# Tracing Buddy vs Painter Values Check

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tracing Buddy at 62% against Painter Values Check's 0%. Tracing Buddy also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (935 vs 37). Painter Values Check's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tracing Buddy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Painter Values Check asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tracing Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tracing Buddy has 935 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Tracing Buddy's written reviews are positive against 0% of Painter Values Check's.

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, Painter Values Check every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tracing Buddy | Painter Values Check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (935 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracing-buddy-drawing-grid/id1470174296/reviews)** | [3.1 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painter-values-check/id1531149807/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **935** | 37 |
| Positive reviews | **62.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 28 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [La Fáppbrica](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470174145) | [Daniel Lao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1019198514) |

## What reviewers say

### Tracing Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracing-buddy-drawing-grid/id1470174296)

Easily transfer images to a drawing surface using a grid system. Create drawing illusions with perspective distortion and anamorphic images. Offers various image filters and grid customization options.

**Highlights:** Drawing grid with customizable lines and subdivisions, Perspective distortion for anamorphic illusions, Image filters: line art, black & white, background removal, AR-guided distortion process, Manual distortion control, Save grid settings in projects

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.49 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $3.99 | per year |
| Premium Features | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium Features | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Versatile and easy to use
- 👍 Cheap and has just the perfect amount of help
- 👍 Awesome app for pencil drawing and watercolor

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Zoom feature not working
- 🐛 Grid feature not working as expected
- 🐛 Lock feature not working properly
- 🐛 Instructions and customer support not helpful
- 🐛 Ads cover drawing area

**Reported bugs**

- Zoom feature not working
- Grid feature not working as expected
- Lock feature not working properly
- App only works once, can't reuse

**Requested features**

- Ability to crop photo inside the app
- Easier way to start a new drawing
- Ability to rotate image
- Grid with numbered overlay and adjustable starting point
- Grid size based on specific measurements


### Painter Values Check

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painter-values-check/id1531149807)

Analyze the lightness and darkness of colors in your artwork or images in real-time using your device's camera. It generates simplified versions to help you assess contrast and focal points, and allows exporting results.

**Highlights:** Real-time value checking via camera, Analyze imported images, Generate simplified value versions, Export result images, Histogram-based value categorization

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tracing Buddy free?

Tracing Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Painter Values Check free?

Painter Values Check is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tracing Buddy or Painter Values Check?

Tracing Buddy is rated higher. Tracing Buddy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 935 ratings, while Painter Values Check averages 3.1 from 37 ratings.

### Do Tracing Buddy or Painter Values Check have ads?

Both Tracing Buddy and Painter Values Check show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tracing Buddy or Painter Values Check?

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, and Painter Values Check every 2 months. Most recently, Tracing Buddy was updated on September 21, 2026 and Painter Values Check on September 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*