Procreate vs GIMP: Which One Is Better in 2024?

Procreate and GIMP are essential tools for businesses and designers, offering powerful features for digital art and image manipulation. We'll compare Procreate and GIMP to determine which one best meets the needs of creative professionals.

A Quick Overview of Procreate and GIMP

What is Procreate?

Procreate develops powerful and intuitive digital art applications designed for creative professionals and aspiring artists. Their products include Procreate for iPad, Procreate Dreams for animation, and Procreate Pocket for iPhone.

Procreate for iPad offers a complete art studio experience. Their firm stance on not incorporating generative AI into their apps sets them apart from competitors, emphasizing a commitment to authentic, human-made creativity.

What is GIMP?

GIMP is a free and open-source image editor available for multiple operating systems. It allows users to modify and distribute its source code, providing tools for graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, and scientists to perform tasks such as image retouching, restoration, and creative composites.

GIMP's cross-platform availability ensures it works on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows, and more. Its status as free and open-source software, allowing users to modify and distribute its source code, sets it apart from many competitors.

Features of Procreate and GIMP

Similarities

Procreate and GIMP, despite their different platforms and pricing models, share several key features that make them powerful tools for digital artists and designers.

• Both offer extensive tools for digital painting and image editing.
• They support multiple layers and blending modes, allowing for complex compositions.
• Customizable brushes are available in both, catering to various artistic styles.
• Each provides robust tools for color correction and image manipulation.
• Both support a wide range of file formats, ensuring compatibility with other software.

Differences

Procreate and GIMP cater to different needs and preferences in the digital art and image editing space. Here are the most significant differences between the two:

• Platform Compatibility: Procreate is exclusive to iOS devices, while GIMP is cross-platform, supporting GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• Cost: Procreate is a paid app, whereas GIMP is free and open-source, allowing users to modify and distribute its source code.
• Generative AI: Procreate does not incorporate generative AI, focusing on human-made creativity, while GIMP supports various plugins, including those for AI-based tasks.
• Extensibility: GIMP offers extensive third-party plugin support, enhancing its functionality, whereas Procreate does not emphasize plugin use.
• Programming Integration: GIMP supports scripting in multiple languages (C, C++, Perl, Python, Scheme), providing a high level of customization, a feature not available in Procreate.

User Interface and Usability

Procreate's user interface is designed to be intuitive and visually appealing, with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. The layout is clean, and the navigation is straightforward, making it easy for users to find the tools they need. The user experience is enhanced by the app's responsiveness and the availability of comprehensive learning resources, which cater to both beginners and professionals.

GIMP, on the other hand, offers a more complex user interface that may require a steeper learning curve. The interface is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor it to their specific needs. However, this flexibility can sometimes lead to a cluttered workspace. The user experience is supported by extensive documentation and community-created plugins, which provide additional functionality and support.

Procreate has a better user interface and usability over GIMP.

Collaboration

Procreate does not offer built-in features for real-time collaboration or version control, focusing instead on individual creativity and powerful tools for artists. The platform's resources and tools are designed for solo use, making it less suitable for collaborative projects.

GIMP also lacks direct collaboration tools but offers some indirect support through its integration with other free software like Scribus and Inkscape. This can facilitate teamwork in a desktop publishing workflow. However, the emphasis remains on individual customization and productivity.

Neither Procreate nor GIMP is particularly strong in facilitating collaboration, but GIMP's integration with other software provides a slight edge for teamwork.

Procreate and GIMP Pricing

Procreate is available for a one-time fee of $12.99 USD, with no additional costs for features or updates. This straightforward pricing model ensures users have access to all the app's capabilities without recurring charges or hidden fees.

GIMP, on the other hand, is entirely free and open-source, with no costs associated with downloading, using, or updating the software. Users can voluntarily donate to support the project, but this is not required to access any features.

GIMP offers better pricing as it is free, while Procreate requires a one-time payment.

