Comparison

VizRef Lite vs Kilona

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

VizRef Lite

This app allows creatives to build and carry visual reference boards on their iPhone. It supports various image types, including GIFs, and integrates with popular drawing applications, acting as a second monitor for inspiration on the go.

Highlights
  • Create visual reference boards
  • Import images from web, cloud, photos
  • Supports animated GIFs with timeline control
  • Use iPhone as a second monitor
  • Batch import and export
  • Image editing tools (crop, flip, rotate)
  • Light and Dark mode
Features
Read full description

VizRef Lite® for iPhone enables creatives to finally take their inspiration anywhere on their phones. *You can not use iPad multitasking features with the iPhone version of VizRef. Please Download VIZREF for use on iPad. * It becomes the perfect companion app for Procreate or paired with your favorite drawing/animation application by using your iPhone as a second monitor dedicated to references. Take your reference boards with you while you travel and draw in your sketchbook. Make visual reference boards with any images or gifs from web browsers, cloud storage, photos, screen captures and more. The first mood board creation app made by artists for artists, that brings comprehensive referencing tools to animators and visual artists. We are dedicated to bringing creatives what they need most in being inspired everywhere they go. HIGHLIGHTS -VIZREF LITE® version for iPhone has all the same in-app features as VIZREF on iPad ( Vizref Lite if used on IPad does not have multitasking features and is not fullscreen. For iPad please purchase VIZREF® -Take your visual reference boards with you while you sketch at your favorite locations -Perfect companion app paired with Procreate® Adobe Fresco ® Clip Studio Paint® Infinite Painter® etc. by utilizing iPhone as a second monitor along with an iPad -Supports many image types including GIF -Quickly copy and paste images from web -Batch Import from Photos app -Batch Export images from boards to cloud storage using Files app -Import High-Resolution images with HD toggle -*Focus on whats importing with Focus mode. ( rotate imageboard ) *Multi-Select and auto pack images for a quicker workflow * - -Import from iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive -Quick and responsive visual reference board experience -Easy to use/ minimal UI -Light mode and Dark mode -Set thumbnails for reference boards to visually organize your inspiration ANIMATED GIF SUPPORT -Reference your favorite animated gifs -Pause animation and play frame by frame to better understand referenced animations -Advanced animation timeline gives you an interactive visual breakdown of all frames EASY TO USE REFERENCE TOOLS -Crop images to optimize screen space and view more references -Greyscale toggle for images for value reference -Flip horizontally and vertically -Rotate Images -Copy-paste images into other apps Artwork and animation credits @_Artazi @_baomii @_Deadslug_ @amnesiapancake @barachan @belgeist @criisalys @ergo.josh @evan_monteiro @gloomwastaken @mrbeezul @onemegawatt @rocketboiART @samuelyounart @cobalt_requin VizRef was created by Max Gonzalez (@mrbeezul) and RoboWorld Entertainment with supporting development from Valere Labs

About

Kilona

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for 3D modeling, animation, and rendering directly on your device. It integrates AI workflows for tasks like generating assets and animating stills, alongside features for texturing, rigging, and video editing.

Highlights
  • AI-powered workflows
  • 3D modeling and sculpting
  • Character rigging and animation
  • 3D texture painting
  • Node-based material editor
  • Ray-traced rendering
  • 2D drawing and compositing
  • Timeline-based video editing
Read full description

