Comparison

Simple Sketchbook vs CanvasPrism

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

Head to head
About

Simple Sketchbook

A digital sketchbook designed for intuitive drawing on iPad and iPhone. Offers a clean, distraction-free interface with features like layers, custom paper styles, and easy export options for your creations. Includes private voice note transcription for process reflection.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free drawing interface
  • Multiple layers with opacity and blend modes
  • Customizable paper styles (lined, grid, dotted)
  • High-resolution PNG and PDF export
  • Timelapse video generation of drawing process
  • On-device voice note transcription
  • Face ID/Touch ID sketchbook locking
Features
Read full description

App Description Simple Sketchbook is a distraction-free sketchbook for iPad, designed around the Apple Pencil but will also work with your finger. No subscription. No social features. Just a clean, fast place to draw. Create as many sketchbooks as you like, each with its own paper style — blank, lined, grid, dotted, or a range of specialty templates. Every sketchbook fills your screen edge to edge, and the canvas stays fixed in space when you rotate your iPad, so your drawing never moves out from under your hand. There is no zoom by design on iPad (iPhone users can double-tap to zoom), just a regular sketchbook page in digital space. Layers, done simply Each page supports multiple layers with individual opacity, blend mode, and visibility controls. Bring in photos from your library or drag and drop images directly onto the canvas to use as reference or compose with your work. Reposition, scale, and rotate images freely before committing them to the page. Export your work Export any page as a high-resolution PNG — with or without the background — or export an entire sketchbook as a PDF. Generate a timelapse video of your drawing process, perfect for sharing how a piece came together. Your sketchbooks, backed up Back up any sketchbook to a single file and restore it on any of your iPads. Backups scale automatically to fit the screen, so moving from an iPad mini to an iPad Pro keeps everything looking right. Lock individual sketchbooks with Face ID or Touch ID. Simple Sketchbook is a distraction-free drawing notebook for iPad and iPhone, built for the feel of putting pencil to paper, with just enough digital magic to make every page more useful than a physical one. Draw naturally A slim, always-out-of-the-way tool strip puts your pen, sizes, opacity and colours one tap away, no picker popovers, no hunting through menus. Double-tap or squeeze your Apple Pencil to switch tools instantly, or rest two fingers on the page to pull up the full tool grid without ever putting your pencil down. Layer it up Sketch, ink, and shade on separate layers. Drop in a photo and arrange it (move, scale, rotate) right on the canvas. Add a storyboard frame template for comic panels and animatics. Blend, reorder, and merge layers exactly like a design tool, but built for a sketchbook workflow. Paper that feels right Choose plain, lined, grid, dotted, or textured paper for every notebook, whatever the page is for, to structured notes. Watch your drawing come to life Every stroke is quietly recorded as you draw. Export a timelapse video of any page, or a whole run of pages, and watch a sketch build itself from first line to finished piece. Say what you're thinking Record a voice reflection on any page, your process, your intent, what you'd change next time, and Simple Sketchbook transcribes it on-device, completely privately. Reflections play back alongside your timelapse, or export as Markdown for a portfolio or journal. Yours, and only yours Lock any notebook with Face ID or Touch ID. Back up and restore your entire sketchbook library whenever you like. Nothing leaves your device unless you choose to share it. Whether you're a student building a visual journal, an artist studying your own process, or just someone who likes to draw — Simple Sketchbook gets out of your way and lets the page do the work.

About

CanvasPrism

A private, offline whiteboard app for drawing, sketching, and creating diagrams. It offers an infinite canvas, shape libraries, and Apple Pencil support, with options for iCloud sync. Your creations are stored securely on your device.

Highlights
  • Infinite canvas for freehand sketching
  • Smart shape connectors for diagrams
  • Component libraries and templates
  • Apple Pencil support with gestures
  • Customizable themes and backgrounds
  • Export to PNG, PDF, SVG
  • Optional iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

CanvasPrism is a fully offline, private whiteboard for iPhone and iPad. Everything you create is stored right on your device. There's no account, no sign-up, and no internet connection required to draw, sketch, or edit. Your ideas stay yours. Open a blank board and start working in seconds. • Infinite canvas for freehand sketching with shapes, arrows, lines, and text • Build flowcharts, mind maps, and wireframes using smart shape connectors • Ready-made component libraries and templates to start fast • Apple Pencil support on iPad with native double-tap and squeeze gestures for a natural, hand-drawn feel • Customize with 100+ bundled fonts, color themes, and background styles • Set dark or light appearance per board for full control over every canvas • Export to PNG, PDF, or SVG with an optional transparent background • Open and import .excalidraw and .excalidrawlib files • Share your work straight to Photos or Files Want your boards on every device? Turn on optional iCloud sync to keep your iPhone and iPad in step. Sync is conflict-safe: if a board is edited in two places at once, CanvasPrism keeps an automatic copy so nothing is ever lost. Leave it off and CanvasPrism stays completely offline and on-device. CanvasPrism is built on the open-source Excalidraw engine, running natively in the app for a fast, responsive drawing experience. CanvasPrism is is completely free with no ads, no tracking and no account. Just a clean, capable whiteboard that's ready whenever inspiration strikes. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Simple Sketchbook2 screens
CanvasPrism4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: CanvasPrism at Free against Simple Sketchbook's $1.99. CanvasPrism also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and update cadence (daily vs every 10 days). Simple Sketchbook's advantage is chart position (#81 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

CanvasPrism is free to download; Simple Sketchbook costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CanvasPrism holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 6 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Sketchbook ships an update every 10 days, CanvasPrism daily. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Simple Sketchbook versus CanvasPrism: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple SketchbookCanvasPrism
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (3 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings36 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#81 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB195 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDuncan PollockLife Utility Apps, LLC

Customer experience

Simple Sketchbook

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

CanvasPrism

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Simple Sketchbook

No in-app purchases

None

CanvasPrism

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Sketchbook free?
Simple Sketchbook costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is CanvasPrism free?
CanvasPrism is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Sketchbook or CanvasPrism?
CanvasPrism is rated higher. Simple Sketchbook averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while CanvasPrism averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Simple Sketchbook or CanvasPrism have ads?
Neither Simple Sketchbook nor CanvasPrism shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Sketchbook or CanvasPrism?
Simple Sketchbook ships an update every 10 days, and CanvasPrism daily. Most recently, Simple Sketchbook was updated on November 5, 2026 and CanvasPrism on October 31, 2026.

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