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)
iArtbook
by Alexander Kondrashov
iArtbook is a painting and animation app for iPad, iPhone and Mac with unlimited layers, wet brushes and a lesson mode for learning by copying.
- Price
- Free; Pro $12.99 one-time ($7.99 iPhone only)
- Runs on
- iPadOS, iOS, macOS
- Rating
- ★ 3.8 on the App Store (12K ratings)
Key differences
Only iArtbook has
- Free version
- Mac: Yes, Apple silicon Macs
Feature comparison
| Feature | Procreate |
iArtbook |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | $12.99 one-time | Free; Pro $12.99 one-time ($7.99 iPhone only) |
| Free version | No, paid upfront | Yes |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Ad-free | Yes | Not advertised |
| No account needed | Yes | Not advertised |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Separate app, Procreate Pocket ($5.99) | Yes, same app |
| Mac | No, iPad only | Yes, Apple silicon Macs |
| Android and Chromebook | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 300+ | Pro brushes plus 1,000+ textures |
| Brush customization | Brush Studio, 100+ settings | 50+ settings per brush |
| Brush import | Procreate and Photoshop (.abr) brushes | Import and export brushes |
| Apple Pencil | Pressure and tilt | Pressure, tilt, azimuth |
| 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 | Unlimited |
| Blend modes | 25+ | Yes |
| Masks | Layer and clipping masks | Masks |
| Adjustments and filters | Curves, Color Balance, HSB, Gradient Map, blurs, Bloom, Glitch, Halftone, applied to the layer | Not advertised |
| Selection tools | Automatic, freehand, rectangle, ellipse | Selection tool |
| Liquify and distortion | Liquify and Warp | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Yes | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Vertical, horizontal, quadrant, radial | Not advertised |
| Perspective guides | 1, 2 and 3-point, isometric, 2D grid | Not advertised |
| Shape correction | QuickShape | Not advertised |
| 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 | Unlimited frames, multiple animation layers |
| 3D painting | Yes | Not advertised |
| Timelapse | Yes, export up to 4K | On by default |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | None. Procreate has pledged never to add it | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Import and export | Not advertised |
| Export formats | PSD, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, PDF, GIF, MP4, OBJ, USDZ | PNG, MP4, HEVC, GIF, APNG |
| CMYK and print | CMYK color profiles | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 (51K ratings) | 3.8 / 5 (12K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 18, 2026 | January 7, 2026 |
| Languages | 17 | 39 |
Price
Procreate costs $12.99 upfront, while iArtbook 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.
iArtbook is free to download, and Pro is a one-time upgrade: $12.99 on iPad, or $7.99 for iPhone only, with no subscription.
Platforms
Both run on iPad. Only iArtbook runs on iPhone and Mac.
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.
iArtbook is one app for iPhone and iPad that also runs on Apple silicon Macs.
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.
iArtbook brushes can be dry, glossy or wet, with three kinds of wet paint, more than 50 settings per brush, and a library of over 1,000 textures to build your own. Calligraphy smoothing keeps lines clean even when you draw with a finger.
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.
iArtbook: Layers are unlimited, with blend modes, masks and lossless transforms. Two color pickers, a color mixer and palette import and export round out the color tools.
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.
iArtbook does frame-by-frame animation with unlimited frames and multiple animation layers, exporting to MP4, HEVC, GIF and APNG. Its lesson mode lets you copy any painting or sketch side by side to learn, and timelapse recording is on by default.
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 need PDF, GIF, MP4 or 3D model export
- You want an app whose maker has pledged never to add generative AI
Choose iArtbook if
- You want to learn by copying artwork in a side-by-side lesson mode
- You want wet, glossy brushes with several smudge styles
- You want unlimited layers
- You want to build your own brushes from over 1,000 textures
Frequently asked questions
Is Procreate better than iArtbook?
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. iArtbook suits you better if you want to learn by copying artwork in a side-by-side lesson mode, or you want wet, glossy brushes with several smudge styles.
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 iArtbook free?
Yes, iArtbook is free to download. Pro is a one-time upgrade, $12.99 on iPad or $7.99 for iPhone only, with no subscription.
Which works on iPhone, Procreate or iArtbook?
Procreate has a separate iPhone app, Procreate Pocket ($5.99). iArtbook runs on iPhone in the same app as on iPad.
Do Procreate and iArtbook work on Android?
Procreate does not list an Android version. iArtbook does not list an Android version.
Do Procreate or iArtbook use generative AI?
Procreate has publicly pledged never to add generative AI to its apps. iArtbook 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 iArtbook 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 iArtbook.