# Handy Art Reference Tool vs Drawing from References

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Handy Art Reference Tool at 85% against Drawing from References's 25%. Handy Art Reference Tool also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and ads (none vs shown). Drawing from References's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On in-app purchases, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Drawing from References is free to download; Handy Art Reference Tool costs $1.99 up front. Handy Art Reference Tool sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Drawing from References sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Handy Art Reference Tool holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Handy Art Reference Tool has 1.2K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Handy Art Reference Tool's written reviews are positive against 25% of Drawing from References's.

Handy Art Reference Tool ships an update every 5 months, Drawing from References every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handy Art Reference Tool | Drawing from References |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handy-art-reference-tool/id478643661/reviews)** | [3.5 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-from-references/id1505312666/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **85.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#92** | — |
| Size | 361 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Belief Engine](https://appshunter.io/developer/478643664) | [fnx.io](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441645733) |

## What reviewers say

### Handy Art Reference Tool

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handy-art-reference-tool/id478643661)

**Currently charting:** #92 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feet Models | $1.99 | one-time |
| Animal Skull Pack | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Drawing from References

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-from-references/id1505312666)

This app provides a vast library of curated portraits and poses for artists to practice and learn realistic drawing. It offers AI-powered portrait generation, customizable drawing aids like grids and filters, and access to additional reference collections.

**Highlights:** Vast library of portraits and poses, AI-powered custom portrait generation, Customizable grid overlay, Blur and grayscale filters, Searchable Unsplash database, Additional reference collections (hands, feet)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to PRO | $0.99 | per month |
| Upgrade to PRO | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Handy Art Reference Tool free?

Handy Art Reference Tool costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Drawing from References free?

Drawing from References is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Handy Art Reference Tool or Drawing from References?

Handy Art Reference Tool is rated higher. Handy Art Reference Tool averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Drawing from References averages 3.5 from 10 ratings.

### Do Handy Art Reference Tool or Drawing from References have ads?

Drawing from References shows ads; Handy Art Reference Tool does not.

### Which is updated more often, Handy Art Reference Tool or Drawing from References?

Handy Art Reference Tool ships an update every 5 months, and Drawing from References every 2 months. Most recently, Handy Art Reference Tool was updated on September 24, 2026 and Drawing from References on August 18, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*