Comparison

Paper vs Linea Sketch

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

Head to head
About

Paper

This versatile application offers a digital canvas for a multitude of uses. Capture thoughts, sketch ideas, or simply doodle with ease. It provides a flexible space for your creative and organizational needs.

Highlights
  • Digital memo taking
  • Drawing capabilities
  • Scribbling functionality
  • Versatile use cases
Features
Read full description

The paper may be used for various purposes. This app also can be used for many purposes. - memo - drawing - scribbling

About

Linea Sketch

This app provides a powerful yet intuitive drawing and note-taking experience. Its minimalist interface keeps the focus on your creations, offering features like intelligent shape creation, precise layer management, and artistic brushes. Record your process with time-lapse and utilize various grids and templates for diverse projects.

Highlights
  • Minimalist UI
  • Intelligent shape creation (ZipShapes)
  • Elegant layer management
  • Artistic watercolor brush
  • Time-lapse recording
  • Grids and templates
  • Annotation tools
Features
Read full description

Draw and take notes with ease. Linea Sketch gives you the right balance of power and control to capture thoughts and ideas effortlessly. The focus stays where it belongs: on your creations, not on the tools. Why Linea Sketch? ⁕ Minimal UI - Every control is designed to stay out of your way until you need it. Linea's elegant interface puts the focus on your creations. ⁕ Easy Colors - Choose from a wide range of pre-defined colors, or create your own with a single tap. Autogenerated tints & shades save time and effort. ⁕ Elegant Layers - Simplified set of layers that can be easily rearranged, merged, locked, or adjusted. Use the file browser and photo library to import images for reference and tracing. ⁕ ZipShapes & ZipLines - Simply hold still for a moment after drawing a line, rough square, circle, or triangle and ZipShape automatically creates a perfect version for you. You can then adjust final size, placement, and corner radius. ⁕ Move / Transform - Lasso part of your sketch, then move, rotate, flip, or resize. Transform one or more layers quickly & easily. ⁕ Watercolor Brush - Create rustic & artistic effects by painting with organic pigment in three modes: Simple, Wet, and Cloud. ⁕ Annotations - Add labels, notes, and callouts to your sketches using iOS Scribble or a keyboard. Fonts, colors, placement, and more can be adjusted effortlessly. ⁕ Time-Lapse - Record your creative process as you sketch! Save a video of the result as either a compressed 30 second clip or a full length movie. ⁕ Grids & Templates - A wide range of traditional grids, 3D isometric lines, storyboards, and templates for iOS screen or icon design. ⁕ Universal App - Linea Sketch is a universal app for iPad and iPhone. Your sketches seamlessly sync via iCloud to all of your devices, wherever you go. …………………………………… What do you get? Tools: • Technical Pencil - Hard lead, thin lines • Art Pencil - Soft lead, thick lines • Felt Tip Pen - Thin solid lines that vary in opacity • Marker - Fat solid lines • Watercolor Brush - Paint with organic, artistic pigment • Fill - Roll out wide areas of color or tap to flood fill • Blend - Smudge or soften strokes • Eraser - Clean up with your finger or Pencil • Pencil Plus! - Create additional effects using Apple Pencil pressure and tilt Colors: • Always on-screen & easily available • Tints and shades are automatically generated in six variations • 11 predefined color sets for various types of drawing • Create custom colors for branding and consistency • Drag & drop color swatches with other apps Layers: • Five flexible layers that can be dragged, merged, or cleared • Import any image from Files, Photo Library, or clipboard • Lockable to prevent accidental changes • Adjust opacity or double tap to toggle visibility on/off Templates: • Traditional grids displayed with lines & dots • Hexagonal, circular, and isometric (3D) grids • Notepads, to-do lists, and sheet music • App user interface and icon design • Storyboards in 16:9, 1.85:1, and 2.35:1 ratios • Adjustable intensity and can be hidden quickly Backgrounds & Paper Textures: • White Bond, Butcher’s Paper, Black Construction, Blueprint & many more • Adjustable custom background colors • Paper grain can be toggled on or off Exporting: • Save as PNG, JPEG, PSD, and PDF • Save entire sketch or crop a portion • Export to Slack, Dropbox, AirDrop & more • Presentation Mode shows just the canvas via AirPlay - perfect for classrooms Projects: • Organize drawings in project folders • Share, rename, or move drawings within projects • Thumbnail previews of drawings save time • Export PDF of entire project General: • Two-finger tap for Undo, three-finger tap for Redo • Pinch to zoom and rotate canvas • Tap Compass to lock, flip, or reset your canvas • Supports portrait & landscape orientations • Supports split screen and drag & drop Terms and Conditions: https://linea-app.com/terms Privacy Policy https://linea-app.com/privacy

