Comparison

Interactive Sketchbook vs 字习 Pro

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

Head to head
About

Interactive Sketchbook

Learn professional illustration techniques with interactive tutorials and digital sketching tools. Practice drawing alongside a professional artist or import your own photo references. This app offers a digital alternative to traditional sketchbooks with advanced features for artists.

Highlights
  • Interactive tutorials from professional illustrator
  • Import photo references for drawing
  • Three custom layers for sketching and detailing
  • Split view for side-by-side drawing and reference
  • Full-page tracing and full-screen drawing modes
  • Unlimited pages and undo/redo functionality
  • Portfolio to store and manage digital art
Read full description

Draw beautifully organic pencil illustrations using professional tutorials, or from photo reference! Practice advance techniques by drawing alongside portrait tutorials from acclaimed illustrator Matt Busch. Or sketch on your own with the option to import your own photo reference. •INNOVATIVE APPROACH• THE RIGHT TOOLS Three custom layers allow you to efficiently switch between the types of tools that are most useful. Draw loosely and plan your work in the "Sketch Layer". Enjoy precise control of line and value in the "Detail Layer" to make highlights and intricate details shine. Enjoy a unique "Tone Layer" that makes smooth shading easy and fun! Each layer's visibility can be toggled on and off. SIDE BY SIDE Whether using your own photo or a tutorial, split view allows you to use reference in a unique way, side by side. Pinch to zoom in on detail and both the drawing and reference stay perfectly in sync! Awesome for artists who want to draw from reference without being forced to trace. INTUITIVE FULL-PAGE MODE But when you do want to trace. . . -swipe the binder over to utilize the full page where you can use your reference as a guide to get proportions picture perfect. Or enjoy full-screen mode with the reference layer toggled off to focus on detail, and maximize the iPad’s work surface. ENDLESS REAL-ESTATE With Interactive Sketchbook, you’ll never run out of pages. And with an undo and redo function you can explore being more creative without ruining your drawing or wasting paper. Like a tangible paper sketchbook Interactive Sketchbook is portable and always ready when inspiration strikes. •MATT BUSCH TUTORIALS• LEARN FROM A PRO Have a professional illustrator as your personal tour guide! Matt Busch has been illustrating some of the hottest properties in movies, books, and comics for over 30 years! And now he’s your interactive instructor, sharing his secrets and teaching you the basics of sketching portraits. LOTS OF OPTIONS The application has 4 different interactive tutorials that guide you through the steps of creating great portraits. Follow along with Busch at your own pace across 11 visual steps and see every pencil stroke he makes. For more specific guidance, touch an area within a step to reveal Busch’s detailed tips. (Over 3 dozen detailed tips per tutorial!) •PORTFOLIO AND BEYOND• Store, view, edit and resume your drawings in the portfolio. A clean layout and professional presentation allows you to view all your sketches at a glance. Tap a thumbnail to view your latest creations up close. And now, with the new "Animate Sketch" feature, you can watch your drawings redraw themselves step by step! All your sketches are automatically saved and stored in the portfolio. And you can always continue any sketch from where you last left off! •APPLE PENCIL SUPPORT• Take your sketching even further by connecting an Apple Pencil or Logitech Crayon. All styluses support palm rejection to prevent stray marks while resting a hand on the screen during drawing. Also enjoy pressure sensitive strokes for better control of your line work and shading with supporting styluses. Treat yourself to Interactive Sketchbook now, or surprise a friend and “Gift this App”. Whether you are an occasional doodler or a professional illustrator, Interactive Sketchbook is a must-have tool for your iPad and iPhone!

About

字习 Pro

Experience the art of Chinese calligraphy digitally with realistic brush and rice paper simulation. This tool brings traditional writing to the modern age, allowing you to create and save your own brush calligraphy works anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • Realistic brush and rice paper simulation
  • Adjustable brush size
  • Undo/redo functionality
  • Brush flying-white simulation
  • Save works to photo library
  • Replay writing process
Features
Read full description

ZiXi Pro realistically simulated the writing effect of Chinese brush + rice paper, the focus is on bringing the traditional Chinese calligraphy art to the digital age. Chinese calligraphy is an ancient character writing art, which from oracle bone inscriptions to cursive, calligraphy has always exuded artistic charm. Chinese calligraphy is a very unique visual art, and the unique cultural beauty can be experienced and felt by more people with the help of digital technology! The WebGPU-based (wgpu-rs) brush engine uses fluid simulation to achieve the unique expression of the brush. You can use it to experience the splash of Chinese calligraphy anytime, anywhere, and create brush calligraphy works. Features: * A Chinese traditional calligraphy writing tool; * Adjustable brush size; * Undo / redo; * Brush flying-white simulate; * Write Chinese new year "福"; * Appreciation (replaying the writing process); * Save works to Save your work to the photo library; * Support for iPad Pro; For a more enjoyable calligraphy effect, it is recommended to use on iPhone6s & iPad Air2 and above.

Screenshots

Interactive Sketchbook4 screens
字习 Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Interactive Sketchbook at 5.0 against 字习 Pro's 4.2. 字习 Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). On ads 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

Interactive Sketchbook costs $4.99 and 字习 Pro $1.99 up front. Interactive Sketchbook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 字习 Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Interactive Sketchbook holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 42% of Interactive Sketchbook's written reviews are positive against 60% of 字习 Pro's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Interactive Sketchbook ships an update every 4 months, 字习 Pro weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Interactive Sketchbook versus 字习 Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInteractive Sketchbook字习 Pro
Price$4.99$1.99 — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.2 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews42.0% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings26 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size345 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDigital Wave Creative金磊 李

Customer experience

Interactive Sketchbook

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive42.0%
Neutral12.3%
Negative45.7%

字习 Pro

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Interactive Sketchbook

One-time1
  • Paper Pack Pro$3.99
None

字习 Pro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Interactive Sketchbook free?
Interactive Sketchbook costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is 字习 Pro free?
字习 Pro costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Interactive Sketchbook or 字习 Pro?
Interactive Sketchbook is rated higher. Interactive Sketchbook averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while 字习 Pro averages 4.2 from 6 ratings.
Do Interactive Sketchbook or 字习 Pro have ads?
Neither Interactive Sketchbook nor 字习 Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Interactive Sketchbook or 字习 Pro?
Interactive Sketchbook ships an update every 4 months, and 字习 Pro weekly. Most recently, Interactive Sketchbook was updated on October 14, 2026 and 字习 Pro on October 5, 2026.

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