Looking for the best AR drawing apps? We ranked the top sketch AR apps for iOS and Android based on ease of use, pricing, and tracing features.
Whether you want to sketch anime, trace a tattoo stencil, or just learn how to draw, your phone's camera is the best tool you have. But finding an app that actually works—and doesn't cost $10 a week—can be tough.
We've tested the top AR drawing appson the market. In this guide, we'll break down the best options based on features, ease of use, and whether they are actually free or hiding behind sneaky subscriptions.
Drawello
Drawello is built around one job done well: place your phone above the paper, line up any photo as a live AR overlay, and trace it by hand. No lessons, no complicated tools — just accurate tracing for people who want a finished drawing fast.
Be first to trace with Drawello
Drawello launches soon on iOS. Join the waitlist and we'll email you the moment it's ready to download — free.
Free to download · No spam, just the launch
SketchAR
SketchAR is the biggest name in the category, with a large learn-to-draw course library and patented AR technology. In recent years it has pivoted toward wall murals and VR headsets, which makes it powerful but heavier than a simple phone-over-paper tracing tool.
Da Vinci Eye
Da Vinci Eye is the closest philosophical match to Drawello: it projects a reference image onto your surface so you can trace it. It is well-regarded and free to start on iOS, but its interface and feature set lean toward experienced artists.
AR Drawing – Tracing Projector
This is one of several apps using the near-generic 'AR Drawing / Tracing Projector' name to target exact-match keywords. It does the same phone-as-projector tracing, but leans on a weekly subscription that adds up quickly.
ArtieLab
ArtieLab is another entry in the crowded AR drawing space. While it provides functional tracing tools, its primary model revolves around funneling users into relatively expensive weekly or monthly subscriptions.
How do AR Drawing Apps work?
An AR (Augmented Reality) drawing app acts like a digital lightbox or a modern camera lucida. You place your phone on a glass, a stack of books, or a tripod above your paper. The app uses your phone's camera to display the paper on your screen, and overlays a semi-transparent image of what you want to draw. You look at your phone screen while your hand traces the lines on the real paper below.
Are there any truly free AR drawing apps?
Yes and no. Most apps like SketchAR or ArtieLab are "free to download" but lock the ability to trace behind a weekly or monthly subscription. Drawello was built specifically to be the best truly free alternative for basic tracing.
Ready to start tracing?
Join the waitlist today and get notified the second Drawello drops on the App Store.
Be first to trace with Drawello
Drawello launches soon on iOS. Join the waitlist and we'll email you the moment it's ready to download — free.
Free to download · No spam, just the launch