Comparison

TraceArt vs Stencil

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

Head to head
About

TraceArt

Transform your smartphone into a drawing tool. Trace photos and illustrations onto paper with adjustable outline thickness and screen brightness. Perfect for aspiring artists of all skill levels.

Highlights
  • Trace photos and illustrations
  • Adjust outline thickness
  • Adjust image size
  • Screen lock with maximized brightness
  • Save unlimited sketches
Features
Read full description

Anyone can easily draw a good picture!! TraceArt is an app that allows you to trace photos and illustrations on your smartphone. You don't need talent for painting, all you need is a paper and pencil! *How to use the app 1.Select your favorite photo or illustration from the album. 2.Adjust the thickness of the outline and adjust the size of the image. 3. Lock the screen with the screen lock button (At the same time, the screen brightness is maximized) 4. Place the paper on the screen and draw a picture. You can save as many sketches as you like. *Others Use thin, transparent paper as much as possible. Photos and illustrations with clear boundaries are recommended. *Advertisements will be displayed in the free version. ICONS by icons8(https://icons8.com)

About

Stencil

Enhance your drawing skills with augmented reality guidelines. Customize and overlay guides onto photos or AI-generated images to create hand-drawn art for various projects. Improve your artistic abilities with ease.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality guidelines
  • Customizable drawing guides
  • AI image generation
  • Import photos for tracing
  • Hand-drawn art creation
  • Improve drawing skills
Features
Read full description

Bring ideas from your screen to paper. Stencil helps you trace images and lettering into journals, cards, postcards and other hand-drawn projects. Choose a doodle from the library, use a photo, or generate an image with AI. Add your own text and choose a lettering style to trace. Follow on-screen camera guidelines as you draw on paper, or register a printed reference image for AR drawing. Adjust your stencil’s placement and appearance to suit the page. Follow built-in drawing lessons and explore journal prompts for your next notebook session. Stencil supports English and ten additional app languages, including Arabic with right-to-left layouts. Stencil Plus is an auto-renewing subscription. Access to features and content may require a subscription. Available plans, prices and any trial eligibility are shown in the app before purchase. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Privacy policy: https://stencil-journal.web.app/privacy.html Terms of use: https://stencil-journal.web.app/terms.html

Screenshots

TraceArt3 screens
Stencil4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Stencil at 4.8 against TraceArt's 2.1. Stencil also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (42% vs 14%). TraceArt's advantage is iOS requirement (14.2 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. TraceArt sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Stencil sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stencil holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 82 and 125 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of TraceArt's written reviews are positive against 42% of Stencil's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TraceArt ships an update every 3 months, Stencil fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
TraceArt versus Stencil: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTraceArtStencil
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (82 ratings)4.8 (125 ratings) — better
Positive reviews14.3% of reviews41.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings82125 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.2 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB167 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperKENICHI YAMAMOTOStudio Next Ltd

Customer experience

TraceArt

All ratings73 ratings
Positive23.3%
Neutral2.7%
Negative74.0%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative82.1%

Stencil

All ratings125 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral4.8%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative41.7%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TraceArt

One-time1
  • Remove ADs$2.99
3 purchases

Stencil

Subscriptions3
  • Stencil Plus Monthly$8.991 Month
  • Stencil Plus Quarterly3 Days trial$12.993 Months
  • Stencil Plus Yearly3 Days trial$44.991 Year

Questions

Is TraceArt free?
TraceArt is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stencil free?
Stencil is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TraceArt or Stencil?
Stencil is rated higher. TraceArt averages 2.1 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while Stencil averages 4.8 from 125 ratings.
Do TraceArt or Stencil have ads?
TraceArt shows ads; Stencil does not.
Which is updated more often, TraceArt or Stencil?
TraceArt ships an update every 3 months, and Stencil fortnightly. Most recently, TraceArt was updated on November 7, 2026 and Stencil on November 3, 2026.

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