Comparison

Translucent vs Tracer

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

Head to head
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

About

Tracer

Transform your phone into a digital tracing tool to practice drawing and recreate images. Import photos, adjust opacity, and trace directly onto paper. Features step-by-step tutorials to help beginners learn drawing.

Highlights
  • Import images from photo library or camera
  • Adjust image opacity for tracing
  • Trace directly onto paper
  • Step-by-step drawing tutorials
  • Practice tracing characters, logos, and sketches
Features
Read full description

Tracer turns your phone into a digital tracing tool that helps you practice drawing and recreate images step by step. Import any image, adjust its opacity, place your phone over paper, and trace the lines to create your own drawings. Whether you're a beginner or just want to improve your sketching skills, Tracer makes drawing easier and more fun. Create Your Own Projects Import any image from your photo library or capture one with your camera. Adjust the image opacity and trace it directly on paper to recreate drawings. Tracer includes built-in project management to organize and manage your work: • Create and manage multiple drawing projects • Keep your imported images and sketches organized per project • Easily switch between ongoing projects without losing progress Tracer also includes two modes to fit different workflows: • Classic Mode – a simple and focused tracing experience • AR Mode – overlay images in real-world space for more accurate tracing Advanced tools to improve your tracing sessions: • Zoom to focus on details and extend image reach • 0.5x zoom for a wider field of view • Flashlight option for low-light drawing sessions • Smart alignment for better positioning accuracy • Grid overlays to help structure and align your drawings Perfect for tracing: • Characters • Illustrations • Logos • Tattoos • Sketches • Any image you want to learn to draw Learn With Step-by-Step Guides Use the Learn tab to follow ready-made tutorials. Each guide breaks down drawings into simple steps so you can understand how they are built from basic shapes to finished sketches. Great for beginners who want to start drawing. Support: support@pullapps.app Privacy Policy: https://pullapps.app/privacy-policy-tracer Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Translucent4 screens
Tracer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tracer at 69% against Translucent's 20%. Tracer also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.6) and ads (none vs shown). Translucent's advantage is monetization model (free vs subscription) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Translucent sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Tracer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tracer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 110 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Translucent's written reviews are positive against 69% of Tracer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Translucent ships an update every 3 weeks, Tracer every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Translucent versus Tracer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTranslucentTracer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (25 ratings)4.6 (110 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews68.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings25110 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermounir tajaouartPull Apps

Customer experience

Translucent

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

Tracer

All ratings110 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral4.5%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive68.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Translucent

One-time1
  • Premium Library$2.99
2 purchases

Tracer

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Translucent free?
Translucent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tracer free?
Tracer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Translucent or Tracer?
Tracer is rated higher. Translucent averages 3.6 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Tracer averages 4.6 from 110 ratings.
Do Translucent or Tracer have ads?
Translucent shows ads; Tracer does not.
Which is updated more often, Translucent or Tracer?
Translucent ships an update every 3 weeks, and Tracer every 10 days. Most recently, Translucent was updated on October 27, 2026 and Tracer on October 28, 2026.

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