# Value Study vs Values at Play

The clearest difference is update cadence: Value Study at weekly against Values at Play's every 5 months. Value Study also leads on ratings volume (3.3K vs 5). Values at Play's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and review sentiment (100% vs 92%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Value Study sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year and Values at Play sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Values at Play holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Value Study has 3.3K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Value Study's written reviews are positive against 100% of Values at Play's.

Value Study ships an update weekly, Values at Play every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Value Study | Values at Play |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/values-at-play/id6449201350/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 91.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 33 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Diem Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439019995) | [Neil Daly](https://appshunter.io/developer/1139826443) |

## What reviewers say

### Value Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Value Study Pro | $3.99 | per year |
| Appreciation | $2.99 | one-time |
| Value Study Pro (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Generous boost | $9.99 | one-time |
| Amazing supporter | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for value studies
- 💡 Allows adjusting number of values
- 🎨 Useful for artists and painters
- ⭐ Great tool for beginners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with accurately representing blue hues
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/importing photos
- 🤔 Unclear instructions/lack of tutorial

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Values at Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/values-at-play/id6449201350)

This app helps users practice identifying and analyzing values in art. It offers tools to create value studies, inspect specific color values, and find areas matching a chosen value. Users can import their own images for practice.

**Highlights:** Create value studies from images, Import custom images, Inspect Denman Ross and RGB values, Find points matching selected values, Colorized value studies, Full-screen value study viewing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Values at Play Unlimited | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Value Study free?

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

### Is Values at Play free?

Values at Play is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Value Study or Values at Play?

Values at Play is rated higher. Value Study averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Values at Play averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Value Study or Values at Play have ads?

Neither Value Study nor Values at Play shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Value Study or Values at Play?

Value Study ships an update weekly, and Values at Play every 5 months. Most recently, Value Study was updated on September 23, 2026 and Values at Play on September 16, 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.*