# Art Reference vs Canvas Critic

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Canvas Critic at 15.0 against Art Reference's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Art Reference sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Canvas Critic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Art Reference ships an update every 2 weeks, Canvas Critic every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Art Reference | Canvas Critic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 172 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gil Osborne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135987694) | [Zuma-Land SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/595406190) |

## 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 |


### Canvas Critic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canvas-critic/id6759806174)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Canvas Critic Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Canvas Critic Pro (Yearly) | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Art Reference free?

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

### Is Canvas Critic free?

Canvas Critic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Art Reference or Canvas Critic have ads?

Neither Art Reference nor Canvas Critic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Art Reference or Canvas Critic?

Art Reference ships an update every 2 weeks, and Canvas Critic every 6 days. Most recently, Art Reference was updated on October 27, 2026 and Canvas Critic on October 14, 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.*