Procreate
Sketch
| Feature | Procreate | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $12.99/mo | From $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.8 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | digital-artists, illustrators, concept-artists, hobbyists | ui-designers, mac-users, design-agencies, icon-designers |
| Founded | 2011 | 2010 |
| Digital Painting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Brushes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Layers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Animation Assist | ✓ | ✗ |
| Time Lapse | ✓ | ✗ |
| Color Tools | ✓ | ✗ |
| Apple Pencil Support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vector Editing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Symbols | ✗ | ✓ |
| Prototyping | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shared Libraries | ✗ | ✓ |
| Developer Handoff | ✗ | ✓ |
| Plugins | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cloud Workspace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Procreate Pros
- One-time purchase price (no subscription)
- Incredibly responsive and natural brush engine
- Massive brush library with custom brush creation
- Animation assist for frame-by-frame animation
✗ Procreate Cons
- iPad-only (no desktop or Android version)
- No vector support (raster only)
- Limited text and layout tools
✓ Sketch Pros
- Lightweight and fast native macOS performance
- Mature plugin ecosystem with thousands of extensions
- Excellent symbol and library system
- One-time license option for Mac app
✗ Sketch Cons
- Mac-only (no Windows or Linux support)
- Collaboration features lag behind Figma
- Market share declining as teams move to Figma
The Verdict
Procreate is built for digital artists and illustrators, with a focus on digital-painting and brushes. Sketch targets ui designers and mac users and leads with vector-editing and symbols.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($12.99/mo for Procreate, $12/mo for Sketch), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
Procreate edges out on user ratings (4.8 vs 4.2). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Procreate has a slight overall edge — but if lightweight and fast native macos performance matters most to you, Sketch may still be the right call.
