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)
Art Set 4
by Lofopi
Art Set 4 is an iPad painting app focused on hyper-realistic traditional media, with free core tools and a one-time Pro upgrade.
- Price
- Free; Unlock All $12.99 one-time
- Runs on
- iPadOS
- Rating
- ★ 4.6 on the App Store (29K ratings)
Key differences
Only Art Set 4 has
- Free version: Yes, core realistic tools
Feature comparison
| Feature | Procreate |
Art Set 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | $12.99 one-time | Free; Unlock All $12.99 one-time |
| Free version | No, paid upfront | Yes, core realistic tools |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Ad-free | Yes | Not advertised |
| No account needed | Yes | Not advertised |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Separate app, Procreate Pocket ($5.99) | No, iPad only |
| Mac | No, iPad only | No, iPad only |
| Android and Chromebook | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 300+ | Core tools free; 200 advanced brushes in Pro |
| Brush customization | Brush Studio, 100+ settings | Size, opacity, flow, grain, loading, dynamics |
| Brush import | Procreate and Photoshop (.abr) brushes | Not advertised |
| Apple Pencil | Pressure and tilt | Deeply integrated |
| 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 | Not advertised |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Depends on canvas size and device | Not advertised |
| Blend modes | 25+ | Pro |
| Masks | Layer and clipping masks | Layer masks and alpha lock (Pro) |
| Adjustments and filters | Curves, Color Balance, HSB, Gradient Map, blurs, Bloom, Glitch, Halftone, applied to the layer | Hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, blur (Pro) |
| Selection tools | Automatic, freehand, rectangle, ellipse | Quick masking for local adjustments |
| Liquify and distortion | Liquify and Warp | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Yes | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Vertical, horizontal, quadrant, radial | Pro |
| Perspective guides | 1, 2 and 3-point, isometric, 2D grid | Not advertised |
| Shape correction | QuickShape | Shape primitives (Pro) |
| Gradients | Gradient Map adjustment | Not advertised |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Metallic colors |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Frame-by-frame with Animation Assist | Not advertised |
| 3D painting | Yes | Raised 3D paint texture, not 3D models |
| Timelapse | Yes, export up to 4K | Yes |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | None. Procreate has pledged never to add it | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Import and export | Export |
| Export formats | PSD, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, PDF, GIF, MP4, OBJ, USDZ | PSD and images |
| CMYK and print | CMYK color profiles | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 (51K ratings) | 4.6 / 5 (29K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 18, 2026 | November 16, 2023 |
| Languages | 17 | 1 |
Price
Procreate costs $12.99 upfront, while Art Set 4 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.
Art Set 4 is free to download with its core realistic tools. A single $12.99 Unlock All purchase adds 200 advanced brushes, layer features, symmetry and adjustments, with no subscription.
Platforms
Both run on iPad.
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.
Art Set 4: On the App Store, Art Set 4 is available for iPad and Apple Vision Pro only, not iPhone or Mac, and the app was last updated in November 2023.
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.
Art Set 4 is all about realistic traditional media: oil paint, fluid watercolor that flows as you paint, oil pastel, pencil, marker, wax crayon and 3D paint you can etch back into. The canvas tracks where paint is wet or dry, and Pro adds 200 more 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.
Art Set 4: Pro unlocks layer masks, blend modes, alpha lock and transforms, plus localized adjustments for hue, saturation, brightness, contrast and blur through quick masking.
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.
Art Set 4: Drawing aids are simple: flood fill, symmetry and shape primitives in Pro, Slow Draw for smooth lines, and textured papers and canvases. It records a timelapse and exports layered PSD files.
Which should you choose?
Choose Procreate if
- You rely on third-party Procreate or Photoshop brush packs
- You want frame-by-frame animation
- You want to paint directly on 3D models
- You need PDF, GIF, MP4 or 3D model export
Choose Art Set 4 if
- You want hyper-realistic oils, watercolors and pastels
- You want watercolor that flows and paint that stays wet on the canvas
- You want realistic tools free before deciding to upgrade
- You want 3D paint you can etch back into
Frequently asked questions
Is Procreate better than Art Set 4?
Neither is better for everyone. Procreate is the better pick if you rely on third-party Procreate or Photoshop brush packs, or you want frame-by-frame animation. Art Set 4 suits you better if you want hyper-realistic oils, watercolors and pastels, or you want watercolor that flows and paint that stays wet on the canvas.
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 Art Set 4 free?
Yes, Art Set 4 is free to download with its core realistic tools. A one-time $12.99 Unlock All purchase adds 200 advanced brushes and the professional features, with no subscription.
Which works on iPhone, Procreate or Art Set 4?
Procreate has a separate iPhone app, Procreate Pocket ($5.99). Art Set 4 is not available on iPhone.
Do Procreate and Art Set 4 work on Android?
Procreate does not list an Android version. Art Set 4 does not list an Android version.
Do Procreate or Art Set 4 use generative AI?
Procreate has publicly pledged never to add generative AI to its apps. Art Set 4 does not advertise any generative AI features.
Sources
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 Art Set 4 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 Art Set 4.