Photoshop vs Infinite Painter

Price

Both are free to download, but they charge for different things.

Photoshop on iPad and iPhone is free to download with core editing tools. Premium tools such as the Remove Tool, Content Aware Fill, advanced blend modes and PSD export need a subscription, starting at $7.99 a month for Photoshop Mobile & Web on the US App Store.

Infinite Painter is free to download. The free version includes every built-in brush, brush editing and up to 5 layers, and a 7-day trial unlocks everything. The Pro upgrade is a one-time $9.99 purchase on the US App Store, with no subscription.

Platforms

Both run on iPad, iPhone, Android and Mac. Only Photoshop runs on Windows. Only Infinite Painter runs on Chromebook.

Photoshop: The same Photoshop app runs on iPad and iPhone. Adobe also has an Android version in beta, and desktop Photoshop for Mac and Windows is sold separately.

Infinite Painter is one app across iPad and iPhone, also runs on Apple silicon Macs, and has an Android version for phones, tablets and Chromebooks. Pro is bought separately through the App Store or Google Play.

Brushes

Photoshop on mobile is built for photo editing and compositing first. It has brushes for painting and retouching, but its painting tools are far more limited than those in dedicated painting apps.

Infinite Painter has hundreds of built-in brushes with more than 100 settings each. It imports and exports its own brushes and sets, can sample lower layers when blending, and applies live color adjustments and filters to any brush.

Comics and manga

Photoshop on mobile is built for photo editing and does not advertise comic panel or screentone tools.

Infinite Painter includes screentone brushes, editable shapes and text layers, but it does not advertise comic panel layouts.

Layers and editing

Photoshop: Its strength is editing: layers, masks, adjustment layers, Tap Select and Object Select, the Spot Healing Brush, Content Aware Fill and native PSD files that open in desktop Photoshop.

Infinite Painter: In Pro it offers live adjustment and filter layers with more than 40 filters, masks on layers, adjustments and groups, and 30 blend modes, so you can change an effect later without repainting. The free version stops at 5 layers.

Drawing tools and extras

Photoshop leans on Adobe Firefly for generative tools such as Generative Fill and Generate Image, which use generative credits. It does not advertise painting aids such as symmetry or perspective guides, or animation.

Infinite Painter: Drawing aids include five perspective guides, a hatching guide, radial and kaleidoscope symmetry, smart shape detection, a gradient fill tool and editable text layers. It also has seamless pattern projects and CMYK print presets. It does not advertise animation.