Screenshots

Paper1 screens
Linea Sketch4 screens

Verdict

The call

Paper and Linea Sketch both sit at 3.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 62% of Linea Sketch's written reviews are positive against 10% of Paper's. Linea Sketch also leads on ratings volume (802 vs 3). Paper's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, 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. Paper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Linea Sketch sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.7 for Paper against 3.7 for Linea Sketch. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Linea Sketch has 802 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 10% of Paper's written reviews are positive against 62% of Linea Sketch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Paper versus Linea Sketch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaperLinea Sketch
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings)3.7 (802 ratings) — better
Positive reviews9.9% of reviews62.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3802 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS7.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB133 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOrgajja Co LtdThe Iconfactory

Customer experience

Paper

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews141 reviews
Positive9.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative84.4%

Linea Sketch

All ratings793 ratings
Positive65.7%
Neutral8.1%
Negative26.2%
Written reviews337 reviews
Positive62.3%
Neutral15.1%
Negative22.6%

User reviews

Paper

From 3 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🎨 Good for quick sketching
  • 💡 Useful for jotting down ideas

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes frequently
  • 🚫 Limited color and brush options
  • 💸 Ads not removed even after paid upgrade
  • 🔍 Laggy and unresponsive
  • 📵 Doesn't work well with screen protectors

Linea Sketch

From 802 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 👍 Great for sketching and note-taking
  • 💡 Clever color picker
  • 🚀 Responsive with Apple Pencil
  • 👍 Layers and blending tools

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Inconsistent behavior with fill tool
  • 🐛 Difficulty controlling pencil/marker thickness
  • 💡 Limited brush and tool options
  • 💡 Lack of canvas resizing and expansion

Bugs and requests

Paper

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Black blobs appearing on new pages
  • Inability to draw curved lines properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • More color and brush options
  • Ability to save and export drawings
  • Landscape mode support
  • Improved responsiveness and reduced lag
  • Reliable autosave and undo/redo functionality

Linea Sketch

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Drawings disappearing or not saving properly
  • Layers and colors not behaving as expected
  • Sudden crashes when switching tools or actions
  • Slow performance and loading issues

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add smudge/blending tool
  • Implement watercolor brush
  • Include text tool and annotation options
  • Support for higher resolution canvases
  • Introduce animation and video features
Show 1 more
  • Improve file management and organization

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Paper

One-time1
  • Paper Upgrade$1.99
3 purchases

Linea Sketch

Subscriptions2
  • Linea Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Linea Yearly Subscription14 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Linea Full Purchase$59.99

Questions

Is Paper free?
Paper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Linea Sketch free?
Linea Sketch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Paper or Linea Sketch?
Linea Sketch is rated higher. Paper averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Linea Sketch averages 3.7 from 802 ratings.
Do Paper or Linea Sketch have ads?
Neither Paper nor Linea Sketch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Paper or Linea Sketch?
Paper ships an update every 3 months, and Linea Sketch every 3 months. Most recently, Paper was updated on October 22, 2026 and Linea Sketch on October 22, 2026.

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