Comparison

iDesign vs Box

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

Head to head
About

iDesign

Create professional 2D vector drawings, illustrations, and technical designs on your iPad or iPhone. Offers precise touch-based editing with unique offset controls and a full suite of advanced tools for graphics and technical design.

Highlights
  • 2D vector drawing and design
  • Precise touch-based editing
  • Advanced path editing
  • Technical drawing tools
  • Shape libraries
  • Layer management
  • iCloud sync with XDesign
Features
Read full description

Precision 2D vector drawing and design on the iPad & iPhone. Make professional quality designs, illustrations and technical drawings on the move using your fingers at last! iDesign has unique features and offset controls which allows you to draw accurately with your finger not getting in the way or blocking your view. Full feature compatibility and automatic sync of designs via iCloud with XDesign (Mac version). User Guide (PDF) available at www.touchaware.com/apps/idesign/userguide FEATURES - A universal app for both iPad and iPhone which adapts to the native screen size of the device. - An unobtrusive icon based visual and context driven user interface with a full screen board view - Toolbars and panels with easy access to frequently used functions for a fast work flow Standard Tools & Functions - Line, polyline, square, rectangle, circle, arc, ellipse, polygons, stars & path tools - Copy and paste selected shapes and groups - Group and ungroup shapes hierarchically to create complex designs - Edit points, convert shapes to path, close shapes, add and remove points, break, weld, explode and join - Precise rotation with ability to rotate at user defined center - Object alignment tools - Fill color and pen color swatches with opacity controls, custom RGB mixer - Stroke width, line style, line caps and corner join styles, arrow ends and dash patters - Text insertion with fonts, styles, sizes, paragraph alignments, multilingual, rotate/resize - Set a background image for tracing/marking over it - Insert images, copy, paste, move, resize and position them accordingly - Multilevel Undo/Redo for all edit operations - Create multiple layers to organize & separate design components - Connector tools for drawing charts and flow diagrams Unique Features for Touch Based Editing - Offset handles for moving and positioning without your finger blocking the view - Nudge controls, allows precise movement of selected shapes or selected points - Delta transformations to apply incremental values by keyboard Advanced Tools for Graphics Design - Advanced path editing options for corner, smooth and symmetric control points, straighten and curve segments - Text to path conversion - Boolean operations on shapes, unite, intersect, subtract, exclude - Freehand drawing, auto smoothened paths - Gradients / color blends Advanced Tools for Technical Drawing - Circle and Arc tool based on center, start/end point, radius and angle of arc - Dimensioning tools, length as well as angular with customisable settings - Support for Feet+Inches+Fractions (U.S & older unit system)
- Architectural formatting option for Dimensions
- Dynamic grid supporting feet, inches and inch fractions at different zoom levels Units & Board Setup - Support for standard and custom board sizes. - Set a drawing scale - Full set of standard unit systems. - Unit aware Grid with customisable settings - Snap to grid, snap to object and points - Unit aware rulers Shape libraries to organise and reuse shapes - Add, remove and organise shapes in your own libraries - A set of standard shapes for creating floor plans included Export/Import & Print - Export designs to JPEG, PNG, PDF & SVG formats - Import SVG files - Share your designs with other iDesign users via Email - Dropbox support for Export, Import - AirPrint Support iDesign is available as a monthly or yearly subscription and includes a free trial period that begins once your purchase has been confirmed with your Apple ID account. At the end of the trial your subscription will start and renew automatically. Your Apple ID account will be charged for the upcoming period unless you disable auto-renew or cancel your subscription in your Account Settings at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Terms of Use: http://www.touchaware.com/apps/termsofuse Privacy policy: http://www.touchaware.com/apps/privacy

About

Box

Design and generate custom laser-cut boxes with adjustable dimensions, material thickness, and joint styles. Preview layouts and export designs as SVG or PDF for cutting. Supports various box configurations and lid types.

Highlights
  • Customizable box dimensions
  • Adjustable material thickness
  • Multiple joint styles
  • Lid customization
  • Project layout preview
  • SVG/PDF export
Read full description

Create custom laser-cut boxes quickly and easily! 1. Define project size and features 2. Preview the project layout 3. Export as SVG or PDF Details • Get started with a template or modify an existing project • Specify the dimensions, material thickness and joint style • Add a separate lid and customize its appearance, fit and size. • Switch to the project layout tab to get a preview of the layout file that that will be generated. • Export the project for further processing or cutting. Boxes can be fully enclosed with 6 sides, or have one or more sides removed for open boxes, frames or other combinations. Lids can be flat or fit over with adjustable depth and fit. Grid Dividers can be added to boxes, with or without frames around the edges. Joints can be plain or smooth, or box joints that are automatic or specified by count. Material thickness and kerf can be configured for a precise fit.

Screenshots

iDesign4 screens
Box4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Box at 4.6 against iDesign's 2.6. Box also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 50%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. iDesign sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Box sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Box holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 84 and 35 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of iDesign's written reviews are positive against 82% of Box's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iDesign ships an update every 5 months, Box every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
iDesign versus Box: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriDesignBox
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (84 ratings)4.6 (35 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.4% of reviews81.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings84 — better35
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.514.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTouchAware LimitedDerek Graham

Customer experience

iDesign

All ratings84 ratings
Positive38.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative54.8%
Written reviews472 reviews
Positive50.4%
Neutral11.2%
Negative38.3%

Box

All ratings35 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral2.9%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative13.6%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

iDesign

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription14 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$79.99
5 purchases

Box

One-time5
  • CNC Router Joinery$1.99
  • Caddy/Tote Handle$1.99
  • Kerf-o-meter Plus Upgrade$1.99
Show 2 more
  • Grid Dividers - Unlimited$4.99
  • Enhanced Project Fit$4.99

Questions

Is iDesign free?
iDesign is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Box free?
Box is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iDesign or Box?
Box is rated higher. iDesign averages 2.6 out of 5 from 84 ratings, while Box averages 4.6 from 35 ratings.
Do iDesign or Box have ads?
Neither iDesign nor Box shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iDesign or Box?
iDesign ships an update every 5 months, and Box every 2 months. Most recently, iDesign was updated on October 14, 2026 and Box on October 5, 2026.

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