Mural Trace vs TraceBeam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mural Trace
Easily transfer and enlarge any image onto surfaces like walls or canvas using a phone camera and the grid method. Simplify colors, create grids, and trace sections with AR overlay. Perfect for murals, art projects, and DIY décor.
- Image posterization with color simplification
- Customizable grid system for tracing
- AR camera overlay for real-time tracing
- Color palette extraction
- PDF export of grid reference
- Project management and progress tracking
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Paint any image - no artistic skill required! Transfer and enlarge any photo onto walls, paper, canvas, or any large surface. Perfect for DIY home murals, street art, classroom projects, and professional installations. Use the classic grid method to divide your image into squares and trace one section at a time, using your phone's camera as a guide. Brought to you by Ctrl V Art Studio (ctrlvartstudio.com) WHY Ctrl V Art Grid? - No projector required - just your phone - Works in any lighting conditions - No artistic experience needed - Works on any wall size - Portable - take it anywhere - Much cheaper than projector setups HOW IT WORKS: 1. CHOOSE YOUR IMAGE Select any photo from your library - portraits, landscapes, logos, or artwork. 2. SIMPLIFY THE COLORS Use powerful posterization tools to reduce your image to paintable color zones. Adjust levels, contrast, and even extract a color palette to know exactly which paints to buy. 3. CREATE YOUR GRID Divide your image into a grid of squares. The app calculates the exact size each square should be. 4. TRACE WITH YOUR CAMERA Hold your phone up and use the AR camera overlay to trace each square. Pinch, zoom, and rotate to align perfectly. 5. COMPLETE YOUR PAINTING Track your progress as you paint. Mark squares complete and watch your masterpiece come together. KEY FEATURES: SMART POSTERIZATION • Reduce images to 2-10 colour levels • Multiple presets: Bold, Pop Art, Stencil, Vintage • HSB color mode for advanced control • Extract color palettes from your image • Custom color replacement FLEXIBLE GRID SYSTEM • Customizable rows and columns • Wall size calculator • Alphanumeric square labels (A1, B2, etc.) • Visual progress tracking AR CAMERA OVERLAY • Real-time image overlay on camera • Pinch to resize, rotate to align • Adjustable opacity • Position lock to prevent accidents • Built-in torch for low light PDF EXPORT • Print your grid as a reference guide • Perfect for planning large projects PROJECT MANAGEMENT • Save unlimited projects • Resume anytime • Track completion progress PERFECT FOR: • Painting portraits & landscapes • Bedroom & living room accent walls • Children's room murals • Garden walls and fences • Garage and basement art • Restaurant & café décor • Office and workspace murals • School art projects • Community murals • Street art and graffiti • Canvas enlargements • Stage backdrops • Shop signage SUBSCRIPTION Try Ctrl V Art Grid free, then unlock all features with a subscription or one-off payment: • Unlimited projects • All posterization styles • PDF export Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in Account Settings. Privacy Policy: https://barrelofsunshine.com/art-grid-privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you! hello@barrelofsunshine.com www.barrelofsunshine.com www.ctrlvartstudio.com Start your masterpiece today - download Ctrl V Art Grid now!
TraceBeam
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TraceBeam is a tracing and drawing app that helps you draw on real-world surfaces using a live camera view and Trace Images. Choose Single Device for a simple setup, or use Dual Device to separate the camera and drawing experience across two devices. With Dual Device, one device acts as the Camera Device while another acts as the Drawing Device, making it easier to work on large canvases, walls, boards, and other hard-to-reach surfaces. Single Device: Use one device as the camera, Trace Image display, and drawing setup. Position the device above your drawing surface, select a Trace Image, align it with the camera view, and start tracing. Dual Device: Most AR drawing apps use a single device, which becomes difficult when drawing on large or hard-to-reach surfaces. TraceBeam solves this by separating the camera and drawing experience across two devices. Use two devices for a more flexible drawing setup. The Camera Device captures and streams the live canvas view, while the Drawing Device displays the live view with your Trace Image overlaid on the real surface. Key Features: • Single-device tracing mode • Dual-device live drawing workflow • Live camera canvas preview • Overlay and trace reference images • Adjust opacity for comfortable tracing • Move, zoom and rotate using gestures • Perspective adjustment for better alignment • Fullscreen drawing mode • Save settings and reuse them later • Designed for large and hard-to-reach surfaces • Clean and distraction-free interface How TraceBeam Works: Single Device • Start Single Device mode • Position your device facing the drawing surface • Select and align the Trace Image • Adjust opacity and other settings • Start tracing and drawing Dual Device • Choose the Camera Device and Drawing Device • Connect the two devices • View your Live Canvas • Align the Trace Image • Adjust perspective and opacity if needed • Start tracing and drawing TraceBeam is designed for beginners, hobby artists, students, and anyone who wants a more practical way to trace and draw on real surfaces. Draw bigger. Align better. Trace with confidence. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Mural Trace at none against TraceBeam's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Mural Trace sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and TraceBeam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mural Trace | TraceBeam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Barrel of Sunshine | Shajir Kalady |
In-app purchases
Mural Trace
- Monthly - Ctrl V Art Grid$3.991 Month
- Annual - Ctrl V Art Grid$19.991 Year
- Lifetime Access - Ctrl V Art Grid$9.99
TraceBeam
- TraceBeam Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- TraceBeam Pro Yearly$29.991 Year









