Calca app vs Papercopy
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
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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?
Papercopy
Transform your device into a portable tracing tool. Easily transfer any image onto paper by placing it over your screen and tracing the projected lines. Ideal for artists, students, and hobbyists looking to replicate designs without special equipment.
- Trace any image from gallery or camera
- Adjustable zoom, rotation, and pan
- Screen lock to prevent accidental movement
- Brightness and contrast controls
- AI-generated trace outlines
- Built-in library of drawings
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Turn your phone into a tracing lightbox. Open any image, lock the screen, put paper on top, and draw. Papercopy makes it easy to copy a picture from your screen to paper with a pencil or pen. No printer, no lightbox, no special tools — just your phone or tablet and a sheet of paper. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick an image from your gallery, camera, or the built-in Explore library 2. Zoom, rotate, and move it until it sits exactly where you want 3. Lock the canvas so the screen doesn't shift while you draw 4. Place your paper over the display and trace the lines through it FEATURES - Lock screen – blocks touches so the image stays put under the paper - Precise zoom, rotate and pan – size the image to fit your paper - Brightness and contrast controls – makes lines visible through thicker paper - AI trace-ready images – describe what you want and get a clean outline to trace - Explore – hundreds of ready-made drawings, animals, characters, patterns and lettering - Works on phones and tablets WHO USES PAPERCOPY - Kids learning to draw and parents who want an easy, screen-light activity - Artists and illustrators transferring sketches, references and outlines - Hand-lettering, calligraphy and tattoo stencils - Teachers, crafters, embroidery, woodworking and cake decorating templates - Anyone who wants to copy a photo, logo or drawing to paper quickly Tracing is one of the oldest ways to learn to draw — it trains your hand and eye before you draw freehand. Papercopy just removes the friction. Have a suggestion or a problem? Email us from the app and we'll reply. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://papercopy.web.app/policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Calca app at 48% against Papercopy's 0%. Calca app also leads on rating (4.0 vs 2.8) and ratings volume (92 vs 4). Papercopy's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Papercopy sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Calca app holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calca app has 92 ratings behind it against 4, 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 0% of Papercopy's.
Calca app ships an update fortnightly, Papercopy every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Calca app | Papercopy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (92 ratings) — better | 2.8 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 48.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 92 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 6 days — better |
| 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 | 18.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Francisco Mateo Marquez | Milos Micunovic |
Customer experience
Calca app
Papercopy
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
Papercopy
- AI Studio Starter$3.991 Month
- AI Studio Pro$9.991 Month
- AI Studio Ultimate$29.991 Month
- 10 Credits$2.49
- Remove Ads$2.99
- 30 Credits$4.99
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- 100 Credits$12.99
- 500 Credits$49.99








