# Realistic Paint Studio vs HyperRef

The clearest difference is price: HyperRef at Free against Realistic Paint Studio's $11.99. HyperRef also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and device support (3 vs 1). Realistic Paint Studio's advantage is ratings volume (735 vs 3) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.6). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

HyperRef is free to download; Realistic Paint Studio costs $11.99 up front. Realistic Paint Studio sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and HyperRef sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Realistic Paint Studio against 4.7 for HyperRef. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Realistic Paint Studio has 735 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Realistic Paint Studio's written reviews are positive against 100% of HyperRef's.

Realistic Paint Studio ships an update every 5 weeks, HyperRef every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and June 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Realistic Paint Studio | HyperRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $11.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (735 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realistic-paint-studio/id1529593385/reviews)** | [4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hyperref/id6743102705/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **735** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 67.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1005 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Komarov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529593777) | [Seth Kenneth Berggren](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801346715) |

## What reviewers say

### Realistic Paint Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realistic-paint-studio/id1529593385)

This digital art software offers a familiar art station experience with realistic brushes, pencils, and markers. It allows users to create art in drawing, watercolor, and oil painting styles with a unique color engine and diverse canvas textures. Step-by-step tutorials and live demonstrations guide users through the creative process.

**Highlights:** Realistic color engine, Drawing, Watercolor, Oil Painting styles, Realistic brushes and tools, Realistic canvases with diverse textures, Live demonstration of drawing methods, Step-by-step tutorials

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Artistic brush | Free | one-time |
| Mechanical pen | Free | one-time |
| Glitz pen | Free | one-time |
| Glass pen | Free | one-time |
| Fountain pen | Free | one-time |
| Calligraphy brush | Free | one-time |
| Hieroglyph brush | Free | one-time |
| Diamond brush | Free | one-time |
| Album with six color sheets | Free | one-time |
| All brushes from the VIP box | Free | one-time |
| Dragon brush | $0.99 | one-time |
| Crystal brush | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Realistic and immersive painting experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Excellent brush dynamics and color blending
- 🎨 Wide variety of traditional media tools
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing presentation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Limited export options (no PSD, no transparent background)
- 🔒 Restricted canvas size and resolution
- 🔒 Lack of customization for brushes and tools

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when using the camera feature
- Inconsistent behavior with the undo/redo function
- Issues with the color mixing in the palette
- Delayed response and lag when using Apple Pencil

**Requested features**

- Add support for PSD export with layers
- Implement canvas rotation and resizing options
- Allow for more brush customization and pressure sensitivity
- Improve color picker and palette functionality
- Introduce a simple, distraction-free canvas mode


### HyperRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hyperref/id6743102705)

Create and organize your personal art reference library with powerful import and study tools. Analyze images by value, contrast, and color, and track your artistic progress with attached studies. Secure your sensitive collections with biometric protection.

**Highlights:** Web import for bulk image saving, Analyze images by value, contrast, color, Timed practice and study modes, Attach sketches to references, Biometric collection protection, Smart collections and organization, Offline access with iCloud sync

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HyperRef Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Realistic Paint Studio free?

Realistic Paint Studio costs $11.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is HyperRef free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Realistic Paint Studio or HyperRef?

Realistic Paint Studio is rated higher. Realistic Paint Studio averages 4.7 out of 5 from 735 ratings, while HyperRef averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Realistic Paint Studio or HyperRef have ads?

Neither Realistic Paint Studio nor HyperRef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Realistic Paint Studio or HyperRef?

Realistic Paint Studio ships an update every 5 weeks, and HyperRef every 2 months. Most recently, Realistic Paint Studio was updated on September 20, 2026 and HyperRef on June 9, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*