Best SketchAR Alternatives
If SketchAR's freemium + sketchar pro subscription (7-day trial)isn't right for you, here are the best apps to trace pictures using your phone.
1. Drawello
Free to download
If you are looking for a completely free alternative to SketchAR that focuses purely on making tracing easy, Drawello is the top choice. 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.
Why it beats SketchAR:
- If you just want to trace a photo onto paper without a subscription or a learning curve, Drawello does exactly that for free.
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
2. Da Vinci Eye
Freemium
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.
Best for:
Experienced artists who want fine control over their reference overlay.
3. AR Drawing – Tracing Projector
Free download, subscription (weekly / monthly / yearly)
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.
Best for:
People who want basic tracing and don't mind a weekly subscription.
4. ArtieLab
Free download, aggressive subscription model
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.
Best for:
Users willing to pay a premium for a managed template library.
Summary: Which app should you download?
If you want advanced features like huge brand with a large course library (anime, portraits, animals and more), then sticking with SketchAR might make sense. However, if you simply want to trace photos easily without paying weekly fees, Drawello is the best completely free alternative.
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