# HEAVYPAINT Classic vs Value Study

The clearest difference is rating: Value Study at 4.8 against HEAVYPAINT Classic's 4.1. Value Study also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 54%) and ratings volume (3.3K vs 179). HEAVYPAINT Classic's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HEAVYPAINT Classic sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Value Study sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Value Study holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Value Study has 3.3K ratings behind it against 179, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of HEAVYPAINT Classic's written reviews are positive against 92% of Value Study's.

HEAVYPAINT Classic ships an update every 5 days, Value Study fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HEAVYPAINT Classic | Value Study |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (179 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heavypaint-classic/id1469848546/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 179 | **3.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **92.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 51 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HEAVYPOLY, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1469848545) | [Diem Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439019995) |

## What reviewers say

### HEAVYPAINT Classic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heavypaint-classic/id1469848546)

A streamlined painting application focused on pure colors and shapes. It offers essential tools for artists, including improved smudge and blur, layers, masking, and erasing. Ideal for quick sketches, studies, and plein air work.

**Highlights:** Improved Smudge tool, Improved Blur tool, Layers, Masking, Clipping, Erase tool

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seurat Texture Brushes | $4.99 | one-time |
| HEAVYPAINT Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Unique, innovative painting tools and brushes
- 💡 Forces deliberate, decisive artistic decisions
- 🎯 Minimalist interface encourages focus on fundamentals
- 🔄 Playback feature to review artwork creation
- 🎪 Fun, experimental approach to digital art

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss
- 😤 Confusing, unintuitive UI/UX
- 🔄 Inconsistent UI changes between updates
- 💰 Switched from one-time purchase to subscription model
- 🚫 Poor documentation and lack of tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently, causing work loss
- Auto-save feature unreliable despite crashes
- Canvas flips upside down randomly
- Transform tool deletes paintings
- Undo button requires multiple taps

**Requested features**

- Gesture controls (2-finger undo, 3-finger redo)
- Pressure sensitivity for brush size
- Lasso tool for moving selections
- Redo button functionality
- Canvas zoom capability


### Value Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127)

This app helps artists improve their skills by analyzing light and shadow in reference images. It allows users to break down tones step-by-step, from simple black and white to more complex value ranges, aiding in the understanding of depth and form. It's a tool to enhance traditional art studies.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step tone breakdown, Highlighting areas of same value, Focus on light, shadow, and form, Greyscale value studies, Works with reference images

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Value Study Pro | $3.99 | per year |
| Value Study Pro (yearly) | $6.99 | per year |
| Appreciation | $2.99 | one-time |
| Value Study Pro (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Generous boost | $9.99 | one-time |
| Value Study | $17.99 | one-time |
| Amazing supporter | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for value studies
- 💡 Allows adjusting number of values
- 🎨 Useful for artists and painters
- ⭐ Great tool for beginners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with accurately representing blue hues
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/importing photos
- 🤔 Unclear instructions/lack of tutorial

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or fails to launch on some devices
- Occasional issues with image processing

**Requested features**

- Add ability to adjust value midpoint
- Include color study/color adjustment options
- Provide side-by-side comparison of original and simplified images
- Add customizable grid overlay


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HEAVYPAINT Classic free?

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

### Is Value Study free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HEAVYPAINT Classic or Value Study?

Value Study is rated higher. HEAVYPAINT Classic averages 4.1 out of 5 from 179 ratings, while Value Study averages 4.8 from 3.3K ratings.

### Do HEAVYPAINT Classic or Value Study have ads?

Neither HEAVYPAINT Classic nor Value Study shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HEAVYPAINT Classic or Value Study?

HEAVYPAINT Classic ships an update every 5 days, and Value Study fortnightly. Most recently, HEAVYPAINT Classic was updated on October 18, 2026 and Value Study on October 20, 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.*