Comparison

PainterAR vs Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye

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

Head to head
About

PainterAR

Transform your paper sketches into digital art with augmented reality projection and advanced tracing tools. This app offers a complete workflow from initial drawing to digital inking and coloring, with professional layering and a curated inspiration library.

Highlights
  • AR drawing with stable projection
  • Advanced AR anchor mode for free movement
  • Smart plane detection for instant surface recognition
  • Import sketches for digital inking
  • 30+ professional brushes
  • Infinite layers system for complex edits
  • Curated inspiration library and courses
Features
Read full description

Experience the ultimate "Paper-to-Digital" creative companion. Unlike simple tracing apps, PainterAR creates a complete loop from "Paper Sketch" to "Digital Art". Whether you are a beginner building confidence or a comic enthusiast pursuing professional results, you will find the perfect solution here. 【KEY FEATURES】 1. AR Drawing: Perfect Proportions Technology makes observation intuitive. • Stand Mode: Stable projection with zero latency. The ideal way for beginners to master hand-eye coordination. • Advanced AR Anchor Mode: Lock your virtual art to the paper by snapping a custom anchor (e.g., a doodle or card). Move your phone freely to check details without drift—ideal for easels or detailed desk work. • Smart Plane Detection: Instantly detects surfaces without markers. Start creating anywhere, anytime. 2. Digital Inking & Coloring Classic digital art workflow made easy. • Import & Inking: One-tap import of pencil sketches as a reference layer. • Pro Brush Library: 30+ selected brushes (pencils, ink pens, markers, etc.) for any style. 3. Infinite Layers System Modify without fear. • Professional Layering: Manage line art, base colors, and shadows on separate layers to keep even complex works organized. • Non-Destructive Workflow: Change color schemes anytime without ruining your original line art. 4. Curated Inspiration Library Quality over quantity. • Exclusive Originals: Explore themes from "Fantasy Props" to "Cat Girl" and "Mystic Elf Theatre". • Progressive Courses: From beginner "Playful Shape Friends" to advanced "Fan Art". Every lesson blends storytelling with skills, helping you create stylish art immediately. 【WHO IS IT FOR?】 • Comic Fans: Master the "Sketch -> Import -> Color" workflow. • Beginners: Use AR to fix proportions and build confidence. • Pros: Visual aid for anatomy and perspective. 【AWARDS】 ▶ Microsoft “Imagine Cup” – Top 3 ▶ 13th “Challenge Cup” – 1st Place ▶ 2nd “Internet+” Innovation Competition – 1st Place ▶ 4th College Innovation Competition – 1st Place Privacy Policy: https://painterar.com/Privacy.aspx Terms of Use: https://painterar.com/Terms.aspx Download PainterAR now. Turn your sketchbook into a digital studio! Contact: support@painterar.com

About

Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye

This app allows artists to create large-scale drawings and paintings on any surface. It uses augmented reality to project your design onto your chosen medium, offering features like color breakdown and multiplayer support for collaborative projects. Ideal for murals, street art, and large canvas work.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality tracing
  • Breakdown mode for stencils and color palettes
  • Multiplayer mode for group projects
  • AR tracking for project position memory
  • Outdoor and daylight functionality
  • Time-lapse recording
Features
Read full description

Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye is the ultimate app for artists who want to create massive drawings and paintings on various surfaces including walls, canvases, sidewalks, buildings, streets, signs, chalkboards, and even rugs. Compatibility Before you read any further, note that to use Mural Maker, artists will need two iOS devices: one to function as a video camera and the other to display the live video feed in their hand. The app works with any combination of iPads and iPhones. Customer Support If you have any trouble setting up Mural Maker, we offer complimentary concierge customer service and will even video chat with you to help you with your project. Why is Mural Maker better than a Projector and Grids? Mural Maker offers several advantages over traditional art projectors and time-consuming grids/doodle grids. Unlike projectors, which can be bulky and require a dark room and a power cord, Mural Maker functions perfectly well outdoors, in bright daylight, away from power outlets, and doesn't even need Wi-Fi. Plus, the app allows artists to accurately compare colors and shades on their canvas to the reference image, making it easier to create more precise and accurate artwork... something that no grid or projector will ever be able to do. In addition to simply tracing, Mural Maker offers a suite of tools and features such as... Breakdown Mode Enables artists to break down their image into stencils by color value. Artists can then print out a color palette, allowing them to mix their paints to the exact colors they need before they begin. The app then shows artists where to paint each color with augmented reality stencils. Multiplayer mode Multiple people can paint at the same time as the camera device can stream to multiple drawing devices. This makes it a perfect tool for group projects, workshops, and community mural painting events. AR Tracking Artists can get back to work in seconds instead of trying to re-align their overlay image back with their work. Mural Maker remembers their project's exact position, making it super easy for artists to work on their mural over multiple days. Second Set of Eyes Mural Maker is also your second set of eyes for any project. It allows artists to stand up close next to their giant artwork while simultaneously letting them look at it from far away. Key Feature Recap: - Requires two iOS devices to use - AR Tracking feature remembers the project's exact position, making it easy to get back to work or re-set up the drawing. - Breakdown feature enables artists to break down their image into different colors and print out a color palette - Multiplayer mode allows multiple people to paint at the same time - Functions well outdoors and in daylight - Enables artists to create artwork of any size - Includes the same great tools found in the original Da Vinci Eye app, including Strobe and filters - Allows artists to record a time-lapse of their artwork Try Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye today and see how easy it is to create stunning artwork on any surface, without the hassle of traditional projectors or time-consuming grids!

