Comparison

Proref vs SceneRef

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

Head to head
About

Proref

Features
Read full description

Proref is where your references live while you draw β€” and where the finished piece goes afterwards. GATHER YOUR REFERENCES Drop everything you're looking at onto one huge canvas and arrange it into a board. Import from Photos, your camera, Files, a web link, the share sheet, or by dragging straight in from Safari. Zoom from 2% to 25,600%, so the board grows with the project. WORK BESIDE THEM Proref is built for Split View: your references on one side, your drawing app on the other. Sketch and annotate over them with Apple Pencil, with pressure. Tune brightness, contrast and saturation, or crop non-destructively β€” the original is always recoverable. A minimap shows where you are, and saved views jump you back to any spot in one tap. KEEP THE PIECE, AND THE LESSON When something's finished, keep it. Attach a piece to the board it came from, open it full screen, and see everything you've made on a dated timeline β€” as a gallery to swipe or a list to scan. Note what worked and what didn't while it's fresh, star the things to carry forward, and those notes sit in a pane on the board while you draw the next one. If you'd rather Proref stayed purely a reference app, turn the art journey off in Settings and it does. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT No accounts. No sign-in. No server. No tracking, no analytics, no ads. Your boards, your artworks and your critique notes stay on your device. FREE, WITH A ONE-TIME UNLOCK Proref is free to use with 2 boards, 10 images per board, 3 saved views, 5 finished artworks, and 3 focused critique notes per piece. Proref Pro removes those limits and unlocks every feature β€” a single one-time purchase, not a subscription. Buy it once and restore it on your other devices.

About

SceneRef

Features
Read full description

SceneRef works with iPad Split View and multiple windows as the ideal companion for Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, and other drawing and animation appsβ€”freeing your reference images from stacked layers, organizing them clearly on an infinite canvas, and keeping inspiration and efficiency within reach wherever you create. HIGHLIGHTS - Perfect companion: Work side by side with Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, and other creative apps using iPad Split View and multiple windows - Infinite canvas: Smart caching and image management keep vast libraries saved and scrolling smoothly - Multi-select batch tools: One-tap auto-fit, smart layout, and unified sizing make copying and aligning effortless - Professional workflow: Full keyboard shortcut mapping for faster everyday actions - Flexible import: Clipboard, Photos, folders, camera, and drag-and-dropβ€”grab what you need, when you need it - Web drag-and-drop: Drag images in directly from Pinterest, Pixiv, and other popular image sites - Flexible export: Export scenes or image groups for easy sharing and delivery - View / Lock / Edit modes so browsing and editing never get in each other's way - Grid and list views for file management, with multiple sort options - Smooth zoom and pan to inspect every detail - A clean, intuitive interface so you can stay focused on creating Professional Reference Tools - Rotate, crop, desaturate, flip vertical/horizontal, opacity, layering, and scaleβ€”a complete set of adjustments - Live color picker: Sample any color on the canvas in real time and get common color codes - Magnetic guides: Alignment hints and smart snapping for more precise layouts - After multi-select, quickly align and distribute from the top-right corner for faster batch organization - Brush annotations and highlight circles to communicate more clearly - Styled text: A rich set of fonts and styles for notes, titles, and labels Video & GIF - Play MP4 and extract 4K stills for storyboards, covers, and video references - One-tap GIF frame-by-frame breakdown so animation details are crystal clear Thanks for reading. Contact us: Email: scenereftech@163.com

Screenshots

Proref4 screens
SceneRef3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SceneRef at none against Proref's 1. SceneRef also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Proref ships an update every 9 days, SceneRef every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Proref versus SceneRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProrefSceneRef
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 3 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 β€” better15.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size45 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn Oliver Atienza文荣 李

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Proref

One-time1
  • Proref Pro$7.99
None

SceneRef

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Proref free?
Proref is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SceneRef free?
SceneRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Proref or SceneRef have ads?
Neither Proref nor SceneRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Proref or SceneRef?
Proref ships an update every 9 days, and SceneRef every 3 days. Most recently, Proref was updated on November 6, 2026 and SceneRef on November 6, 2026.

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