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)
Sketchbook
by Sketchbook, Inc.
Sketchbook is a free sketching and drawing app for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows with a one-time $2.99 Premium Bundle.
- Price
- Free; Premium Bundle $2.99 one-time
- Runs on
- iOS, iPadOS, Android, macOS, Windows
- Rating
- ★ 4.8 on the App Store (221K ratings)
Key differences
Only Sketchbook has
- Free version
- Mac: Yes, separate desktop version
Feature comparison
| Feature | Procreate |
Sketchbook |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | $12.99 one-time | Free; Premium Bundle $2.99 one-time |
| 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, separate desktop version |
| Android and Chromebook | Not advertised | Yes |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 300+ | Pencils, markers, airbrushes, smear and more |
| Brush customization | Brush Studio, 100+ settings | Highly customizable; custom brushes in Premium |
| Brush import | Procreate and Photoshop (.abr) brushes | Premium Bundle |
| Apple Pencil | Pressure and tilt | Supported |
| 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+ | Full set |
| Masks | Layer and clipping masks | Clipping and layer masks in Premium |
| Adjustments and filters | Curves, Color Balance, HSB, Gradient Map, blurs, Bloom, Glitch, Halftone, applied to the layer | Blur, sharpen, brightness/contrast, greyscale, invert (Premium) |
| Selection tools | Automatic, freehand, rectangle, ellipse | Selection tools |
| Liquify and distortion | Liquify and Warp | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Yes | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Vertical, horizontal, quadrant, radial | Yes |
| Perspective guides | 1, 2 and 3-point, isometric, 2D grid | Perspective guides |
| Shape correction | QuickShape | Predictive Stroke |
| Gradients | Gradient Map adjustment | Gradient fill |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| 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 | PNG, JPG, PSD, PDF (Premium) |
| CMYK and print | CMYK color profiles | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 (51K ratings) | 4.8 / 5 (221K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 18, 2026 | June 1, 2026 |
| Languages | 17 | 10 |
Price
Procreate costs $12.99 upfront, while Sketchbook 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.
Sketchbook is free, and a one-time $2.99 Premium Bundle unlocks extras such as custom brushes, clipping masks, layer grouping, extra adjustments and PDF export. There is no subscription.
Platforms
Both run on iPad. Only Sketchbook runs on iPhone, Android, Mac 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.
Sketchbook is one app for iPhone and iPad, with separate versions for Android, Mac and Windows.
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.
Sketchbook has a full set of pencils, markers, airbrushes and smear brushes that feel like their physical versions, and every brush is highly customizable. Creating, importing and exporting custom brushes is part of the Premium Bundle.
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.
Sketchbook: Layers come with a full set of blend modes. The Premium Bundle adds clipping masks, layer masks, layer groups, and adjustments such as blur, sharpen and brightness/contrast.
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.
Sketchbook is built for sketching and precision, with guides, rulers, symmetry, perspective guides and Predictive Stroke for clean lines and shapes. Its clean interface stays out of the way so the canvas gets the screen.
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 Sketchbook if
- You mostly sketch and want a clean, distraction-free interface
- You want a nearly free app with a $2.99 one-time upgrade
- You want versions for Windows and Mac too
- You also draw on Android
Frequently asked questions
Is Procreate better than Sketchbook?
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. Sketchbook suits you better if you mostly sketch and want a clean, distraction-free interface, or you want a nearly free app with a $2.99 one-time upgrade.
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 Sketchbook free?
Yes. Sketchbook is free, and a one-time $2.99 Premium Bundle unlocks extras such as custom brushes, clipping masks, layer groups and PDF export. There is no subscription.
Which works on iPhone, Procreate or Sketchbook?
Procreate has a separate iPhone app, Procreate Pocket ($5.99). Sketchbook runs on iPhone in the same app as on iPad.
Do Procreate and Sketchbook work on Android?
Procreate does not list an Android version. Sketchbook has an Android version.
Do Procreate or Sketchbook use generative AI?
Procreate has publicly pledged never to add generative AI to its apps. Sketchbook 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 Sketchbook 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 Sketchbook.