# Value Study vs Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy

The clearest difference is rating: Value Study at 4.8 against Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy's 4.4. Value Study also leads on ratings volume (3.4K vs 23) and review sentiment (92% vs 75%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Value Study sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year and Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Value Study holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Value Study has 3.4K ratings behind it against 23, 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 75% of Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy's.

Value Study ships an update every 2 weeks, Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Value Study | Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127/reviews)** | [4.4 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-toolbox-painting-made-easy/id6745422815/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.4K** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | **92.0% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 37 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Diem Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439019995) | [Wes Castain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527028692) |

## What reviewers say

### Value Study

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

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Value Study Pro | $7.99 | per year |
| Value Study Pro (yearly) | $7.99 | per year |
| Appreciation | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous boost | $9.99 | one-time |
| Value Study Pro (Lifetime) | $17.99 | 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


### Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-toolbox-painting-made-easy/id6745422815)

This app helps artists of all levels improve their skills by simplifying complex forms, mastering light and shadow, and ensuring accurate proportions. It offers tools for composition and portraiture, making artwork more confident and compelling.

**Highlights:** Master light and shadow, Simplify complex forms, Portrait simplification, Proportions guide, Composition grids

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Art Toolkit Premium | $2.00 | per month |
| Art Toolkit Premium | $9.00 | per year |
| Art Toolkit Premium | $19.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Value Study free?

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

### Is Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy free?

Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Value Study or Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy?

Value Study is rated higher. Value Study averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.4K ratings, while Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy averages 4.4 from 23 ratings.

### Do Value Study or Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy have ads?

Neither Value Study nor Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Value Study or Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy?

Value Study ships an update every 2 weeks, and Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Value Study was updated on November 3, 2026 and Art Toolbox Painting Made Easy on November 5, 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.*