Best Art Apps for iPhone 2026
Find art, discover exhibitions, and explore museums with these iPhone apps.
Whether you’re looking for local exhibitions or exploring art from around the world, there’s an app for that. Here’s our comparison of the best art apps for iPhone in 2026.
Local Exhibition Discovery
Arting
Best for: Finding art exhibitions in San Francisco
Arting is built specifically for discovering local exhibitions. It shows you what’s currently showing at galleries, museums, and alternative spaces in San Francisco.
| Arting | |
|---|---|
| Focus | San Francisco exhibitions |
| Coverage | Galleries, museums, public art |
| Features | Map view, favorites, venue filtering |
| Price | Free |
| Privacy | No account, no tracking |
Pros:
- Comprehensive SF coverage
- Clean, focused interface
- iCloud sync for favorites
- No account required
Cons:
- SF only (for now)
Best for: SF residents and visitors who want to know what’s on right now.
Art Market / Collecting
Artsy
Best for: Buying art and following the art market
Artsy is the leading platform for buying and selling art online. It’s also useful for discovering galleries and artists.
| Artsy | |
|---|---|
| Focus | Art market, collecting |
| Coverage | International galleries and auctions |
| Features | Buy art, follow artists, auction results |
| Price | Free (to browse) |
Pros:
- Huge inventory of art for sale
- Follow galleries and artists
- Auction results and price data
Cons:
- Commerce-focused (lots of “for sale” prompts)
- Requires account
- Can feel overwhelming
Best for: Collectors and those interested in the art market.
Museum Exploration
Google Arts & Culture
Best for: Exploring museum collections worldwide
Google’s art app lets you explore digitized collections from museums around the world. Great for armchair exploration.
| Google Arts & Culture | |
|---|---|
| Focus | Museum collections, virtual tours |
| Coverage | 2,000+ museums worldwide |
| Features | High-res images, AR features, virtual tours |
| Price | Free |
Pros:
- Incredible depth of content
- Virtual museum tours
- Art Selfie and other fun features
Cons:
- Not great for finding local, current exhibitions
- Can feel like information overload
- More about browsing online than getting out to see art
Best for: Art education and virtual exploration.
Bloomberg Connects
Best for: Museum audio guides
Bloomberg Connects provides free audio guides for partner museums and cultural institutions.
| Bloomberg Connects | |
|---|---|
| Focus | Museum audio guides |
| Coverage | Partner museums only |
| Features | Audio tours, exhibition info |
| Price | Free |
Pros:
- High-quality audio content
- Free alternative to museum audio guides
Cons:
- Limited to partner institutions
- Need to be at the museum to use
Best for: Enhancing museum visits.
Comparison Table
| App | Focus | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arting | Local exhibitions | Finding what’s showing in SF | Free |
| Artsy | Art market | Collectors, buying art | Free |
| Google Arts & Culture | Museum collections | Virtual exploration | Free |
| Bloomberg Connects | Audio guides | Museum visits | Free |
How to Choose
If you want to know what’s showing locally…
Use Arting. It’s the fastest way to see current exhibitions in San Francisco.
If you’re interested in buying art…
Use Artsy. It has the largest online art marketplace.
If you want to explore art from anywhere…
Use Google Arts & Culture. It’s the best for virtual museum exploration.
If you’re visiting a museum…
Check Bloomberg Connects for free audio guides.
Multiple Apps Are Fine
Most art lovers use several apps:
- Arting — What’s showing nearby?
- Artsy — Following the market
- Google Arts — Exploring collections
There’s no single app that does everything. Use the right tool for the job.
Why We Built Arting
We built Arting because we wanted one simple answer: What exhibitions are on in SF right now?
Other apps are great for buying art or exploring museum collections, but none focused on the simple question of “what should I go see this weekend?”
Arting fills that gap. It’s local, it’s current, and it’s free.
Download Arting — Your guide to art exhibitions in San Francisco.