ibis Paint X
by ibis
ibis Paint X is a free, ad-supported drawing and animation app for iPhone, iPad and Android with a huge online library of brushes and materials.
- Price
- Free with ads; Premium $4.49/month or ad removal $15.99
- Runs on
- iOS, iPadOS, Android
- Rating
- ★ 4.7 on the App Store (298K 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)
Feature comparison
| Feature | ibis Paint X |
Sketchbook |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | Free with ads; Premium $4.49/month or ad removal $15.99 | Free; Premium Bundle $2.99 one-time |
| Free version | Yes, ad-supported | Yes |
| Subscription | Optional Premium membership | None |
| Ad-free | No, ads unless removed for $15.99 | Not advertised |
| No account needed | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes, same app | Yes, same app |
| Mac | Not advertised | Yes, separate desktop version |
| Android and Chromebook | Yes | Yes |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 130,000+ | Pencils, markers, airbrushes, smear and more |
| Brush customization | Customizable brushes | Highly customizable; custom brushes in Premium |
| Brush import | Online brush library | Premium Bundle |
| Apple Pencil | Supported | Supported |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Screentones | 46 screentones | Not advertised |
| Text and lettering | 3,000+ fonts | Not advertised |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Blend modes | 27 | Full set |
| Masks | Clipping | Clipping and layer masks in Premium |
| Adjustments and filters | 86 image filters | Blur, sharpen, brightness/contrast, greyscale, invert (Premium) |
| Selection tools | Selection tools | Selection tools |
| Liquify and distortion | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Symmetry and radial rulers | Yes |
| Perspective guides | Not advertised | Perspective guides |
| Shape correction | Shape and vector tools | Predictive Stroke |
| Gradients | Not advertised | Gradient fill |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Frame-by-frame, with music and audio | Not advertised |
| 3D painting | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Timelapse | Yes | Yes |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | No image generation; AI Disturbance protects art from AI training | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Not advertised | Export |
| Export formats | Images and timelapse video | PNG, JPG, PSD, PDF (Premium) |
| CMYK and print | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 (298K ratings) | 4.8 / 5 (221K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 29, 2026 | June 1, 2026 |
| Languages | 18 | 10 |
Price
Both are free to download, but they charge for different things.
ibis Paint X is free with ads. Ads can be removed for $15.99 once, or Premium membership, which adds extra features and materials, costs $4.49 a month or $27.99 a year on the US App Store.
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, iPhone and Android. Only Sketchbook runs on Mac and Windows.
ibis Paint X is one app for iPhone and iPad, and it is also available on Android.
Sketchbook is one app for iPhone and iPad, with separate versions for Android, Mac and Windows.
Brushes
ibis Paint X advertises more than 130,000 brushes along with 30,000+ materials and 46 screentones, which makes it one of the biggest brush collections of any drawing app.
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.
Comics and manga
ibis Paint X is popular for manga, with 46 screentones, more than 3,000 fonts for lettering and a large online library of inking brushes.
Sketchbook does not advertise comic panel or screentone tools; its strengths are sketching, rulers and perspective guides.
Layers and editing
ibis Paint X: It offers 27 layer blend modes, clipping, 86 image filters, vector tools and a reference window, which is a lot of power for a free app.
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
ibis Paint X: Drawing aids include radial and symmetry rulers. ibis Paint X also does frame-by-frame animation with music and audio, records a timelapse, and has an AI Disturbance feature meant to protect your art from AI training.
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 ibis Paint X if
- You want a huge library of brushes, materials and fonts
- You want a powerful free app and do not mind ads
- You want frame-by-frame animation with music and audio
- You want thousands of fonts for lettering
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 perspective guides, rulers and Predictive Stroke
- You want versions for Windows and Mac too
Frequently asked questions
Is ibis Paint X better than Sketchbook?
Neither is better for everyone. ibis Paint X is the better pick if you want a huge library of brushes, materials and fonts, or you want a powerful free app and do not mind ads. 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 ibis Paint X free?
Yes, ibis Paint X is free with ads. You can remove ads for $15.99 once, or subscribe to Premium for $4.49 a month or $27.99 a year for extra features and materials.
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, ibis Paint X or Sketchbook?
Both. ibis Paint X and Sketchbook each run on iPhone in the same app as on iPad.
Do ibis Paint X and Sketchbook work on Android?
ibis Paint X has an Android version. Sketchbook has an Android version.
Do ibis Paint X or Sketchbook use generative AI?
ibis Paint X does not advertise AI image generation, and its AI Disturbance feature is designed to make your artwork harder for AI to learn from. 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. ibis Paint X 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 ibis Paint X and Sketchbook.