# Art Reference vs Shape Sketch

The clearest difference is update cadence: Art Reference at every 11 days against Shape Sketch's every 9 months. Shape Sketch's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Art Reference sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shape Sketch sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Art Reference ships an update every 11 days, Shape Sketch every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Art Reference | Shape Sketch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-reference-easel-assistant/id6752580673/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 182 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gil Osborne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135987694) | [川 丁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852666309) |

## What reviewers say

### Art Reference

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

This app provides digital reference tools for traditional artists working with physical media. It offers features like value studies, gridlines, side-by-side comparison, and composition adjustments to aid in creating accurate and balanced artwork.

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

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Full Access | $14.99 | one-time |


### Shape Sketch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shape-sketch/id6755219454)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shape Sketch Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Art Reference free?

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

### Is Shape Sketch free?

Shape Sketch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Art Reference or Shape Sketch have ads?

Neither Art Reference nor Shape Sketch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Art Reference or Shape Sketch?

Art Reference ships an update every 11 days, and Shape Sketch every 9 months. Most recently, Art Reference was updated on September 9, 2026 and Shape Sketch on September 16, 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.*