# Stencil vs DrawBuddy

The clearest difference is monetization model: Stencil at free with in-app purchases against DrawBuddy's subscription. Stencil also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (42% vs 19%). DrawBuddy's advantage is ratings volume (481 vs 125). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stencil sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and DrawBuddy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Stencil holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 125 and 481 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of Stencil's written reviews are positive against 19% of DrawBuddy's.

Stencil ships an update fortnightly, DrawBuddy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stencil | DrawBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (125 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stencil-draw-with-guidelines/id1553707162/reviews)** | [4.4 (481 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawbuddy-how-to-draw/id6445878162/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 125 | **481** |
| Positive reviews | **41.7% of reviews** | 19.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 166 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Studio Next Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540492736) | [Bohdan Hlushko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1622883946) |

## What reviewers say

### Stencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stencil-draw-with-guidelines/id1553707162)

Enhance your drawing skills with augmented reality guidelines. Customize and overlay guides onto photos or AI-generated images to create hand-drawn art for various projects. Improve your artistic abilities with ease.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality guidelines, Customizable drawing guides, AI image generation, Import photos for tracing, Hand-drawn art creation, Improve drawing skills

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Stencil Plus Quarterly | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $44.99 | per year |


### DrawBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawbuddy-how-to-draw/id6445878162)

Learn to draw with step-by-step tutorials and guides designed for artists of all levels. Enhance your digital art skills using Apple Pencil with a variety of drawing categories. Practice on the go with quick draw options and create masterpieces.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step drawing tutorials, Digital art creation, Apple Pencil support, Quick draw practice, Multiple drawing categories, Skill enhancement for beginners and professionals

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly subscription | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Weekly subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Three month subscription | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Monthly subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Access | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Amazing drawings
- 👍 Good app for drawing
- 👍 Great app potential

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires payment for basic features
- 💰 Free trial issues
- 💰 Unexpected charges
- 💰 App not free
- 💰 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Video not playing during free trial
- Payment pop-ups prevent drawing
- Charged full month instead of trial

**Requested features**

- More drawing options
- More pictures/drawings
- Make the app free
- Add pencil tool back


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stencil free?

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

### Is DrawBuddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Stencil or DrawBuddy?

Stencil is rated higher. Stencil averages 4.8 out of 5 from 125 ratings, while DrawBuddy averages 4.4 from 481 ratings.

### Do Stencil or DrawBuddy have ads?

Neither Stencil nor DrawBuddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stencil or DrawBuddy?

Stencil ships an update fortnightly, and DrawBuddy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Stencil was updated on October 22, 2026 and DrawBuddy on October 25, 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.*