Comparison

Drawing Desk vs How to Draw, Step by step

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

Head to head
About

Drawing Desk

Learn to draw with engaging, game-like lessons and expert tutorials. Explore diverse art styles, receive AI-powered feedback, and join a global community of artists. Includes advanced sketching tools for digital art creation.

Highlights
  • 1000+ guided drawing lessons
  • AI drawing progress evaluation
  • Expert artist tutorials
  • Advanced sketching tools
  • Creator community features
  • Game-like drawing challenges
Features
Read full description

Trusted by over 70+ million users and 100K+ 5-star reviews, Drawing Desk makes learning to draw fun with game like drawing lessons Supports Apple Pencil Why Drawing Desk is amazing ? - 1000+ guided drawing lessons across every style and skill level. - Learn to draw with on-screen lesson guides, text and voice instructions and video lessons. - Personalized learning paths tailored to your goals. - Expert artists led professional drawing tutorials. - Structured learning paths to help you draw digital art with confidence. - New drawing lessons are added regularly. - Fun Drawing challenges and drawing games. - Releasing drawing activities to practice & learn digital art. - A sketchbook with advanced drawing tools to draw digital art. - AI evaluates your drawing progress and give helpful scores so you know what to improve. Learn How to Draw with 1000+ Step-by-Step Drawing Lessons! - Explore a wide range of learn to draw lessons including Anime, Manga, Kawaii, Caricatures, Doodles, Art Therapy, and more. - Each lesson includes on-screen drawing guides, plus text and voice instructions to help you learn clearly. - These interactive, game-like drawing lessons teach beginners how to learn to draw from scratch and help advanced learners improve and refine their drawing skills. Introducing Creator Community - Learn from a global community of artists bringing various drawing lessons straight to your fingertips. - Download Drawing Desk to join as a creator, share your skills, and monetize your drawing lessons. Sketch Desk - Express creativity with passionate sketching! - 25+ realistic sketching tools including pen, pencil, highlighter, crayon, neon, watercolor, ink, smudge, eraser, fill bucket, ruler & highlighter brushes - Work with custom canvases (iPad only), - unlimited layers, and powerful layer controls. - Snap perfect forms with Quick Shapes - Create custom gradients - Advanced symmetry tool - Use the Apple Pencil for the most natural drawing experience on iPad. - 200+ instant shapes - Create color palettes and on cloud - Cutter tool & text tool - Fill bucket tool with 125+ textures - Export art as PSDs - Create masks, makeup looks with AR Face Paint Kids Desk - Creativity for Kids A fun drawing space for kids with simple tools and 500+ creative stickers. Terms & Conditions: https://4axis.com/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://4axis.com/privacy-policy Reach us: hello@4axis.com

About

How to Draw, Step by step

Learn to draw with this app that uses your phone's camera as a projector. Transform photos into sketches, create stickers, and even generate AI-powered drawing ideas from text descriptions. Suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to professionals.

Highlights
  • Camera projector for drawing
  • AI-powered sketch generator
  • Photo to sketch conversion
  • Sticker maker
  • Background remover
  • Coloring book feature
  • Real-time drawing recording
Features
Read full description

How to Draw helps you learn how to draw! Use your phone's camera as a projector to draw. How to Draw is a meticulously designed drawing application aimed at pushing the boundaries of your creativity. This unique app allows you to elevate your drawing skills from beginner to advanced levels. It includes drawings that even master artists, drawing enthusiasts, tattoo artists, art school students, and those who have never drawn before can enjoy. Learn to draw with AI With the How to Draw app, you can use AI to do the following: - Sticker Maker: Turn your photos into eye-catching stickers. - Photo to Sketch: Transform your photos into sketches and use the projector feature to draw them on paper using your phone's camera. - Background Remover: Flawlessly remove the background from your photos and draw anything you want in the background! - Enhance Old Photos: Improve the quality of your photos for drawing! - AI-Powered Drawing Sketches: One of the standout features of Ar Drawing is its AI-powered drawing sketch generator. Simply describe what you want to see—for example, "a white-haired man playing soccer"—and the AI will provide a drawing sketch that matches your description. This feature allows users to bring their imagination to life effortlessly. Enjoyable Drawing Experience: Ar Drawing, with its user-friendly interface, is easy to use. From beginners to professional artists, everyone can work on various drawing sketches and unleash their creativity. Lightbox and Projector Features: Drawing becomes incredibly easy with custom lightbox and projector features. You can follow step-by-step drawings on ready-made sketches. The art school is now in your pocket, allowing everyone, even those who have never drawn before, to create art. Coloring Book Category: Ar Drawing offers users a Coloring Book Category where they can step into colorful worlds. You can color ready-made drawings, create your color palette, and add a unique touch to your art. Record Your Work in Real-Time: While drawing, you can record videos of your work to track your progress. Save and Share: Save your works and share them on social media platforms! Ar Drawing makes it easy and fun to share your art with friends and the world. Explore the world of art with Ar Drawing, unleash your creativity, and share your unique drawings with the world. Download it now and embark on an art-filled journey! PRIVACY POLICY: Read our privacy policy here: https://draw.findbluapp.com/privacy-policy TERMS OF USE: Get more information about our terms and conditions here: https://draw.findbluapp.com/terms-of-use PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION: How to Draw app offers an automatically renewable subscription. The subscription will renew automatically unless turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Subscriptions can be managed by the user at any time, and auto-renewal can be turned off by going to Account Settings after the purchase. Accounts will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. If a subscription with a free trial is initiated, charges will be made unless canceled 24 hours before the end of the trial period. CONTACT US: Do you have any questions or feedback that would contribute to development? Reach out to us at: support@findbluapp.com

