Comparison

Painter Eye vs Hand Trace Camera EX

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Painter Eye

Transform photos into art on real paper using AR projection. This app acts as a portable tracing studio, overlaying images onto your canvas for accurate drawing. Explore multiple creative modes and AI-powered tools to bring your artistic visions to life.

Highlights
  • AR projection for drawing on real surfaces
  • Portable tracing studio
  • Four creative modes: Camera, AR, Board, Paint
  • Import photos and use stencils
  • AI-powered line-ready references
  • Adjust size, rotation, and transparency
Features
Read full description

Turn any photo into art on real paper with Painter Eye — your AR art projector and portable tracing studio for iPhone and iPad. HOW IT WORKS Painter Eye works like an art projector, light box, and AR tracing tool in one. Open your reference, point your camera at paper or canvas, and see the image overlaid with accurate proportions. Prop your phone on a glass, tripod, or stack of books — then adjust size, rotation, and transparency with intuitive sliders at the bottom of the screen. Trace with pencil, pen, or brush on real surfaces, not only on the display. FOUR CREATIVE MODES • Camera — live-camera tracing: move and resize your reference while you draw • AR — track an anchor image on a real object so your sketch stays aligned when you move the phone • Board — sketch on a digital canvas with built-in brushes and tools • Paint — color and finish your artwork SKETCHING & TEMPLATES Import photos from your library or explore stencils and categories inside the app. Apply filters, turn pictures into outlines, build compositions step by step, and transform portraits into expressive sketches. Painter Eye: Canvas Creator adds colors, drawing styles, and monochrome looks for both on-screen and on-paper workflows. AI & MORE Create line-ready references faster, browse templates, and go from idea to finished sketch in minutes — whether you love anime, portraits, or everyday subjects. WHO IT'S FOR Beginners learning proportions, hobbyists, students, and artists who want accurate tracing on real paper with their own photos — without expensive projector equipment. Experience the joy of artistic expression where augmented reality and creativity meet. Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy - https://www.notion.so/Privacy-Policy-371324c3d26880a5961eea460064aa99?source=copy_link

About

Hand Trace Camera EX

Features
Read full description

Hand Trace Camera EX is a drawing assistant tool for illustrators, manga artists, and animators who struggle with drawing hands. You can capture hand photos while overlaying your rough sketches. ■ Key Features ◆ Overlay Photography • Capture photos with rough sketches or drafts displayed semi-transparently • Check position and angle in real-time • Perfect pose matching capability ◆ Adjustment Tools • Opacity adjustment (0% to 100%) • Zoom in/out (pinch gesture supported) • Free position movement • 360-degree rotation • Quick 90-degree rotation ◆ Photo & Video Capture • High-quality photo capture • Video recording (up to 60 seconds) • Front/rear camera switching • Easy toggle between capture and edit modes ◆ Video Frame Extraction • Select needed frames from recorded videos • Easy selection with timeline display • High-quality frame saving • Batch save multiple frames ◆ Convenient Features • Instant sharing of captured images • Automatic save to camera roll ■ Perfect For • Illustrators struggling with hand anatomy • Manga artists seeking realistic hand poses • Animators working on in-between frames • Art students practicing figure drawing • Creators needing efficient reference photography ■ Simple 3-Step Process 1. Select your rough sketch from gallery 2. Adjust the overlay and position your hand 3. Capture and save as reference ■ Multi-Language Support Full support for 12 languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Hindi, Turkish

Screenshots

Painter Eye4 screens
Hand Trace Camera EX3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Hand Trace Camera EX at none against Painter Eye's shown. Hand Trace Camera EX also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.1). Painter Eye's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Painter Eye sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Hand Trace Camera EX sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Painter Eye ships an update every 2 days, Hand Trace Camera EX fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Painter Eye versus Hand Trace Camera EX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPainter EyeHand Trace Camera EX
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (6.2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews74.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings6.2K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.115.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size166 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIvan HulidauYuichi Sasaki

Bugs and requests

Painter Eye

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Hand Trace Camera EX

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Painter Eye

Subscriptions4
  • 1 Month3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • 3 Months$16.993 Months
  • 1 Year$19.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • 1 Year$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$29.99
1 purchases

Hand Trace Camera EX

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is Painter Eye free?
Painter Eye is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hand Trace Camera EX free?
Hand Trace Camera EX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Painter Eye or Hand Trace Camera EX have ads?
Painter Eye shows ads; Hand Trace Camera EX does not.
Which is updated more often, Painter Eye or Hand Trace Camera EX?
Painter Eye ships an update every 2 days, and Hand Trace Camera EX fortnightly. Most recently, Painter Eye was updated on November 7, 2026 and Hand Trace Camera EX on October 30, 2026.

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