Head-to-head
Tayasui Sketches vs Paper
Tayasui Sketches
60
Winner
Paper
Paper
65
Paper has a slight edge for its established reputation and a slightly less aggressive free-to-paid model, despite both apps facing significant user backlash over recent pricing changes.
Full reviews: Tayasui Sketches · Paper
Both Tayasui Sketches and Paper are digital drawing and sketching apps that have recently shifted their pricing models, leading to widespread user frustration. While Tayasui Sketches is criticized for paywalling basic features and frequent crashes, Paper, despite its high subscription cost, maintains a loyal user base who appreciate its interface and tools, though it also struggles with glitches and syncing issues.
Head to head
Tayasui Sketches Tayasui Sketches users appreciate its tools for fashion sketches and general creativity, but many are frustrated that basic features like ink pens, more than one drawing, and even canvas rotation are now behind a paywall R7R15R19. Some also note a lack of marker options R11 and issues with brush changes .
Paper Paper is praised for its easy-to-use tools, awesome colors, and flawless brushes, with some users highlighting its suitability for quick sketching, photo collages, and journaling . However, many essential features like adding multiple photos, advanced art tools, and adjustable pen sizes are restricted to the paid 'Pro' version .
Tayasui Sketches Users find Tayasui Sketches to have a clear UI and easy sorting of drawings, with good tutorials R21. However, some report issues with the app crashing frequently, especially on older devices R4R21R24R28.
Paper Paper is generally considered easy to use with a lovely user interface, making it good for capturing ideas and quick sketching . Some users find the tutorial too long and complain about icons getting in the way .
Tayasui Sketches Tayasui Sketches is frequently criticized for crashing constantly, being laggy, and being unstable R4R6R21R24. Some users also report issues with saving art and needing to rejoin .
Paper Paper users report significant glitching, frequent crashes, and issues with auto-saving, leading to lost work . Syncing is also a major concern, with journals constantly needing to re-download and requiring an internet connection .
Tayasui Sketches Tayasui Sketches faces severe backlash for its pricing changes, with many users who previously purchased the app now being forced into subscriptions R1R3R7R10. Basic features like new artworks, pens, and even canvas rotation are now paywalled, leading to accusations of being a 'cash grab' and 'scam' R1R4R7R13.
Paper Paper is heavily criticized for its high subscription prices, with users reporting costs of $100 a year or $10 a week, which is a significant increase from previous, more reasonable prices R61. Many feel the app is not worth the increased price, especially given the limited functionality of the free version and the lack of updates R70R73.
Tayasui Sketches Users express frustration over unexpected changes to the paywall and the removal of previously free features without clear communication or support R7R10R12R13. Some also note that recent updates have made the app glitchy or less convenient R24.
Paper Paper users lament the lack of maintenance and updates since the app was sold to Evernote, with claims of zero engineers or designers on the Paper team R73. There's also disappointment over the lack of support or messages regarding changes to subscriptions and access to old work .
Pick Tayasui Sketches if
You are looking for a sketching app with a clear UI and good tutorials, and you are willing to navigate its recent paywall changes or hope for a return to its previous, more generous free model R21.
Pick Paper if
You prioritize an easy-to-use interface for quick sketching, journaling, and photo collages, and you are willing to pay a premium for its established tools and design, despite the high subscription cost and syncing issues .
Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews focused on recent changes to their pricing models and the introduction of subscriptions, which has skewed recent user sentiment. Many positive reviews are older or express love for the app's core functionality despite the paywalls.
Frequently asked
What are the main complaints about Tayasui Sketches?
The main complaints about Tayasui Sketches revolve around its aggressive paywalling of basic features, such as new artworks, specific pens, and even canvas rotation, which many users previously had for free or as a one-time purchase R1R7R10R15. Users also frequently report app crashes, lag, and instability R4R6R21.
How much does Paper cost, and is it worth it?
Paper's subscription costs are reported to be around $100 per year or $10 per week, a significant increase from its previous, more affordable pricing R61R70R79. Many users feel it is not worth the price, especially given the limited free functionality, lack of significant updates, and ongoing issues with glitches and syncing R70R73.
Do either of these apps offer a truly free experience?
Neither Tayasui Sketches nor Paper offers a truly free experience for comprehensive use; both have severely limited free versions that push users towards paid subscriptions. Tayasui Sketches restricts users to one drawing, limited tools, and frequent ads in its free tier R1R15R19R44, while Paper makes most essential tools and features, like adding multiple photos or advanced art tools, available only through its 'Pro' subscription .
