Simple Trace Pro vs Rotation
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple Trace Pro
Practice drawing and illustration by tracing photos and images. Load pictures from your camera roll and use Apple Pencil to refine your line work. Save your traced creations as JPGs or transparent PNGs.
- Trace photos and pictures
- Practice illustration and painting
- Load images from camera roll
- Apple Pencil support
- Adjustable transmittance
- Zoom functionality
- Save as JPG or transparent PNG
Read full descriptionHide full description
Simple Trace makes it easy to trace photos and pictures by hand. The concept is to be able to practice painting. Once you've loaded the image from your camera roll, it's easy to get started with Apple Pencil. By tracing the original picture, you can practice basic drawing such as how to draw lines in the illustration. Feature - Change of transmittance - Zoom in and out of the drawing area - Images can be saved as jpg, Pro version can be saved as transparent png - No ads in Pro version
Rotation
Read full descriptionHide full description
Rotation is a visual art application based on the phenakistoscope principle, allowing you to easily create fascinating dynamic visual effects. By placing images on a rotating disc and utilizing the persistence of vision phenomenon, it produces magical visual experiences. 【Main Features】 • 77 Pre-installed Images: The app includes various specially selected phenakistoscope and persistence of vision effect images, ready to use • Custom Images: Import your own images from photo library to create personalized visual effects • Flexible Parameter Adjustment: Control frame rate, rotation angle, rotation direction, image size, and position • Rich Preset Styles: Offers five preset styles including modern, classic, dynamic, natural, and abstract • Multi-language Support: Compatible with 33 languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and more 【Parameter Details】 • Frame Rate: Controls the number of frames displayed per second, ranging from 1-60 fps • Rotation Angle: Adjusts the rotation angle of each frame, ranging from 1°-180° • Rotation Direction: Choose between clockwise or counterclockwise rotation • Image Size: Controls the display ratio of images on the disc, ranging from 100%-300% • Alignment: Sets the position of images on the disc, supporting both horizontal and vertical alignment 【Persistence of Vision】 Persistence of vision is a physiological characteristic of the human eye. When we see an image, the impression formed on the retina doesn't disappear immediately but persists for a short period (about 0.1-0.4 seconds). This phenomenon allows us to perceive rapidly presented static images as continuous smooth motion. 【Phenakistoscope Principle】 The phenakistoscope is an optical toy invented in the 19th century that creates visual illusions through rotation, reflection, and optical principles. Combined with the persistence of vision effect, when the disc rotates rapidly, it creates a superimposed effect on the retina, producing stunning symmetrical and fractal patterns. 【Application Scenarios】 • Visual Art Creation: Designers can create unique visual effects • Educational Demonstrations: Teachers can explain the principle of persistence of vision • Mental Relaxation: Watching the rotation effects can help relax the mind • Entertainment: Add fun to family gatherings or friend meetups 【Usage Tips】 • For phenakistoscope effect images, it's recommended to set the rotation angle to 360° divided by the number of evenly divided portions in the image • Adjusting the image size to 200%-300% can achieve a more concentrated visual effect • Try different rotation directions to produce different visual experiences Whether you're a visual art enthusiast, designer, or just someone who enjoys interesting visual experiences, Rotation can bring you a unique visual treat. Download the app and start your phenakistoscope visual journey!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Rotation at every 3 days against Simple Trace Pro's every 2 weeks. Simple Trace Pro's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (14.5 vs 17). On ads, 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
Simple Trace Pro costs $0.99 and Rotation $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Simple Trace Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, Rotation every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simple Trace Pro | Rotation |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.5 — better | 17 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kazuaki Matsuda | 思明 陈 |
In-app purchases
Simple Trace Pro
No in-app purchases
Rotation
No in-app purchases









