Comparison

YaYDraw vs Photorealism

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

Head to head
About

YaYDraw

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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a practical drawing companion. YaYDraw helps drawing enthusiasts place a reference image over the live camera view, adjust it to fit the page, keep it locked while drawing, and return to an unfinished artwork after moving the phone. You can also import your own photos, explore built-in references, and scan finished artwork into a clean digital copy. DRAW AT A COMFORTABLE ANGLE • Position the phone between you and the paper • The phone does not need to be perfectly vertical above the canvas • Adjust the reference to match the page from your working angle FIT, ADJUST, AND LOCK • Move, rotate, and scale the reference image • Adjust opacity, brightness, grid, and line-art tools • Lock the reference to prevent accidental movement while drawing PAUSE AND CONTINUE LATER • Before moving the phone, tap the photo button to save a local recovery point • When you return, first align the reference manually with the lines already on the paper • If a small difference remains, use Fine-Tune for a final correction • Recovery information stays on your device USE YOUR OWN REFERENCES • Import from Photos or Files • Take a new photo and use it as a drawing reference • Browse the built-in reference gallery SCAN FINISHED ARTWORK • Capture drawings and paintings directly in the app • Detect artwork edges and correct perspective • Crop the surrounding background • Choose from 10 frame styles, or keep the scan unframed • Add an optional personal signature, created in Settings by drawing or importing one • Adjust the signature’s position, size, and angle before saving • Save a framed image and optionally save the original corrected scan to Photos SUBSCRIPTION YaYDraw requires an auto-renewable subscription after the introductory trial. Monthly and yearly options unlock all app features. Payment is charged to your Apple ID after confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID subscription settings. Privacy Policy: https://yaydraw.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://yaydraw.app/terms

About

Photorealism

This drawing app helps artists create photorealistic artwork by using a custom grid and layer separation on reference images. Track progress, compare your work to the original, and identify errors to improve your drawing accuracy.

Highlights
  • Upload reference images
  • Apply custom grids
  • Separate reference into layers
  • Track drawing progress
  • Compare drawing to photograph
  • Mark errors
Features
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Designed entirely by photorealist Dylan Eakin, Photorealism Studio is a comprehensive drawing app that gives you the ability to upload a reference, apply a custom grid, and separate the reference into its essential layers. Keep track of how many squares you've finished, effortlessly compare your drawing against the photograph, mark errors, and more. The all-in-one drawing tool to make your own photographs. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://realismdrawing.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

YaYDraw4 screens
Photorealism4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: YaYDraw at none against Photorealism's shown. Photorealism's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. YaYDraw sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Photorealism sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

YaYDraw ships an update every 3 days, Photorealism every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
YaYDraw versus Photorealism: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYaYDrawPhotorealism
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.9 (76 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—88.2% of reviews
Number of ratings—76 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZentura Labs LLCDylan Eakin

In-app purchases

2 purchases

YaYDraw

Subscriptions2
  • YaYDraw Premium Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • YaYDraw Premium Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year
1 purchases

Photorealism

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$9.99

Questions

Is YaYDraw free?
YaYDraw is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Photorealism free?
Photorealism is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do YaYDraw or Photorealism have ads?
Photorealism shows ads; YaYDraw does not.
Which is updated more often, YaYDraw or Photorealism?
YaYDraw ships an update every 3 days, and Photorealism every 4 days. Most recently, YaYDraw was updated on October 6, 2026 and Photorealism on October 18, 2026.

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