Comparison

Light Tablet vs LightPad

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

Head to head
About

Light Tablet

Transform your device into a virtual light table for tracing and sketching. Load images, adjust them, and lock the screen to prevent accidental touches. Save your progress as projects for easy access.

Highlights
  • Light table simulation
  • Zoom and pan image adjustment
  • Screen lock for tracing
  • Save and organize projects
  • Trace photos from device
Features
Read full description

Light Tablet lets you easily turn your iPhone or iPad into a virtual light table—perfect for artists, students, and hobbyists who love to trace, sketch, or design. Simply load an image, adjust its position by zooming and panning, then lock your screen in place. Place a sheet of paper on your device’s screen and start tracing—no more sliding images or accidental screen touches. You can even save your work as projects and revisit them anytime. Features: - Light Table Simulation: View your images brightly and clearly, just like a real light table. - Zoom & Pan: Position your image exactly where you want it for hassle-free tracing. - Screen Lock: Prevent the image from shifting while you trace. - Project Saving: Save and organize multiple images for quick reloading. Whether you’re practicing calligraphy, sketching comic panels, or copying diagrams, Light Tablet makes tracing a breeze!

About

LightPad

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Lay a source sheet and a blank sheet on the display: a bright, evenly lit surface shines through both, and you trace on real paper with confidence. Built for how tracing actually works: LIGHT YOU CAN TUNE - A light surface that never sleeps or dims on its own mid-trace - Color temperature from 2700 K (warm) to 6500 K (daylight), rendered from real black-body values — warm light keeps thin pencil lines readable - Brightness from a soft low glow up to your display’s true peak — on HDR displays the slider goes beyond regular screen white - Dimming happens in the light surface itself, never by pushing the panel low — no added flicker in the dark range TRUE-TO-SIZE GRIDS - Metric 1 cm grid, or imperial 1-inch grid with 1/4-inch subdivisions - Physically accurate on every supported iPhone and iPad — 1 cm on screen is 1 cm on paper - Center crosshair for squaring up your sheets - Pure black lines with adjustable line width, so grids stay visible through paper MADE FOR PAPER ON GLASS - Touch lock: one tap locks the screen so resting palms and paper press nothing; hold to unlock - Controls fade away and return with a tap — while you work, it is all light - Works in any orientation and window size PRIVATE BY DESIGN - No account, no ads, no tracking, no analytics - Requests zero permissions and never connects to the network - Works completely offline For illustrators inking and refining sketches, animators flipping between drawings, calligraphy and lettering practice, embroidery and quilting pattern transfer, and anyone who traces on real paper.

Screenshots

Light Tablet4 screens
LightPad4 screens

Verdict

The call

Light Tablet and LightPad are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Light Tablet versus LightPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight TabletLightPad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequency—Fortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperClaudia WeyMingwei Cui

In-app purchases

None

Light Tablet

No in-app purchases

None

LightPad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Light Tablet free?
Light Tablet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LightPad free?
LightPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Light Tablet or LightPad have ads?
Neither Light Tablet nor LightPad shows ads.

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