# Art Reference vs Atelier

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Atelier at none against Art Reference's 1. Atelier also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks) and ratings volume (16 vs 4). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Art Reference sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Atelier asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Art Reference against 4.7 for Atelier. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 16 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Art Reference ships an update every 2 weeks, Atelier every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Art Reference | Atelier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-reference-easel-assistant/id6752580673/reviews)** | [4.7 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atelier-art-grid/id6755917738/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 172 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gil Osborne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135987694) | [Reuven Levitt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1857272331) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Atelier

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atelier-art-grid/id6755917738)

This tool helps artists draw and paint with accuracy by providing reference analysis and construction aids. It offers features like head construction overlays, proportion measurement, and color analysis to support traditional and digital art workflows.

**Highlights:** Loomis head construction overlay, Measurement and proportion tools, Color and value analysis, Grid system for scaling, Canvas presets, Layer visibility control

**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 Atelier free?

Atelier is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Art Reference is rated higher. Art Reference averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Atelier averages 4.7 from 16 ratings.

### Do Art Reference or Atelier have ads?

Neither Art Reference nor Atelier shows ads.

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

Art Reference ships an update every 2 weeks, and Atelier every 5 days. Most recently, Art Reference was updated on November 5, 2026 and Atelier on November 5, 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.*