# Camera Lucida™ vs Sketchar

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Camera Lucida™ at 89% against Sketchar's 33%. Camera Lucida™ also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and chart position (#7 vs #134). Sketchar's advantage is price (Free vs $14.99) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Sketchar is free to download; Camera Lucida™ costs $14.99 up front. Camera Lucida™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sketchar sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Camera Lucida™ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2K and 9.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Camera Lucida™'s written reviews are positive against 33% of Sketchar's.

Camera Lucida™ ships an update every 4 months, Sketchar every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Camera Lucida™ | Sketchar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camera-lucida-ar-drawing/id362499096/reviews)** | [4.2 (9.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchar-ar-drawing-app/id1221482822/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2K | **9.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **89.4% of reviews** | 33.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | #134 |
| Size | 55 MB | 227 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Camera Lucida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1738527998) | [SketchAR](https://appshunter.io/developer/1221482821) |

## What reviewers say

### Camera Lucida™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camera-lucida-ar-drawing/id362499096)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app uses your device's camera to superimpose a reference image onto your drawing surface, guiding your hand to create detailed art. It offers advanced features and tools to enhance your sketching and painting skills, making art creation easy and fun.

**Highlights:** AR image superposition for drawing, Advanced image filters, Zoom lock for detail, Session save and restore, Time-lapsed recording, External USB camera support

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auto-Correct For Perspective | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great drawing aid
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful for improving drawing skills
- 🚀 Saves time in drawing
- 👍 Accurate proportions and perspective

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Difficult to set up and use at first
- 🐛 Occasional issues with image alignment
- 🐛 Needs a stand or mount to work properly

**Reported bugs**

- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Occasional crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Ability to draw larger images
- More camera settings and controls
- Integration with other art apps


### Sketchar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchar-ar-drawing-app/id1221482822)

**Currently charting:** #134 Top Grossing · Graphics & Design, #160 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Learn to draw with augmented reality and AI-powered lessons. This app offers a comprehensive drawing tool, community contests, and personalized learning plans to enhance your artistic skills. Practice art to relieve stress and impress others with your creations.

**Highlights:** Augmented Reality drawing guidance, AI-powered personalized learning plans, 550+ drawing lessons, Comprehensive drawing toolset, Community contests and collaboration, Stress relief through art practice

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Week | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Sketchar PRO | $10.99 | per month |
| 1 month | $17.99 | per month |
| 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $44.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $69.99 | per year |
| SketchAR PRO | $69.99 | per year |
| Sketchar: Learn to Draw | $69.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $79.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for projecting digital art
- 🚀 AR technology makes a superior stencil
- 👍 Helpful for learning to draw
- 👍 Amazing app, game changer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy AR tracking and detection
- 🐛 Laggy and unstable performance
- 💰 Overly restrictive free version
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

**Reported bugs**

- AR tracking frequently loses paper
- App crashes and resets progress
- Ads disrupt drawing and cause loss of work
- Brightness/lighting issues affect performance

**Requested features**

- Add more free drawing lessons and content
- Improve AR tracking and stability
- Allow drawing without full page detection
- Add more drawing tools and brushes for free users
- Improve organization and navigation of lessons


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Camera Lucida™ free?

Camera Lucida™ costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Sketchar free?

Sketchar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Camera Lucida™ or Sketchar?

Camera Lucida™ is rated higher. Camera Lucida™ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Sketchar averages 4.2 from 9.9K ratings.

### Do Camera Lucida™ or Sketchar have ads?

Neither Camera Lucida™ nor Sketchar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Camera Lucida™ or Sketchar?

Camera Lucida™ ships an update every 4 months, and Sketchar every 3 weeks. Most recently, Camera Lucida™ was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sketchar on November 7, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Camera Lucida™ or Sketchar?

Camera Lucida™ currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and Sketchar at #134. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*