PortraitWorks vs Dnd Character Journal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PortraitWorks
Create unique fantasy character portraits with hand-drawn art elements. Build from scratch in six steps or customize existing gallery creations. Offers extensive customization for races, genders, gear, and backgrounds.
- Create portraits from scratch
- Customize gallery portraits
- Millions of unique face combinations
- Extensive gear and background options
- Color control for all elements
- D&D class integration
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PortraitWorks™ makes it easy to create great custom portraits for your D&D and other fantasy characters. This is not just another app using AI to create semi-random images. Every art element was hand-drawn by our team of professional artists, and you have total control over what goes into your portrait. There are two ways to make a portrait: 1. Create from scratch in 6 easy steps: role, body, hair, style, gear, and background. Then, optionally Edit for more detailed control of any element of the portrait. 2. Choose from thousands of curated portraits in the Gallery. These portraits can be customized with the same Edit controls. Make each portrait your own, with: * All the classes from the Player’s Handbook, plus NPCs and more * Millions of unique faces combining individual features and hairstyles, representing different races, ethnic groups, ages, and genders (including non-binary) * Gear, weapons, spells, and familiars appropriate for a wide range of character classes and professions * Nearly unlimited outfit possibilities from multiple layers of clothing, armor, helmets, hats, and jewelry * A large collections of backgrounds from textural to scenic * Color control of nearly every element All features are free except for Export and Favorite. You can pay to unlock those per role, or for all roles at once. Use your portraits on DnD character sheets, virtual tabletop tokens, mugs, tshirts, or anywhere else you can imagine. Publisher license for commercial use available separately.
Dnd Character Journal
This app helps Dungeons & Dragons 5e players manage their characters and campaign world. It offers tools for downtime activities, character development, and campaign documentation, with an optional premium upgrade for more features.
- Downtime activity completion
- Character backstory prompts
- Campaign world documentation
- Session note-taking
- In-session inspiration
- Share downtime results
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Dnd Character Journal allows 5e players to engage with their characters and the larger campaign world like never before! Using this app, you can: – Complete downtime activities such as searching for treasure, competing in an archery contest, or crafting your signature magic item. – Develop your character through backstory prompts and fun role-play questions. – Document the campaign and larger world using the organized journal area. – Write session recaps and impromptu notes. – Earn inspiration by completing tasks between each session. – Share the results of your downtime with your group and DM. All with the click of a button! Upgrade to the premium version (one-time purchase) for additional features and customization: – Unlimited character slots – Additional character token customization All completely offline! No ads, no signups, no hassle. Simple and easy to use. (Token art by Ben Chang, @BChangArt)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Dnd Character Journal at 4.8 against PortraitWorks's 4.2. PortraitWorks's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (70% vs 60%). 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. PortraitWorks sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Dnd Character Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Dnd Character Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 52 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of PortraitWorks's written reviews are positive against 60% of Dnd Character Journal's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
PortraitWorks ships an update every 2 months, Dnd Character Journal every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | PortraitWorks | Dnd Character Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (52 ratings) | 4.8 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews — better | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 52 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 647 MB | 61 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Worldspinner LLC | Michael Wu |
Customer experience
PortraitWorks
Dnd Character Journal
Bugs and requests
PortraitWorks
Reported bugs
4 issues- Saved characters' hairstyles/colors randomized
- Hairstyles removed/unavailable after update
- Watermark not removed from existing designs
- App restarts frequently after purchasing packs
Requested features
16 requests- More control over eye color
- Individual customization for face/eyes/ears
- Glasses option
- Scars
- Face tattoos
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- Freckles
- Birthmarks
- More explanation on app usage
- Dog folk race
- Genuine smiles
- Labeling of options
- Search function for options
- Show all variations of a feature
- Grey out unavailable options
- Consistent order of options
- Randomness as an option, not default
Dnd Character Journal
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PortraitWorks
- Backgrounds & Frames$0.99
- Orcs, Half-Orcs, Half-Devils$0.99
- Reptilians$0.99
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- Outlaw & Commoner Outfits$0.99
- Light Armor$0.99
- Spells & Spellcaster Gear$0.99
- Hairstyles & Facial Hair$0.99
- High Society Outfits$0.99
- Bundle 1: Launch!$9.99
- Unlock Export$9.99
Dnd Character Journal
- Premium Version$1.99
Questions
Is PortraitWorks free?
Is Dnd Character Journal free?
Which has better reviews, PortraitWorks or Dnd Character Journal?
Do PortraitWorks or Dnd Character Journal have ads?
Which is updated more often, PortraitWorks or Dnd Character Journal?
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