# malmal vs DarkRef

The clearest difference is review sentiment: malmal at 100% against DarkRef's 25%. malmal also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.8) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). DarkRef's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. malmal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and DarkRef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

malmal holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of malmal's written reviews are positive against 25% of DarkRef's.

malmal ships an update every 6 days, DarkRef every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | malmal | DarkRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/malmal-draw-together/id6753188879/reviews)** | [2.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darkref-art-reference-board/id6757864307/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 65 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LUCAS MERLIN MEURER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698718136) | [Timothy Patrick Dommett](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869353422) |

## What reviewers say

### malmal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/malmal-draw-together/id6753188879)

Collaborate on digital art with friends and a global community. Explore endless canvases, customize brushes, and share your creations in a vibrant gallery. Connect with fellow artists and find inspiration in this creative space.

**Highlights:** Collaborative drawing, Endless digital canvases, Customizable brushes, In-app chat, Public and private drawing boards, Artwork gallery

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


### DarkRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darkref-art-reference-board/id6757864307)

Organize your visual inspiration with images, GIFs, and notes. This app offers a free, intuitive platform for artists to manage references across all devices, with optional cloud sync for seamless backup and access.

**Highlights:** Unlimited boards and images, Image and GIF support, Notes and annotations, Folder organization, Offline access, Cross-device sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sync Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Sync Annual | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is malmal free?

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

### Is DarkRef free?

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

### Which has better reviews, malmal or DarkRef?

malmal is rated higher. malmal averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while DarkRef averages 2.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do malmal or DarkRef have ads?

Neither malmal nor DarkRef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, malmal or DarkRef?

malmal ships an update every 6 days, and DarkRef every 3 weeks. Most recently, malmal was updated on October 9, 2026 and DarkRef on September 28, 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.*