Comparison

Mono Lab vs Sketch Clean

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

Head to head
About

Mono Lab

Explore creative image manipulation with a focus on black and white effects. This app offers a wide range of tools for distortion, texture, and structural changes, allowing for unique artistic experimentation.

Highlights
  • 129 black and white filters
  • Sensor-based filters controlled by device movement
  • 12 dimensional surfaces and 13 lenses for 3D distortion
  • Interactive filters responding to touch
  • Raster and vector output options
  • Save directly to Files
Features
Read full description

Mono Lab is designed for exploring the unexpected. Experiment with images in black and white. From subtle relief to structural collapse, topology drift, mesh warps, fracture effects, misregistration, and controlled instability, every tool is built for focused experimentation. Responsive. Direct. Tactile. // Interactive Filters (X) Distortion that responds to you. Shift the image through movement and contact. Tilt to bend structure. Rotate to redirect tension. Touch to anchor, drag to stretch, hold to resist. Each gesture leaves a trace. Each motion reshapes the result. // 3D Surface Mode A dimensional approach to distortion. Map images across 12 surfaces and interpret them through 13 lenses. Adjust depth. Refine spatial tension. Each surface behaves differently. Each lens reshapes the outcome. Monochromatic. Structure, tone, dimension, possibility. What You Can Do • 158 filters for black and white distortion • Touch and motion control transformations • 12 surfaces. 13 lenses • Press, drag, and hold to reshape the image like a surface • Refine light, contrast, and structure • Warp topology and form • Collapse, fracture, and distort • Create raster and vector outputs • Build layered misregistrations • Adjust pressure, grain, and tone • Stack transformations • Save your favorite filters to the Index • Save directly to Files Mono Lab is for designers, artists, photographers, illustrators, and visual experimenters working in black and white.

About

Sketch Clean

Transform your paper sketches into clean, transparent line art for digital use. This app automatically detects pages, corrects perspective, and removes paper tint and shadows, making your drawings ready for coloring or lettering in other art applications.

Highlights
  • Transparent PNG export
  • Automatic page detection
  • Perspective correction
  • Shadow and tint removal
  • Sensitivity adjustment
  • Offline processing
Features
Read full description

Turn notebook sketches into crisp line art on a transparent background — ready for colour, lettering, or finishing in your favourite art app. No more grey paper texture or smudged pencil fill: Sketch Clean isolates your lines so you can work digitally without redrawing from scratch. Private by design: processing stays on your device — no upload, no account, no analytics. HOW IT WORKS - Photograph your sketch or pick one from your photo library - Sketch Clean detects the page, corrects perspective, and removes paper tint and shadows - Your clean line art is ready on a transparent background in seconds FEATURES - Transparent PNG export — lines on alpha, ready to layer in Procreate, Clip Studio, Photoshop, or any digital art tool - "On White" export — share a white-background version that looks great anywhere - Automatic page detection and perspective correction — no manual cropping needed - Shadow and tint removal — handles yellowed paper, uneven lighting, and pencil smudge - Sensitivity slider — keep faint construction lines or capture only bold strokes - Preserve tones toggle — retain subtle pencil graduation or output pure black lines - Before/after comparison slider — drag to see the difference - Share directly to other apps via the iOS share sheet COMPLETELY OFFLINE Every step of processing happens on your iPhone or iPad. Your sketches are never uploaded anywhere. No internet connection required. ONE PRICE, NO SURPRISES Sketch Clean is a one-time purchase. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no ads. Pay once, use forever. PERFECT FOR - Traditional artists digitising pencil or ink drawings - Illustrators preparing line art for digital colouring - Comic and manga hobbyists cleaning up hand-drawn panels - Letterers extracting hand-drawn type - Anyone who sketches on paper and finishes digitally PRIVACY Sketch Clean collects no data. No analytics, no tracking, no accounts. Your artwork stays on your device.

Screenshots

Mono Lab4 screens
Sketch Clean4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mono Lab at 94% against Sketch Clean's 50%. Mono Lab also leads on chart position (#4 vs #21). Sketch Clean's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and price ($0.99 vs $4.99). On ads, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement 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

Mono Lab costs $4.99 and Sketch Clean $0.99 up front. Mono Lab sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Sketch Clean asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Mono Lab versus Sketch Clean: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMono LabSketch Clean
Price$4.99$0.99 — better
Rating5.0 (22 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews94.4% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#4 — better#21
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInner CircleRobert Katona

Customer experience

Mono Lab

All ratings21 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive94.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.6%

Sketch Clean

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Mono Lab

One-time4
  • Pheno Set$1.99
  • Print Set$1.99
  • ASCII Set$1.99
Show 1 more
  • Dither Set$1.99
None

Sketch Clean

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mono Lab free?
Mono Lab costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Sketch Clean free?
Sketch Clean costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Mono Lab or Sketch Clean have ads?
Neither Mono Lab nor Sketch Clean shows ads.
Which is more popular, Mono Lab or Sketch Clean?
Mono Lab currently peaks at #4 in the App Store charts, and Sketch Clean at #21. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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