Comparison

PainterAR vs Translucent

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

Translucent

This app transforms your device into a digital light box, offering a premium library of over 220 professional tracing images. It provides advanced camera overlay and drawing tools to help artists of all levels improve their skills and create detailed artwork.

Highlights
  • Premium image library with 222+ curated tracing images
  • Adjustable opacity camera overlay
  • Pinch-to-zoom with 20x capability
  • Grid overlay and filter modes
  • Import own images and reference photos
  • Lifetime access to new images
Features
Read full description

TRACE ANYTHING ONTO REAL PAPER. YOUR PHONE IS THE LIGHT BOX. Hold your phone over a sheet of paper and the drawing appears on the page through the screen. Trace what you see. No printer, no carbon paper, no taping a page to a sunny window. YOUR OWN PHOTOS ARE FREE. FOREVER. Import any picture from your camera roll, set the opacity, trace it. The light box, zoom, rotate and your own photos are not behind a paywall and never will be. That is the whole point of the app. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick a drawing from the library, or import a photo of your own. 2. Hold your phone over your paper, or pin the drawing to the page with AR. 3. Trace the lines you see through the screen. 400 DRAWINGS, 104 OF THEM FREE Animals, Anime, Architecture, Cartoon, Fantasy, Food, Nature, Objects, People, Tattoo and Vehicles, at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Real line art drawn for tracing, not photos run through a filter. 348 STEP-BY-STEP LESSONS Every lesson is built out of the drawing itself: big shapes first, then structure, then detail. You watch a face or a dragon assemble one stage at a time instead of copying a finished picture and hoping. AR ANCHORING Pin the drawing to your paper and it stays there. Move your phone, tilt it, set it down and pick it up, and the drawing is still exactly where you left it. No more propping your phone against a coffee cup. EVERY TOOL - Opacity, zoom, rotate, pan - Canvas lock, so your palm cannot knock the drawing out of line - Hands-free mode - Grid overlay, flip and mirror - Contrast, brightness and color filters for difficult light - Torch for tracing in the dark - Line art: turn a photo of your own into clean traceable outlines - Layer breakdown: a drawing split into its build-up stages - Strobe: the reference blinks off so you can see your own lines - Practice timer and daily streaks - Time-lapse: record a session and share it - Kid Mode: the whole library, none of the clutter - Works offline. No account, no sign-up. PERFECT FOR Artists learning proportion and perspective. Anime and manga. Tattoo artists transferring flash. Embroidery, quilting and cross-stitch patterns. Calligraphy and hand lettering. Woodworking and pyrography templates. Classroom and homeschool. Kids learning to draw. Anyone who was ever told they cannot draw. Tracing is not cheating. Artists have traced for centuries to study proportion and build the hand-eye coordination freehand drawing needs, which is why the lessons here take a drawing apart instead of just showing you the answer. FREE - The light box: opacity, zoom, rotate, pan, grid, filters, torch - Your own photos, unlimited - 104 drawings - 3 saved projects, 3 guided lessons, 3 strobe sessions - Canvas lock, hands-free, AR anchoring, practice timer - Supported by ads PREMIUM - All 400 drawings and all 348 lessons - Unlimited saved projects - Unlimited line art, layer breakdown and strobe - Time-lapse export with no watermark - No ads Already bought the Premium Library? You keep it, and you will never be asked to pay again. PREMIUM PLANS Premium Weekly - $6.99 per week Premium Yearly - $39.99 per year, after a 3-day free trial Premium Lifetime - $69.99, one payment, does not renew Prices are shown in your own currency before you confirm. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is switched off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of that period. Manage your subscription or switch off auto-renew in your device Settings after purchase. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://aylan-apps.com/privacy/translucent-tracing/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://aylan-apps.com/privacy/translucent-tracing/privacy-policy

Screenshots

PainterAR4 screens
Translucent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PainterAR at 4.4 against Translucent's 3.0. PainterAR also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (663 vs 17). Translucent's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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 Translucent sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PainterAR has 663 ratings behind it against 17, 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 20% of Translucent's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PainterAR ships an update weekly, Translucent every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
PainterAR versus Translucent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPainterARTranslucent
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (663 ratings) — better3.0 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews32.9% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings663 — better17
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size190 MB101 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPainter AR Ltd.mounir tajaouart

Customer experience

PainterAR

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

Translucent

All ratings17 ratings
Positive47.1%
Neutral5.9%
Negative47.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

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

Translucent

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
1 purchases

Translucent

One-time1
  • Premium Library$2.99

Questions

Is PainterAR free?
PainterAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Translucent free?
Translucent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PainterAR or Translucent?
PainterAR is rated higher. PainterAR averages 4.4 out of 5 from 663 ratings, while Translucent averages 3.0 from 17 ratings.
Do PainterAR or Translucent have ads?
Translucent shows ads; PainterAR does not.
Which is updated more often, PainterAR or Translucent?
PainterAR ships an update weekly, and Translucent every 3 weeks. Most recently, PainterAR was updated on October 14, 2026 and Translucent on October 3, 2026.

Other comparisons