Comparison

Handy Art Reference Tool vs Milan Art

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

Head to head
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

About

Milan Art

This private artist community connects students and customers of an art institute. Share your work, get feedback, and access courses and resources. It's a space for inspiration, skill refinement, and professional growth within the art world.

Highlights
  • Connect with artists
  • Showcase artwork
  • Receive feedback
  • Access courses and materials
  • Exclusive student benefits
  • Professional artist society
Read full description

Milan Art Institute is a private artist community exclusively for Mastery Program students and customers. Connect with like-minded artists, ignite inspiration, and refine your craft with expert resources designed for all skill levels. Showcase your artwork and receive valuable feedback from fellow artists worldwide. Build connections and discover artists in your local area. Access your purchased courses and materials in one convenient place. Enhance your skills through specialized Masterclasses, in-depth art courses, and free monthly workshops. Mastery Program students unlock exclusive benefits, including group coaching and mentorship, an extensive library of bonus content, and monthly art contests where students can submit assignments for a chance to win cash prizes and art store gift cards in multiple categories. For graduates seeking continued professional growth, we host the Society of Professional Artists (SOPA) within the app—an exclusive membership offering ongoing opportunities, networking, and career support. This community is only available to those enrolled in our programs. Download the app to access your courses and connect with a global network of dedicated artists.

Screenshots

Handy Art Reference Tool4 screens
Milan Art4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Milan Art at Free against Handy Art Reference Tool's $1.99. Milan Art also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). Handy Art Reference Tool's advantage is chart position (#151 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume 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

Milan Art is free to download; Handy Art Reference Tool costs $1.99 up front. Handy Art Reference Tool sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Milan Art asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Handy Art Reference Tool against 4.9 for Milan Art. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Handy Art Reference Tool's written reviews are positive against 93% of Milan Art's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handy Art Reference Tool ships an update every 5 months, Milan Art weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Handy Art Reference Tool versus Milan Art: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandy Art Reference ToolMilan Art
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.2K ratings)4.9 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.0% of reviews92.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K — better1.1K
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#151 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size361 MB138 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperBelief EngineMilan Art LLC

Customer experience

Handy Art Reference Tool

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

Milan Art

All ratings1,071 ratings
Positive99.1%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive92.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.6%

User reviews

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

Milan Art

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Supportive and encouraging community
  • 🚀 Accelerated skill development
  • 💡 Diverse and innovative content
  • 👍 User-friendly app and platform
  • 👍 Valuable coaching and feedback

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Confusing website layout and navigation
  • 💡 Desire for more acrylic and water-based medium support
  • 🔍 Inconsistent coaching quality

Bugs and requests

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

Milan Art

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Issues with password reset and email verification
  • Inconsistent app functionality

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved website organization and labeling
  • More guidance on safe handling and storage of oil paints
  • Expanded support for non-oil based mediums

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Handy Art Reference Tool

One-time2
  • Feet Models$1.99
  • Animal Skull Pack$1.99
None

Milan Art

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handy Art Reference Tool free?
Handy Art Reference Tool costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Milan Art free?
Milan Art is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Handy Art Reference Tool or Milan Art?
Milan Art is rated higher. Handy Art Reference Tool averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Milan Art averages 4.9 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Handy Art Reference Tool or Milan Art have ads?
Neither Handy Art Reference Tool nor Milan Art shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handy Art Reference Tool or Milan Art?
Handy Art Reference Tool ships an update every 5 months, and Milan Art weekly. Most recently, Handy Art Reference Tool was updated on October 26, 2026 and Milan Art on October 27, 2026.

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