# Tracing Buddy vs Patternize

The clearest difference is ads: Patternize at none against Tracing Buddy's shown. Tracing Buddy's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tracing Buddy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month and Patternize sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, Patternize every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tracing Buddy | Patternize |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (956 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracing-buddy-drawing-grid/id1470174296/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **956** | — |
| Positive reviews | 63.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 28 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [La Fáppbrica](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470174145) | [Sebastiaan A. M. van der Meer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896512464) |

## 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


### Patternize

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patternize-picture-to-dxf/id6767835200)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual | $6.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tracing Buddy free?

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

### Is Patternize free?

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

### Do Tracing Buddy or Patternize have ads?

Tracing Buddy shows ads; Patternize does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tracing Buddy or Patternize?

Tracing Buddy ships an update every 6 weeks, and Patternize every 2 months. Most recently, Tracing Buddy was updated on October 26, 2026 and Patternize on October 30, 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.*