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    Procreate Review and verdict 2026

    iPad digital drawing and illustration app used by illustrators and concept artists.

    Free.

    Procreate

    ToolTrim Verdict
    4.1/5
    Very good

    Procreate is a great pick for iPad illustration with a one-time buy; outside Apple's ecosystem or for pro photo editing, another tool fits.

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    Our take

    Understanding Procreate.

    Digital drawing and painting app for iPad (and iPhone via Procreate Pocket), loved by illustrators for its responsive brushes and Apple Pencil-optimized engine.

    Practical uses

    • Illustrate a project from sketch to final render.
    • Create character design or concept art.
    • Animate a short sequenceProcreate Dreams.

    Pros and cons

    What Procreate does especially well — and the limits to anticipate.

    Pros

    • One-time purchase, no subscription.
    • Fast, natural painting engine.
    • Huge choice of brushes and resources.
    • Built-in timelapse recording.

    Cons

    • Limited to Apple ecosystem (iPad/iPhone).
    • No free version to try.
    • Less equipped for heavy photo editing.

    Procreate: when it makes sense.

    Procreate is a great pick for iPad illustration with a one-time buy; outside Apple's ecosystem or for pro photo editing, another tool fits.

    Keep if

    You draw or illustrate on iPad with an Apple Pencil.. You prefer a one-time purchase over a subscription.

    Challenge if

    You work on Windows or Android (iPad/iPhone only).. You need real photo editing or DTP workflows.

    Our verdict on Procreate.

    Why this verdict

    Very good

    Procreate is fairly easy to replace with an alternative, a free tier to test before paying, clearly documented use cases.