# Tracing Buddy vs Photo Layout Maker

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Photo Layout Maker at none against Tracing Buddy's 4. Photo Layout Maker also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). Tracing Buddy's advantage is ratings volume (956 vs 8). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Photo Layout Maker holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tracing Buddy has 956 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, Photo Layout Maker weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tracing Buddy | Photo Layout Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (956 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracing-buddy-drawing-grid/id1470174296/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-layout-maker-grid-post/id6760252718/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **956** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 63.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 28 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [La Fáppbrica](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470174145) | [Butterfly-Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883116508) |

## 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


### Photo Layout Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-layout-maker-grid-post/id6760252718)

Easily split your photos into high-quality grid pieces or panorama layouts for seamless social media posts. Create stunning profile grids or eye-catching panoramas with smooth transitions and no loss of resolution.

**Highlights:** Create giant photo grid posts, Split photos into various grid sizes, Create square grids up to 5x5, Panorama crop for seamless posts, High quality output with no resolution loss, Save directly to device, Dark mode support

**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 Photo Layout Maker free?

Photo Layout Maker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tracing Buddy or Photo Layout Maker?

Photo Layout Maker is rated higher. Tracing Buddy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 956 ratings, while Photo Layout Maker averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do Tracing Buddy or Photo Layout Maker have ads?

Both Tracing Buddy and Photo Layout Maker show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tracing Buddy or Photo Layout Maker?

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, and Photo Layout Maker weekly. Most recently, Tracing Buddy was updated on October 26, 2026 and Photo Layout Maker on October 25, 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.*