Comparison

PainterAR vs Art Grid Drawing

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

Art Grid Drawing

Easily transfer photos or sketches to your canvas with customizable drawing grids. Zoom in on details for precision and apply filters to simplify references. Spend less time measuring and more time creating art.

Highlights
  • Create accurate drawing grids from photos
  • Customizable grid colors and spacing
  • Zoom for detail and precision
  • Crop and apply filters to references
  • Calculates exact spacing for any canvas size
Features
Read full description

Draw with accuracy. Create with confidence. Art Grid Drawing makes it easy to transfer any photo or sketch to your canvas—so you spend less time measuring and more time making art. How it works: 1 - Pick a photo or drawing. 2 - Choose your canvas size (or use a preset). 3 - Customize your grid (color, spacing, diagonals). 4 - Zoom into each square for perfect detail. 5 - Start drawing! Why artists love Art Grid Drawing: - Instantly create accurate grids - Customize grid colors and styles to suit your workflow - Zoom in on details for precision - Crop and apply filters (blur, edges, posterize) to simplify references - Calculates exact spacing for any canvas or paper size Spend less time setting up and more time creating artwork you’re proud of.

Screenshots

PainterAR4 screens
Art Grid Drawing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Art Grid Drawing at 80% against PainterAR's 33%. Art Grid Drawing also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 12). PainterAR's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On ads and device support 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

PainterAR is free to download; Art Grid Drawing costs $2.99 up front. PainterAR sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. Art Grid Drawing asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Art Grid Drawing holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PainterAR has 662 ratings behind it against 52, 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 80% of Art Grid Drawing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PainterAR ships an update weekly, Art Grid Drawing every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
PainterAR versus Art Grid Drawing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPainterARArt Grid Drawing
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.4 (662 ratings)4.9 (52 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings662 — better52
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#36 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size188 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPainter AR Ltd.DAVID CROOKS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LIMITED

Customer experience

PainterAR

All ratings662 ratings
Positive82.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative14.0%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral5.1%
Negative61.5%

Art Grid Drawing

All ratings52 ratings
Positive98.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative10.0%

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

Art Grid Drawing

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$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • PainterAR PRO$79.99
None

Art Grid Drawing

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PainterAR free?
PainterAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Art Grid Drawing free?
Art Grid Drawing costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PainterAR or Art Grid Drawing?
Art Grid Drawing is rated higher. PainterAR averages 4.4 out of 5 from 662 ratings, while Art Grid Drawing averages 4.9 from 52 ratings.
Do PainterAR or Art Grid Drawing have ads?
Neither PainterAR nor Art Grid Drawing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PainterAR or Art Grid Drawing?
PainterAR ships an update weekly, and Art Grid Drawing every 3 weeks. Most recently, PainterAR was updated on September 25, 2026 and Art Grid Drawing on September 23, 2026.

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