# Value Study vs Sketchy

The clearest difference is ads: Value Study at none against Sketchy's shown. Sketchy's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Value Study sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year and Sketchy sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Value Study ships an update every 2 weeks, Sketchy every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Value Study | Sketchy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.4K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 37 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Diem Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439019995) | [Dhruv Bhagat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896588994) |

## 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


### Sketchy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchy-ar-drawing-and-sketch/id6803356968)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sketchy Premium Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Sketchy Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Sketchy Premium Yearly | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Value Study free?

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

### Is Sketchy free?

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

### Do Value Study or Sketchy have ads?

Sketchy shows ads; Value Study does not.

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

Value Study ships an update every 2 weeks, and Sketchy every 4 days. Most recently, Value Study was updated on November 3, 2026 and Sketchy on October 31, 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.*