# PainterAR vs Tracing projector & Lightbox

The clearest difference is rating: PainterAR at 4.4 against Tracing projector & Lightbox's 2.0. PainterAR also leads on ratings volume (663 vs 11) and review sentiment (33% vs 12%). Tracing projector & Lightbox's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PainterAR sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days and Tracing projector & Lightbox sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PainterAR holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PainterAR has 663 ratings behind it against 11, 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 12% of Tracing projector & Lightbox's.

PainterAR ships an update weekly, Tracing projector & Lightbox every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PainterAR | Tracing projector & Lightbox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657/reviews)** | [2.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracing-projector-and-lightbox/id1586626139/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **663** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **32.9% of reviews** | 12.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 190 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Painter AR Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896290460) | [Alexey Goryachev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586626141) |

## What reviewers say

### PainterAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PainterAR-PRO | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| First 3-Day Free | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Painter PRO | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| PainterAR-PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PainterAR-PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| PainterAR PRO | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| Special Offer | $29.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| PainterAR-PRO | $29.99 | per year |
| First 3-Day Free | $34.99 | per year |
| PainterAR PRO | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Tracing projector & Lightbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracing-projector-and-lightbox/id1586626139)

Easily learn to draw by tracing images from your phone onto paper. Superimpose any picture from the app's catalog or your gallery onto your camera view, adjust transparency, and redraw with augmented reality. Perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike.

**Highlights:** Image tracing via smartphone camera, App catalog and phone gallery image import, Adjustable image transparency, Augmented reality drawing effect, Combine multiple images on one canvas, Save and share drawings

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $3.49 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium+ | $199.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PainterAR free?

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

### Is Tracing projector & Lightbox free?

Tracing projector & Lightbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PainterAR or Tracing projector & Lightbox?

PainterAR is rated higher. PainterAR averages 4.4 out of 5 from 663 ratings, while Tracing projector & Lightbox averages 2.0 from 11 ratings.

### Do PainterAR or Tracing projector & Lightbox have ads?

Neither PainterAR nor Tracing projector & Lightbox shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PainterAR or Tracing projector & Lightbox?

PainterAR ships an update weekly, and Tracing projector & Lightbox every 2 weeks. Most recently, PainterAR was updated on October 24, 2026 and Tracing projector & Lightbox on October 20, 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.*