Comparison

Ricalko vs Translucent

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

Head to head
About

Ricalko

Transform photos into traceable art projections using your device's camera. Ideal for both aspiring artists and experienced creators, this tool offers features like layer separation and perspective correction to help you achieve stunning results on any surface.

Highlights
  • Project photos for tracing
  • Layer separation for detailed drawing
  • Perspective mode for angled projection
  • Augmented reality tracing with markers
  • Creative filters for art styles
  • Zoom for precision drawing
Features
Read full description

Ricalko lets you create incredible artwork, see how your drawings take shape, like magic! It is great for beginners who want to learn drawing and it is perfect for advanced users who want to improve even more! Ricalko has many smart features that let you achieve the results your aiming to, but in few words it is able to virtually project photos, so you can trace them on a paper sheet, an easel or on any other surface! You don't have to be a professional artist to reach amazing results.  How is it able to do that? In normal mode you have to put your device onto a stand (DIY works too, like a simple glass), with the camera pointing to a sheet of paper below for example. On your screen an overlay will be shown and you will be able to see both the photo and your hand below so you can trace it! See below for more details... CRAFT REALISTIC ARTWORK FROM ANY PHOTO You can choose any photo and then create art from it. Pencil and paper? Brush and watercolours? You choose! LEARN TO DRAW AND SEPARATE LAYERS Split photos to different layers, in colors or grayscale, see them one by one individually and trace them on your art to create the final result. Perfect for learning! CREATIVE FILTERS Turn your photo into a drawing, a comic or apply a posterisation, Ricalko filters are great for creativity. PERSPECTIVE MODE You don't have to keep your device perpendicularly if you don't have a stand, you can also keep it angled, perspective mode will remove any distortion and you will be able to create your artworks without any particular effort. You just have to set it with the guidelines helper image! AR MODE Don't like keeping your device still? You don't have to with the augmented reality. You can select a marker, the app will recognise it and place your photo virtually next to it, so you can trace it! USE ANY CAMERA You can use any camera on your device, wide angle, zoom lens, ultra wide angle or even the front camera, this one with the perspective mode and a reflector (to be purchased in online stores, such as OSMO and not included). ZOOM TO BE PRECISE After you have setup your environment you can zoom on the area where you are drawing to see even more clearly, with natural gestures like pinch to zoom or by moving your device closer in AR Mode. PREMIUM CUSTOMER SUPPORT Need help? Have a suggestion? See it included in future releases and drop an email to support@genovasoftworks.com REQUIREMENTS Ricalko does not have any particular requirement since supports iOS 14+ devices only. If you can download it, it will work on your device. A printer is suggested in order to print markers for AR Mode and the guidelines image for Perspective mode, even if they could also be displayed on an additional supporting device. A subscription is required. Terms and Privacy Policy can be found at https://www.genovasoftworks.com/terms.php. For any question or help drop an email to support@genovasoftworks.com.

About

Translucent

This app transforms your device into a digital light box, offering a premium library of over 220 professional tracing images. It provides advanced camera overlay and drawing tools to help artists of all levels improve their skills and create detailed artwork.

Highlights
  • Premium image library with 222+ curated tracing images
  • Adjustable opacity camera overlay
  • Pinch-to-zoom with 20x capability
  • Grid overlay and filter modes
  • Import own images and reference photos
  • Lifetime access to new images
Features
Read full description

