Comparison

Translucent vs AR Trace

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

AR Trace

Transform your phone into an art projector to easily trace images onto paper. Select from templates or upload your own photos, then follow the on-screen outline to draw by hand. Ideal for beginners and artists looking for a simpler way to create.

Highlights
  • Art projector functionality
  • Trace photos and templates
  • Upload custom images
  • Adjust image size and position
  • Create clean outlines
  • Beginner-friendly drawing tool
Features
Read full description

AR Trace turns your phone into a simple art projector for drawing on paper. Choose a ready-made template or upload your own photo. Place your phone above a sheet of paper and follow the lines on the screen to draw the image by hand. You can use the app to trace photos, sketches, anime, tattoos, animals, cars, and other drawing ideas. You can also turn your own images into clean outlines and adjust the size and position before you start. How it works: 1. Pick a template or upload a photo 2. Place paper on a flat surface 3. Put your phone above the paper 4. Adjust the image on the screen 5. Follow the outline and draw AR Trace is made for beginners, hobby artists, students, kids, and anyone who wants an easier way to draw. You do not need advanced drawing skills. Just choose an image, follow the outline, and enjoy the process. Use it for creative practice, school projects, handmade gifts, tattoos, cartoons, anime sketches, wall art ideas, and everyday drawing inspiration. Start with a simple outline. Then add your own color, shading, and style. Terms Of Use: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xc-Yg40EWNvACuaLO1Nt-zpzhJRRnv4d/view Privacy Policy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V4vriLNRzSrOWOpIoRtGQ7PTTcmG70EG/view

Screenshots

Translucent4 screens
AR Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: AR Trace at none against Translucent's shown. AR Trace also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Translucent's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (28 vs 3). On price, rating and in-app purchases 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 AR Trace sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.7 for Translucent against 3.7 for AR Trace. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Translucent has 28 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Translucent ships an update every 3 weeks, AR Trace weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Translucent versus AR Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTranslucentAR Trace
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (28 ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings28 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB124 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermounir tajaouartVasili Hryb

Customer experience

Translucent

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

AR Trace

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Translucent

One-time1
  • Premium Library$2.99
4 purchases

AR Trace

Subscriptions4
  • premium3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • premium7 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • premium3 Days trial$9.997 Days
Show 1 more
  • premium$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Translucent free?
Translucent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AR Trace free?
AR Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Translucent or AR Trace?
Translucent is rated higher. Translucent averages 3.7 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while AR Trace averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Translucent or AR Trace have ads?
Translucent shows ads; AR Trace does not.
Which is updated more often, Translucent or AR Trace?
Translucent ships an update every 3 weeks, and AR Trace weekly. Most recently, Translucent was updated on November 7, 2026 and AR Trace on November 5, 2026.

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