Comparison

Tracing Buddy vs Value Study

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

Head to head
About

Tracing Buddy

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
Read full description

Tracing Buddy is a drawing grid and anamorphic images creation tool. Built for simplicity, Tracing Buddy allows you to easily transfer pictures to a drawing surface Using the perspective distortion functionality, now you can enter the world of drawing illusions. First, apply the distortion to your images and then transfer them to a drawing surface with a grid The app is optimized for both iPhone and iPad use, including Dark Mode support Grid Features: - Square divisions or choose the preferred aspect ratio - Change color and transparency of grid lines - Choose from four subdivision styles and change color and transparency as you wish - Change the grid background color and the transparency of your image - Change the scale and position of your image relative to the whole grid - Save grid settings in projects Image Features: - Choose from a regular image, line art style, black & white values, or remove backgrounds with the person detection filter -With the B&W and values filter you change your image to black & white, adjust shadows and highlights to you liking with the included tone curve and reduce the number of values in the picture to a more manageable amount. With the value selection tool you can inspect where values are placed in your image - Use the person detection filter to remove the backgrounds of pictures with people in them, change to a transparent or solid color background instead Anamorphic images: - Add perspective distortion to your images choosing from two method: AR or using a picture - In AR method let Tracing Buddy guide you through the whole process, you only need an iOS device equipped with AR capabilities - If you need more control about the distortion, you can take a picture from your phone or with external camera and apply the distortion manually, for this method to be effective, you need to know the dimensions of the surface you want to transfer your picture to Premium Features Add-on (either by subscription or lifetime purchase) required for: - Ad removal - Premium Image filters - Multiple Project management - PNG type export Privacy Policy: https://lafappbrica.com/tracing-buddy-privacy-policy Terms of use https://lafappbrica.com/tracing-buddy-terms/

About

Value Study

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
Read full description

In art, value (or tone) refers to how light or dark a colour is. If you're learning to paint or draw, doing value studies is one of the best ways to improve. These small, loose sketches in greyscale help you understand where shadows fall and highlights appear—essential for capturing depth and form. Value Study is a simple, focused tool designed to help you see values more clearly in your reference images. Instead of just converting a photo to black and white, this app lets you break down tones step by step. Start with just black and white to map out the biggest shapes, then gradually add more values to refine your understanding. You can also highlight all areas of an image that share the same value, making it easier to see subtle shifts in tone. This is especially useful in complex references, like portraits, where different parts of the image might have the same level of shadow but look completely different in colour. Value Study isn’t here to replace traditional studies—it’s here to enhance them. Whether you're sketching, painting, or working digitally, this tool makes it easier to focus on the fundamentals of light, shadow, and form. Try it for free with all features enabled on sample images from Unsplash before deciding to unlock the full app with a low-cost yearly or lifetime purchase. All Value Study Pro upgrades count as lifetime purchase. Either option will unlock Value Study across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Annual: Auto-renews yearly. Lifetime: One-time payment, no fees. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Tracing Buddy4 screens
Value Study4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Value Study at none against Tracing Buddy's shown. Value Study also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 62%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Tracing Buddy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month and Value Study sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Value Study holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 935 and 3.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Tracing Buddy's written reviews are positive against 92% of Value Study's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, Value Study weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Tracing Buddy versus Value Study: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTracing BuddyValue Study
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (935 ratings)4.8 (3.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.3% of reviews91.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9353.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLa FáppbricaDiem Limited

Customer experience

Tracing Buddy

All ratings935 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral4.0%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive62.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative34.0%

Value Study

All ratings3,268 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews198 reviews
Positive91.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative6.6%

User reviews

Tracing Buddy

From 935 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Value Study

From 3.3K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Tracing Buddy

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Value Study

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Tracing Buddy

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$0.491 Month
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$3.991 Year
One-time2
  • Premium Features$9.99
  • Premium Features$12.99
5 purchases

Value Study

Subscriptions1
  • Value Study Pro$3.991 Year
One-time4
  • Appreciation$2.99
  • Value Study Pro (Lifetime)$9.99
  • Generous boost$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Amazing supporter$24.99

Questions

Is Tracing Buddy free?
Tracing Buddy 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, Tracing Buddy or Value Study?
Value Study is rated higher. Tracing Buddy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 935 ratings, while Value Study averages 4.8 from 3.3K ratings.
Do Tracing Buddy or Value Study have ads?
Tracing Buddy shows ads; Value Study does not.
Which is updated more often, Tracing Buddy or Value Study?
Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, and Value Study weekly. Most recently, Tracing Buddy was updated on September 21, 2026 and Value Study on September 23, 2026.

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