# D&D Beyond vs PortraitWorks

The clearest difference is rating: D&D Beyond at 4.7 against PortraitWorks's 4.2. D&D Beyond also leads on ratings volume (93K vs 52) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). PortraitWorks's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (70% vs 54%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. D&D Beyond sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and PortraitWorks sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

D&D Beyond holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: D&D Beyond has 93K ratings behind it against 52, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of D&D Beyond's written reviews are positive against 70% of PortraitWorks's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

D&D Beyond ships an update every 3 weeks, PortraitWorks every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | D&D Beyond | PortraitWorks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (93K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/d-and-d-beyond/id1501810129/reviews)** | [4.2 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portraitworks/id1615094444/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **93K** | 52 |
| Positive reviews | 53.9% of reviews | **69.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#63** | — |
| Size | 306 MB | 647 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wizards of the Coast](https://appshunter.io/developer/491192018) | [Worldspinner LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1525091264) |

## What reviewers say

### D&D Beyond

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/d-and-d-beyond/id1501810129)

**Currently charting:** #63 Top Grossing · Entertainment (US App Store)

Manage your Dungeons & Dragons characters, access your digital library of adventures and sourcebooks, and roll dice with a built-in dice roller. This app provides offline access to your content and tools to make gameplay faster and more convenient for players and Dungeon Masters alike.

**Highlights:** Digital character sheets, Built-in dice roller, Offline library access, Guided character creator, Monster stat lookup, Spell and item management

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hero Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Master Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Hero Annual | $25.99 | per year |
| Master Annual | $54.99 | per year |
| Dungeon Master's Guide | $29.99 | one-time |
| Xanathar's Guide to Everything | $29.99 | one-time |
| Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything | $29.99 | one-time |
| Player's Handbook | $29.99 | one-time |
| Monsters of the Multiverse | $29.99 | one-time |
| Player’s Handbook (2024) | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful resource
- 👍 Best fit for purpose
- 🚀 Brilliant idea
- 👍 Crazy useful
- 👍 Great app to help keep track of things

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow online, barely usable offline
- 🔒 Can't play the game
- 🔒 Poor UI for perusing books
- 🐛 Styling broken on iPad
- 🔒 Paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Artificial character creation issues
- Inconsistent character sheet data
- Crashes and freezes
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Login issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to scan physical books
- More customization options
- Game log tracker
- Integrate ApplePay for subscription
- Ability to manage experience, levels, items, etc. within the app


### PortraitWorks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portraitworks/id1615094444)

Create unique fantasy character portraits with hand-drawn art elements. Build from scratch in six steps or customize existing gallery creations. Offers extensive customization for races, genders, gear, and backgrounds.

**Highlights:** Create portraits from scratch, Customize gallery portraits, Millions of unique face combinations, Extensive gear and background options, Color control for all elements, D&D class integration

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Backgrounds & Frames | $0.99 | one-time |
| Orcs, Half-Orcs, Half-Devils | $0.99 | one-time |
| Reptilians | $0.99 | one-time |
| Outlaw & Commoner Outfits | $0.99 | one-time |
| Light Armor | $0.99 | one-time |
| Spells & Spellcaster Gear | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hairstyles & Facial Hair | $0.99 | one-time |
| High Society Outfits | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle 1: Launch! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Export | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Highly customizable portraits
- ✨ Vast customization options
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💖 Supports real artists (non-AI)
- 💰 One-time fee for full features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👁️ Limited eye color control
- 🔗 Face/eyes/ears tied together
- 💸 Subscription model criticized
- 🗑️ Content removed in updates
- 🐛 Randomization of saved characters

**Reported bugs**

- Saved characters' hairstyles/colors randomized
- Hairstyles removed/unavailable after update
- Watermark not removed from existing designs
- App restarts frequently after purchasing packs

**Requested features**

- More control over eye color
- Individual customization for face/eyes/ears
- Glasses option
- Scars
- Face tattoos


## Frequently asked questions

### Is D&D Beyond free?

D&D Beyond is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PortraitWorks free?

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

### Which has better reviews, D&D Beyond or PortraitWorks?

D&D Beyond is rated higher. D&D Beyond averages 4.7 out of 5 from 93K ratings, while PortraitWorks averages 4.2 from 52 ratings.

### Do D&D Beyond or PortraitWorks have ads?

D&D Beyond shows ads; PortraitWorks does not.

### Which is updated more often, D&D Beyond or PortraitWorks?

D&D Beyond ships an update every 3 weeks, and PortraitWorks every 2 months. Most recently, D&D Beyond was updated on November 9, 2026 and PortraitWorks 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.*