Comparison

Painter's Tools vs ThiColor

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Painter's Tools

Features
Read full description

Paint what you see, not what you think you see. Painter's Tools turns any reference photo into a value study, a mixing recipe and a measured drawing guide, built for oil, acrylic, watercolor and gouache painters. Tap any color in your reference and get a recipe from the paints on your own palette. Squint at the big shapes. Check your drawing against the photo. All in one calm, focused studio. VALUES • Switch to a pure value view to judge light and dark without color in the way • Push the contrast to separate close values SHAPES • Simplify any scene into 2 to 8 flat value groups for a quick notan or value study • See the big masses to block in first COLOR MIXING • Tap any spot for a mixing recipe made only from the paints you own • Compare the target color with the predicted mix and see how close it is • Hold to magnify and sample exactly the spot you want • Build your palette from 12 classic pigments, including titanium white, cadmium red, ultramarine blue and burnt sienna COMPARE • Photograph your painting and overlay it on the reference • Blend between them, or hold to flash back and forth, and drawing errors jump out MEASURE AND GRID • Set your canvas size and measure any distance in inches or centimeters • Lay a transfer grid by count or spacing that matches the one on your canvas CROP TO YOUR CANVAS • Crop your reference to standard canvas sizes from 8×10 to 24×36, portrait or landscape, or any custom size BUILT FOR THE STUDIO • A dark, neutral interface that won't skew how you judge color • Designed for iPhone and iPad • No account, no ads. Your photos never leave your device. Whether you paint plein air or in the studio, Painter's Tools helps you get values, color and proportions right before the paint goes on.

About

ThiColor

Capture any color from your surroundings or photos and instantly receive a precise paint recipe. This tool breaks down colors into specific pigments and ratios, offering a step-by-step AI guide for recreating images through painting.

Highlights
  • Color snapping from camera or photos
  • Paint pigment and ratio generation
  • Save favorite colors to palette
  • AI-powered 3-step painting guides
  • Color breakdown for image recreation
Features
Read full description

ThiColor — translate any color into a paint recipe. Spot a color you love? Snap it, and ThiColor breaks it down into the exact pigments and ratios you need to mix it. [Color Palette] Snap any color Use the camera or pick a photo. ThiColor extracts the dominant colors and gives you a paint recipe for each — what to mix, in what ratio. Save favorites to your palette. [AI Breakdown] New in 1.5 Upload a reference photo and our AI turns it into a 3-step painting guide. Each step shows the new colors introduced and which paints to mix. Follow along to recreate the original. — — — — — — Terms of Use https://thecolor.unapod.com/terms Privacy Policy https://thecolor.unapod.com/privacy

Screenshots

Painter's Tools4 screens
ThiColor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ThiColor at Free against Painter's Tools's $4.99. ThiColor also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months). Painter's Tools's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and chart position (#40 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ThiColor is free to download; Painter's Tools costs $4.99 up front. ThiColor sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Painter's Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Painter's Tools ships an update every 4 months, ThiColor every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Painter's Tools versus ThiColor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPainter's ToolsThiColor
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#40 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRobert Rolinshiflow Ltd.

In-app purchases

None

Painter's Tools

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

ThiColor

Subscriptions6
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Basic monthly$8.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly$18.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Yearly$24.991 Year
  • 年度基础会员$89.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly$189.991 Year

Questions

Is Painter's Tools free?
Painter's Tools costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ThiColor free?
ThiColor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Painter's Tools or ThiColor have ads?
Neither Painter's Tools nor ThiColor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Painter's Tools or ThiColor?
Painter's Tools ships an update every 4 months, and ThiColor every 5 days. Most recently, Painter's Tools was updated on October 31, 2026 and ThiColor on October 31, 2026.

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