PainterAR vs Painter Eye
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
PainterAR ships an update weekly, Painter Eye every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PainterAR | Painter Eye |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (662 ratings) | 4.6 (6.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | 74.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 662 | 6.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 188 MB | 157 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Painter AR Ltd. | Ivan Hulidau |
Customer experience
PainterAR
Painter Eye
User reviews
PainterAR
From 662 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
PainterAR
- PainterAR-PRO7 Days trial$8.997 Days
- First 3-Day Free3 Days trial$8.997 Days
- Painter PRO$8.997 Days
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- 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
- PainterAR PRO$79.99
Painter Eye
- 1 Month3 Days trial$6.991 Month
- 3 Months$16.993 Months
- 1 Year$24.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- 1 Year$39.991 Year
Questions
Is PainterAR free?
Is Painter Eye free?
Which has better reviews, PainterAR or Painter Eye?
Do PainterAR or Painter Eye have ads?
Which is updated more often, PainterAR or Painter Eye?
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