Putting craft and control in your hands. Kilona is a complete production studio that fits in your hands. Model, rig, animate, and render characters on one device, paint over the frames, cut them together, and score them. Cast virtual actors and run AI workflows when you want them, and switch them off when you don't. AI Workflows A growing shelf of ready-made workflows: turn a photo into a modeling sheet, animate a still, board a scene, dub a clip, cut a music video. Add one to your Collection, fill in a few inputs, and the results land in your library when you save them. Runs keep going while you work and tell you when they finish. Virtual Actors Cast virtual actors, and they stay themselves from shot to shot. Cast them in generated video, give them a voice, and reuse your cast across projects. Create with AI Generate images, video, voices, text, 3D meshes, and motion with leading models, then upscale, enhance, animate, isolate a voice, or change one. AI-made items are labeled. Model Your Characters Build meshes on the canvas or import models. Edit vertex by vertex with extrude, subdivide, mirror, and proportional editing. Unwrap UVs with seam tools and smooth with subdivision at separate viewport and render levels. Paint on Your Models Texture paint in 3D or in the UV editor with pressure-sensitive brushes, symmetry, and masking. Paint a composition and use it as a live texture. Rig with Armatures A full bone editor: extrude and subdivide bones, symmetrize, and paint skin weights on the model. Capture poses to a library with partial poses and one-tap mirroring. Add trackers, look-at, stretch-to, and value drivers, and apply captured or generated motion to any rig. Design Materials Visually Shape every surface in a node-based shader graph compiled live on device. Wire textures, colors, math, noise, and ramps into PBR shading, or go stylized with unlit graphs. Values update instantly, no recompile. Precision Curve Editing Fine-tune every movement in the graph editor with bezier handles and multiple interpolation modes. Scrub values, type exact numbers, and copy, paste, and align keys. Scenes and Cameras Combine rigs in one scene, iterate with drafts, and apply saved poses as keys. Set aspect ratios, backgrounds, and any frame rate, including 23.976. Orbit, animate position, rotation, and field of view with stepped keys, and switch between perspective and orthographic. Ray Traced Rendering on Device Render with a physically based rasterizer or a full path tracer. Ray traced output captures soft shadows, reflections, and bounced light with adjustable samples per frame. Draw and Composite in 2D Compositions are a full 2D studio: custom brushes, frame-by-frame cels, text layers, and stacked layers with keyframed transforms, groups, and effects. Import renders and draw right on top. Cut Video on the Timeline Arrange renders, videos, and images across lanes: trim, crossfade, change speed, and snap to seconds, frames, or a bar grid. Adjustment clips apply effects to everything beneath them. Mix the Soundtrack A multitrack audio editor is built in: record or import, arrange clips with fades and tempo-synced retiming, then shape the signal in a node graph of EQ, filters, compression, reverb, delay, distortion, and side-chain ducking. Export and Sync Render frames or sequences in HD, 4K, or custom sizes. Rigs, scenes, compositions, timelines, and mixes live beside your renders, clips, and recordings. Sign in to back everything up and pick up on iPhone or iPad where you left off. Kilona core tools are free to use. Pro, Max, and Ultra plans add monthly Create Credits for AI and more cloud storage. Terms of Use: https://www.kilona.org/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.kilona.org/privacy

Screenshots

VizRef Lite4 screens
Kilona4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Kilona at Free against VizRef Lite's $1.99. Kilona also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (83% vs 48%). VizRef Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and chart position (#32 vs unranked). 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

Kilona is free to download; VizRef Lite costs $1.99 up front. Kilona sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. VizRef Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kilona holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VizRef Lite has 38 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of VizRef Lite's written reviews are positive against 83% of Kilona's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VizRef Lite ships an update every 3 months, Kilona fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
VizRef Lite versus Kilona: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVizRef LiteKilona
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating3.8 (38 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.7% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings38 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#32 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.2 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB91 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperStudio PixanohVoxel Marketing LLC

Customer experience

VizRef Lite

All ratings38 ratings
Positive68.4%
Neutral7.9%
Negative23.7%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive47.7%
Neutral27.3%
Negative25.0%

Kilona

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

None

VizRef Lite

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Kilona

Subscriptions4
  • Kilona Cloud - Pro$14.991 Month
  • Kilona Cloud - Max$49.991 Month
  • Kilona Cloud - Ultra$99.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Kilona Cloud - Ultra Power$199.991 Month
One-time4
  • Kilona Create Credits - Top Up 500$4.99
  • Kilona Create Credits - Top Up 1000$9.99
  • Kilona Create Credits - Top Up 2500$24.99
Show 1 more
  • Boosted Day Pass$249.99

Questions

Is VizRef Lite free?
VizRef Lite costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kilona free?
Kilona is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VizRef Lite or Kilona?
Kilona is rated higher. VizRef Lite averages 3.8 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while Kilona averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do VizRef Lite or Kilona have ads?
Neither VizRef Lite nor Kilona shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VizRef Lite or Kilona?
VizRef Lite ships an update every 3 months, and Kilona fortnightly. Most recently, VizRef Lite was updated on November 7, 2026 and Kilona on November 5, 2026.

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