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)
iArtbook
by Alexander Kondrashov
iArtbook is a painting and animation app for iPad, iPhone and Mac with unlimited layers, wet brushes and a lesson mode for learning by copying.
- Price
- Free; Pro $12.99 one-time ($7.99 iPhone only)
- Runs on
- iPadOS, iOS, macOS
- Rating
- ★ 3.8 on the App Store (12K ratings)
Feature comparison
| Feature | Sketchbook |
iArtbook |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | Free; Premium Bundle $2.99 one-time | Free; Pro $12.99 one-time ($7.99 iPhone only) |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Ad-free | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| No account needed | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes, same app | Yes, same app |
| Mac | Yes, separate desktop version | Yes, Apple silicon Macs |
| Android and Chromebook | Yes | Not advertised |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | Pencils, markers, airbrushes, smear and more | Pro brushes plus 1,000+ textures |
| Brush customization | Highly customizable; custom brushes in Premium | 50+ settings per brush |
| Brush import | Premium Bundle | Import and export brushes |
| Apple Pencil | Supported | Pressure, tilt, azimuth |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Screentones | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Text and lettering | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Not advertised | Unlimited |
| Blend modes | Full set | Yes |
| Masks | Clipping and layer masks in Premium | Masks |
| Adjustments and filters | Blur, sharpen, brightness/contrast, greyscale, invert (Premium) | Not advertised |
| Selection tools | Selection tools | Selection tool |
| Liquify and distortion | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Yes | Not advertised |
| Perspective guides | Perspective guides | Not advertised |
| Shape correction | Predictive Stroke | Not advertised |
| Gradients | Gradient fill | Not advertised |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Not advertised | Unlimited frames, multiple animation layers |
| 3D painting | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Timelapse | Yes | On by default |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | None advertised | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Export | Not advertised |
| Export formats | PNG, JPG, PSD, PDF (Premium) | PNG, MP4, HEVC, GIF, APNG |
| CMYK and print | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.8 / 5 (221K ratings) | 3.8 / 5 (12K ratings) |
| Last updated | June 1, 2026 | January 7, 2026 |
| Languages | 10 | 39 |
Price
Both are free to download, but they charge for different things.
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.
iArtbook is free to download, and Pro is a one-time upgrade: $12.99 on iPad, or $7.99 for iPhone only, with no subscription.
Platforms
Both run on iPad, iPhone and Mac. Only Sketchbook runs on Android and Windows.
Sketchbook is one app for iPhone and iPad, with separate versions for Android, Mac and Windows.
iArtbook is one app for iPhone and iPad that also runs on Apple silicon Macs.
Brushes
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.
iArtbook brushes can be dry, glossy or wet, with three kinds of wet paint, more than 50 settings per brush, and a library of over 1,000 textures to build your own. Calligraphy smoothing keeps lines clean even when you draw with a finger.
Layers and editing
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.
iArtbook: Layers are unlimited, with blend modes, masks and lossless transforms. Two color pickers, a color mixer and palette import and export round out the color tools.
Drawing tools and extras
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.
iArtbook does frame-by-frame animation with unlimited frames and multiple animation layers, exporting to MP4, HEVC, GIF and APNG. Its lesson mode lets you copy any painting or sketch side by side to learn, and timelapse recording is on by default.
Which should you choose?
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
Choose iArtbook if
- You want animation with unlimited frames
- You want to learn by copying artwork in a side-by-side lesson mode
- You want wet, glossy brushes with several smudge styles
- You want unlimited layers
Frequently asked questions
Is Sketchbook better than iArtbook?
Neither is better for everyone. Sketchbook is the better pick 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. iArtbook suits you better if you want animation with unlimited frames, or you want to learn by copying artwork in a side-by-side lesson mode.
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.
Is iArtbook free?
Yes, iArtbook is free to download. Pro is a one-time upgrade, $12.99 on iPad or $7.99 for iPhone only, with no subscription.
Which works on iPhone, Sketchbook or iArtbook?
Both. Sketchbook and iArtbook each run on iPhone in the same app as on iPad.
Do Sketchbook and iArtbook work on Android?
Sketchbook has an Android version. iArtbook does not list an Android version.
Do Sketchbook or iArtbook use generative AI?
Sketchbook does not advertise any generative AI features. iArtbook 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. Sketchbook and iArtbook 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 Sketchbook and iArtbook.