Procreate
by Savage Interactive
Procreate is a paid digital illustration and painting app made exclusively for iPad.
- Price
- $12.99 one-time
- Runs on
- iPadOS
- Rating
- ★ 4.4 on the App Store (51K ratings)
Adobe Fresco
by Adobe
Adobe Fresco is a free drawing and painting app for iPad, iPhone and Windows with raster, vector and Live Brushes.
- Price
- Free; optional Photoshop bundle $7.99/month
- Runs on
- iPadOS, iOS, Windows
- Rating
- ★ 4.7 on the App Store (62K ratings)
Key differences
Only Procreate has
- No account needed
Only Adobe Fresco has
- Free version: Yes, fully free
Feature comparison
| Feature | Procreate |
Adobe Fresco |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | $12.99 one-time | Free; optional Photoshop bundle $7.99/month |
| Free version | No, paid upfront | Yes, fully free |
| Subscription | None | Optional, bundles Photoshop on iPad |
| Ad-free | Yes | Not advertised |
| No account needed | Yes | Adobe account needed to export |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Separate app, Procreate Pocket ($5.99) | Yes, same app |
| Mac | No, iPad only | No (Windows version available) |
| Android and Chromebook | Not advertised | No |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 300+ | Thousands |
| Brush customization | Brush Studio, 100+ settings | Brush settings, raster, vector and Live Brushes |
| Brush import | Procreate and Photoshop (.abr) brushes | Photoshop brushes |
| Apple Pencil | Pressure and tilt | Supported, including Apple Pencil Pro |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Page Assist for comic pages | Not advertised |
| Screentones | Halftone filter | Not advertised |
| Text and lettering | Vector text, custom fonts | Adobe Fonts |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Depends on canvas size and device | Unlimited |
| Blend modes | 25+ | Yes |
| Masks | Layer and clipping masks | Layer masks and clipping |
| Adjustments and filters | Curves, Color Balance, HSB, Gradient Map, blurs, Bloom, Glitch, Halftone, applied to the layer | Adjustment layers: brightness, hue/saturation, color balance |
| Selection tools | Automatic, freehand, rectangle, ellipse | Lasso, magic wand and more |
| Liquify and distortion | Liquify and Warp | Liquify |
| Clone tool | Yes | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Vertical, horizontal, quadrant, radial | Rotational and reflective |
| Perspective guides | 1, 2 and 3-point, isometric, 2D grid | Perspective grids, including from a photo |
| Shape correction | QuickShape | Snap to Shape |
| Gradients | Gradient Map adjustment | Not advertised |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Frame-by-frame with Animation Assist | Frame-by-frame and motion paths |
| 3D painting | Yes | Not advertised |
| Timelapse | Yes, export up to 4K | Yes |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | None. Procreate has pledged never to add it | None; Content Credentials can mark art as AI-free |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Import and export | Export, plus direct Photoshop integration |
| Export formats | PSD, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, PDF, GIF, MP4, OBJ, USDZ | PSD, PNG, JPG, PDF, GIF, MP4 |
| CMYK and print | CMYK color profiles | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 (51K ratings) | 4.7 / 5 (62K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 18, 2026 | September 29, 2026 |
| Languages | 17 | 18 |
Price
Procreate costs $12.99 upfront, while Adobe Fresco is free to download.
Procreate costs $12.99 once on the App Store, with no subscription and no in-app purchases. There is no free version or trial, so you pay before you draw.
Adobe Fresco is free, with thousands of brushes, unlimited layers and animation tools included. An optional subscription bundles it with Photoshop on iPad for $7.99 a month on the US App Store.
Platforms
Both run on iPad. Only Adobe Fresco runs on iPhone and Windows.
Procreate is made for iPad only. On iPhone you need Procreate Pocket, a separate $5.99 app, and Procreate does not list versions for Mac, Windows or Android.
Fresco is one app for iPad and iPhone, and there is also a Windows version. Adobe's system requirements list no Mac or Android version. You can start drawing without signing in, but exporting and cloud saving need an Adobe account.
Brushes
Procreate ships with more than 300 brushes and Brush Studio, which exposes over 100 settings per brush. It imports Photoshop .abr brushes as well as Procreate brushes, and third-party Procreate brush packs are sold all over the web.
Fresco includes thousands of free brushes: blendable raster brushes, vector brushes that stay sharp at any size, and Live Brushes that simulate watercolor and oil paint. It also imports Photoshop brushes.
Layers and editing
Procreate: Layers come with layer masks, clipping masks and 25+ blend modes, and the number of layers depends on your canvas size and device. Adjustments such as Curves, Gradient Map and Gaussian Blur are applied directly to a layer rather than kept as separate adjustment layers.
Adobe Fresco: Layers are unlimited, with masks, clipping and Photoshop-style adjustment layers for brightness, hue/saturation and color balance. Liquify, free transform and a magic wand are included, and documents open directly in Photoshop and Illustrator.
Drawing tools and extras
Procreate: Drawing aids include QuickShape, symmetry, 1, 2 and 3-point perspective and isometric guides, and vector text. Procreate also has frame-by-frame animation with Animation Assist, 3D painting on imported models, and a timelapse you can export in 4K.
Adobe Fresco: Drawing aids include Snap to Shape, rotational and reflective symmetry, rulers, and perspective grids you can build from a photo. Fresco also has frame-by-frame animation with motion paths, GIF and MP4 export, Adobe Fonts for text, and timelapse export.
Which should you choose?
Choose Procreate if
- You rely on third-party Procreate or Photoshop brush packs
- You want to paint directly on 3D models
- You prefer one upfront price to a subscription
- You need PDF, GIF, MP4 or 3D model export
Choose Adobe Fresco if
- You want Live Brushes that blend like real watercolor and oil paint
- You want a completely free professional app
- You want vector brushes that stay sharp at any size
- You already use Photoshop or Illustrator
Frequently asked questions
Is Procreate better than Adobe Fresco?
Neither is better for everyone. Procreate is the better pick if you rely on third-party Procreate or Photoshop brush packs, or you want to paint directly on 3D models. Adobe Fresco suits you better if you want Live Brushes that blend like real watercolor and oil paint, or you want a completely free professional app.
Is Procreate free?
No. Procreate costs $12.99 once on the App Store, with no subscription and no free version. The iPhone version, Procreate Pocket, is a separate $5.99 purchase.
Is Adobe Fresco free?
Yes. Adobe Fresco is free, with thousands of brushes, unlimited layers and animation included. You need a free Adobe account to export and save to the cloud, and an optional bundle with Photoshop on iPad costs $7.99 a month.
Which works on iPhone, Procreate or Adobe Fresco?
Procreate has a separate iPhone app, Procreate Pocket ($5.99). Adobe Fresco runs on iPhone in the same app as on iPad.
Do Procreate and Adobe Fresco work on Android?
Procreate does not list an Android version. Adobe Fresco is not available on Android.
Do Procreate or Adobe Fresco use generative AI?
Procreate has publicly pledged never to add generative AI to its apps. Adobe Fresco does not include generative AI tools, and its Content Credentials feature can mark artwork as made without generative AI.
Sources
- Procreate on the App Store
- Procreate's statement on generative AI
- Adobe Fresco on the App Store
- Adobe Fresco: get started
- Adobe Fresco system requirements
Facts checked on October 2, 2026. Prices are from the US App Store, and features from each app's listing and official site. Apps change often, so check the App Store for current prices and features. Procreate and Adobe Fresco are trademarks of their respective owners. App icons come from each app's App Store listing and belong to their owners. Paintrix Studio is not affiliated with the makers of Procreate and Adobe Fresco.