Comparison

PortraitWorks vs Dnd Character Journal

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Downtime activity completion
  • Character backstory prompts
  • Campaign world documentation
  • Session note-taking
  • In-session inspiration
  • Share downtime results
Features
Read full description

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

PortraitWorks4 screens
Dnd Character Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PortraitWorks ships an update every 2 months, Dnd Character Journal every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PortraitWorks versus Dnd Character Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPortraitWorksDnd Character Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (52 ratings)4.8 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.7% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings52 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size647 MB61 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperWorldspinner LLCMichael Wu

Customer experience

PortraitWorks

All ratings49 ratings
Positive77.6%
Neutral6.1%
Negative16.3%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive69.7%
Neutral12.1%
Negative18.2%

Dnd Character Journal

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

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
Show 11 more
  • 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

10 purchases

PortraitWorks

One-time10
  • Backgrounds & Frames$0.99
  • Orcs, Half-Orcs, Half-Devils$0.99
  • Reptilians$0.99
Show 7 more
  • 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
1 purchases

Dnd Character Journal

One-time1
  • Premium Version$1.99

Questions

Is PortraitWorks free?
PortraitWorks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dnd Character Journal free?
Dnd Character Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PortraitWorks or Dnd Character Journal?
Dnd Character Journal is rated higher. PortraitWorks averages 4.2 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while Dnd Character Journal averages 4.8 from 11 ratings.
Do PortraitWorks or Dnd Character Journal have ads?
Neither PortraitWorks nor Dnd Character Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PortraitWorks or Dnd Character Journal?
PortraitWorks ships an update every 2 months, and Dnd Character Journal every 3 months. Most recently, PortraitWorks was updated on November 3, 2026 and Dnd Character Journal on November 3, 2026.

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