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)
Tayasui Sketches
by Tayasui
Tayasui Sketches is a minimalist sketching and painting app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android with realistic brushes and a calm, hidden-away interface.
- Price
- Free; Pro $7.99 or premium subscription
- Runs on
- iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android
- Rating
- ★ 4.5 on the App Store (54K ratings)
Key differences
Only Tayasui Sketches has
- Free version: Yes, basic tools
- Mac: Yes, Apple silicon Macs
Feature comparison
| Feature | Procreate |
Tayasui Sketches |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | $12.99 one-time | Free; Pro $7.99 or premium subscription |
| Free version | No, paid upfront | Yes, basic tools |
| Subscription | None | Optional premium subscription |
| 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, Apple silicon Macs |
| Android and Chromebook | Not advertised | Separate Android app |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 300+ | 20+ realistic tools |
| Brush customization | Brush Studio, 100+ settings | Brush editor |
| Brush import | Procreate and Photoshop (.abr) brushes | Not advertised |
| Apple Pencil | Pressure and tilt | Full Apple Pencil support |
| 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 | Text tool |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Depends on canvas size and device | Layers, exportable as PNG or PSD |
| Blend modes | 25+ | Not advertised |
| Masks | Layer and clipping masks | Not advertised |
| Adjustments and filters | Curves, Color Balance, HSB, Gradient Map, blurs, Bloom, Glitch, Halftone, applied to the layer | Not advertised |
| Selection tools | Automatic, freehand, rectangle, ellipse | Cutter tool |
| Liquify and distortion | Liquify and Warp | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Yes | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Vertical, horizontal, quadrant, radial | Not advertised |
| Perspective guides | 1, 2 and 3-point, isometric, 2D grid | Not advertised |
| Shape correction | QuickShape | Shapes (iPad only) |
| Gradients | Gradient Map adjustment | Not advertised |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Custom patterns |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Frame-by-frame with Animation Assist | Not advertised |
| 3D painting | Yes | Not advertised |
| Timelapse | Yes, export up to 4K | Not advertised |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | None. Procreate has pledged never to add it | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Import and export | Import and export layered PSD |
| Export formats | PSD, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, PDF, GIF, MP4, OBJ, USDZ | PNG, layered PSD |
| CMYK and print | CMYK color profiles | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 (51K ratings) | 4.5 / 5 (54K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 18, 2026 | April 10, 2026 |
| Languages | 17 | 13 |
Price
Procreate costs $12.99 upfront, while Tayasui Sketches 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.
Tayasui Sketches is free to download. Its Pro tools are unlocked with a $7.99 one-time Pro purchase or a premium subscription, both offered on the US App Store.
Platforms
Both run on iPad. Only Tayasui Sketches runs on iPhone, Mac and Android.
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.
Tayasui Sketches is one app for iPhone and iPad that also runs on Apple silicon Macs, and there is a separate Android version. Cloud sync keeps drawings in step across your devices.
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.
Sketches has more than 20 carefully tuned tools, including pens, felt pens, oil pastel, acrylic, airbrush and wet and dry watercolor brushes that react to pressure and angle like a real brush on paper. A brush editor lets you tweak them.
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.
Tayasui Sketches: Layers can be exported as separate transparent PNGs, and layered PSD files can be imported and exported. Editing tools are deliberately simple, with a cutter, smudge tool and fill tool rather than a full adjustment suite.
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.
Tayasui Sketches: The interface hides tools while you draw for a calm, minimal canvas. It adds a ruler, shapes on iPad, text, custom patterns and folders to organize your sketchbook.
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 prefer one upfront price to a subscription
Choose Tayasui Sketches if
- You want a calm, minimal interface for sketching
- You want realistic watercolor, pastel and acrylic tools
- You want cloud sync between iPhone, iPad and Mac
- You want to draw and paint with custom patterns
Frequently asked questions
Is Procreate better than Tayasui Sketches?
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. Tayasui Sketches suits you better if you want a calm, minimal interface for sketching, or you want realistic watercolor, pastel and acrylic tools.
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 Tayasui Sketches free?
Yes, Tayasui Sketches is free to download. Its Pro tools need a $7.99 one-time Pro purchase or a premium subscription.
Which works on iPhone, Procreate or Tayasui Sketches?
Procreate has a separate iPhone app, Procreate Pocket ($5.99). Tayasui Sketches runs on iPhone in the same app as on iPad.
Do Procreate and Tayasui Sketches work on Android?
Procreate does not list an Android version. Tayasui Sketches has an Android version.
Do Procreate or Tayasui Sketches use generative AI?
Procreate has publicly pledged never to add generative AI to its apps. Tayasui Sketches does not advertise any generative AI features.
Sources
- Procreate on the App Store
- Procreate's statement on generative AI
- Tayasui Sketches on the App Store
- Tayasui Sketches on ChromeOS and Android
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 Tayasui Sketches 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 Tayasui Sketches.