# Art Reference vs PG Artist's Block

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PG Artist's Block at none against Art Reference's 1. PG Artist's Block also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). Art Reference's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Art Reference sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PG Artist's Block asks for nothing beyond the download.

Art Reference ships an update every 2 weeks, PG Artist's Block weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Art Reference | PG Artist's Block |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-reference-easel-assistant/id6752580673/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 172 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gil Osborne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135987694) | [Celtic Wards, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1219544143) |

## 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 | $9.99 | one-time |


### PG Artist's Block

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pg-artists-block/id6755746354)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Art Reference free?

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

### Is PG Artist's Block free?

PG Artist's Block is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Art Reference or PG Artist's Block have ads?

PG Artist's Block shows ads; Art Reference does not.

### Which is updated more often, Art Reference or PG Artist's Block?

Art Reference ships an update every 2 weeks, and PG Artist's Block weekly. Most recently, Art Reference was updated on October 27, 2026 and PG Artist's Block on October 11, 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.*