# MagicTrace vs Drawing Apps

The clearest difference is rating: Drawing Apps at 4.4 against MagicTrace's 1.5. Drawing Apps also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 26%) and ratings volume (5.2K vs 8). MagicTrace's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MagicTrace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Drawing Apps sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drawing Apps holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drawing Apps has 5.2K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of MagicTrace's written reviews are positive against 63% of Drawing Apps's.

MagicTrace ships an update fortnightly, Drawing Apps monthly. The most recent releases landed on June 3, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MagicTrace | Drawing Apps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magictrace/id884484640/reviews) | **[4.4 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-apps/id1541145049/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **5.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 26.3% of reviews | **62.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 163 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nobuhiro Watanabe](https://appshunter.io/developer/590303359) | [Gang Ji](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541145051) |

## What reviewers say

### MagicTrace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magictrace/id884484640)

This app allows you to trace images directly from paper onto your smartphone or tablet. It eliminates the need for tracing paper or lightboxes, enabling sketching, drawing, and even character learning on the go. Capture inspiration and draw landscapes instantly.

**Highlights:** Trace images from paper, No tracing paper or lightbox needed, Sketching and drawing tool, Character learning aid, Capture and draw landscapes, Uses device tilt for tracing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove the ad. | $2.99 | one-time |


### Drawing Apps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-apps/id1541145049)

Create digital art with a powerful painting engine and advanced tools. This app offers realistic brushes, layers, blend modes, and various editing capabilities for sketching, painting, and transforming images. Import and export your creations in multiple formats.

**Highlights:** Advanced painting engine with 40+ natural brush presets, Realistic brush interaction with paper textures, Layers and Photoshop blend modes, Selection and clipping masks, Transform multiple layers and use transform tool, Import and export drawings in JPEG and PNG formats

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

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DrawingApps Premium - Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| DrawingApps Gold - Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Drawing App Black Friday Offer | $5.99 | per month |
| DrawingAppsPremium Trial Month | $7.99 | per month |
| DrawingApps Premium - Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| DrawingApps Gold Trial Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| DrawingApps Gold - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| DrawingApps Premium - Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| DrawingApps Gold - Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| 300 Coins | $5.99 | one-time |
| 900 Coins | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Lite Drawing Pass | $49.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Coins | $59.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime PRO Drawing Pass | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Allows users to draw anything they want
- 💡 Provides a creative outlet for young artists
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 👍 Good for quick creative ideas
- 👍 Satisfying drawing experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires payment for many features and tools
- 🤖 Excessive pop-ups and ads
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (e.g., random layer deletion, screen freezing)
- 🔍 Limited free brushes and tools
- 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive controls

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and app closures
- Layers not working as expected
- Drawing tools not responsive or accurate
- Difficulty navigating the app

**Requested features**

- More free brushes and tools
- Ability to save and export drawings
- Undo/redo functionality improvements
- Color customization options
- Tracing feature for photos


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MagicTrace free?

MagicTrace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Drawing Apps free?

Drawing Apps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MagicTrace or Drawing Apps?

Drawing Apps is rated higher. MagicTrace averages 1.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Drawing Apps averages 4.4 from 5.2K ratings.

### Do MagicTrace or Drawing Apps have ads?

Neither MagicTrace nor Drawing Apps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MagicTrace or Drawing Apps?

MagicTrace ships an update fortnightly, and Drawing Apps monthly. Most recently, MagicTrace was updated on June 3, 2026 and Drawing Apps on September 25, 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.*