Comparison

Value Study vs Synergy Fine Art

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

Synergy Fine Art

Discover and collect art from represented artists. Favorite artworks, inquire about pieces, and purchase available art directly through the app. Stay informed about upcoming art fairs and artist updates.

Highlights
  • Discover represented artists
  • Favorite artists and artworks
  • Inquire about art pieces
  • Purchase available artworks
  • Stay updated on art fairs
  • Artist information updates
Features
Read full description

With the Synergy Fine Art app, you can keep up to date with the artists we represent and our upcoming art fairs. Through the app, you can favourite artists and artworks, enquire about specific items, purchase available artworks and discover up to date information about the artists we represent.

Screenshots

Value Study4 screens
Synergy Fine Art4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Synergy Fine Art at none against Value Study's 7. Synergy Fine Art also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 92%). Value Study's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Synergy Fine Art asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Value Study ships an update fortnightly, Synergy Fine Art every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Value Study versus Synergy Fine Art: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterValue StudySynergy Fine Art
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews92.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.3K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.615.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDiem LimitedDaniel Phillips Media Ltd

Customer experience

Value Study

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

Synergy Fine Art

Written reviews1 reviews
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

Synergy Fine Art

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

Synergy Fine Art

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Value Study free?
Value Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Synergy Fine Art free?
Synergy Fine Art is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Value Study or Synergy Fine Art have ads?
Neither Value Study nor Synergy Fine Art shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Value Study or Synergy Fine Art?
Value Study ships an update fortnightly, and Synergy Fine Art every 4 months. Most recently, Value Study was updated on October 20, 2026 and Synergy Fine Art on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons