Value Study vs Monogram
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Value Study
This app helps artists improve their drawing and painting skills by simplifying reference images into greyscale tones. It allows users to break down complex images into distinct value levels, making it easier to understand light, shadow, and form.
- Simplify images into greyscale tones
- Adjustable number of value levels
- Highlight areas of the same value
- Focus on light, shadow, and form
- Enhance traditional art studies
- Cross-device compatibility
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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/
Monogram
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Monogram is a digital tool for art collectors, a place to organise and understand your collection. It brings together inventory, private social interaction and a discreet collector-to-collector marketplace in one secure environment. With Monogram, you can build a clear overview of your collection, access relevant insights and statistics, connect with other users and, when needed, sell works without expensive intermediaries. Everything is designed to be intuitive, private and tailored to how collections actually grow. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
Value Study and Monogram are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Value Study sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year and Monogram sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Value Study | Monogram |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (3.4K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3.4K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Diem Limited | Monogram Art Inventory AB |
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
Monogram
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Value Study
- Value Study Pro$7.991 Year
- Value Study Pro (yearly)$7.991 Year
- Appreciation$2.99
- Generous boost$9.99
- Value Study Pro (Lifetime)$17.99
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- Value Study$17.99
- Amazing supporter$24.99
Monogram
- Premium1 Month trial$7.991 Month
- Premium3 Months trial$7.991 Month
- Premium1 Month trial$79.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Premium3 Months trial$79.991 Year









