Comparison

Grid Maker vs Gridline

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

Gridline

Features
Read full description

Put a grid over any reference photo and check its values on the same screen. Gridline is a drawing grid for painters, illustrators and art students who work from reference photos. Import a picture, set up the grid, switch to grayscale or a notan when you need to judge values, and paint with your iPhone or iPad beside the easel. ā–  Free • Import from your photo library, the camera, the Files app, or paste an image • Try it first with a sample: a public-domain Van Gogh is ready on first launch • Square or rectangular cells, with any number of columns and rows • Diagonals, cell labels, line color and line thickness • Grayscale view, a 2-tone notan, and mirror • Save the gridded image to Photos, print it, or share it • Paint mode: the tools disappear, touches are ignored and the screen stays awake, so the device can stand by your easel. Press and hold to leave • Built for iPad too, with the settings in a side panel • Unlimited projects, each one reopening with the settings you left ā–  Gridline Pro (one-time purchase) • Notan in 3, 4 or 5 tones: drag the split points on the value scale and simplify the small details • Fit to canvas: crop to A4, 8Ɨ10, 9Ɨ12, 11Ɨ14 or 16Ɨ20 in, or square, in portrait or landscape, and see the real cell size in cm or inches • No ads Pro is a single purchase, not a subscription. You can restore it on other devices signed in with the same Apple Account. ā–  About ads The free version shows one banner ad at the bottom of the project list. The editor, where you look at your reference, has no ads. ā–  Your photos stay on your device Gridline keeps its own copy of each reference inside the app. There is no account or sign-up, and your images are never uploaded. Nothing leaves the device unless you save, print or share it.

Screenshots

Grid Maker4 screens
Gridline4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Grid Maker at none against Gridline's shown. Gridline's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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 Gridline sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grid Maker ships an update every 11 days, Gridline every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Grid Maker versus Gridline: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrid MakerGridline
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS1717.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRedouan AfoulousSangwon Kim

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
1 purchases

Gridline

One-time1
  • Gridline Pro$3.99

Questions

Is Grid Maker free?
Grid Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gridline free?
Gridline is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Grid Maker or Gridline have ads?
Gridline shows ads; Grid Maker does not.
Which is updated more often, Grid Maker or Gridline?
Grid Maker ships an update every 11 days, and Gridline every 4 days. Most recently, Grid Maker was updated on November 6, 2026 and Gridline on November 13, 2026.

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