# Camera Lucida vs Simple Trace

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Trace at 1.5 against Camera Lucida's 1.0. Simple Trace also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (33% vs 4%). Camera Lucida's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Camera Lucida sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Simple Trace asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simple Trace holds the better App Store score, 1.5 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 4% of Camera Lucida's written reviews are positive against 33% of Simple Trace's.

Camera Lucida ships an update every 6 weeks, Simple Trace every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Camera Lucida | Simple Trace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camera-lucida-tracing-app/id1546453560/reviews) | **[1.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-trace/id1585591190/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 4.4% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 207 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.4 | **13.2** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ilya Koryakin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1341649240) | [Kazuaki Matsuda](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560179759) |

## What reviewers say

### Camera Lucida

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camera-lucida-tracing-app/id1546453560)

Transform your phone into a tracing projector using augmented reality. Overlay any image onto a surface and draw it with ease. Perfect for artists and hobbyists looking to enhance their drawing skills.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality drawing, Trace images onto paper, Intuitive user interface, AR tracing templates, Accurate perspective rendering

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lucida Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $6.99 | per year |
| Lucida Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Lucida Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Lucida Premium | $19.99 | one-time |


### Simple Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-trace/id1585591190)

This app helps beginners practice drawing and painting by allowing them to trace over photos and images. Load pictures from your camera roll and use a stylus to learn basic line drawing techniques. Save your traced creations as JPG files.

**Highlights:** Trace photos and pictures, Practice drawing and painting, Load images from camera roll, Adjust image transmittance, Zoom in and out, Save drawings as JPG

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Camera Lucida free?

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

### Is Simple Trace free?

Simple Trace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Camera Lucida or Simple Trace?

Simple Trace is rated higher. Camera Lucida averages 1.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Simple Trace averages 1.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Camera Lucida or Simple Trace have ads?

Simple Trace shows ads; Camera Lucida does not.

### Which is updated more often, Camera Lucida or Simple Trace?

Camera Lucida ships an update every 6 weeks, and Simple Trace every 2 weeks. Most recently, Camera Lucida was updated on October 11, 2026 and Simple Trace on September 27, 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.*