# Tracing Buddy vs AR Drawing Sketch

Tracing Buddy and AR Drawing Sketch both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of AR Drawing Sketch's written reviews are positive against 62% of Tracing Buddy's. AR Drawing Sketch also leads on chart position (#201 vs unranked). Tracing Buddy's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tracing Buddy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month and AR Drawing Sketch sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Tracing Buddy against 4.6 for AR Drawing Sketch. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 935 and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Tracing Buddy's written reviews are positive against 77% of AR Drawing Sketch's.

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, AR Drawing Sketch every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tracing Buddy | AR Drawing Sketch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (935 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracing-buddy-drawing-grid/id1470174296/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-drawing-sketch-trace-draw/id6450619018/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 935 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 62.3% of reviews | **76.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#201** |
| Size | 28 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [La Fáppbrica](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470174145) | [Ketanbhai Khokhani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1694134273) |

## 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


### AR Drawing Sketch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-drawing-sketch-trace-draw/id6450619018)

**Currently charting:** #201 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app uses augmented reality to project images onto paper for tracing, offering guided lessons and real-time feedback to improve drawing skills. It's designed for artists of all levels, from beginners building fundamentals to experienced artists refining their techniques.

**Highlights:** AR tracing projection, Guided drawing lessons, Real-time feedback, Stroke quality assessment, Skill-based trainers, Image filtering for tracing

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AR Drawing Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| AR Draw Weekly Plan | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| AR Drawing Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| AR Draw Yearly Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| 50 coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 150 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 350coins | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps improve drawing skills
- 🚀 Easy to use interface
- 💡 Useful drawing lessons
- 🎨 Variety of drawing options
- 🤩 Impressive art results

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Too many ads
- 💰 Paid features required
- 🐛 Tracing issues and inaccuracies
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate

**Reported bugs**

- Pencil placement issues
- App crashes and freezes
- Ads blocking drawing area

**Requested features**

- Ability to upload own images
- Zoom and pan functionality
- Less intrusive ads
- More free drawing tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tracing Buddy free?

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

### Is AR Drawing Sketch free?

AR Drawing Sketch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Tracing Buddy or AR Drawing Sketch?

AR Drawing Sketch is rated higher. Tracing Buddy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 935 ratings, while AR Drawing Sketch averages 4.6 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Tracing Buddy or AR Drawing Sketch have ads?

Both Tracing Buddy and AR Drawing Sketch show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tracing Buddy or AR Drawing Sketch?

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, and AR Drawing Sketch every 3 weeks. Most recently, Tracing Buddy was updated on September 21, 2026 and AR Drawing Sketch on September 24, 2026.

---

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