# Strip Designer vs Trace illustration

The clearest difference is update cadence: Strip Designer at every 2 months against Trace illustration's every 38 months. Strip Designer also leads on device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15 vs 17.6). Trace illustration's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $3.99). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Strip Designer costs $3.99 and Trace illustration $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Strip Designer ships an update every 2 months, Trace illustration every 38 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Strip Designer | Trace illustration |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strip-designer/id314780738/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **73** | — |
| Positive reviews | **87.8% of reviews** | 80.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 38 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 97 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vivid Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/291793754) | [Kouichi INAFUKU](https://appshunter.io/developer/438372899) |

## What reviewers say

### Strip Designer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strip-designer/id314780738)

Create your own comic books using photos, text, stickers, and drawings. Design custom layouts, add speech balloons, and apply filters to tell your stories. Export your creations as high-quality PDFs or share them directly with friends.

**Highlights:** 100+ page templates, Custom panel layouts, Customizable speech balloons, 3D warped text, 150+ stickers, Photo filters and effects, Drawing and masking tools, PDF export

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Customizable fonts and stickers
- 👍 Versatile for various projects
- 🚀 Consistent updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🐛 Issues with saving/loading projects
- 🐛 Problems with image quality or resolution
- 💡 Lack of advanced features (e.g., motion lines, more stickers)

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to change comic name
- Issues with photo import and orientation
- Problems with text resizing in speech bubbles

**Requested features**

- Ability to create and save custom templates
- Option to organize projects into folders
- More advanced drawing/editing tools
- Improved navigation for browsing past projects
- Wireless printing or export options


### Trace illustration

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-illustration/id1170968530)

Transform your iPad into a digital tracing table for drawing or practicing characters. This app offers a simplified interface with options to disable image manipulation and maximize screen brightness for clear tracing. It's suitable for both children and adults looking to create art or learn writing.

**Highlights:** Digital tracing table functionality, Disable image manipulation, Maximum screen brightness option, Outline images, Practice hiragana and kanji writing, Child-optimized interface

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Strip Designer free?

Strip Designer costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Trace illustration free?

Trace illustration costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Strip Designer or Trace illustration have ads?

Neither Strip Designer nor Trace illustration shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Strip Designer or Trace illustration?

Strip Designer ships an update every 2 months, and Trace illustration every 38 months. Most recently, Strip Designer was updated on September 26, 2026 and Trace illustration on September 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*