# PainterTool vs A Starting Point

The clearest difference is price: A Starting Point at Free against PainterTool's $0.99. A Starting Point also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

A Starting Point is free to download; PainterTool costs $0.99 up front. PainterTool sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per 3 months. A Starting Point asks for nothing beyond the download.

A Starting Point holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: A Starting Point has 757 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of PainterTool's written reviews are positive against 95% of A Starting Point's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PainterTool ships an update every 3 weeks, A Starting Point every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PainterTool | A Starting Point |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintertool/id882011219/reviews) | **[4.9 (757 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-starting-point/id1500947762/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **757** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 95.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 39 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Demagic AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/544199236) | [A Starting Point Llc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500947761) |

## What reviewers say

### PainterTool

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintertool/id882011219)

This app helps artists of all levels improve their drawing skills by comparing their work to reference photos. It offers tools like customizable grids and transparent overlays to assist with proportions, colors, and shading throughout the creative process.

**Highlights:** Reference photo comparison, Customizable grid overlay, Transparent overlay, Real-time color and shading comparison, Progress video creation, Automatic photo saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PainterTool | $1.99 | per 3 months |


### A Starting Point

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-starting-point/id1500947762)

This app provides a bipartisan platform for Americans to communicate with their elected officials. It offers concise, video-based explanations of current issues to foster a more informed electorate.

**Highlights:** Bipartisan communication channel, Connect with elected leaders, Video-based issue explanations, Understand issues in under 2 minutes, Informed electorate creation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Informative and unbiased
- 🚀 Concise and easy to digest
- 🔍 Provides direct access to politicians
- 💡 Facilitates bipartisan dialogue
- 👍 Visually appealing and intuitive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app crashes
- 🔍 Limited content and topics covered
- 🔍 Lack of closed captions or transcripts
- 🔍 Absence of independent or third-party perspectives

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen not functioning properly
- Video playback issues and stuttering

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Implement a way for users to submit questions
- Provide a filter to view content by home state
- Expand the range of topics and issues covered


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PainterTool free?

PainterTool costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is A Starting Point free?

A Starting Point is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PainterTool or A Starting Point?

A Starting Point is rated higher. PainterTool averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while A Starting Point averages 4.9 from 757 ratings.

### Do PainterTool or A Starting Point have ads?

PainterTool shows ads; A Starting Point does not.

### Which is updated more often, PainterTool or A Starting Point?

PainterTool ships an update every 3 weeks, and A Starting Point every 5 weeks. Most recently, PainterTool was updated on October 16, 2026 and A Starting Point on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*