Procreate is one of the best digital illustration apps in the market right now. However, this is only available on iPads, and as a Procreate Pocket on iPhones. Graphic editors and digital painters who do not have an iPad are always on the lookout for the best Procreate alternatives that give a similar experience without sacrificing the quality.
However, you no longer have to browse through hundreds of applications as picking one will be simple when you read this article ahead. We have created a curated list of the top best Procreate alternatives apps for Windows that you can choose from to enhance your creative work. These include paid as well as a free app.
If you are a beginner switching from paper to digital art, or a professional looking for a change, this article will help you find the best app fit for your needs.
Top 5 Procreate Alternatives:
If you do not have time to go through the entire list, you can go through our top five picks below.
- Adobe illustrator -Best Procreate alternative.
- Autodesk Sketchbook -Best for advanced users.
- Krita -Beginner-friendly alternative.
- ArtRage -Best at affordable pricing.
- Corel Painter.
List Of 8+ Best Procreate Alternative for Windows:
Here’s a complete list of Procreate alternatives for Windows.
1. Adobe illustrator
One of the most famous programs, Adobe Illustrator predominantly deals with vector graphics, but one can use rasterization just like in Procreate. This is also suited for users who utilize other Adobe products more frequently, like Photoshop or Lightroom as your final artwork can be directly sent to the aforementioned programs and edited further. The artwork you design can be made for small-scale smartphones to large billboard ratios. It can be used on all devices including mobiles and tablets.
To take full advantage of all of Adobe Illustrator’s professional features, we recommend using an Apple Pencil or a stylus. It has an amazing user interface and intuitive controls for touchscreens. You can also make use of its beautiful typography and freehand drawing tools. It lets you create anything from logos and icons to infographics, banners, and charts.
The trial version is available for 7 days after which you have to pay for the program. You can buy Illustrator separately or as a part of Creative Cloud apps where you have access to all of Adobe’s 20+ apps like Photoshop, InDesign, etc., and premium fonts.
- Clean UI.
- Excellent typography.
- Vector brushes.
- Connects with Photoshop, lightroom.
- Expensive compared to Procreate.
Pricing: $20.99 / month for just Adobe Illustrator and $52.99 / month for all Adobe apps.
2. Autodesk Sketchbook
This is one of the best alternatives to Procreate in the market, and what’s more-it comes completely free of cost with all its advanced features. Its Scan Sketch feature allows you to import your line drawings onto the program with a transparent background post which you can digitally edit your work further.
You can make use of its conventional rulers and pencils to draw precisely or opt for an assistive technique called “Predictive Stroke” that automatically fixes the lines and shapes. Autodesk has palm-rejection technology that can detect improper hand pressure and therefore lets you draw correctly with ease. It has a pen-friendly UI which is said it be distraction-free. Autodesk saves your work recurrently so you don’t have to worry about losing your work suddenly. It however does not have as many brush sizes as Procreate.
Autodesk sketchbook is free if you are a student, or are using the program as a teacher or institute for education. You get a 7-day free trial after which you need to create an Autodesk Education account to verify your identity, and you get a Sketchbook Enterprise license free for 3 years. Others need to pay $85 / year for an Enterprise license.
- Comes with a free version.
- Available on all platforms like android, mac, iOS, and Windows.
- Provides expert tools for professional artists.
- Has palm rejection.
- Can use a third-party stylus for better drawings.
- Less number of brushes.
- Comparatively harder to learn for beginners.
Pricing: Free for education purposes, $85/year for Sketchbook Enterprise license.
3. Krita
Awarded the #1 Best free painting software in 2019, Krita is an open-source and free program made by artists themselves. It allows you to customize your workspace layout and offers light and dark color themes. You can change your workspace to create 2D animations and export them into video formats.
Krita also provides 9 different drawing assistants to achieve perfect results. It lets you create comics and complex illustrations. It has great inbuilt brushes, and you can also customize your brushes to your needs. Users get a natural sketching experience. The website provides tutorial videos and texts for you to make the best use of the program.
Upgrades are also fairly regular. It is Mac, iOS, and Windows compatible.
- Open-source and free.
- Professional tools.
- Advanced layers.
- Supports photoshop’s PSD files
- Loading time is slow.
- Not available on android.
Pricing: Free
4. ArtRage
ArtRage is an open-source painting program that provides realistic painting tools like watercolors, oils, and smears knives so you can blend different colors to create textures and shades and so on. This makes you feel like you’re painting on an actual canvas. This app is great for beginners and for those artists who have just shifted to digital platforms from paper.
You can upload reference images as well as tracing images to help guide your drawings as you work. ArtRage also allows you to record your actions so they can be repeated automatically the next time. This program is made for everyone, including beginners, teachers, traditional and digital artists. You can customize your workspace accordingly.
