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)
Infinite Painter
by Infinite Studio
Infinite Painter is a painting and drawing app for iPad, iPhone, Mac and Android with a free version and a one-time Pro upgrade.
- Price
- Free; Pro upgrade $9.99 one-time
- Runs on
- iPadOS, iOS, macOS, Android, ChromeOS
- Rating
- ★ 4.1 on the App Store (10K ratings)
Key differences
Only Infinite Painter has
- Free version: Yes, 5 layers, plus a 7-day trial of everything
- Mac: Yes, Apple silicon Macs
Feature comparison
| Feature | Procreate |
Infinite Painter |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | $12.99 one-time | Free; Pro upgrade $9.99 one-time |
| Free version | No, paid upfront | Yes, 5 layers, plus a 7-day trial of everything |
| 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 | Yes |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 300+ | Hundreds |
| Brush customization | Brush Studio, 100+ settings | 100+ settings per brush |
| Brush import | Procreate and Photoshop (.abr) brushes | Infinite Painter brushes and sets |
| Apple Pencil | Pressure and tilt | Pressure and tilt |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Page Assist for comic pages | Not advertised |
| Screentones | Halftone filter | Screentone brushes |
| Text and lettering | Vector text, custom fonts | Editable text layers, custom fonts |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Depends on canvas size and device | Free: 5. Pro: depends on canvas size and device |
| Blend modes | 25+ | 30 |
| Masks | Layer and clipping masks | Layer, adjustment and group masks (Pro), clipping masks |
| Adjustments and filters | Curves, Color Balance, HSB, Gradient Map, blurs, Bloom, Glitch, Halftone, applied to the layer | 40+ live filters, adjustment and filter layers (Pro) |
| Selection tools | Automatic, freehand, rectangle, ellipse | Lasso, rectangle, circle, poly, path, wand, brush, color range |
| Liquify and distortion | Liquify and Warp | Liquify |
| Clone tool | Yes | Clone tool with offset |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Vertical, horizontal, quadrant, radial | Radial and kaleidoscope |
| Perspective guides | 1, 2 and 3-point, isometric, 2D grid | Five perspective guides, 2D grid, hatching guide |
| Shape correction | QuickShape | Smart shape detection, editable shapes |
| Gradients | Gradient Map adjustment | Gradient fill tool |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Seamless pattern projects |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Frame-by-frame with Animation Assist | Not advertised |
| 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 advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Import and export | Export |
| Export formats | PSD, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, PDF, GIF, MP4, OBJ, USDZ | PSD, PNG, JPG, ZIP, Infinite Painter project |
| CMYK and print | CMYK color profiles | CMYK modes and print presets |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 (51K ratings) | 4.1 / 5 (10K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 18, 2026 | January 22, 2026 |
| Languages | 17 | 13 |
Price
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.
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. Neither app charges a subscription.
Platforms
Procreate is made for iPad only. On iPhone you need Procreate Pocket, a separate $5.99 app, and Procreate does not list a Mac or Android version.
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
Both apps ship with hundreds of brushes and let you edit each one through more than 100 settings. Procreate has the bigger ecosystem: Brush Studio imports Photoshop .abr brushes as well as Procreate brushes, and third-party Procreate brush packs are sold all over the web.
Infinite Painter imports and exports its own brushes and sets, can sample lower layers when blending, and lets you apply live color adjustments and filters to any brush.
Layers and editing
This is where Infinite Painter pulls ahead. 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.
Procreate's adjustments, such as Curves, Gradient Map and Gaussian Blur, are applied directly to a layer, though it does support layer masks, clipping masks and 25+ blend modes. In both apps the number of layers depends on your canvas size and device memory, except that Infinite Painter's free version stops at 5.
Drawing aids
Both have symmetry, shape correction (Procreate's QuickShape and Infinite Painter's smart shape detection) and a text tool.
Infinite Painter goes further for technical drawing, with five perspective guides, a hatching guide, seamless pattern projects and a gradient fill tool. Procreate covers 1, 2 and 3-point perspective plus isometric grids, and handles gradients through its Gradient Map adjustment.
Animation, 3D and export
Procreate has animation, which Infinite Painter does not advertise: Animation Assist handles frame-by-frame work with onion skinning. It can also paint directly on 3D models, and it exports to more formats, including PDF, GIF, MP4, OBJ and USDZ.
Infinite Painter exports PNG, JPG and layered PSD files, and adds CMYK modes and print presets for print work. Both apps record a timelapse of your painting.
Which should you choose?
Choose Procreate if
- You only draw on iPad and prefer one upfront price
- You want frame-by-frame animation or 3D painting
- You rely on third-party Procreate or Photoshop brush packs
- You need PDF, GIF, MP4 or 3D model export
Choose Infinite Painter if
- You want to try a full painting app free before paying
- You draw on iPhone, Mac or Android as well as iPad
- You want non-destructive adjustment and filter layers
- You draw environments, architecture or patterns and need perspective guides or seamless pattern projects
Frequently asked questions
Is Procreate better than Infinite Painter?
Neither is better for everyone. Procreate is stronger for animation, 3D painting and brush compatibility, while Infinite Painter is stronger for cross-platform use, non-destructive editing and perspective tools. If you only use an iPad and want animation, choose Procreate; otherwise Infinite Painter's free version is the cheaper way to start.
Is Infinite Painter free?
Yes, Infinite Painter is free to download, with every built-in brush, brush editing and up to 5 layers, plus a 7-day trial of everything. The Pro upgrade is a one-time $9.99 purchase on the US App Store, with no subscription.
Is Procreate a one-time purchase?
Yes. Procreate costs $12.99 once on the App Store, with no subscription and no in-app purchases. The iPhone version, Procreate Pocket, is a separate $5.99 app.
Which is better on iPhone, Procreate or Infinite Painter?
Infinite Painter, because the same app runs on iPhone and iPad. Procreate's iPhone version is a separate app, Procreate Pocket, sold for $5.99.
Does Infinite Painter work on Android?
Yes. Infinite Painter runs on Android phones, tablets and Chromebooks, as well as iPad, iPhone and Apple silicon Macs. Procreate does not list an Android version.
Do Procreate or Infinite Painter use generative AI?
Procreate has publicly pledged never to add generative AI to its apps. Infinite Painter does not advertise any generative AI features. Both are built around painting by hand.
Sources
- Procreate on the App Store
- Procreate's statement on generative AI
- Infinite Painter on the App Store
- Infinite Painter technical specifications
- Infinite Painter installation guide
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 Infinite Painter 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 Infinite Painter.