Comparison

Pixelux vs Traceline

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

Head to head
About

Pixelux

This app combines AI-powered idea generation, AR tracing of references, and AI-assisted editing for artists. Project your creations into the real world to visualize them at scale before committing to physical artwork.

Highlights
  • AI-generated drawing ideas
  • AR projection of references
  • AI-assisted artwork editing
  • Scan and edit physical art
  • Visualize finished art in AR
  • 30+ brushes and layer support
  • Full color suite
Read full description

Pixelux is the only AR studio that combines AI inspiration, AR tracing, and AI-assisted editing in one place. Every other AR art app does one thing. Pixelux does everything. Not sure what to draw? Let AI generate ideas on the spot. Pick one, project it into the real world through your camera, and start creating. No blank page, no frustration. Already have a subject in mind? Place any reference directly onto your canvas with AR and trace over it at any scale. Whether you are sketching a portrait, studying proportions, or planning a painting, the reference moves with your surface so your hands stay free to draw. Finished a piece and want to take it further? Scan your physical artwork and use AI to test edits, refine details, and explore new directions without touching the original. Your work stays safe. Your ideas stay limitless. Pixelux also lets you place your finished art into the real world at full scale using AR, so you can see exactly how a piece looks in your space before it ever hits the wall. Under the hood you get over 30 brushes, full layer support, and a complete color suite with HSL, RGB, palettes, and custom themes. All the tools a serious artist needs, built into one app. AI tools are available with Pixelux Spark or Studio. Everything else is free. Your hand. Your vision. AI just helps. Terms of Use (EULA): By downloading and using this app, you agree to Apple's Standard Terms of Use. Please review the full Terms of Use (EULA) here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Traceline

Features
Read full description

Prop your phone above a sheet of paper and the drawing appears on it. Follow the lines with your pencil, and a portrait, a lettering piece or an Ottoman ornament takes shape under your hand. Trace on paper Pick a template or a photo and see it over your paper through the camera. Set the line opacity, move, scale, rotate or mirror it, then lock the screen so a stray touch never shifts the drawing. Hold the lock badge to unlock. Handheld with AR On iPhone and iPad, AR pins the drawing to the paper's surface, so it stays in place even when you hold the phone in your hand. Light box Lay thin paper on the screen and trace the glowing lines. Brightness goes up while the light box is on, and the camera is not needed. Your photos as sketches Turn any photo into clean line art on your device: Outline, Detailed, Shading or Grid, with adjustable detail and line weight. Remove the background to keep only the subject. Templates from pattern books Nearly a thousand line drawings traced from public-domain ornament books: tezhip and rumi scrolls, Islamic star and girih geometry, moresque and Cairo plates, borders, rosettes, Celtic knots, Gothic tracery, Renaissance and Baroque ornament, Byzantine and East Asian motifs. Each one shows its difficulty and roughly how long it takes. Step by step Step mode splits a drawing into stages, so you trace the big shapes first and the details last. Lettering Type a word, choose a typeface, bend it along a curve and trace it for a poster, a card or a cake. Timelapse Record your session and get a short video of the drawing coming together, cropped to the paper, with a before and after reveal at the end. Also in Traceline • Projects keep your finished pieces with a photo and the timelapse • Share an image from Photos or Safari straight into Traceline (iPhone and iPad) • Template of the day widget, a Live Activity timer and a Control Center button • Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac, in light and dark mode Traceline needs no account. Camera frames and photos are processed on your device. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://apps.cihat.dev/traceline/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Pixelux4 screens
Traceline4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Traceline at weekly against Pixelux's every 3 weeks. Pixelux's advantage is iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.0). On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pixelux sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Traceline sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixelux ships an update every 3 weeks, Traceline weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Pixelux versus Traceline: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixeluxTraceline
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.2 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB61 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperCruz Cortes LLCCihat Salik

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pixelux

Subscriptions2
  • Pixelux Spark$9.997 Days
  • Pixelux Studio$19.991 Month
One-time1
  • Pixelux Plus$7.99
3 purchases

Traceline

Subscriptions2
  • Traceline Pro Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Traceline Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Traceline Pro Lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is Pixelux free?
Pixelux is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Traceline free?
Traceline is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pixelux or Traceline have ads?
Neither Pixelux nor Traceline shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pixelux or Traceline?
Pixelux ships an update every 3 weeks, and Traceline weekly. Most recently, Pixelux was updated on November 8, 2026 and Traceline on November 12, 2026.

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