# PainterAR vs AR Trace Projector & Sketch

The clearest difference is ads: PainterAR at none against AR Trace Projector & Sketch's shown. PainterAR also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (33% vs 8%). On price, rating, ratings volume 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 AR Trace Projector & Sketch sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 663 and 432 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of PainterAR's written reviews are positive against 8% of AR Trace Projector & Sketch's.

PainterAR ships an update weekly, AR Trace Projector & Sketch every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PainterAR | AR Trace Projector & Sketch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657/reviews)** | [4.2 (432 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-trace-projector-and-sketch/id1610530837/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **663** | 432 |
| Positive reviews | **32.9% of reviews** | 7.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 190 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Painter AR Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896290460) | [ZipoApps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1671444635) |

## 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


### AR Trace Projector & Sketch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-trace-projector-and-sketch/id1610530837)

Easily trace and sketch any image onto various surfaces using your phone's camera. Perfect for beginners, this app guides you through creating detailed artwork, from portraits to crafts, with projection-based tools and smart alignment.

**Highlights:** Trace on any surface, Learn sketching faster, Smart alignment for accuracy, Easy image projection, Grid layout for proportions, Supports various art forms

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited access | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $9.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ✏️ Helps beginners learn to draw
- 🎨 Good drawing templates and stencils available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Aggressive paywall - most features locked behind premium
- 😤 Misleading 'free' app - requires payment immediately upon use
- 🚫 All drawing templates marked as 'pro' only
- ⏱️ Forced waiting periods before closing premium prompts
- 🔐 Cannot use own images without premium subscription

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and becomes unresponsive
- AR camera tracking does not work as advertised
- Cannot cancel subscription from within app
- Free trial popup appears repeatedly and requires waiting to close
- Subscription charges continue after cancellation attempts

**Requested features**

- More genuinely free content and drawing options
- Ability to use personal images without premium
- Free tier with reasonable functionality
- Better free trial experience without constant upselling
- More stencil variety in free version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PainterAR free?

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

### Is AR Trace Projector & Sketch free?

AR Trace Projector & Sketch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PainterAR or AR Trace Projector & Sketch?

PainterAR is rated higher. PainterAR averages 4.4 out of 5 from 663 ratings, while AR Trace Projector & Sketch averages 4.2 from 432 ratings.

### Do PainterAR or AR Trace Projector & Sketch have ads?

AR Trace Projector & Sketch shows ads; PainterAR does not.

### Which is updated more often, PainterAR or AR Trace Projector & Sketch?

PainterAR ships an update weekly, and AR Trace Projector & Sketch every 3 months. Most recently, PainterAR was updated on October 26, 2026 and AR Trace Projector & Sketch on October 27, 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.*