Screenshots

PainterAR4 screens
Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PainterAR at 4.4 against Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye's 3.8. PainterAR also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. PainterAR sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days and Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PainterAR holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 663 and 361 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of PainterAR's written reviews are positive against 26% of Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PainterAR ships an update weekly, Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PainterAR versus Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPainterARMural Maker by Da Vinci Eye
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (663 ratings) — better3.8 (361 ratings)
Positive reviews32.9% of reviews — better26.2% of reviews
Number of ratings663 — better361
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size190 MB195 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperPainter AR Ltd.Da Vinci Eye LLC

Customer experience

PainterAR

All ratings663 ratings
Positive83.0%
Neutral3.0%
Negative14.0%
Written reviews79 reviews
Positive32.9%
Neutral5.1%
Negative62.0%

Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye

All ratings360 ratings
Positive68.1%
Neutral4.7%
Negative27.2%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive26.2%
Neutral13.6%
Negative60.2%

User reviews

PainterAR

From 663 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Helpful for drawing and improving art skills
  • ⏱️ Saves time in the drawing process
  • 📚 Provides useful tutorials and guides

Room to improve

  • 💰 Overly restrictive free trial and paywall for full features
  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs that disrupt the drawing process
  • 🔍 Difficult to use own photos without paying
  • 🤖 AR mode is not very responsive or accurate

Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye

From 361 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Supercharge your progress!
  • 👍 Great customer service
  • 👍 Toddler teaser shape
  • 👍 It's a great app
  • 👍 Excellent product and customer service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Garbage
  • 🐛 Laggy, keeps disconnecting
  • 🐛 Doesn't work, connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Constant frustration, very glitchy
  • 🐛 Keeps disconnecting the connection

Bugs and requests

PainterAR

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes frequently during use
  • Issues with loading own photos and images
  • AR mode is unreliable and hard to control

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more free drawing options and templates
  • Improve the ability to use own photos and images
  • Provide better instructions and tutorials for new users
  • Fix crashes and stability issues

Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • Camera distortion not corrected
  • Tracing not possible due to overlayed image
  • Image drifts during use

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • Increase free trial time
  • One-time purchase option

In-app purchases

12 purchases

PainterAR

Subscriptions11
  • PainterAR-PRO7 Days trial$8.997 Days
  • First 3-Day Free3 Days trial$8.997 Days
  • Painter PRO$8.997 Days
Show 8 more
  • PainterAR-PRO7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 1 Month$9.991 Month
  • PainterAR-PRO1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • PainterAR PRO$29.993 Months
  • Special Offer$29.991 Year
  • 1 Year1 Year trial$29.991 Year
  • PainterAR-PRO7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • First 3-Day Free3 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • PainterAR PRO$79.99
2 purchases

Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye

Subscriptions2
  • Mural Maker Pro Subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Mural Maker Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is PainterAR free?
PainterAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye free?
Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PainterAR or Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye?
PainterAR is rated higher. PainterAR averages 4.4 out of 5 from 663 ratings, while Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye averages 3.8 from 361 ratings.
Do PainterAR or Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye have ads?
Neither PainterAR nor Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PainterAR or Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye?
PainterAR ships an update weekly, and Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye every 6 weeks. Most recently, PainterAR was updated on October 26, 2026 and Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye on October 29, 2026.

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