Screenshots

Drawing Desk4 screens
How to Draw, Step by step4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Drawing Desk at free with in-app purchases against How to Draw, Step by step's subscription. Drawing Desk also leads on ratings volume (239K vs 2.7K) and device support (4 vs 2). How to Draw, Step by step's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Drawing Desk sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and How to Draw, Step by step sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. 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 — 4.4 for Drawing Desk against 4.5 for How to Draw, Step by step. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drawing Desk has 239K ratings behind it against 2.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of Drawing Desk's written reviews are positive against 51% of How to Draw, Step by step's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drawing Desk ships an update every 3 weeks, How to Draw, Step by step every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Drawing Desk versus How to Draw, Step by step: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrawing DeskHow to Draw, Step by step
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (239K ratings)4.5 (2.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.7% of reviews — better51.5% of reviews
Number of ratings239K — better2.7K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.5 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size272 MB230 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer4Axis Technologies Pte LtdJale Balci

Customer experience

Drawing Desk

All ratings239,223 ratings
Positive83.6%
Neutral5.0%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews3,816 reviews
Positive54.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative37.1%

How to Draw, Step by step

All ratings2,734 ratings
Positive87.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews68 reviews
Positive51.5%
Neutral4.4%
Negative44.1%

User reviews

Drawing Desk

From 239K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great for beginners
  • 👍 Lots of drawing tools
  • 💡 Variety of desks (sketch, doodle, coloring, etc.)
  • 🎨 Enables creativity and self-expression
  • 🤩 Fun and addictive

Room to improve

  • 💰 Too many premium features
  • 🤖 Annoying pop-ups and ads for premium
  • 🔒 Limited access without premium
  • 🤔 Confusing layout and navigation
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches

How to Draw, Step by step

From 2.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Super easy to use
  • 👍 Helps with drawing
  • 🎨 Allows searching for drawings
  • 💡 Step-by-step drawing guides

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Paywall for core features
  • 🐛 Buggy, crashes often
  • 💸 Expensive subscription
  • 📺 Too many ads

Bugs and requests

Drawing Desk

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Lines become blurry when zooming in/out
  • Eraser function not working properly
  • Inability to save progress on drawings

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add blending tool
  • Improve color selection and mixing
  • Provide more free brushes and tools
  • Allow drawing on uploaded photos
  • Implement layer support for non-premium users

How to Draw, Step by step

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Can't see drawings clearly
  • Free trial doesn't work as expected
  • Camera feature locked behind paywall

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to zoom in on drawings
  • More free drawing tools
  • Offline drawing mode

In-app purchases

14 purchases

Drawing Desk

Subscriptions13
  • DrawingDesk Weekly Trial Offer3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Drawing Desk Weekly Offer7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Drawing Desk Weekly Standard7 Days trial$4.997 Days
Show 10 more
  • DrawingDesk Weekly Trial Offer7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • DrawingDesk Weekly Trial Offer3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Drawing Desk Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
  • DrawingDesk Monthly Offer7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Drawing Desk Yearly Trial7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Drawing Desk Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Drawing Desk Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Drawing Desk Kids Yearly7 Days trial$45.991 Year
  • Drawing Desk Yearly premium7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Drawing Desk Yearly Premium7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Deluxe Pack$7.99
12 purchases

How to Draw, Step by step

Subscriptions12
  • Weekly plan$3.997 Days
  • Draw weekly 3D3 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • How to draw$6.997 Days
Show 9 more
  • Drawing app Weekly7 Days trial$8.997 Days
  • Ar drawing3 Days trial$8.997 Days
  • Drawing Projector Monthly1 Month trial$14.991 Month
  • Drawing app Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Learn How to Draw, easily3 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Learn to draw step by step3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • How to draw with projector3 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • How to draw with projector3 Days trial$44.991 Year
  • Sketches for drawing$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Drawing Desk free?
Drawing Desk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is How to Draw, Step by step free?
How to Draw, Step by step is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Drawing Desk or How to Draw, Step by step?
How to Draw, Step by step is rated higher. Drawing Desk averages 4.4 out of 5 from 239K ratings, while How to Draw, Step by step averages 4.5 from 2.7K ratings.
Do Drawing Desk or How to Draw, Step by step have ads?
Drawing Desk shows ads; How to Draw, Step by step does not.
Which is updated more often, Drawing Desk or How to Draw, Step by step?
Drawing Desk ships an update every 3 weeks, and How to Draw, Step by step every 11 days. Most recently, Drawing Desk was updated on September 24, 2026 and How to Draw, Step by step on September 19, 2026.

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