# RefCanvas vs Valence 3D

The clearest difference is price: RefCanvas at Free against Valence 3D's $19.99. RefCanvas also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Valence 3D's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 2.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

RefCanvas is free to download; Valence 3D costs $19.99 up front. RefCanvas sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Valence 3D asks for nothing beyond the download.

Valence 3D holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Valence 3D has 116 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of RefCanvas's written reviews are positive against 60% of Valence 3D's.

RefCanvas ships an update every 17 months, Valence 3D every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RefCanvas | Valence 3D |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $19.99 |
| Rating | [2.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refcanvas/id6447381089/reviews) | **[4.2 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valence-3d/id6450967410/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **116** |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **60.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#58** |
| Size | 131 MB | 195 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [youcef boukit](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681171051) | [Hi-Rez, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584901634) |

## What reviewers say

### RefCanvas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refcanvas/id6447381089)

This app helps artists and designers organize visual references for their projects. Import images and GIFs, arrange them on a canvas, add notes, and export your creations.

**Highlights:** Import images and GIFs, Add text notes, Move, scale, and rotate references, Group references with nodes, Supports split screen and pop-up view, Export boards as SVG or images

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro version | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pro version | $3.99 | one-time |


### Valence 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valence-3d/id6450967410)

**Currently charting:** #58 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app is a powerful yet user-friendly 3D modeling and design tool for iPad and iPhone. It offers a comprehensive set of tools for creating, importing, editing, and exporting 3D models, suitable for both beginners and professionals across various industries.

**Highlights:** Extensive primitive shapes library, Import and export various 3D file formats, Advanced modeling and mesh operations, Non-destructive mesh modifiers, Intuitive navigation and context-aware tools, Automatic saving and iCloud syncing

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great start
- 👍 Intuitive UI
- 💡 Powerful features
- 🚀 Frequent updates
- 👍 Clean and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🐛 File loading/saving problems
- 🐛 Unreliable selection and navigation
- 🐛 Mesh corruption and data loss
- 🐛 Lack of key modeling tools (boolean, curve, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Saved files not loading properly
- Unreliable vertex/edge/face selection
- Mesh corruption and data loss
- Gizmo and navigation issues

**Requested features**

- Add boolean operations
- Improve selection and navigation tools
- Implement curve/spline primitives
- Add more modeling modifiers (bevel, subdivision, etc.)
- Provide more detailed documentation and tutorials


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RefCanvas free?

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

### Is Valence 3D free?

Valence 3D costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RefCanvas or Valence 3D?

Valence 3D is rated higher. RefCanvas averages 2.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Valence 3D averages 4.2 from 116 ratings.

### Do RefCanvas or Valence 3D have ads?

Neither RefCanvas nor Valence 3D shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RefCanvas or Valence 3D?

RefCanvas ships an update every 17 months, and Valence 3D every 11 days. Most recently, RefCanvas was updated on September 15, 2026 and Valence 3D on September 24, 2026.

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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.*