# PainterAR vs Painter Tools

The clearest difference is rating: PainterAR at 4.4 against Painter Tools's 3.5. PainterAR also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (663 vs 4). Painter Tools's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PainterAR sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. Painter Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

PainterAR holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PainterAR has 663 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PainterAR ships an update weekly, Painter Tools every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PainterAR | Painter Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (663 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painterar-ar-trace-drawing/id1491111657/reviews)** | [3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painter-tools/id6463155632/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **663** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 32.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 210 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Painter AR Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896290460) | [Artem Chuvilin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689564917) |

## What reviewers say

### PainterAR

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

Transform your sketches into digital art with augmented reality tracing and advanced digital inking tools. This app offers a complete workflow from paper to digital, with features for beginners and professionals alike. Explore a curated library of inspiration and progressive courses to enhance your artistic skills.

**Highlights:** AR drawing with stable projection, Advanced AR anchor mode for precise placement, Smart plane detection for instant creation, Import sketches for digital inking, 30+ professional brushes, Infinite layers system, Curated inspiration library and courses

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| 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 |
| 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


### Painter Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painter-tools/id6463155632)

This drawing application offers a range of brushes and background editing tools for both beginners and professionals. Create sketches or complex designs, save your work, and share it with others.

**Highlights:** Multiple brushes, Background editing, Add images, Save drawings, Share creations

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PainterAR free?

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

### Is Painter Tools free?

Painter Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PainterAR or Painter Tools?

PainterAR is rated higher. PainterAR averages 4.4 out of 5 from 663 ratings, while Painter Tools averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do PainterAR or Painter Tools have ads?

Painter Tools shows ads; PainterAR does not.

### Which is updated more often, PainterAR or Painter Tools?

PainterAR ships an update weekly, and Painter Tools every 5 days. Most recently, PainterAR was updated on November 7, 2026 and Painter Tools on November 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.*