# PainterAR vs Translucent

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | PainterAR | Translucent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657/reviews)** | [3.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/translucent-ar-trace-and-draw/id1639941337/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **663** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | **32.9% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 190 MB | 101 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) | [mounir tajaouart](https://appshunter.io/developer/1610887165) |

## 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


### Translucent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/translucent-ar-trace-and-draw/id1639941337)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Library | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*