevent drawing
- Charged full month instead of trial
Requested features
4 requests- More drawing options
- More pictures/drawings
- Make the app free
- Add pencil tool back
In-app purchases
iArtbook
- iArtbook Pro for iPhone$7.99
- Upgrade to iArtbook Pro$12.99
- iArtbook Pro for iPad$12.99
DrawBuddy
- Weekly subscription$6.997 Days
- Monthly subscription3 Days trial$7.991 Month
- Weekly subscription3 Days trial$9.997 Days
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- Monthly subscription$12.991 Month
- Three month subscription7 Days trial$19.993 Months
- Monthly subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Month
- Annual subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Annual subscription$39.991 Year
- Annual subscription7 Days trial$69.991 Year
- Annual subscription14 Days trial$69.991 Year
- Unlimited Access$79.99









