Calca app vs AR Sketch Art
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Calca app
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.
- Image projection for drawing
- Camera lucida functionality
- Customizable fonts (1550+)
- Web page capture
- 3D effect option
- Multicultural language support
Read full descriptionHide full description
CalcaApp: Your Customizable Tool for Transferring Images to Paper Welcome to the latest CalcaApp update! Overview: CalcaApp is an innovative, customizable tool that allows you to transfer any image from your device or captured with your camera to paper, acting as a camera lucida or projector. With a wide selection of features and tools, CalcaApp is designed to inspire you and facilitate your artistic creations. You can draw on a table on a paper yes, but you can also make a small mural on the wall if you hold your phone upright and looking through it at the image you have chosen on the wall. 3D effect: You can use a basic stand to support the device with a 45 degree tilt or those you choose, and you can make a 3D effect on the drawing. examples with videos and images at CalcaApp.com. Free for Everyone: I'm excited to announce that CalcaApp is now completely free for all its users - enjoy all the features at no cost! Earn Points, Remove Ads: Coming soon, you'll have options that will require more than ten points. With an active subscription, you'll have access to everything unlocked at the same special price. Annual Subscription: If you've noticed that CalcaApp is continually developing and implementing new features, you'll now have access to everything unlocked at the same price. Multicultural Languages: We've added new languages, including Italian, plus Russian, French, Indonesian, German, Arabic, English, Spanish and Portuguese, so you can enjoy CalcaApp in your preferred language. Customize with 1550+ Fonts: Choose from a wide selection of over 1550 fonts to give a unique touch to your texts and designs. In addition, CalcaApp is customizable in various colors for easy inspiration when using the app. Improved Web Capture: Now, capturing web pages is easier than ever. Turn your favorite websites into images with just one tap. Learn with Our Tutorials: Explore our tutorials on CalcaApp.Com to get the most out of all the features and tools available. Follow me on the Networks: Ask us for new features from our social networks and get to know them on ApliArte.Com. Recommended supports: Use supports recommended by CalcaApp or, failing that, something suitable, such as a glass, a jar or a box, to hold the device horizontally or vertically depending on where you want to make the drawing, but it is important that the device is fixed. Tips and Recommendations: Consider using a stand recommended by CalcaApp for a better experience. Consider choosing a color of your liking for a better user experience. Consider using relaxing music and make sure you have enough lighting to enjoy the experience. Remember that CalcaApp is not magic and requires practice. You can find demonstration videos on our website for best results. IMPORTANT: -You must give permission to the camera of your device, to be able to see through it, the image chosen or captured in the area where you are about to draw. -This app is not magic (It needs practice, there are demonstration videos to see results). -Your device MUST FOCUS ON THE DRAWING AREA, whether it is paper, wall, floor, etc... FOR ITS CORRECT FUNCTIONING. -You can search with the app from the web for any drawing to color and thus start practicing. -You can remove advertising with a point system and at no cost. -It does not project the image (For this you need a projector). -To avoid autofocus you have to prevent the hand from passing under the camera (It is explained with images in CalcaApp.com). -You do not need to register in the app. -This app is under continuous development, we appreciate and value your comments and suggestions at erbolamm.com or apliarte.com. Is there anything else I can help you with?
AR Sketch Art
Transform your device into a tracing tool to learn drawing. Overlay any image onto your paper through the camera and trace it line by line. Step-by-step lessons guide you from beginner sketches to finished artwork.
- Camera tracing
- Step-by-step drawing lessons
- Image adjustment (resize, rotate, opacity)
- Multiple drawing styles
- Themed ready-to-trace drawings
- Collaborative drawing
- Drawing recording (photo, video, time-lapse)
Read full descriptionHide full description
AR Sketch Art turns your iPhone or iPad into a tracing tool. Pick any image, look through the camera and trace it line by line onto real paper. When you want to learn instead of copy, step-by-step lessons guide you from the first line to the finished drawing. Made for anyone who wants to draw New to drawing? Tracing helps you get the shapes and proportions right from the start, so you finish drawings you are proud of. Hobby artists can copy references, make drawings for friends and try new styles. Experienced artists can use it as a quick warm-up or to transfer a sketch onto a new sheet. Key Features: - Choose how you draw: Camera to Draw, Canvas to Draw or Advance AR - Resize, move and rotate the image, then lock it so it stays in place while you draw - Adjust opacity, zoom from 0.5x to 3x, turn on the flash or switch to the outline-only Edge view - Turn your photos into Sketch, Deep Sketch, Anime or Comics styles before you trace them - Learn with step-by-step lessons that build each drawing a few lines at a time - Explore ready-to-trace drawings in themed categories, from cute animals to love and holidays - Draw with a friend: create a room, share the code and each draw half of the same picture - Record a photo, video or time-lapse of your drawing and save it to your Photos How to Get Started: 1. Choose a drawing from the library, or pick a photo from your gallery, Files or camera. 2. Adjust the image: change its opacity, switch to the outline-only Edge view or apply a sketch style. 3. Place your phone on a stable support, about 1 foot (30 cm) above the paper. 4. Look at the screen: the image appears semi-transparent over the camera view of your paper. 5. Follow the lines on the screen with your pencil on the paper. Subscription Details: AR Sketch Art Premium gives you unlimited drawing modes, all drawings and lessons, Photo to Sketch styles and drawing with friends. - Plans: Weekly Premium (1 week) and Yearly Premium (1 year), both with a 7-day free trial - Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase - The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period - You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: AR Sketch Art at 4.6 against Calca app's 4.0. AR Sketch Art also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 48%) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 92). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Calca app sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and AR Sketch Art sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
AR Sketch Art holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AR Sketch Art has 1.3K ratings behind it against 92, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Calca app's written reviews are positive against 76% of AR Sketch Art's.
Calca app ships an update fortnightly, AR Sketch Art every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.
| Parameter | Calca app | AR Sketch Art |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (92 ratings) | 4.6 (1.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.0% of reviews | 76.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 92 | 1.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 133 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Francisco Mateo Marquez | Annalisa Bergonzi |
Customer experience
Calca app
AR Sketch Art
Bugs and requests
Calca app
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
AR Sketch Art
Reported bugs
3 issues- Pencil placement issues
- App crashes and freezes
- Ads blocking drawing area
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to upload own images
- Zoom and pan functionality
- Less intrusive ads
- More free drawing tools
In-app purchases
Calca app
- Monthly Advanced Founder Plan2 Months trial$4.991 Month
- Yearly Basic Founder Plan1 Year trial$49.991 Year
- Permanent License$149.99
AR Sketch Art
- Weekly premium7 Days trial$2.997 Days
- AR Drawing Premium$5.997 Days
- AR Draw Weekly Plan7 Days trial$5.997 Days
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- AR Drawing Premium3 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Yearly premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- AR Draw Yearly Plan3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- 50 coins$1.99
- 150 coins$4.99
- 350coins$9.99
Questions
Is Calca app free?
Is AR Sketch Art free?
Which has better reviews, Calca app or AR Sketch Art?
Do Calca app or AR Sketch Art have ads?
Which is updated more often, Calca app or AR Sketch Art?
Other comparisons















