# Concepts vs Sketchbook®

The clearest difference is update cadence: Concepts at fortnightly against Sketchbook®'s every 6 weeks. Sketchbook®'s advantage is ratings volume (220K vs 27K) and chart position (#44 vs #187). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Concepts sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Sketchbook® sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Concepts against 4.8 for Sketchbook®. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketchbook® has 220K ratings behind it against 27K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 77% and 77% positive.

Concepts ships an update fortnightly, Sketchbook® every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Concepts | Sketchbook® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (27K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/concepts/id560586497/reviews) | **[4.8 (220K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchbook/id883738213/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 27K | **220K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 76.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #187 | **#44** |
| Size | 267 MB | 142 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TopHatch, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/560586500) | [Sketchbook, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569383806) |

## What reviewers say

### Concepts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/concepts/id560586497)

**Currently charting:** #187 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This flexible vector-based sketchbook offers an infinite canvas for ideation and design. Easily sketch, take notes, and create detailed designs with editable strokes and powerful tools. Share your work in various formats for seamless collaboration and professional output.

**Highlights:** Infinite canvas, Vector-based sketching, Realistic pens, pencils, and brushes, Editable vector elements, Unlimited layers, Scale and measurement tools, Object libraries

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Everything Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Everything Monthly + Trial | $4.99 | per month |
| Everything Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Everything Yearly + Trial | $29.99 | per year |
| Shape Library | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pen Brush Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Body Forms | $1.99 | one-time |
| Make Your Own Objects | $3.99 | one-time |
| Essentials (iPhone Only) | $4.99 | one-time |
| PDF Essentials | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pro Pack  Legacy | $7.99 | one-time |
| 10 Object Packs | $14.99 | one-time |
| Essentials | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Infinite canvas
- 👍 Intuitive and customizable interface
- 🎨 Powerful drawing and sketching tools
- 💡 Versatile for various use cases (architecture, design, note-taking)
- 🔒 Responsive customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Steep learning curve for some users
- 💰 Subscription model can be expensive for casual users
- 🔧 Limited text handling and editing capabilities
- 🔀 Inconsistent behavior of certain tools (e.g., eraser, alignment)

**Reported bugs**

- Memory issues when working with large, complex drawings
- Inconsistent behavior of the eraser tool
- Inaccuracies in the snap-to-grid and measurement tools
- Exporting issues, such as loss of data or poor quality

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and formatting options
- Better color selection and customization tools
- Collaboration and real-time sharing features
- Seamless integration with other design/productivity apps
- Syncing and backup capabilities across devices


### Sketchbook®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchbook/id883738213)

**Currently charting:** #44 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app provides a professional-grade drawing and painting experience for artists and illustrators. It offers a natural drawing feel with customizable tools, layers, and guides for precision. Unlock advanced features like custom brushes and canvas resizing with an optional premium purchase.

**Highlights:** Full complement of brush types, Highly customizable brushes, Guides, rulers, and stroke tools, Layers with blend modes, Clean and unobtrusive interface, Custom brush creation (premium), Canvas resizing (premium)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing, free, and no ads
- 👍 Lots of brushes and customization options
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Great for beginners and professionals
- 👍 Smooth performance and no lag

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Blurry or corrupted images when saving or copying
- 🐛 Glitches with color selection and layers
- 🐛 Inability to rotate canvas or access gallery easily
- 🐛 Lack of blurring and clipping mask tools

**Reported bugs**

- Layers randomly deleted or corrupted
- Freezing when using certain tools like the eyedropper
- Saving issues leading to loss of progress
- Incompatibility with newer iPad Pro devices

**Requested features**

- Add blurring and clipping mask tools
- Improve gallery and canvas rotation functionality
- Allow custom font import
- Add effects like glow, stroke, and drop shadow
- Implement layer grouping and organization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Concepts free?

Concepts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sketchbook® free?

Sketchbook® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Concepts or Sketchbook®?

Sketchbook® is rated higher. Concepts averages 4.7 out of 5 from 27K ratings, while Sketchbook® averages 4.8 from 220K ratings.

### Do Concepts or Sketchbook® have ads?

Neither Concepts nor Sketchbook® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Concepts or Sketchbook®?

Concepts ships an update fortnightly, and Sketchbook® every 6 weeks. Most recently, Concepts was updated on October 20, 2026 and Sketchbook® on October 20, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Concepts or Sketchbook®?

Concepts currently peaks at #187 in the App Store charts, and Sketchbook® at #44. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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