They offer a demo version that doesn’t allow you to save files. If you are a part of an educational institute, you can contact them for discounts for purchasing ArtRage. It works on Windows and Mac, and also has a Lite, Android, and iOS version.
- Great UI
- Beginner-friendly
- As close to traditional painting style as possible
- Less professional tools
- Upgrade requires purchase
Pricing: $79 one-time buy and ArtRage Lite (for beginners) $29.90.
5. Corel Painter
A great professional tool, Corel Painter is known for its RealBristle paint system and around 900+ types of brushes. It can also be used by beginners as it has a library of tutorial videos to learn from. Its UI is adjustable and offers a great experience for digital artists and sketchers. It offers unlimited customization of its brushes, textures, etc.
You can also convert your images into paintings using their auto-painting and cloning techniques. You can use thick paint, watercolors, chalk or pastels, airbrushes, and much more. It offers advanced layer controls. It is available on Mac and Windows, and also supports stylus tilt on drawing tablets for a better and natural painting experience.
- Hundreds of brushes and textures to choose from.
- Multilayer editing available.
- Tutorial for beginners.
- Expensive for some users.
- Difficult to master for beginners.
Pricing: $429 for a one-time purchase.
6. Concepts
It is inclined more towards vector drawing, but it still performs great for sketching. It supports multiple-layer editing and has various brushes and strokes to pick from. It is specifically optimized for Surface Pen and Surface Pro X. You can purchase various tools separately as upgrades. It supports tilt and pressure mode, allowing you to make precise drawings. All in all, a great alternative to Procreate.
The free version of the app can be used for sketching. You have access to an infinite canvas, brushes, and 5 layers. In-app purchases can be made to upgrade your library; however, the features will differ between iOS and Windows platforms. One can also opt for a yearly or monthly subscription to get access to everything on the platform. Steady updates are provided every month.
- Unique dial
- Brushes are flexible
- Infinite canvas
- Difficult to master
Pricing: Free download, contains in-app purchases starting from $4.99 / month
7. Adobe Fresco
Fresco is Adobe’s latest next-generation drawing and painting app. It consists of Adobe’s vector and raster tools. Its simple and intuitive features make it easy for beginners to handle, meanwhile, it has more than enough advanced tools for professionals to use. It offers unlimited layers and you can also add and edit text layers. It lets you use live, pixel, and vector brushes together in one illustration which is a great advantage.
Adobe Fresco can be downloaded as a standalone app, as a part of Photoshop, or as a part of Creative Cloud. It is available on iOS, Microsoft surface pro, and creative cloud for desktop. You get a 30-day trial period after which you have to purchase the premium version.
- Amazing UI
- Great selection of pixel brushes
- Smooth running with almost no lagging
- Good blending of the raster, live, and vector brushes
- Expensive for non-creative cloud subscribers
- No choice of paper or canvas texture
- A limited number of live brushes
Pricing: $9.99 /month.
8. Clip Studio Paint
Another great alternative to Procreate, Clip Studio offers a huge library of brushes as well as lets you personalize them to suit your style of drawing. You can create conceptual art, paintings, comics, webtoons, character arts, and much more. Its robust brush engine lets you create artwork with detailed precision. It has both basic and advanced features and you can use whichever to your liking. The interface is efficient to use and one can navigate through multiple images seamlessly. Even if you’re using multiple devices, you can use a cloud to transfer your work and settings.
Its Pro version is suited for character art, conceptual art, and illustrations whereas the EX version is for manga comics and animations. Additionally, it offers free trials for up to 6 months where all functions can be used. Clip Studio Paint is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
- Huge brush ranges
- Lightweight but has lots of features
- Powerful brush engine
- Dated UI
Pricing: Pro: $49.99, Ex: $219.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Top alternatives for Procreate include Krita, Concepts, Clip Studio Paint, Sketchbook, ArtRage, AdobeFresco, etc. Some of them are free and open-source while some have in-app purchases. You can try trial versions before you decide upon which program to pick.
Whether you are a beginner or professional, Procreate is a one-stop for artists and digital creators who have access to an iPad. It offers a great UI and once you are familiar with the workspace, you can use its excellent features to enhance your artistic skills. With only costing US $9.99, it is worth investing in. It is a one-time purchase and there is no subscription fee involved.
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Final Words:
What alternative you choose will depend on your budget, artistic needs, whether you want a vector drawing focused or sketching focused app, and overall, the kind of experience you want out of your drawing process.
There is not just one best app, your picks will be as subjective as your creativity. However, out of the above list of the top 8 Procreate alternatives, there is surely one that suits your preferences. Our suggestion is to go give a few of them a try and find what you are most comfortable with before settling on the one.
We hope our article helped you pick the best Procreate alternative for you. Which alternative are you picking from the list? Let us know in the comments section below.