The iPad and iPhone app Procreate is a fantastic new tool for artists. Sketching, drawing, painting, redoing/undoing, advanced level blending, auto-saving, and with its unique range of tools, brushes, and filters, Procreate alternatives give nothing short of a captivating and magical creative experience for iPad Pro.
It is quirky and has excellent touch sensitivity. Before understanding why you should search out for Procreate alternatives, learn what Procreate is and what Procreate alternatives you have.
Top 9 Best Procreate Alternatives for Windows & Android
The iPad Pro has often been lauded as a laptop substitute, and while I do challenge this assertion, the iPad Pro does offer great potential. The iPad drawing software, Procreate alternatives is perhaps the most powerful and finest overall. It features a comprehensive selection of brushes, complex layer mixing, stunning filters, 100 undo/redo strokes, auto-saving while you work, and much more.
So why do you need to Procreate alternatives? Because there are two difficulties. ProCreate is a premium app (one-time cost of $9.99) with no free trial to test drive it. And, although the company does provide the less powerful Procreate Pocket for the iPhone, what if you want to Procreate on Android or Windows?
Here are various Procreate alternatives, not just for Windows and Android, but also for the iPad Pro. Duet Display versus Sidecar: Is It Still Worth Paying for a Duet Display? Professionals who require sophisticated tools will benefit the most from this product.
1. ArtRage
As I was having a chat with an artist friend of mine, he casually noted how tricky it was to change to a digital platform for making art forms. If you prefer the old-fashioned drawing style, you will like ArtRage as a Procreate alternative. The best thing about ArtRage is that it tries to mimic real paint as naturally as possible.
You can even blend colors, as you do with actual paint. Other key features include tools to keep track of wetness, thickness, and lighting direction.
Pros:
- The most natural experience of utilizing digital media to make art is through an intuitive interface.
Cons:
- Lack of sophisticated tools
- sluggish sometimes
- Upgrading costs money.
Availability: Android, iPad, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
2. Autodesk SketchBook
Autodesk is a well-known brand when it comes to designing and modeling software suites. They are well renowned for their AutoCAD solutions, a platform that revolutionized the face of several industries.
Like Procreate, Sketchbook also has a pen-friendly interface. One may utilize colors, brushes, mirror images and draw various form components. Other important options include the ability to store photographs and progress automatically.
However, unlike Procreate, which has 128 brushes, each with 50 configurable parameters for every brush; SketchBook doesn’t have that many brushes, and the maximum size of brushes is also fairly modest.
Autodesk SketchBook Interoperability is excellent as users may export photographs into numerous formats including PSD. Adding to that, customers can also adjust the resolution of the photographs and they also get a pen option. The program is capable of detecting fake hand pressure allowing you to effortlessly doodle.
Pros:
- SketchBook is now available for free in its full functionality.
- A complete selection of professional tools at your disposal
Cons:
The learning curve is significant as compared with Procreate\s Requires users to be familiar with the desktop version of the Autodesk Sketchbook
Supported Devices: iPhone/iPad/Mac/Windows
3. Adobe Photoshop Sketch
I enjoy the idea that Photoshop Sketch was meant to make digital art, whereas Photoshop is more of a do-it-all tool. The brush tools in Photoshop are great, but Sketch is much better. But you don’t need to know Photoshop to utilize it. The finest feature of the app is the smooth Adobe product connection.
You may, for example, import all of your Photoshop brushes or export your artwork to Photoshop and Lightroom for further editing. It’s also a vector-based tool, which is why generated files are smaller in size, making them simpler to share. It’s one of the greatest Procreate alternatives on the market right now.
Pros:
- A focused app with precise tools
- There are 14+ different brushes to pick from to enhance the UI and UX.
Cons:
- Windows do not support it.
- Third-party apps or plugins are rare.
- Photo-editing software is in short supply.
Availability: macOS, Android, and iOS are all supported.
4. Krita
Krita emphasizes giving the most natural drawing experience in a digital medium. It includes comics and textures, and the preset brushes should be more than enough for making any form of artwork.
Krita also lets users tweak the brushes if need be. It contains a built-in reference panel and a color wheel. Being open-source, the creators of Krita have always given an ear to the community and have been quite rapid when it comes to introducing new features.
Pros:
- Tailor-made for artists,
- Focus on the essentials with open-source PSD editing.
Cons:
- The interface lacks intuitiveness.
- It lags occasionally. No Android support
Availability: macOS, Windows, Linux, and iOS are all supported.
5. Tayasui Sketches
Tayasui Sketches is a simple Procreate replacement that will assist the artist in sketching on tablets and macOS. The cornerstone of the tool is an array of artists’ tools, including pencils, pens, erasers, and brushes. The layout of the tool also needs particular attention. Other sophisticated capabilities include the Fill Transfer tool that will let you fill in depending on the defined pattern. By using the Fill Transfer feature, you may create overlapping effects without using different colors.
I’d like to add that the Sketches free version feels insufficient for all of your sketching needs, and if you’re a professional, you should invest in the Pro Version. Aside from that, you can try out the Pro Version for free for an hour, which should help you decide.
Pros:
Simple to use and maintain Low in cost
Cons:
- Limited brushes
- Cannot adjust the size of the canvas
- Layers are provided exclusively on the Pro version
Availability: macOS, iOS, and Android are all supported.
6. Concepts
Concepts is a vector drawing program, which means it’s more suitable for precise measurement sketching than freehand sketches. Like procreate, you have access to brushes, layers, etc. However, what differentiates it from the others is a choice of payment alternatives that enables you to acquire new tools as upgrades.
The free version provides you with a handful of brushes and layers. A one-time purchase of $9.99 will buy you everything, or you may pay $4.99 a month to have it all.
Pros
- Infinite canvas\s Flexible add-ons
Cons
- Steep learning curve
Availability: Windows 10, iOS, and Android
7. PaintTool Sai
Not all of us want to merely draw and sketch, but some of us also want to enrich our masterpieces with colors. PaintTool Sai is a drawing and painting tool that comes with a plain and easy-to-use UI, but plenty of essential capabilities. The fact that it was designed by Japanese developers should be enough to inform you it supports manga and anime. As a result, it’s better suited to those just getting their feet wet and hoping to pick up some new skills.
Pros:
- Beginner-friendly
- Easy to use
- Pressure support
Cons:
- Limited tools and scope
Availability: Windows
8. Corel Painter
Corel Painter is a superb drawing and painting program, and a perfect Procreate replacement, that is commonly used to mimic the effects that we experience in the real world in digital form. There is a multitude of brushes, tools, and textures to select from. Water paint, oil paint, and other mediums are only some of the color possibilities available.
The UI is customizable which is extremely amazing since you can now delete features that you don’t need or want to be bothered with.
Pros:
- Hundreds of brushes
- Multiple tools
- Customize UI\s Different styles of paint
Cons:
- None
Availability: Windows, macOS
9. Adobe Illustrator Draw
Even though it is the perfect Procreate competitor, Adobe Illustrator Draw is one of the less popular tools from the same team that gave us Photoshop and Lightroom. Built from the ground up for smartphones and tablets, it is a sketching tool that makes natural paper or canvas drawing a snap. You will need an Apple Pencil or a stylus to get the most out of Illustrator Draw.
Pros:
- Vector brushes
- Customizable toolbar\s Layers\s Creative cloud
- Connect to Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and Behance
Cons:
- None
Final Words
We have collected some of the top Procreate alternatives to help you get on board with digital drawing. That being said, we do know that at the end of the day it is the artists’ personal choice. The usability of the features is subjective and we hope that this list will help you one in on the Procreate alternatives finest sketching software.