Comparison

SketchGrid vs TraceOverlay

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

Head to head
About

SketchGrid

Transform any image into a drawing guide with customizable grids. This tool helps artists improve accuracy, proportions, and placement when drawing or painting from reference photos. Break down complex images into manageable sections for detailed artwork.

Highlights
  • Customizable drawing grids
  • Draw from reference images
  • Flexible image controls
  • Practice drawing/painting various subjects
  • Improve proportions and accuracy
  • Learn by doing
Features
Read full description

Turn any image into a drawing guide with SketchGrid. SketchGrid is a drawing tool for artists who want to improve proportions, placement, and accuracy when drawing or painting from a reference image. Import a photo, add a customizable grid, and use it as a guide while you draw. Break complex images into manageable sections, focus on individual details, and build your artwork one part at a time. Whether you're sketching a portrait, painting a landscape, drawing an animal, or practicing a new technique, SketchGrid gives you a simple way to work from your own reference images. FEATURES • CUSTOM DRAWING GRIDS Add a grid over your reference image to help with proportions, spacing, and placement. • DRAW FROM YOUR REFERENCE Use your reference image and grid as a guide while creating your drawing or painting. • FLEXIBLE IMAGE CONTROLS Zoom, move, resize, crop, and adjust your reference image to create the ideal drawing setup. • DRAWING & PAINTING PRACTICE Practice with your own photos and reference images: * Portraits * Animals * Landscapes * Objects * Characters * Still life * Illustrations • IMPROVE YOUR PROPORTIONS Use the grid method to compare sections of your reference and reproduce shapes and details more accurately. • LEARN BY DOING Whether you're a beginner learning to draw or an experienced artist practicing a new subject, SketchGrid helps you focus on the process instead of guessing at proportions. SketchGrid is made for artists, illustrators, painters, students, and anyone who wants to draw from reference images with greater accuracy. Choose your image. Set your grid. Start drawing.

About

TraceOverlay

Transform your device into a portable tracing lightbox. Overlay reference images onto your live camera view for drawing, painting, and lettering. Features precision tools and image adjustment for a clearer guide.

Highlights
  • AR tracing with live camera view
  • Move, scale, and rotate references
  • Adjust image and camera opacity
  • Alignment grid for proportions
  • Edge detection and image enhancement
  • Optional one-time unlock for personal imports
Features
Read full description

Trace images onto paper with the camera you already carry. TraceOverlay places a reference over your live camera view, turning your iPhone or iPad into a practical tracing lightbox for drawing, painting, lettering, murals, and art study. TRY THE INCLUDED DEMO TraceOverlay includes a Mona Lisa tracing demo so you can use the live camera and every precision tool without an account or purchase. TRACE WITH PRECISION • Move, scale, and rotate the reference over your drawing surface • Adjust image and camera opacity independently • Lock the layout to prevent accidental movement • Use the alignment grid to check proportions • Mirror a reference when needed • Hide the controls for a clean tracing view FIND THE LINES THAT MATTER Use edge detection, grayscale, contrast, brightness, saturation, and invert controls to create a clearer guide. UPGRADE FOR YOUR OWN REFERENCES The optional one-time Unlock upgrade adds personal photo import and a private on-device reference shelf. It is not a subscription and does not renew. The App Store shows the localized price before purchase. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Camera frames and selected reference images are processed on your device and are not uploaded to TraceOverlay. No TraceOverlay account is required. MADE FOR CREATIVE WORK TraceOverlay is designed for artists, illustrators, lettering practitioners, muralists, art students, and hobbyists who want a portable tracing aid without extra projection hardware. Open the included demo, frame your paper, and start tracing.

Screenshots

SketchGrid4 screens
TraceOverlay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SketchGrid at none against TraceOverlay's 1. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. TraceOverlay sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SketchGrid asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for SketchGrid against 5.0 for TraceOverlay. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SketchGrid ships an update fortnightly, TraceOverlay every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
SketchGrid versus TraceOverlay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSketchGridTraceOverlay
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRicardo MironThoughtBubble Development, LLC

Customer experience

SketchGrid

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

TraceOverlay

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SketchGrid

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

TraceOverlay

One-time1
  • Unlock$6.99

Questions

Is SketchGrid free?
SketchGrid is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TraceOverlay free?
TraceOverlay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SketchGrid or TraceOverlay?
SketchGrid and TraceOverlay are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do SketchGrid or TraceOverlay have ads?
Neither SketchGrid nor TraceOverlay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SketchGrid or TraceOverlay?
SketchGrid ships an update fortnightly, and TraceOverlay every 2 weeks. Most recently, SketchGrid was updated on October 31, 2026 and TraceOverlay on October 31, 2026.

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