Comparison

Drawing Grid Guide vs Studio Grid

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

Head to head
About

Drawing Grid Guide

Features
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Drawing Grid Guide Improve your drawing accuracy by overlaying a customisable grid onto any reference photo. Whether you're sketching portraits, landscapes, animals or still life, Drawing Grid Guide makes it easy to break complex subjects into manageable sections and achieve more accurate proportions. Designed for artists of all skill levels, the app provides a clean, distraction-free workspace that lets you focus on your artwork. Features โ€ข Import any photo from your photo library โ€ข Overlay an adjustable drawing grid โ€ข Choose grid sizes from 2ร—2 up to 20ร—20 โ€ข Customise grid line thickness โ€ข Adjust grid opacity โ€ข Choose from multiple grid colours โ€ข Optional row and column numbering โ€ข Pinch to zoom and reposition your reference image โ€ข Hide controls for an uncluttered drawing reference โ€ข Automatically remembers your preferred grid settings Perfect For โ€ข Portrait drawing โ€ข Figure drawing โ€ข Landscapes โ€ข Animals โ€ข Still life โ€ข Architecture โ€ข Traditional and digital artists Whether you're learning to draw or refining your technique, Drawing Grid Guide gives you a fast, simple way to create accurate reference grids whenever inspiration strikes. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Studio Grid

Features
Read full description

Studio Grid lays a grid over your reference photograph, matched to the paper on your desk, A5, A4, A3 or a size of your own, so every square on screen is a square you can rule. Your first three drawings include every tool, and you keep them for good. After that the grid, paper sizes and numbering stay free for as many drawings as you like, and a single payment unlocks Studio Grid Pro for life. No subscription, no ads, no account. WHY IT IS DIFFERENT Most grid apps put squares over a photo and stop there. Studio Grid starts from your paper. Tell it what you are drawing on and it works out the grid that actually fits, in whole squares if you want no awkward partial row along the edge. THE GRID - Squares across, set by you - Ink that picks itself to suit the photograph, six preset colors, or any color you like - Line thickness and opacity, so the grid sits under the image instead of shouting over it - Diagonals through every square, for placing an angle or a curve exactly - Subtle numbering on all four edges, so you can always name the square you are in SEEING IT BEFORE YOU DRAW IT - Black and white, to judge tone without color arguing with you - Three, five or seven value bands, so the shapes of the tones become obvious - Skin warmth, which lifts warm skin off a cool background that plain gray flattens DRAWING FROM IT - Drawing view puts the reference full screen with the numbers pinned to the edges, and zooms to 6x for detail, without ever moving your crop - Save the gridded reference to Photos, or share it to print or AirDrop at full resolution MADE BY SOMEONE WHO USES IT I am a pencil portrait artist. I built this because the grid apps I tried were built for phones rather than for paper, and because I wanted the reference to stop shifting every time I touched the screen. Everything in here earns its place in my own drawings first. YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS STAY YOURS No account. No sign up. No analytics. Nothing is collected and nothing leaves your device. Your original photograph is never altered: the grid is an overlay, and exporting writes a new image. STUDIO GRID PRO One payment, for good, including future updates. It unlocks diagonals, drawing view, saving and sharing, value bands, skin warmth and any grid color. Family Sharing is on, so your household is covered by the one payment. Your first three drawings keep every tool whether you buy Pro or not. Nothing you have been given is ever taken away.

Screenshots

Drawing Grid Guide4 screens
Studio Grid4 screens

Verdict

The call

Drawing Grid Guide and Studio Grid are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters โ€” price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Both are free to download. Drawing Grid Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Studio Grid sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drawing Grid Guide ships an update every 10 days, Studio Grid every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Drawing Grid Guide versus Studio Grid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrawing Grid GuideStudio Grid
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 5 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size4 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWarren PetersPAUL DAVIES

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Drawing Grid Guide

One-time1
  • DrawingGridGuide Pro Unlock$2.99
1 purchases

Studio Grid

One-time1
  • Studio Grid Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Drawing Grid Guide free?
Drawing Grid Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Studio Grid free?
Studio Grid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Drawing Grid Guide or Studio Grid have ads?
Neither Drawing Grid Guide nor Studio Grid shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drawing Grid Guide or Studio Grid?
Drawing Grid Guide ships an update every 10 days, and Studio Grid every 5 days. Most recently, Drawing Grid Guide was updated on November 6, 2026 and Studio Grid on November 6, 2026.

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