TraceOverlay vs TraceLock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
TraceLock
Transform your device into a digital tracing lightbox. Import images, adjust them to fit your paper, and lock the screen to prevent accidental touches while you trace. Enjoy a focused, ad-free experience with on-device processing.
- Import images from Photos
- Convert images to sketch styles
- Scale, move, rotate, and mirror images
- Lock screen to prevent accidental touches
- Keep display awake and at full brightness
- Safe unlock by holding for two seconds
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a tracing lightbox: import an image, position it, lock the screen against accidental touches, place paper on top, and trace. TraceLock is intentionally focused. It solves one specific job with no account, no ads, and no cloud photo uploads. • Import an image from Photos • Convert it to sketch, outline, comic, black-and-white, or high contrast • Scale, move, rotate, and mirror it to fit your paper • Lock the canvas so paper and palms do not move the image • Keep the display awake and use full brightness while tracing • Hold for two seconds to unlock safely Photo processing happens on your device. TraceLock does not collect personal data. Try every feature with total peace of mind.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: TraceLock at free against TraceOverlay's free with in-app purchases. 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
Both are free to download. TraceOverlay sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TraceLock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for TraceOverlay against 5.0 for TraceLock. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
TraceOverlay ships an update every 2 weeks, TraceLock every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | TraceOverlay | TraceLock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ThoughtBubble Development, LLC | 帅 王 |
Customer experience
TraceOverlay
TraceLock
In-app purchases
TraceOverlay
- Unlock$6.99
TraceLock
- Lifetime Unlock$3.99