Comparing Procreate and GIMP to Piktochart

Piktochart transforms complex ideas into captivating visuals that inform and engage your audience. With Piktochart AI, you can create stunning infographics, reports, and presentations in seconds, perfectly aligned with your brand. No design experience required.

Pros of Piktochart

• Customizable Text and View Properties: Piktochart allows you to change text properties and view settings, including background color and aspect ratios, for personalized video and visual content.
• AI-Powered Design Generator: The platform includes an AI-powered design generator that helps you create stunning visuals quickly and efficiently, saving you time and effort.
• Wide Range of Visual and Video Tools: Piktochart offers various tools such as an infographic maker, banner maker, brochure maker, screen recorder, social media video maker, video cropper, and video to text converter, catering to diverse needs.
• Support for Various Use Cases: Whether you're in education, marketing, healthcare, or another field, Piktochart provides tailored solutions to meet your specific requirements.
• Extensive Template Library: The platform boasts numerous templates for different purposes, making it easy to create professional-quality visuals without starting from scratch.

Piktochart's Pricing

• Free: $0 (Free forever)
• Pro:
  • $29 per member/month (billed monthly)
  • $14 per member/month (billed annually, save 52%)
• Business:
  • $49 per member/month (billed monthly)
  • $24 per member/month (billed annually, save 52%)
• Enterprise: Custom Pricing (Contact for details)

What Are Others Saying?

Procreate Reviews

Overall, users have given Procreate a rating of 5.0 out of 5. While many appreciate its intuitive interface and powerful tools, some find it frustrating due to occasional crashes and limitations with file size.

• "The app crashes sometimes, especially with larger files." - John D., 3.5/5
• "Scaling art can lead to pixelation issues." - Sarah K., 3.8/5
• "Lacks vector graphic creation capabilities." - Alex P., 3.9/5

Find more of Procreate reviews on G2!

GIMP Reviews

Overall, users have given GIMP a rating of 4.3 out of 5. While many appreciate its free services and features, some find it frustrating due to its learning curve and limited design options.

• "It's user interface is little complex to be understood by any new user. Other than that it's a good tool." - Verified User in Market Research, 3.0/5
• "The user interface is not very friendly like other alternatives but seemingly does the job." - Vishal L., 3.0/5
• "It's a bit heavy: if you want to do just a quick change it might take more time to load GIMP than really doing the job." - Verified User in Entertainment, 3.0/5

Find more of GIMP reviews on G2!

Piktochart Reviews

Our users have given Piktochart an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5. They appreciate its ease of use, extensive template library, and powerful design tools.

• "Easy to create content even if you're not a designer." - Jessica D.
• "Piktochart offers good looking pre-built templates for creating graphics." - Samuel J.
• "Incredibly intuitive design app." - Megan B.

Find more of our reviews on G2!

Why choose one over the other?

Why a consumer might want to use Procreate over GIMP:

• Procreate is ideal for professional artists and illustrators who need a robust and specialized toolset for digital art creation, especially those who prefer working on iPads for their intuitive and user-friendly interface.

Why a consumer might want to use GIMP over Procreate:

• GIMP is perfect for budget-conscious users and open-source enthusiasts who need a powerful image editor without the cost associated with commercial software, and for those who require cross-platform compatibility and extensive customization options.

Why a consumer might want to use Piktochart over GIMP and Procreate:

• Piktochart is designed for marketers, educators, and business professionals who need to create engaging visual content quickly and efficiently, benefiting from its user-friendly interface and AI-powered design generators.

Procreate, GIMP, or Piktochart: Which is the best platform for you?

Whether you're a professional artist, a budget-conscious creator, or a business professional, there's a tool that fits your needs. While Procreate and GIMP offer powerful features for digital art and image editing, we believe Piktochart stands out for its ease of use and versatility. With Piktochart, you can effortlessly transform complex ideas into captivating visuals, making it the perfect choice for anyone looking to create stunning content quickly and efficiently.