Shape Sketch vs Pochade
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Shape Sketch
Read full descriptionHide full description
Designed specifically for artists, illustrators, and art enthusiasts to help you master the art of shape simplification. Shape Sketch instantly transforms complex scenes into clear value structure diagrams, allowing you to observe how light influences form definition and enhance your painting and compositional reference skills. Core Features: β Generate 2-5 step Notan compositions in real-time from camera preview with customizable colors β‘ Import and analyze images from your photo library β’ Customize precise threshold ranges and apply coloring to individual value levels β£ Desaturation and horizontal flip functions to assist compositional observation β€ Intuitive professional interface, and all processes completed offline on your device Use Cases: β Composition studies and value planning before painting β‘ Shape analysis tool for visual art education β’ Reference for painting material collection, photography framing, and composition Support Email: hi@fuercat.com
Pochade
Read full descriptionHide full description
**Pochade is free to try with included sample images. Unlock importing your own photos with a single one-time purchase of $9.99. No subscription, no ads, yours forever.** Pochade is a focused reference prep app for painters. Import a photo, study its values, compose your framing, and plan your grid β all before brush hits canvas. No AI generation. No social features. No clutter. Just the reference tools painters actually need, designed for iPad. STUDY VALUES WITH CLARITY The hardest part of painting from a photo is seeing the value structure. Pochade simplifies your reference into 2β9 tonal steps so you can map out your lights and darks before you start mixing paint. A live luminance histogram shows your overall tonal distribution. Select any value bucket to isolate it with a mask overlay, making it easy to see exactly where each tone falls in your composition. COMPOSE YOUR FRAMING Crop non-destructively with preset aspect ratios (1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 5:4) or use the original framing. Your source image is never altered β adjust your composition as many times as you need. OVERLAY A PLANNING GRID Add a customizable grid overlay to plan your drawing transfer. Choose your row and column count (2β12 each), pick a color that reads well against your image, and adjust line thickness. The grid respects your crop, so what you see is what you'll paint. TOGGLE GRAYSCALE Switch to grayscale to strip away color and focus purely on value relationships β the foundation of every strong painting. BUILT FOR HOW PAINTERS WORK Your sessions save automatically as you adjust tools. Come back tomorrow or next week and pick up right where you left off. Undo and redo are built in, up to 50 steps deep. A session library keeps your references organized with thumbnail previews and tool state badges so you can see at a glance what you've done with each image. Zen mode hides all controls so you can evaluate your reference without distraction. Pan, zoom, and rotate to inspect details. BUILT NATIVELY FOR iPAD AND iPHONE Pochade is built natively for iPad and iPhone. Everything runs on-device. Your photos and sessions stay on your iPad, nothing is uploaded anywhere. Privacy Policy: [link] Terms of Use: [link]
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Pochade at every 2 weeks 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.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Shape Sketch sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pochade sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Shape Sketch ships an update every 9 months, Pochade every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shape Sketch | Pochade |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 2 weeks β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 β better | 26.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ε· δΈ | John Fowler |
In-app purchases
Shape Sketch
- Shape Sketch Pro$3.99
Pochade
- Pochade Pro$9.99









