# Painter Eye vs Calca app

The clearest difference is rating: Painter Eye at 4.6 against Calca app's 4.0. Painter Eye also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 48%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). Calca app's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Painter Eye sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Calca app sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Painter Eye holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Painter Eye has 6.2K ratings behind it against 91, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Painter Eye's written reviews are positive against 48% of Calca app's.

Painter Eye ships an update every 2 days, Calca app fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Painter Eye | Calca app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (6.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painter-eye-ar-drawing-app/id1555476303/reviews)** | [4.0 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calca-app/id1567655347/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.2K** | 91 |
| Positive reviews | **74.6% of reviews** | 48.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 189 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Ivan Hulidau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497112883) | [Francisco Mateo Marquez](https://appshunter.io/developer/990577710) |

## What reviewers say

### Painter Eye

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painter-eye-ar-drawing-app/id1555476303)

This app transforms your iPhone into a drawing canvas, offering a variety of brushes and stencils. It utilizes augmented reality to let you trace real-world images directly on your screen, making complex drawing accessible and portable.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality tracing, Built-in brushes and canvases, Image parameter adjustment (rotation, size, transparency), Color and style customization, Monochrome masterpiece creation, Stencil creation from photos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month | $6.99 | per month |
| 3 Months | $16.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year | $19.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Excellent app
- 🎨 Great drawing tools
- 🆓 Free to use
- 🤩 Awesome features
- 🖌️ Helps improve drawing skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 🔌 Requires internet connection
- 🕹️ Difficult to use without a stand
- 🔧 Some bugs and glitches
- 💸 Ads can be intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- Drawing screen appears black
- Tracing feature is not working as expected
- App crashes or freezes occasionally

**Requested features**

- Add more drawing templates and options
- Implement a search feature
- Improve offline functionality
- Provide more customization options
- Enhance the drawing tools and precision


### Calca app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calca-app/id1567655347)

This app allows you to project any image from your device or camera onto a surface for drawing or tracing. It offers customization options for fonts and colors, and can even capture web pages. Tutorials are available to help users get the most out of its features.

**Highlights:** Image projection for drawing, Camera lucida functionality, Customizable fonts (1550+), Web page capture, 3D effect option, Multicultural language support

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One-year subscription | $2.99 | per year |
| Monthly Advanced Founder Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Basic Founder Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Permanent License | $149.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Painter Eye free?

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

### Is Calca app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Painter Eye or Calca app?

Painter Eye is rated higher. Painter Eye averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.2K ratings, while Calca app averages 4.0 from 91 ratings.

### Do Painter Eye or Calca app have ads?

Both Painter Eye and Calca app show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Painter Eye or Calca app?

Painter Eye ships an update every 2 days, and Calca app fortnightly. Most recently, Painter Eye was updated on October 29, 2026 and Calca app on October 30, 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.*