Comparison

Value Study vs Acrylic University

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

Head to head
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/

About

Acrylic University

Access all your art tutorial videos in one convenient place. Receive notifications for new content and easily save your favorite lessons for quick access. Enjoy a seamless viewing experience without needing to remember passwords.

Highlights
  • Access all videos in one app
  • Push notifications for news
  • Password-free video access
  • Save favorite posts
  • Easy to use interface
Read full description

Inside the Acrylic University app, you can: Access all of your videos in one easy to use app Receive push notifications with the latest news and updates Access to all of your videos without having to remember your password Save your favorite posts so you can quickly find them later END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Value Study4 screens
Acrylic University3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Acrylic University at none against Value Study's 7. Acrylic University also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Value Study's advantage is ratings volume (3.3K vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads 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 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Acrylic University asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Acrylic University 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Value Study ships an update fortnightly, Acrylic University every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Value Study versus Acrylic University: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterValue StudyAcrylic University
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.3K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.3K — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.616.6
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDiem LimitedAcrylic University

Customer experience

Value Study

All ratings3,333 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews200 reviews
Positive92.0%
Neutral1.5%
Negative6.5%

Acrylic University

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and 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

Acrylic University

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Value Study

Subscriptions2
  • Value Study Pro$3.991 Year
  • Value Study Pro (yearly)$6.991 Year
One-time5
  • Appreciation$2.99
  • Value Study Pro (Lifetime)$9.99
  • Generous boost$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Value Study$17.99
  • Amazing supporter$24.99
None

Acrylic University

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Value Study free?
Value Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Acrylic University free?
Acrylic University is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Value Study or Acrylic University?
Acrylic University is rated higher. Value Study averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Acrylic University averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Value Study or Acrylic University have ads?
Neither Value Study nor Acrylic University shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Value Study or Acrylic University?
Value Study ships an update fortnightly, and Acrylic University every 3 weeks. Most recently, Value Study was updated on October 17, 2026 and Acrylic University on September 29, 2026.

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