DrawinGrid vs Value Study Assistant
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DrawinGrid
Easily create custom grids over reference images and drawing surfaces. This tool simplifies image enlargement and transfer for artists, ensuring accurate proportions with every stroke. Achieve professional results with an intuitive interface.
- Custom grid creation
- Image enlargement tool
- Reference image overlay
- Drawing surface grid
- Precise detail transfer
- Proportion accuracy
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DrawinGrid is a drawing companion and project manager built for artists who work from reference photos. Overlay an adjustable grid on any image, size and position it exactly how you need, and use it to keep proportions and perspective accurate as you sketch — on paper or digitally. Beyond the grid tool, DrawinGrid helps you manage your art from first reference to finished piece, so your projects, progress, and portfolio all live in one place. GRID & REFERENCE TOOLS - Load and crop any reference image - Adjustable grid settings — size, spacing, and style to match your workflow - Full-screen zoom and drag for close, accurate work - Export and save your gridded reference for later or for printing TRACING - AR Sketch — float your reference over the camera view and trace it straight onto paper - Trace on Screen — draw over your reference on the screen with a finger or stylus - Move, pinch and zoom the reference to line it up exactly where you want it - Undo and redo every stroke while you work - Export your finished tracing to save, share, or add to a project PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Organize your artwork into a personal project library - Track project timelines and hours spent, piece by piece - Sync and store your projects securely in the cloud AI-ASSISTED WORKFLOW - Let AI suggest project titles so you can spend less time naming files and more time drawing SHARE YOUR WORK - Publish a public gallery to showcase finished pieces - Optionally list and mark artwork as sold to share your work with buyers Whether you're a hobbyist filling a sketchbook or a working artist managing a full slate of commissions, DrawinGrid gives you the drawing aids and the organization to see every project through. Some features, including cloud sync, AI-assisted tools, and the public gallery, require an account and are intended for users aged 13 and over. In-app purchases are available for these pro features. EULA: https://drawinggrid.app/eula.html
Value Study Assistant
This app simplifies photos into distinct light and dark masses, helping artists analyze composition and value structure before painting. It offers adjustable value levels, comparison tools, and cropping to standard art proportions.
- Simplify photos into 2-10 value levels
- Compare original photo with simplified study
- Adjust individual value groups
- Crop to standard painting proportions
- Download value studies as JPG
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Value Study Assistant helps painters see the big picture before they begin painting. Upload any photo and instantly simplify it into clear value masses — from 2 to 10 levels of light and dark. Instead of getting lost in detail, you'll quickly see the essential shapes that create a strong composition. HOW IT WORKS 1) Upload your photo and choose 2–10 value levels with the slider. Two values gives you a classic notan — the fastest way to check your big shapes. 2) Use the Color / Values comparison slider to flip between your original reference and the simplified study. 3) Tap Modify Values to lighten or darken individual value groups until the structure reads right. 4) Crop your reference to any standard painting proportion — 4:5, 5:7, 11:14 and more — with pinch-to-zoom control. 5) Download your value study as a clean JPG to use beside your easel, on your tablet, or printed in the studio. Perfect for painters, illustrators, and art students who want to understand the value structure of their reference before committing to canvas. BUILT FOR PAINTERS Value Study Assistant helps you: • Quickly break down any photo into simple light and dark shapes • Check your notan with a two-value study • See the value structure of a scene before you paint • Strengthen compositions by focusing on major value relationships • Crop references to standard painting proportions • Work seamlessly on iPhone and iPad TRY EVERYTHING FREE Your first 2 photos unlock every feature — the full 2–10 value range, value fine-tuning, and cropping — plus 3 free downloads. Studio Access keeps the full toolkit forever with unlimited downloads. Try it free for 7 days.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Value Study Assistant at none against DrawinGrid's 3. Value Study Assistant also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). DrawinGrid's advantage is ratings volume (4.9K vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price 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
Both are free to download. DrawinGrid sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.00 per month. Value Study Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.
Value Study Assistant holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DrawinGrid has 4.9K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
DrawinGrid ships an update monthly, Value Study Assistant every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DrawinGrid | Value Study Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (4.9K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4.9K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BUTTERFLYRAY LIMITED | Kristina Nelson |
Customer experience
DrawinGrid
Value Study Assistant
Bugs and requests
DrawinGrid
Reported bugs
3 issues- Images not saving properly
- Ads not removed after paid upgrade
- Unable to load images from gallery
Requested features
4 requests- Allow specifying number of rows and columns
- Add more grid customization options
- Provide instructions and definitions of terms
- Improve image loading and grid application reliability
Value Study Assistant
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
DrawinGrid
- Pro$8.001 Month
- Pro$86.001 Year
- Remove Ads$10.00
Value Study Assistant
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DrawinGrid free?
Is Value Study Assistant free?
Which has better reviews, DrawinGrid or Value Study Assistant?
Do DrawinGrid or Value Study Assistant have ads?
Which is updated more often, DrawinGrid or Value Study Assistant?
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