Comparison

Light Box vs TracingMat

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

Head to head
About

Light Box

Transform your iPad into a versatile film illuminator viewer. Adjust brightness, lock rotation, and add grids or lines for precise viewing. A cost-effective alternative to dedicated lightboxes.

Highlights
  • Film negative/positive viewer
  • Adjustable brightness
  • Rotation lock
  • Grid and line overlays
  • iPad optimized
Read full description

Turn your iPad into negative / positive film illuminator viewer. Why pay 100 dollars for LightBox when you can turn your iPad into one with selectable styles. Desensitized white screen has a small settings button at the top right, where you can lock rotation, adjust brightness, or add a grid or lines. Simple and Smart. *Important notice: We shall not be responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of functions or the content of this application. By using this application you are deemed to agree to this condition.

About

TracingMat

Transform your device into a digital light table for tracing. Display an image and overlay your paper to easily copy designs. Adjust brightness, zoom, and rotate for optimal tracing conditions.

Highlights
  • Use device as a light table
  • Overlay paper for tracing
  • Adjustable screen brightness
  • Image zoom and pan
  • Image flip and rotate
  • Add images via import or camera
Features
Read full description

"Tracing Mat" is an app for using your iPad or iPhone as a light table. After displaying the image you want to copy on the app, place the copy destination paper on it and trace the image that can be seen through under the paper. It is also possible to prepare the manuscript on paper, stack the copy destination paper on it, place it on the screen, and illuminate it from below with this application. [How to use] Tap the “gear” button on the upper right to enter the setting mode. In the setting mode, add the image to be displayed with the “+” button or "Camera" button at the bottom left. You can also add text using the "T" button. Tapping a displayed image or text highlights it with a yellow frame; in this state, you can move it by dragging, or zoom in and out using a pinch gesture. Images and text can also be flipped or rotated, while text can be edited or have its styling modified. You can save the current image and text layout with the “Save” button, and restore the saved layout later with the “Load” button, even after restarting the app. The screen brightness can be adjusted with the slider bar at the bottom right. When you tap the “left arrow” button on the upper left to exit the setting mode, the displayed image and text will be fixed, so place a piece of paper on the screen and trace it. [Caution] - I think it is easier to see the image under the paper if the room is darkened a little. - Attach a protective film, etc., to prevent the display from being scratched during copying. - Please use this application at your own risk. We do not take any responsibility for the disadvantage caused by using this application.

Screenshots

TracingMat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: TracingMat at Free against Light Box's $0.99. TracingMat also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 48%) and device support (3 vs 1). Light Box's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.8) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

TracingMat is free to download; Light Box costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Light Box holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 23 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of Light Box's written reviews are positive against 65% of TracingMat's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Light Box versus TracingMat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight BoxTracingMat
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (11 ratings) — better3.8 (23 ratings)
Positive reviews47.6% of reviews64.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1123 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS7.0 — better12.4
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSystemiko Inc.Yoko Nishimura

Customer experience

Light Box

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive47.6%
Neutral4.8%
Negative47.6%

TracingMat

All ratings23 ratings
Positive69.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative30.4%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive64.5%
Neutral6.5%
Negative29.0%

In-app purchases

None

Light Box

No in-app purchases

None

TracingMat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Light Box free?
Light Box costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TracingMat free?
TracingMat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Light Box or TracingMat?
Light Box is rated higher. Light Box averages 4.4 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while TracingMat averages 3.8 from 23 ratings.
Do Light Box or TracingMat have ads?
TracingMat shows ads; Light Box does not.
Which is updated more often, Light Box or TracingMat?
Light Box ships an update every 3 months, and TracingMat every 3 months. Most recently, Light Box was updated on October 14, 2026 and TracingMat on October 13, 2026.

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