Comparison

PainterAR vs Painter 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

Painter Eye

This app transforms your iPhone into a drawing canvas, offering a variety of brushes and stencils. It utilizes augmented reality to let you trace real-world images directly on your screen, making complex drawing accessible and portable.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality tracing
  • Built-in brushes and canvases
  • Image parameter adjustment (rotation, size, transparency)
  • Color and style customization
  • Monochrome masterpiece creation
  • Stencil creation from photos
Features
Read full description

Turn any photo into art on real paper with Painter Eye — your AR art projector and portable tracing studio for iPhone and iPad. HOW IT WORKS Painter Eye works like an art projector, light box, and AR tracing tool in one. Open your reference, point your camera at paper or canvas, and see the image overlaid with accurate proportions. Prop your phone on a glass, tripod, or stack of books — then adjust size, rotation, and transparency with intuitive sliders at the bottom of the screen. Trace with pencil, pen, or brush on real surfaces, not only on the display. FOUR CREATIVE MODES • Camera — live-camera tracing: move and resize your reference while you draw • AR — track an anchor image on a real object so your sketch stays aligned when you move the phone • Board — sketch on a digital canvas with built-in brushes and tools • Paint — color and finish your artwork SKETCHING & TEMPLATES Import photos from your library or explore stencils and categories inside the app. Apply filters, turn pictures into outlines, build compositions step by step, and transform portraits into expressive sketches. Painter Eye: Canvas Creator adds colors, drawing styles, and monochrome looks for both on-screen and on-paper workflows. AI & MORE Create line-ready references faster, browse templates, and go from idea to finished sketch in minutes — whether you love anime, portraits, or everyday subjects. WHO IT'S FOR Beginners learning proportions, hobbyists, students, and artists who want accurate tracing on real paper with their own photos — without expensive projector equipment. Experience the joy of artistic expression where augmented reality and creativity meet. Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy - https://www.notion.so/Privacy-Policy-371324c3d26880a5961eea460064aa99?source=copy_link

Screenshots

PainterAR4 screens
Painter Eye4 screens

Verdict

The call

PainterAR and Painter Eye both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Painter Eye's written reviews are positive against 33% of PainterAR's. Painter Eye also leads on ratings volume (6.2K vs 662). PainterAR's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 Painter Eye sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Painter Eye holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Painter Eye has 6.2K ratings behind it against 662, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of PainterAR's written reviews are positive against 75% of Painter Eye's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PainterAR ships an update weekly, Painter Eye every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PainterAR versus Painter Eye: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPainterARPainter Eye
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (662 ratings)4.6 (6.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews74.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6626.2K — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size188 MB157 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPainter AR Ltd.Ivan Hulidau

Customer experience

PainterAR

All ratings662 ratings
Positive82.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative14.0%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral5.1%
Negative61.5%

Painter Eye

All ratings6,173 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews636 reviews
Positive74.7%
Neutral7.2%
Negative18.1%

User reviews

PainterAR

From 662 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

Painter Eye

From 6.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💯 Excellent app
  • 🎨 Great drawing tools
  • 🆓 Free to use
  • 🤩 Awesome features
  • 🖌️ Helps improve drawing skills

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Lack of search functionality
  • 🔌 Requires internet connection
  • 🕹️ Difficult to use without a stand
  • 🔧 Some bugs and glitches
  • 💸 Ads can be intrusive

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

Painter Eye

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Drawing screen appears black
  • Tracing feature is not working as expected
  • App crashes or freezes occasionally

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more drawing templates and options
  • Implement a search feature
  • Improve offline functionality
  • Provide more customization options
  • Enhance the drawing tools and precision

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$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • PainterAR PRO$79.99
4 purchases

Painter Eye

Subscriptions4
  • 1 Month3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • 3 Months$16.993 Months
  • 1 Year$24.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • 1 Year$39.991 Year

Questions

Is PainterAR free?
PainterAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Painter Eye free?
Painter Eye is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PainterAR or Painter Eye?
Painter Eye is rated higher. PainterAR averages 4.4 out of 5 from 662 ratings, while Painter Eye averages 4.6 from 6.2K ratings.
Do PainterAR or Painter Eye have ads?
Painter Eye shows ads; PainterAR does not.
Which is updated more often, PainterAR or Painter Eye?
PainterAR ships an update weekly, and Painter Eye every 5 days. Most recently, PainterAR was updated on September 21, 2026 and Painter Eye on September 24, 2026.

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