# TraceArt vs Painter Eye

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Painter Eye at 75% against TraceArt's 14%. Painter Eye also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.1) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months). TraceArt's advantage is iOS requirement (14.2 vs 18.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TraceArt sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Painter Eye sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Painter Eye holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Painter Eye has 6.2K ratings behind it against 82, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of TraceArt's written reviews are positive against 75% of Painter Eye's.

TraceArt ships an update every 3 months, Painter Eye every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TraceArt | Painter Eye |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/traceart/id1539017013/reviews) | **[4.6 (6.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painter-eye-ar-drawing-app/id1555476303/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 82 | **6.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **74.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.2** | 18.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KENICHI YAMAMOTO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1335325739) | [Ivan Hulidau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497112883) |

## What reviewers say

### TraceArt

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/traceart/id1539017013)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ADs | $2.99 | one-time |


### Painter Eye

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painter-eye-ar-drawing-app/id1555476303)

Transform photos into art on real paper using AR projection. This app acts as a portable tracing studio, overlaying images onto your surface for accurate drawing. Explore multiple creative modes and AI-powered tools to bring your artistic visions to life.

**Highlights:** AR projection for tracing on paper, Live camera tracing mode, Digital canvas with brushes, Photo import and stencils, AI-powered reference creation, Adjustable size, rotation, and transparency

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month | $6.99 | per month |
| 3 Months | $16.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year | $19.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Excellent app
- 🎨 Great drawing tools
- 🆓 Free to use
- 🤩 Awesome features
- 🖌️ Helps improve drawing skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 🔌 Requires internet connection
- 🕹️ Difficult to use without a stand
- 🔧 Some bugs and glitches
- 💸 Ads can be intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- Drawing screen appears black
- Tracing feature is not working as expected
- App crashes or freezes occasionally

**Requested features**

- Add more drawing templates and options
- Implement a search feature
- Improve offline functionality
- Provide more customization options
- Enhance the drawing tools and precision


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TraceArt free?

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

### Is Painter Eye free?

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

### Which has better reviews, TraceArt or Painter Eye?

Painter Eye is rated higher. TraceArt averages 2.1 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while Painter Eye averages 4.6 from 6.2K ratings.

### Do TraceArt or Painter Eye have ads?

Both TraceArt and Painter Eye show ads.

### Which is updated more often, TraceArt or Painter Eye?

TraceArt ships an update every 3 months, and Painter Eye every 2 days. Most recently, TraceArt was updated on November 7, 2026 and Painter Eye on November 10, 2026.

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