Comparison

ImagineFX vs Handy Art Reference Tool

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

Head to head
About

ImagineFX

This app is a digital magazine for fantasy and sci-fi digital artists. It offers expert-led workshops, galleries, interviews with top illustrators, and reviews of creative tools. It's designed to inspire and guide both hobbyists and professionals in mastering digital art.

Highlights
  • Expert-led workshops
  • Artist interviews
  • Step-by-step tutorials
  • Community spotlights
  • Tool and software reviews
  • Curated artwork galleries
Features
Read full description

ImagineFX is the ultimate magazine for fantasy and sci-fi digital artists. Every issue features expert-led workshops, jaw-dropping galleries and insight from the world’s top illustrators and concept artists. What’s inside: - Step-by-step tutorials covering character design, environments and visual storytelling - Exclusive interviews with leading artists in film, games, and publishing - Community spotlights and curated artwork from around the globe - Reviews of essential tools, software and resources for digital creatives Whether you're a hobbyist or a pro, ImagineFX is your creative companion for mastering digital art. Join the community today! ------------------- Once you’ve downloaded our app, you will need to take a free trial or purchase a single issue or subscription to access our in-depth content. We also publish specials and guides - browse our publications, read what interests you most, and get inspired. Back issues, specials, and future issues are available for purchase within the app. Subscriptions are available on various monthly and annual terms, and auto-renew until you decide to cancel it. Check inside the app for current pricing. *** Please Note: Our digital edition is not printable and does not include the covermount items or supplements you would find with the print edition *** • The free trial offer is only available to new subscribers. If you have previously subscribed then payment will be taken immediately. • You can cancel at any time during the free trial period and you will not be charged. Simply turn off auto-renew in your Apple account subscriptions page at least 24 hours before the auto-renew is due. • Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. • You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for that product. • You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase . • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. This does not affect your statutory rights. • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. • We will be collecting information about your use of the app both when you are online and offline. To find out more please see our privacy policy. The subscription will include the current issue if you don't already own it and subsequently published future issues for the duration of your subscription period. ------------------- By purchasing a subscription or downloading an app you agree that you have read and accept Future Publishing Ltd's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy/ www.futureplc.com/terms-conditions/

About

Handy Art Reference Tool

This app provides artists with rotatable 3D models of hands, heads, and feet for drawing reference. Customize poses and lighting to achieve realistic results for your artwork. Additional packs for animal skulls and foot rigs are available for purchase.

Highlights
  • Rotatable 3D limb models
  • Customizable poses
  • Adjustable 3-point lighting
  • 3D head busts
  • Animal skull reference pack
  • Material editing
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

"Thanks to this useful app, drawing realistic hands can become a whole lot easier" - ImagineFX "Pencillers, inkers, and colorists should all give this a look!" - Tony Moore, co-creator of The Walking Dead If you're an artist and ever wanted just quick and easy drawing reference for hands, heads, or even feet (IAP) without having to awkwardly pose your limbs in front of a mirror, this app is for you! HANDY® is an artist's reference tool, consisting of several rotatable 3D limbs with a variety of poses useful for drawing. You can also customize and edit your own poses for hands, feet, and skulls. Fully adjustable 3-point lighting means you can get easy lighting reference when using any of the 10+ included 3D head busts. Handy if you’re painting and need to know what shadows the head casts from a certain angle! Also available is the Animal Skulls pack. With over 10 different animal species, it's great for anatomical reference or creature design inspiration. [Foot rigs and Animal Skull pack require additional purchase] NEW in Handy v5: Edit the materials of models! Selectively turn off their textures, adjust their specularity, or tint them a certain color. Perfect for comic book artists, painters, or just casual sketchers! Featured in ImagineFX's Top 10 Must-Have Apps! Check out the video demo: https://www.youtube.com/@handyarttool Sign up for the HANDY newsletter for information about new upcoming updates! http://www.handyarttool.com/newsletter Follow HANDY on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/handyarttool.bsky.social

