# Art Toolbox vs Art Reference

The clearest difference is rating: Art Reference at 4.8 against Art Toolbox's 4.4. Art Reference also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%). Art Toolbox's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 4) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Art Toolbox sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month and Art Reference sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Art Reference holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Art Toolbox has 22 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Art Toolbox's written reviews are positive against 100% of Art Reference's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Art Toolbox | Art Reference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-toolbox-values-and-guides/id6745422815/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-reference-easel-assistant/id6752580673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 53 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wes Castain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527028692) | [Gil Osborne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135987694) |

## What reviewers say

### Art Toolbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-toolbox-values-and-guides/id6745422815)

This app helps artists of all levels improve their skills by mastering light, shadow, and form. It offers tools for simplifying complex subjects, ensuring accurate proportions, and composing visually engaging artwork.

**Highlights:** Master light and shadow, Simplify complex forms, Portrait simplification with grids, Proportions guide for lifelike portraits, Composition grids for balanced art, Tools for sketching and painting

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Art Toolkit Premium | $2.00 | per month |
| Art Toolkit Premium | $9.00 | per year |
| Art Toolkit Premium | $19.00 | one-time |


### Art Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-reference-easel-assistant/id6752580673)

This app provides traditional artists with digital tools to aid in physical art creation. Features include value studies, gridlines, side-by-side reference viewing, and curated project collections. It offers a clean, ad-free experience designed for painters and illustrators.

**Highlights:** Value study mode, Gridlines for sketching, Side-by-side reference/canvas view, Crop and frame tools, Curated project collections, Color harmony experimentation, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Full Access | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Art Toolbox free?

Art Toolbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Art Reference free?

Art Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Art Toolbox or Art Reference?

Art Reference is rated higher. Art Toolbox averages 4.4 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Art Reference averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Art Toolbox or Art Reference have ads?

Neither Art Toolbox nor Art Reference shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Art Toolbox or Art Reference?

Art Toolbox ships an update every 2 weeks, and Art Reference every 2 weeks. Most recently, Art Toolbox was updated on October 30, 2026 and Art Reference on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*