Pencil Sketch

Functionality – 3/5

There are only 6 main effects you can apply to your photo in this app: Draw, Pencil, Sketch, Paint, Doodle, and Comic. Pencil and Sketch look very similar, and the other ones don't look too various and different either. You can make each of the effects in color or black and white. After this step, you go to the photo editor where you can make much more cool stuff to your image, like rounding it, pixelate it, add a filter or a text to it, etc. Here's where the fun begins!

Design – 3/5

For an app that should inspire you to be more creative, it doesn't have an eye-catching design. It has a basic background single color, basic and boring tools' icons, and its photo editor is just black and white. It seems that the Pencil Sketch's developers took the design from a free clipart source.

Usability – 2/5

You start using this app, and what do you see? An annoying ad, of course. And there will be a lot of them until you purchase the app's premium version, so get ready. More about the premium later in this Pencil Sketch review.
Another major annoying thing about this app is that when you tap any effect you want to apply to your photo, it doesn't change it right away. You have to tap the black and white or colored pencil icon below the image in order for the desired effect to be applied. Why not change the picture to a sketch or a comic when you tap the appropriate icon right away? And then to change to black and white version with the separate icon when needed.

Cross-platform use – 4/5

Pencil Sketch Android version performs the same as its competitor — Pencil Sketch iOS version. Both have the same boring menu icons and functions. For both, you need to download a separate ad-free HD Pencil Sketch apk, which isn't convenient and takes extra time and space on your smartphone.

In-app purchases

Pencil Sketch app has a premium version called Pencil Sketch HD. You need to download it separately through Google Play or App Store. It'll cost you $3.99. The HD Pencil Sketch latest version has a higher resolution of the end picture — you won't lose the quality after saving the image. It also works offline.

The Bottom Line

The main reason you should get Pencil Sketch installed on your phone is for its photo editor. Because the main features this app was made for — the sketch-like effects — isn't really worth the fuss. They're simply not enough for engaging and memorable image editing. So if you don’t already have one or you try to find a new one you can download Pencil Sketch for free.