# Value Study vs Pinselton

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pinselton at none against Value Study's 7. Pinselton also leads on update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Value Study's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Value Study sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Pinselton asks for nothing beyond the download.

Value Study ships an update fortnightly, Pinselton weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Value Study | Pinselton |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 35 MB | 217 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Diem Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439019995) | [Dave Gumba](https://appshunter.io/developer/1254906832) |

## 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 (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Value Study Pro | $3.99 | per year |
| Value Study Pro (yearly) | $6.99 | per year |
| Appreciation | $2.99 | one-time |
| Value Study Pro (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Generous boost | $9.99 | one-time |
| Value Study | $17.99 | 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


### Pinselton

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinselton/id6738056499)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Value Study free?

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

### Is Pinselton free?

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

### Do Value Study or Pinselton have ads?

Pinselton shows ads; Value Study does not.

### Which is updated more often, Value Study or Pinselton?

Value Study ships an update fortnightly, and Pinselton weekly. Most recently, Value Study was updated on October 15, 2026 and Pinselton on October 9, 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.*