# Painting Recognition vs ShellRef

The clearest difference is price: Painting Recognition at Free against ShellRef's $0.99. Painting Recognition also leads on ratings volume (82 vs 1) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). ShellRef's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.6) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Painting Recognition is free to download; ShellRef costs $0.99 up front. Painting Recognition sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. ShellRef asks for nothing beyond the download.

ShellRef holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Painting Recognition has 82 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Painting Recognition ships an update every 10 days, ShellRef every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Painting Recognition | ShellRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [3.6 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painting-recognition-artscan/id6630371903/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shellref/id6759814118/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **82** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 34.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 22 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hanva,LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1808930111) | [Andrew Bacon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1817531814) |

## What reviewers say

### Painting Recognition

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/painting-recognition-artscan/id6630371903)

Instantly identify any painting by pointing your camera at it. Learn about the artist, historical context, and symbolism. Explore art history through bite-sized lessons and test your knowledge with quizzes. Save your art discoveries to a personal collection.

**Highlights:** Scan any painting with your camera, Identify artist, technique, and context, Learn art history through 13 lessons, Discover random masterpieces, Ask follow-up questions about art, Save scanned paintings to personal collection

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Plan | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $9.99 | one-time |


### ShellRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shellref/id6759814118)

This app provides an offline reference for Bash, Zsh, and terminal editors, mimicking a retro technical manual. It's ideal for quickly looking up commands, syntax, and scripting practices without needing an internet connection. Features include search, bookmarks, and customizable display themes.

**Highlights:** Offline Bash and Zsh reference, Terminal editor guides (Nano, Vim, Emacs), Quick command lookup, Searchable content, Customizable themes, Adjustable text size, Bookmarks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Painting Recognition free?

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

### Is ShellRef free?

ShellRef costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Painting Recognition or ShellRef?

ShellRef is rated higher. Painting Recognition averages 3.6 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while ShellRef averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Painting Recognition or ShellRef have ads?

Neither Painting Recognition nor ShellRef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Painting Recognition or ShellRef?

Painting Recognition ships an update every 10 days, and ShellRef every 3 weeks. Most recently, Painting Recognition was updated on October 24, 2026 and ShellRef on October 19, 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.*