Comparison

Painter Values Check vs Value Study

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

Head to head
About

Painter Values Check

Analyze the lightness and darkness of colors in your artwork or images in real-time using your device's camera. It generates simplified versions to help you assess contrast and focal points, and allows exporting results.

Highlights
  • Real-time value checking via camera
  • Analyze imported images
  • Generate simplified value versions
  • Export result images
  • Histogram-based value categorization
Features
Read full description

Values are the colors' relative lightness or darkness. They define the contrast and variety in a painting and create a focal point. If you want your painting to work and pop the main shapes should have different values. Painter Values Check allows you to check values in realtime through your device camera and also analyze it or any other image imported from Photo Gallery. The app will generates 3 versions from your original image: the values version and two more simplified values images in order to check if your painting or image is working. Also, you'll be able to export any of the result images :) How does it work? Painter Values Check calculates the histogram of every captured frame and reorganize the values into "Dark", "Middle dark", "Middle light" and "Light" categories in order to help you to check the variations in your painting, drawing or picture. In order to work properly the app needs camera permission — Subscription details 1 year without ads — US$9.99 per year, renewing automatically. Prices may vary by region. Cancel any time in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.pineappslab.com/privacy.html

About

Value Study

This app helps artists improve their skills by analyzing light and shadow in reference images. It allows users to break down tones step-by-step, from simple black and white to more complex value ranges, aiding in the understanding of depth and form. It's a tool to enhance traditional art studies.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step tone breakdown
  • Highlighting areas of same value
  • Focus on light, shadow, and form
  • Greyscale value studies
  • Works with reference images
Features
Read full description

In art, value (or tone) refers to how light or dark a colour is. If you're learning to paint or draw, doing value studies is one of the best ways to improve. These small, loose sketches in greyscale help you understand where shadows fall and highlights appear—essential for capturing depth and form. Value Study is a simple, focused tool designed to help you see values more clearly in your reference images. Instead of just converting a photo to black and white, this app lets you break down tones step by step. Start with just black and white to map out the biggest shapes, then gradually add more values to refine your understanding. You can also highlight all areas of an image that share the same value, making it easier to see subtle shifts in tone. This is especially useful in complex references, like portraits, where different parts of the image might have the same level of shadow but look completely different in colour. Value Study isn’t here to replace traditional studies—it’s here to enhance them. Whether you're sketching, painting, or working digitally, this tool makes it easier to focus on the fundamentals of light, shadow, and form. Try it for free with all features enabled on sample images from Unsplash before deciding to unlock the full app with a low-cost yearly or lifetime purchase. All Value Study Pro upgrades count as lifetime purchase. Either option will unlock Value Study across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Annual: Auto-renews yearly. Lifetime: One-time payment, no fees. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Painter Values Check3 screens
Value Study4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Value Study at 92% against Painter Values Check's 0%. Value Study also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.1) and ads (none vs shown). Painter Values Check's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Value Study sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Painter Values Check asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Value Study holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Value Study has 3.3K ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Painter Values Check's written reviews are positive against 92% of Value Study's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Painter Values Check ships an update every 2 months, Value Study weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Painter Values Check versus Value Study: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPainter Values CheckValue Study
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (37 ratings)4.8 (3.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews91.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings373.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel LaoDiem Limited

Customer experience

Painter Values Check

All ratings36 ratings
Positive52.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative47.2%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Value Study

All ratings3,268 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews198 reviews
Positive91.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative6.6%

Bugs and requests

Painter Values Check

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Value Study

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes or fails to launch on some devices
  • Occasional issues with image processing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to adjust value midpoint
  • Include color study/color adjustment options
  • Provide side-by-side comparison of original and simplified images
  • Add customizable grid overlay

In-app purchases

None

Painter Values Check

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Value Study

Subscriptions1
  • Value Study Pro$3.991 Year
One-time4
  • Appreciation$2.99
  • Value Study Pro (Lifetime)$9.99
  • Generous boost$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Amazing supporter$24.99

Questions

Is Painter Values Check free?
Painter Values Check is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Value Study free?
Value Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Painter Values Check or Value Study?
Value Study is rated higher. Painter Values Check averages 3.1 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while Value Study averages 4.8 from 3.3K ratings.
Do Painter Values Check or Value Study have ads?
Painter Values Check shows ads; Value Study does not.
Which is updated more often, Painter Values Check or Value Study?
Painter Values Check ships an update every 2 months, and Value Study weekly. Most recently, Painter Values Check was updated on September 7, 2026 and Value Study on September 23, 2026.

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