Comparison

Grid Maker vs Tracing Camera

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

Head to head
About

Grid Maker

Features
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Draw from photos with better proportions. Grid Maker adds an adjustable drawing grid to your reference so you can transfer shapes to paper, one square at a time. From a portrait sketch to a painting on canvas, break a complex image into smaller, easier-to-study sections. Keep your reference beside you while you draw. DRAWING TOOLS • Import your own image from Photos or Files, or capture a reference with the camera. • Adjust rows, columns, line color, thickness and opacity. Add and manage grid overlays. • Zoom into a cell, subdivide it for details and mark finished cells. Labels such as A1 help you keep your place. • Add freehand annotations, sample colors and use composition guides. • Save unlimited projects and share your reference as a PNG, with or without the grid. GO FURTHER WITH GRID MAKER PRO • Canvas Match: set paper or canvas dimensions and cell size to prepare a reference in the proportions you need. • Value Study: simplify light and dark areas before planning your shading. • WIP Compare: overlay a photo of your drawing on the reference to spot differences. • Perspective Correction: adjust an angled reference photo. • Projector Mode: display a full-screen grid on black, with an optional faint reference image. • Keep unlimited projects and export labeled PDFs for sharing or printing. YOUR FIRST DRAWING 1. Import a photo and choose a grid. 2. Draw a matching grid lightly on your paper. 3. Copy the shapes in each square, then refine the details. Image editing happens on your device. You can begin without creating an app account. Access to the drawing tools requires an in-app purchase. Available plans and prices are shown before purchase. Eligible users can start a 3-day free trial on the subscription shown in the app. After the trial, the subscription renews automatically at the displayed price unless cancelled. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Choose a photo and start your next drawing. Privacy Policy: https://app.notion.com/p/Privacy-Policy-for-Grid-Maker-Drawing-Reference-3e41e95b550680699ff9d4db53953ca0?source=copy_link Support & FAQ: https://app.notion.com/p/Grid-Maker-Drawing-Reference-Support-FAQ-3e41e95b5506809eba7bc559bde64a77?source=copy_link Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Tracing Camera

Features
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No ads, no account. Trace your own photos for free, start to finish. Tracing Camera shows your reference picture on top of the live camera view of your paper, so you can copy it with a pencil while watching the screen. It does not project light onto the paper — you look at the screen and draw on the paper underneath. No printed markers needed, ever. FREE, WITH NO LIMITS • Use your own photos (Photos, Files, paste, URL, or the share sheet) • Position lock. While locked, nothing moves — not a stray finger, not the focus, not a single pixel. Only a long press on the lock releases it • Scale in 1% steps and move in 1px steps, no pinching required • Setup guide: "You're at 22 cm. Raise the phone 10 cm more to fit all of A4." It also shows how to reach that height with things you already have, like glasses or books • Reference opacity, brightness and contrast, inverted view, and tap-to-lock focus • Save one reference (delete it to swap in another) UNLOCK WITH PRO • Tiles: split the picture into 2Ɨ2 or 3Ɨ3 and trace one section at a time — draw bigger than A4 • Unlimited saved references you can pick, reorder and delete • Grid and anchor marks: mark the same points on your paper and snap back if anything shifts • Outline-only view (smooth or detailed) YOUR FIRST DRAWING Choose a reference → place your device → trace. The screen shows only the next step. PRIVACY Camera images and references never leave your device. No tracking. Works on iPhone and iPad. ā–  Pricing and auto-renewal - Pro Monthly (3-day free trial) - Pro Yearly (3-day free trial) - Pro Lifetime: one payment for all of today's paid features, for good Your local price is shown before you buy. The free trial is available once per person and is not offered on Lifetime. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and the renewal is charged within 24 hours before the period ends. You can turn off auto-renewal or cancel at any time in Settings > your Apple Account > Subscriptions. If you buy during a free trial, the remaining free period is forfeited. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://tracing-camera-mrk.web.app/privacy

Screenshots

Grid Maker4 screens
Tracing Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tracing Camera at every 5 days against Grid Maker's every 11 days. Grid Maker's advantage is iOS requirement (17 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Grid Maker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Tracing Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grid Maker ships an update every 11 days, Tracing Camera every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Grid Maker versus Tracing Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrid MakerTracing Camera
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRedouan Afoulousryo muranaka

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Grid Maker

Subscriptions2
  • Grid Maker Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Grid Maker Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Grid Maker Pro Lifetime$39.99
3 purchases

Tracing Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly3 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is Grid Maker free?
Grid Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tracing Camera free?
Tracing Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Grid Maker or Tracing Camera have ads?
Neither Grid Maker nor Tracing Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Grid Maker or Tracing Camera?
Grid Maker ships an update every 11 days, and Tracing Camera every 5 days. Most recently, Grid Maker was updated on October 21, 2026 and Tracing Camera on October 29, 2026.

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