TRACE ANYTHING ONTO REAL PAPER. YOUR PHONE IS THE LIGHT BOX. Hold your phone over a sheet of paper and the drawing appears on the page through the screen. Trace what you see. No printer, no carbon paper, no taping a page to a sunny window. YOUR OWN PHOTOS ARE FREE. FOREVER. Import any picture from your camera roll, set the opacity, trace it. The light box, zoom, rotate and your own photos are not behind a paywall and never will be. That is the whole point of the app. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick a drawing from the library, or import a photo of your own. 2. Hold your phone over your paper, or pin the drawing to the page with AR. 3. Trace the lines you see through the screen. 400 DRAWINGS, 104 OF THEM FREE Animals, Anime, Architecture, Cartoon, Fantasy, Food, Nature, Objects, People, Tattoo and Vehicles, at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Real line art drawn for tracing, not photos run through a filter. 348 STEP-BY-STEP LESSONS Every lesson is built out of the drawing itself: big shapes first, then structure, then detail. You watch a face or a dragon assemble one stage at a time instead of copying a finished picture and hoping. AR ANCHORING Pin the drawing to your paper and it stays there. Move your phone, tilt it, set it down and pick it up, and the drawing is still exactly where you left it. No more propping your phone against a coffee cup. EVERY TOOL - Opacity, zoom, rotate, pan - Canvas lock, so your palm cannot knock the drawing out of line - Hands-free mode - Grid overlay, flip and mirror - Contrast, brightness and color filters for difficult light - Torch for tracing in the dark - Line art: turn a photo of your own into clean traceable outlines - Layer breakdown: a drawing split into its build-up stages - Strobe: the reference blinks off so you can see your own lines - Practice timer and daily streaks - Time-lapse: record a session and share it - Kid Mode: the whole library, none of the clutter - Works offline. No account, no sign-up. PERFECT FOR Artists learning proportion and perspective. Anime and manga. Tattoo artists transferring flash. Embroidery, quilting and cross-stitch patterns. Calligraphy and hand lettering. Woodworking and pyrography templates. Classroom and homeschool. Kids learning to draw. Anyone who was ever told they cannot draw. Tracing is not cheating. Artists have traced for centuries to study proportion and build the hand-eye coordination freehand drawing needs, which is why the lessons here take a drawing apart instead of just showing you the answer. FREE - The light box: opacity, zoom, rotate, pan, grid, filters, torch - Your own photos, unlimited - 104 drawings - 3 saved projects, 3 guided lessons, 3 strobe sessions - Canvas lock, hands-free, AR anchoring, practice timer - Supported by ads PREMIUM - All 400 drawings and all 348 lessons - Unlimited saved projects - Unlimited line art, layer breakdown and strobe - Time-lapse export with no watermark - No ads Already bought the Premium Library? You keep it, and you will never be asked to pay again. PREMIUM PLANS Premium Weekly - $6.99 per week Premium Yearly - $39.99 per year, after a 3-day free trial Premium Lifetime - $69.99, one payment, does not renew Prices are shown in your own currency before you confirm. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is switched off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of that period. Manage your subscription or switch off auto-renew in your device Settings after purchase. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://aylan-apps.com/privacy/translucent-tracing/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://aylan-apps.com/privacy/translucent-tracing/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Ricalko4 screens
Translucent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Translucent at free against Ricalko's subscription. Translucent also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (20% vs 11%). Ricalko's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.1 vs 3.7). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Ricalko sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Translucent 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

Ricalko holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 83 and 27 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 11% of Ricalko's written reviews are positive against 20% of Translucent's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ricalko ships an update every 5 months, Translucent every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Ricalko versus Translucent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRicalkoTranslucent
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (83 ratings) — better3.7 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews11.1% of reviews20.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings83 — better27
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB101 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGENOVA Softworksmounir tajaouart

Customer experience

Ricalko

All ratings83 ratings
Positive79.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative16.9%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive11.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative88.9%

Translucent

All ratings20 ratings
Positive55.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Ricalko

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Unlock3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Premium Ricalko 1 Month$4.991 Month
  • Premium Ricalko for 1 Year$19.991 Year
1 purchases

Translucent

One-time1
  • Premium Library$2.99

Questions

Is Ricalko free?
Ricalko is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Translucent free?
Translucent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ricalko or Translucent?
Ricalko is rated higher. Ricalko averages 4.1 out of 5 from 83 ratings, while Translucent averages 3.7 from 27 ratings.
Do Ricalko or Translucent have ads?
Translucent shows ads; Ricalko does not.
Which is updated more often, Ricalko or Translucent?
Ricalko ships an update every 5 months, and Translucent every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ricalko was updated on November 3, 2026 and Translucent on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons