The Two Dominant iPad Sketching Apps
If you're drawing digitally on an iPad, you'll almost certainly encounter two names first: Procreate and Adobe Fresco. Both are powerful, both support Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity, and both have passionate user communities. But they're designed with different philosophies, and the best choice depends on how you work.
This comparison focuses specifically on the sketching and illustration workflow — not photo editing or graphic design applications.
Procreate at a Glance
Procreate (by Savage Interactive) is a one-time purchase app exclusive to iPad. It's built from the ground up for raster drawing and painting, with a clean, gesture-driven interface that stays out of your way. It's the dominant choice among professional illustrators, concept artists, and sketch journalists.
Key strengths:
- Enormous library of brushes — including highly responsive pencil and ink simulation brushes
- Extremely low latency with Apple Pencil; feels close to drawing on paper
- Time-lapse recording of your entire drawing process
- QuickShape for clean lines and geometric shapes
- Streamlined, distraction-free UI
- One-time purchase (no subscription)
Limitations:
- Raster-only — no native vector drawing tools
- No live brushes (actual wet watercolor simulation)
- File sizes grow large with many layers at high resolution
Adobe Fresco at a Glance
Adobe Fresco is Adobe's dedicated drawing and painting app, available on iPad and Windows. Its headline feature is Live Brushes — oil and watercolor brushes that simulate the real physical behavior of wet paint: blending, blooming, and drying over time. It also includes vector drawing tools alongside raster tools.
Key strengths:
- Live Brushes produce remarkably realistic watercolor and oil paint effects
- Combines raster, vector, and live brush layers in one document
- Deep integration with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop files, Illustrator assets)
- Free tier available with access to core features
- Available on both iPad and Windows tablets
Limitations:
- Full feature set requires an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription
- Heavier interface — more menu-driven than Procreate
- Live Brushes can feel slower and less responsive on older hardware
- Less community content (brushes, tutorials) than Procreate's ecosystem
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Procreate | Adobe Fresco |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time purchase (~£12) | Free (limited) / CC subscription |
| Platform | iPad only | iPad + Windows |
| Brush feel | Excellent — very low latency | Good — slightly heavier |
| Watercolor simulation | Good (raster brushes) | Excellent (Live Brushes) |
| Vector tools | No | Yes |
| UI complexity | Simple, gesture-driven | More menu-driven |
| Adobe CC integration | Limited (PSD export) | Deep integration |
| Brush library | Very large community ecosystem | Growing, curated library |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Procreate if:
- You want the most responsive, paper-like drawing feel
- You prefer a simple, uncluttered workspace
- You're a line-focused sketcher or illustrator
- You want a one-time purchase with no ongoing costs
- You're new to digital drawing and want a gentle learning curve
Choose Fresco if:
- Watercolor or oil paint simulation is a priority for your style
- You're already embedded in the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem
- You need vector drawing alongside raster sketching
- You work across both iPad and a Windows drawing tablet
The Honest Answer
For most sketchers coming from a traditional background — especially those who sketch in pen or pencil — Procreate will feel more natural and immediate. For artists who love loose, wet media and watercolor-style work in a digital environment, Fresco's Live Brushes are genuinely impressive and worth the subscription if you use Adobe tools anyway.
Both apps offer free trials or free tiers. The best way to decide is to spend a week with each and see which one you reach for instinctively.