HyperRef vs Sanzo Palette
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HyperRef
Create and organize your personal art reference library with powerful import and study tools. Analyze images by value, contrast, and color, and track your artistic progress with attached studies. Secure your sensitive collections with biometric protection.
- Web import for bulk image saving
- Analyze images by value, contrast, color
- Timed practice and study modes
- Attach sketches to references
- Biometric collection protection
- Smart collections and organization
- Offline access with iCloud sync
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HyperRef provides a focused, distraction-free environment with no infinite scrolling or algorithms deciding what you see. Use your own curated reference library to accelerate your drawing and painting study. Features: - Powerful Web Import: Bulk-save multiple images instantly from almost any website or app. Select exactly what you need for fast, organized importing. - Advanced Study Filters: Isolate value, contrast, and color for a deeper understanding of lighting and composition. Essential for serious art study. - Timed Practice Mode: Use customizable, distraction-free slideshows for quick figure drawing or anatomy study sessions. - Study Mode: Attach your own sketches and studies directly to reference images to track your progress over time. - Biometric Protection: Lock sensitive collections with Face ID or Touch ID for maximum privacy. - Smart Collections: Organize thousands of visual references with a gorgeous, efficient layout. - Offline First with iCloud Sync: Access your entire visual library instantly, anywhere on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Whether you're studying anatomy, lighting, composition, or preparing a detailed mood board, HyperRef keeps your visual library organized, secure, and always accessible. Start your reference library with 5 collections and 50 images free. Unlock unlimited storage and all Pro features with a single, one-time upgrade. No subscriptions, ever.
Sanzo Palette
Explore hundreds of harmonious color palettes inspired by a renowned color dictionary. Extract colors from images, save favorites, and share combinations with original book layouts. Works offline for designers, artists, and color enthusiasts.
- Curated color combinations
- Search by name or ID
- Extract palettes from pictures
- Save favorite colors
- Offline functionality
- Share color data
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Find a color you love. Discover what it can become. Sanzo Palette brings both volumes of Wada Sanzo’s Dictionary of Color Combinations to your iPhone. Explore 171 colors and 581 combinations, from simple pairings to palettes arranged around the twelve months and different areas of design. Browse by color count, month, or design category. Search by color name, see each shade’s HEX, RGB, and CMYK values, and save the colors and combinations you want to revisit. You can also create palettes from a photo or your camera and share colors and combinations as images. The full catalog is available offline, so inspiration is always close at hand. Made for designers, artists, and anyone who enjoys seeing colors together.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sanzo Palette at none against HyperRef's 1. Sanzo Palette also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). HyperRef's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. HyperRef sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sanzo Palette asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sanzo Palette holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HyperRef | Sanzo Palette |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Seth Kenneth Berggren | ERIK SEBASTIAN DE ERICE JEREZ |
Customer experience
HyperRef
Sanzo Palette
In-app purchases
HyperRef
- HyperRef Pro$4.99
Sanzo Palette
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HyperRef free?
Is Sanzo Palette free?
Which has better reviews, HyperRef or Sanzo Palette?
Do HyperRef or Sanzo Palette have ads?
Which is updated more often, HyperRef or Sanzo Palette?
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