What reviewers actually said
Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.
- [R7] Tayasui Sketches Why Pay Now?: I have had this app for many years at this point, using it for a wide variety of projects. There has always been the option to buy pro, but the free version at least provided a lot on its own. Then I go to use it today (July 6, 2026) after just using it the day before, and suddenly I now have to buy pro to access all the basic pens?! All I want is to use the ink pen (right in the mid
- [R11] Tayasui Sketches Good: Tayasui sketches is pretty good but i wish there were more marker options
- [R15] Tayasui Sketches It’s okay: It’s okay because it needs to be purchased to draw more than one drawing😕
- [R19] Tayasui Sketches Terrible: I cant draw more than one drawing untill I delete the other
- [R4] Tayasui Sketches You deserve better than this cash grab: To have a short story, this app is god awful, crashes constantly, constantly tries to get your money, and art programs from the 2000s has more features. To have a bit of a longer story, this app is the reason I’m an artist. It was the first art program I ever used and really lead me to fall in love with art. The app was very nice about how it got its incom
- [R21] Tayasui Sketches Good app but could use improvements: Crashes a lot on older devices, if you don’t want your stuff to look so traditional then the app probably isn’t for you. Everyone on sketches community posts traced drawings or stolen art. They an have AI ‘art’ generator now. Other than that, the clear UI, the easiness to sort drawings, and the tutorials are very good.
- [R24] Tayasui Sketches Used to love it but….: Was a 5 went to 3 then to 1… now it’s 3 again. I’ve used this app since 2016 and it’s been my go to drawing companion but it’s been crashing all the time and some days it just won’t start. Recently I’ve had to uninstall and reinstall multiple times just to get it open. Edit: Okay phew… after it breaking after the constant updates I think it’s worth it again. It’ll never be 5
- [R28] Tayasui Sketches Used to be good: This app used to be awesome, now it costs more, constantly needs to connected to internet to work, and freezes and crashes nonstop. Update: purchased “full version” for my daughter for her birthday so she could use it offline, now they’re requiring a weekly “premium” membership for the same offline use. False advertising.
- [R6] Tayasui Sketches Potential: Everything cost money can’t do anything. Laggy.
- [R1] Tayasui Sketches Good and bad: Stupid part about this. Is that when you try to make a new artwork you have to pay and get a free trial just to get a new artwork and you have to pay .
- [R3] Tayasui Sketches Ok: It’s OK, but I think having to pay for it and subscribeTwo. It is crazy.
- [R10] Tayasui Sketches Subscription only?: I purchased to unlock the app several years ago, but now I have to pay a monthly or weekly subscription to ever use it again. This was the best drawing app, but now it’s unusable without forking over more money which I will NIT be doing to a money hungry dev.
- [R12] Tayasui Sketches Trust Issues: This is a good app. That being said, make sure you keep copies of every layer. Just in case they change the paywall again. It’s good to be back. Don’t scare me like that again, please. Thanks for keeping all my stuff.
- [R13] Tayasui Sketches Terrible: Thank you for removing every feature that makes this app good and then putting it behind a subscription service.
- [R61] Paper I used to love this app and decided to try it again: Originally in 2021 it was 11ish for a whole year of pro, which was reasonable bc most people will buy physical journals of the same price yearly. I was so disappointed to find out that the app is now 100 for the year. I don’t have that kind of money it’s honestly such a slap to the face as a consumer
- [R70] Paper Insane prices: The yearly price increase is crazy for this app. Especially in comparison to the yearly payment 3 years ago. Not much has changed in the app services to be charging this much.. I’ve been paying for this app for 5 years and I probably won’t keep paying for it anymore. I like the app but not convinced it’s worth the increased price.
- [R73] Paper No one maintains it: This was one of the greatest apps for iPad. But since it was sold to Evernote they charge $100/year and have zero engineers or designers on the Paper team. A complete hustle.
- [R79] Paper evernote corporation should die: the audacity to buy this app and make it 99 dollars per year or 9.99 dollars per week which is 40 A MONTH is insane, especially when it was originally 12 a years with the original developers. istg cant have NOTHING NICE.
- [R44] Tayasui Sketches Great game, minor issue: I love this game, it’s better than my last art game. There is you only get to use 35%ish of what they have. You can make folders but can only have 1 drawing in it without paying. You have to pay for more drawing utensils,change their width/ocpasity (THERES a “cheat code”). Thank you 4 reading this.
Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store