Best AR drawing apps: 2026 comparison
Five apps that let you draw with AR and trace an image right from your phone — comparing platforms, tracking, lessons, and prices based on facts from store listings as of 09/22/2026.
We make Sketchar; the table below is limited to facts anyone can verify in the app listings on the stores and on vendor websites. Where a listing is silent, the cell says "not stated" instead of a guess.
Who this is for
You want to draw on paper, a wall, or a canvas with a reference projected over it through your phone's camera or a headset, and you want to figure out which app fits your device and budget. If you want to get the method itself straight first, start with how AR drawing works.
How we compared
We took five apps that call themselves AR drawing or AR tracing tools and recorded what's stated in their listings on the App Store and Google Play. Snapshot date — 2026-09-22. Nothing was guessed: if a listing doesn't mention an offline mode, the cell says "not stated," even if the app might have that feature. We recheck the data every quarter. Listing identifiers are at the end.
Two columns need explaining. "Web app (canvas)" means the developer has a version that works in the browser: for Sketchar that's the digital Canvas, courses, and account, plus a free AR demo at sketchar.io/try, which overlays an image on the camera without tracking, so you can try tracing without signing up. "AR tracking" means tracking is claimed in the description that holds the reference on the paper while the phone is held in one hand and moved, rather than pinning it to the screen; Real AR vs fake AR shows how to tell the two apart. Everything else – platforms, headsets, lessons, Multiplayer, offline, sync, price, launch year – is stated as given.
Comparison table
| Platforms | Web app (canvas) | AR tracking | VR headsets | Lessons / templates | Multiplayer | Offline mode | Cross-device sync | Price | Launch year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sketchar | iOS, Android, Meta Quest, Pico 4 Ultra | ✓ canvas, plus a free AR demo in the browser, no sign-up: sketchar.io/try | ✓ | ✓ | 1,000+ templates and step-by-step lessons | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Free; PRO $7.99/week, $24.99/month or $79.99/year | 2016 |
| AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint | iOS, Android | – | – | not stated by the vendor | 200+ lessons, 700+ templates | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | Free with subscription; in-app items $1.99–$64.99 | not stated by the vendor |
| Artrace | iOS, Android | – | – | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | Free with ads; in-app items $2.99–$39.99 | not stated by the vendor |
| AR Draw Sketch | Android | – | – | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | Free with ads; in-app items $7.99–$39.99 | not stated by the vendor |
| Da Vinci Eye | iOS, Android, visionOS | – | – | ✓ | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | Free; paid tiers from $4.99/month to $49.99/year | not stated by the vendor |
| ardrawing.site | Web (mobile browser) | ✓ browser | – screen overlay, no tracking | not stated by the vendor | “hundreds” of templates | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | not stated by the vendor | Free | not stated by the vendor |
Facts as published by each app’s store listing or website on 2026-10-19. Rechecked quarterly. Sources: Sketchar: sketchar.io · AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint: ar-drawing.com, play.google.com, apps.apple.com · Artrace: play.google.com, apps.apple.com · AR Draw Sketch: play.google.com · Da Vinci Eye: apps.apple.com, www.davincieyeapp.com · ardrawing.site: ardrawing.site
✓ = stated in the listing or on the vendor's site. – = stated as absent, or the vendor doesn't offer that version. "not stated" = sources are silent.
What these differences mean in practice
Phone in hand versus phone fixed in place. Most AR tracing apps assume the phone sits still: you prop it on a stand or a stack of books, point it at the paper, and the reference stays put as long as nothing moves. Sketchar's own tracking follows the phone in your hand, so you can lift it, check it, set it down, and pick it up again without realigning. In this snapshot, no other listing describes that, so if you don't have a stand, or you're drawing on surfaces where a stand won't work, the hand-held tracking column is the first one worth checking.
Headsets. Two apps state a headset version. Sketchar works on Meta Quest 3, 3S, and Pro, as well as Pico 4 Ultra; Da Vinci Eye states visionOS. A headset frees up both hands and places the reference on the wall at whatever scale you set, which matters most for murals and other work bigger than a sheet of paper. The other three apps don't mention headsets at all.
Lessons. Two listings state the volume of learning content: Sketchar with 1000+ templates and step-by-step lessons, all free, and AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint with 200+ lessons and 700+ templates. The other three listings describe tracing an image you bring yourself and say nothing about lessons. If you're learning to draw rather than transferring a finished design, this is the column that splits the group.
Price. All five apps are free to download. From there the models differ: Sketchar and Da Vinci Eye state a subscription with monthly and yearly options ($5/month or $49/year, and from $4.99/month to $49.99/year respectively). AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint states a subscription plus in-app purchases from $1.99 to $64.99. Artrace and AR Draw Sketch are ad-supported with in-app purchases from $2.99 to $39.99 and from $7.99 to $39.99. What exactly each paid tier unlocks can't be compared from the listings alone, so read the in-app purchase list on the store page before you pay.
Which app suits whom
Anyone who also works from a laptop. Of the five, only Sketchar in this snapshot states a web app — a drawing canvas, courses, and account that work in the browser at app.sketchar.io. AR tracing itself still needs a phone camera or a headset — in every app on this list.
A kid or a beginner. Look at the lessons column. Sketchar and AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint are the two that state step-by-step content; Sketchar is also available on Android, iOS, and headset with one account across all devices, which helps when a family shares one device.
A muralist or anyone drawing at wall scale. Look at the headsets column. Sketchar (Meta Quest 3/3S/Pro, Pico 4 Ultra) and Da Vinci Eye (visionOS) are the two options; the choice comes down to which headset you own. On a phone, hand-held tracking lets you step away from the wall and come back without realigning.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free app for AR drawing?
Yes. All five apps in the table are free to download. Sketchar's 1000+ templates and lessons are free; the paid PRO tier costs $5/month or $49/year. The other four combine a free tier with ads, a subscription, or in-app purchases.
Which AR drawing app works on Meta Quest?
In this comparison, Sketchar is the only app stating Meta Quest (Quest 3, 3S, and Pro); it also works on Pico 4 Ultra. Da Vinci Eye states visionOS, not Meta Quest. The other three don't state a headset at all.
Do AR drawing apps work on iPad?
Four of the five state iOS: Sketchar, AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint, Artrace, and Da Vinci Eye. iPad support is shown in the App Store compatibility section for each app individually; this snapshot didn't record that separately, so check the listing.
Which app started AR drawing?
Sketchar, released in 2016. Founder Andrey Drobitko, a mural artist, sketched out the idea in 2012 as a way to transfer a reference onto a wall without a projector. No other listing in the table states a launch year.
If you want to try hand-held tracking or the headset version, get Sketchar — it's free to download, and the lessons are free too.
Sources
Snapshot 2026-09-22, taken from public App Store and Google Play listings. Listed as plain text, so there are no links here; paste the address into the store's search if you want to check a cell.
Sketchar – App Store. Google Play sketchar.io/pricing
AR Drawing: Sketch & Paint
Artrace – App Store · Google Play
AR Draw Sketch – Google Play
Da Vinci Eye – App Store
