Comparison

Ghost Canvas vs Drawing Projector

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

Head to head
About

Ghost Canvas

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Ghost Canvas turns your iPhone or iPad into a tracing projector (a digital camera lucida). Pick any photo, see it floating over the live camera view, line it up with your paper โ€” and draw. HOW IT WORKS โ€ข Import a reference photo from your library, camera or recent shots โ€ข Adjust opacity, position, scale and rotation with simple gestures โ€ข Lock it in place and start tracing what you see on screen TOOLS THAT MAKE TRACING EASY โ€ข Outline mode โ€” turn any photo into clean contour lines (two engines: fast vector contours and high-quality FDoG line drawing) โ€ข Monochrome and posterize filters to simplify busy references โ€ข Line color adapts automatically to how bright your paper is โ€ข Grid overlay for classic grid-method drawing โ€ข Strobe mode briefly hides the overlay so you can check your marks KEEP IT STEADY โ€ข AR anchoring pins the reference to your table or canvas, so it stays put even when you move your device โ€ข Corner pinning with perspective correction for drawing at an angle CAPTURE YOUR PROCESS โ€ข Record a timelapse of your drawing session and share it as a video YOUR WORK, EVERYWHERE โ€ข Projects with automatic iCloud sync across your devices โ€ข Time-spent tracking for every project Ghost Canvas is a one-time purchase. No subscriptions, no ads, no account. Your photos never leave your device (iCloud sync stores them in your private iCloud, which only you can access).

About

Drawing Projector

Transform photos into traceable line art and project them onto paper using your device's camera. This app acts as a portable drawing projector, allowing you to trace images stroke by stroke with a real pencil. Features include opacity controls, a built-in template library, and timelapse recording of your drawing process.

Highlights
  • Camera lightbox overlay
  • Opacity and lock controls
  • Photo to line art conversion
  • Built-in template library
  • Timelapse recording
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Turn any photo or template into traceable line art โ€” then project it live through your camera onto paper and trace with a real pencil. Drawing Projector: AR Trace converts your image to clean edge art on-device (no internet required), then overlays it semi-transparent over your live camera feed. Position your phone above the paper, adjust opacity, lock the frame, and trace stroke by stroke โ€” just like a classic drawing projector, right from your pocket. CORE FEATURES โ€ข Camera lightbox overlay โ€” project any image as transparent line art onto paper โ€ข Opacity & lock controls โ€” dial in the perfect trace opacity, freeze the frame while you draw โ€ข Flashlight & grid โ€” illuminate your paper and keep proportions true โ€ข Photo to line art โ€” convert any photo to traceable edges, entirely on-device โ€ข Built-in template library โ€” anime characters, animals, flowers, and more to start instantly โ€ข Timelapse recording โ€” every tracing session is captured frame-by-frame; export your draw-with-me video and share it โ€ข Daily draw streak โ€” build a habit with a streak counter and local reminder each day โ€ข Progress gallery โ€” before/after view of every finished project WORKS OFFLINE Import, convert, trace, and export your entire session in Airplane Mode. All processing is on-device. Creative tracing aid โ€” camera lightbox for drawing. See Settings โ†’ Legal for full disclaimer. EULA - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Ghost Canvas4 screens
Drawing Projector4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Drawing Projector at Free against Ghost Canvas's $2.99. Drawing Projector also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Ghost Canvas's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Drawing Projector is free to download; Ghost Canvas costs $2.99 up front. Drawing Projector sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Ghost Canvas asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ghost Canvas ships an update weekly, Drawing Projector fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences ยท 3 level
Ghost Canvas versus Drawing Projector: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGhost CanvasDrawing Projector
Price$2.99Free โ€” better
Positive reviewsโ€”0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyWeekly โ€” betterFortnightly
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
Monetizationโ€”Free with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#30 โ€” betterโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.016.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size12 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperforCandies s.r.o.TUSE TECH LLP

In-app purchases

None

Ghost Canvas

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Drawing Projector

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Premium3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual Premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Drawing Projector: Lifetime Access$9.99

Questions

Is Ghost Canvas free?
Ghost Canvas costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drawing Projector free?
Drawing Projector is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ghost Canvas or Drawing Projector have ads?
Drawing Projector shows ads; Ghost Canvas does not.
Which is updated more often, Ghost Canvas or Drawing Projector?
Ghost Canvas ships an update weekly, and Drawing Projector fortnightly. Most recently, Ghost Canvas was updated on November 10, 2026 and Drawing Projector on November 5, 2026.

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