Screenshots

ImagineFX4 screens
Handy Art Reference Tool4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ImagineFX at Free against Handy Art Reference Tool's $1.99. ImagineFX also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Handy Art Reference Tool's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 54%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads 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

ImagineFX is free to download; Handy Art Reference Tool costs $1.99 up front. ImagineFX sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Handy Art Reference Tool sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Handy Art Reference Tool holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 627 and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of ImagineFX's written reviews are positive against 85% of Handy Art Reference Tool's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ImagineFX ships an update every 3 months, Handy Art Reference Tool every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
ImagineFX versus Handy Art Reference Tool: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterImagineFXHandy Art Reference Tool
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.6 (627 ratings)4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.3% of reviews85.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6271.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#73 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB361 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperFuture plcBelief Engine

Customer experience

ImagineFX

All ratings627 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews127 reviews
Positive54.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative37.8%

Handy Art Reference Tool

All ratings1,237 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews380 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral6.8%
Negative8.2%

User reviews

ImagineFX

From 627 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Inspiring content and great resources for artists
  • 👍 Useful video tutorials and links
  • 💻 Convenient digital format

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • ⏱️ Slow page loading and rendering
  • 💸 Expensive digital subscription
  • 🤔 Confusing purchase and restoration process
  • 🔍 Difficulty browsing and finding content

Handy Art Reference Tool

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful for drawing reference
  • 🔍 Useful for lighting and shading
  • 🎨 Great for hands and heads
  • 💡 Customizable lighting and poses
  • 🎨 Diverse skin tone options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes or freezes on some devices
  • 💰 In-app purchases for additional content
  • 🤔 Limited model variety (no full bodies)
  • 🤔 Difficulty with precise positioning
  • 🤔 Lighting controls could be improved

Bugs and requests

ImagineFX

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Issues not displaying properly offline
  • Purchased content disappearing or not accessible
  • Inconsistent behavior when restoring purchases

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to access CD/digital content included with print subscription
  • Improved offline support and caching
  • Bookmarking, highlighting, and annotation tools
  • Better organization and navigation of back issues
  • Cross-device syncing of purchases and library

Handy Art Reference Tool

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on launch for some users
  • Purchased content not unlocking
  • Positioning and movement issues

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add full body models and poses
  • Include more facial expressions and emotions
  • Allow for custom hand and finger posing
  • Implement ability to save custom poses
  • Add more diverse skin tones and ethnicities
Show 1 more
  • Improve lighting controls and options

In-app purchases

11 purchases

ImagineFX

Subscriptions4
  • 1 Month Subscription1 Month trial$5.991 Month
  • 3 Month Subscription1 Month trial$19.993 Months
  • 6 Month Subscription1 Month trial$31.996 Months
Show 1 more
  • 1 Year Subscription1 Month trial$59.991 Year
One-time7
  • ImagineFX Annual 2025$1.99
  • May 2012$7.99
  • August 2012$7.99
Show 4 more
  • October 2012$7.99
  • November 2012$7.99
  • The Digital Artist's Survival Guide$11.99
  • All ImagineFX back issues$79.99
2 purchases

Handy Art Reference Tool

One-time2
  • Feet Models$1.99
  • Animal Skull Pack$1.99

Questions

Is ImagineFX free?
ImagineFX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Handy Art Reference Tool free?
Handy Art Reference Tool costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ImagineFX or Handy Art Reference Tool?
Handy Art Reference Tool is rated higher. ImagineFX averages 4.6 out of 5 from 627 ratings, while Handy Art Reference Tool averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.
Do ImagineFX or Handy Art Reference Tool have ads?
Neither ImagineFX nor Handy Art Reference Tool shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ImagineFX or Handy Art Reference Tool?
ImagineFX ships an update every 3 months, and Handy Art Reference Tool every 5 months. Most recently, ImagineFX was updated on October 16, 2026 and Handy Art Reference Tool on October 17, 2026.

Other comparisons