Comparison

TatToolkit vs Grid Drawing

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

Head to head
About

TatToolkit

This app provides tattoo artists with a suite of tools to streamline their design and stencil creation process. It offers features for image enhancement, color palette generation, and seamless workflow integration, helping artists create precise tattoos more efficiently.

Highlights
  • Multiple stencil creation methods
  • Image enhancement and refinement
  • Color palette generation with ink matching
  • Layer management for composition
  • High-resolution export for printing
  • Background removal
Features
Read full description

TATTOOLKIT: THE ALL-IN-ONE STUDIO FOR TATTOO ARTISTS Everything between a client's idea and a finished stencil, in one app: Stencils, references, drawing and printing. TatToolkit is built for the way tattoo artists actually work, so you spend less time on your iPad and more time tattooing. STENCILS IN SECONDS - Classic stencil methods: QuickLine, Sketchy, and Trace - API-powered TrueLine and PowerLine for clean, accurate linework - Stack and combine stencil layers over your reference to get exactly the look you want - Adjust levels, add noise, and draw or erase directly on the stencil A REAL DRAWING & PAINTING ENGINE - Custom engine built for tattoo design, made for Apple Pencil - Brush Yard: build, organize and import custom brushes and brush sets - Smudge, Wet Mix, Dodge, Burn and Blur tools LAYERS & PROJECTS - Start from a blank canvas at any size, or from a photo - Groups, blend modes, clipping masks, merge, duplicate, rename and reorder - Projects save automatically, so you can pick up right where you left off TRANSFORM & SELECT - Move, Select and Auto-Select - Scale, rotate, distort and warp one layer or many at once - Guides and grids for precise placement PERFECT YOUR REFERENCES - Filter gallery with fast filters - Curves, Color Balance, Colorize, Temperature & Tint, brightness, contrast and more - Gaussian, Motion and Radial Blur, plus Depth of Field - Remove backgrounds in one tap - Convert to grayscale with custom channel controls COLOR PALETTES - Generate palettes from any reference - Find the closest ink matches for each color - In-cap mixing suggestions to hit the exact tone you need PRINT-TO-SIZE - Print at the exact dimensions you need, even across multiple sheets for large pieces - Export stencils and references in high resolution, straight to your printer FAST, NATURAL GESTURES - Pinch, rotate, three-finger tap to redo - Radial menus for quick tools like copy, cut and paste - Quick shape corrections and color sampling with a long press SUBSCRIPTION & CREDITS TatToolkit requires a monthly subscription of $9.99 to access all features, with a 1-week free trial for new subscribers. Your subscription automatically renews each month until canceled. The subscription includes 50 credits per month for API-powered cloud stencils; additional credit packs are available as in-app purchases. ABOUT US TatToolkit is built by a working tattoo artist who knows the challenges of the craft firsthand. We keep improving the app based on feedback from the artists who use it. Questions, ideas or feedback? Reach us at support@tattoolkit.com. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out, TatToolkit gives you the tools to design, stencil and print with confidence. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.tattoolkit.com/pages/tracerTOS

About

Grid Drawing

This drawing app helps you create photorealistic art by applying custom grids to reference images. It allows you to break down images into layers, track your progress, and compare your work to the original photograph to identify and correct errors.

Highlights
  • Upload reference images
  • Apply custom grids
  • Separate reference into layers
  • Track finished squares
  • Compare drawing to photograph
  • Mark errors
Features
Read full description

Designed entirely by photorealist Dylan Eakin, Photorealism is a comprehensive drawing app that gives you the ability to upload a reference, apply a custom grid, and separate the reference into its essential layers. Keep track of how many squares you've finished, effortlessly compare your drawing against the photograph, mark errors, and more. The all-in-one drawing tool to make your own photographs. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://realismdrawing.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

TatToolkit3 screens
Grid Drawing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Grid Drawing at 94% against TatToolkit's 50%. Grid Drawing also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). TatToolkit's advantage is ads (none vs 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TatToolkit sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month and Grid Drawing sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Grid Drawing holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Grid Drawing has 123 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of TatToolkit's written reviews are positive against 94% of Grid Drawing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TatToolkit ships an update every 2 days, Grid Drawing daily. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
TatToolkit versus Grid Drawing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTatToolkitGrid Drawing
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (123 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews93.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3123 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#149 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.715.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size224 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan HolbertDylan Eakin

Customer experience

TatToolkit

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

Grid Drawing

All ratings123 ratings
Positive99.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TatToolkit

Subscriptions1
  • TatToolkit Standard Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
10 purchases

Grid Drawing

One-time10
  • Eye II$0.99
  • Texture Practice II$0.99
  • Refraction$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Self Portrait 2022$0.99
  • Moths to a Flame$0.99
  • You Are Not Lost$0.99
  • A Soul to Take$0.99
  • Father$0.99
  • Impact$0.99
  • Remove Ads$8.99

Questions

Is TatToolkit free?
TatToolkit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Grid Drawing free?
Grid Drawing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TatToolkit or Grid Drawing?
Grid Drawing is rated higher. TatToolkit averages 3.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Grid Drawing averages 5.0 from 123 ratings.
Do TatToolkit or Grid Drawing have ads?
Grid Drawing shows ads; TatToolkit does not.
Which is updated more often, TatToolkit or Grid Drawing?
TatToolkit ships an update every 2 days, and Grid Drawing daily. Most recently, TatToolkit was updated on October 24, 2026 and Grid Drawing on November 1, 2026.

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