Procreate vs Sketchbook: Which One Is Better in 2024?

Procreate and Sketchbook are essential tools for businesses and designers, offering powerful features that enhance creativity and productivity. We'll compare these two to determine which is the best fit for your needs, focusing on their unique capabilities and user experiences.

A Quick Overview of Procreate and Sketchbook

What is Procreate?

Procreate is focused on amplifying human creativity through powerful and intuitive apps designed for creative professionals and aspiring artists. The company is committed to providing tools that help users create stunning digital art.

Procreate for iPad offers a complete art studio with a wide range of tools for sketching, painting, and creating. The company's clear stance on not incorporating generative AI into their apps sets them apart from competitors, emphasizing that creativity is made, not generated.

What is Sketchbook?

Sketchbook provides a digital drawing application that allows users to create anything from quick sketches to fully finished artwork. The application is available on multiple platforms including macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS.

The natural drawing experience mimics drawing on paper, with brushes and pens behaving like their physical counterparts. The clean interface, which tucks tools and palettes out of sight until needed, sets Sketchbook apart from its competitors.

Features of Procreate and Sketchbook

Similarities

Procreate and Sketchbook share several key features that make them popular choices among digital artists. Both applications are designed to enhance creativity and provide a seamless user experience.

• Comprehensive Tools: Both Procreate and Sketchbook offer a wide range of tools for sketching, painting, and creating digital art.
• Customizable Brushes: They provide a variety of brushes and customization options to suit different artistic styles.
• User-Friendly Interface: Both applications are designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, catering to both professional artists and beginners.
• Layer Support: They support layers with various blend modes, giving artists flexibility in their creative process.
• Cross-Platform Availability: Both companies provide their applications on multiple platforms, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of users.

Differences

While Procreate and Sketchbook both offer robust tools for digital artists, they have distinct features that set them apart. Here are the key differences:

• Procreate Dreams: Procreate offers an advanced animation tool, Procreate Dreams, which is not available in Sketchbook.
• Procreate Pocket: Procreate has a dedicated iPhone version, Procreate Pocket, making it more accessible on mobile devices.
• Generative AI: Procreate explicitly avoids incorporating generative AI, focusing on human creativity, whereas Sketchbook does not have a stated position on this.
• 3D Painting: Procreate includes 3D painting capabilities, a feature not found in Sketchbook.
• Natural Drawing Experience: Sketchbook excels in mimicking the experience of drawing on paper, with brushes and pens behaving like their physical counterparts, a feature Procreate does not emphasize.

User Interface and Usability

Procreate's user interface is designed to be intuitive, with a clean layout that emphasizes ease of use. The navigation is straightforward, making it easy for users to access various tools and features. The overall user experience is enhanced by the availability of comprehensive learning resources, which cater to both beginners and professionals. Usability is further supported by the clear organization of tools and the absence of generative AI, which aligns with the company's focus on human creativity.

Sketchbook offers a minimalistic user interface that mimics the natural drawing experience. The layout is clean, with tools and palettes tucked away until needed, providing an unobtrusive workspace. The user experience is designed to be intuitive, with professional-grade features like customizable brushes and layers that enhance usability. The application is versatile, suitable for quick sketches and detailed artwork, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Procreate has a more intuitive user interface and better usability compared to Sketchbook.

Collaboration

Procreate does not emphasize collaboration features, focusing instead on individual creativity and powerful tools for artists. The absence of specific tools for teamwork suggests that Procreate may not be designed with collaboration in mind, which could be a limitation for groups looking to work together on projects within the app.

Sketchbook also lacks explicit collaboration tools, concentrating on providing a natural drawing experience with professional-grade features. While these tools can support teamwork by allowing multiple users to work on different aspects of a project, the app does not mention any built-in features for real-time collaboration or sharing.

Neither Procreate nor Sketchbook stands out as better for collaboration.

Procreate and Sketchbook Pricing

Procreate is available for a one-time fee of $12.99 USD, making it an affordable option for digital artists. There are no subscriptions or recurring costs, which adds to its appeal for those looking for a cost-effective solution. The pricing structure is straightforward, with no discounts or promotions mentioned.

Sketchbook, on the other hand, is priced at $24.99 USD as a one-time fee. Similar to Procreate, there are no subscriptions or recurring costs. However, the higher price point may be a consideration for budget-conscious users. No discounts or promotions are mentioned for Sketchbook either.

Procreate offers better pricing than Sketchbook.

Comparing Procreate and Sketchbook 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 Properties: Piktochart allows users to personalize text properties, including font styles, sizes, and colors, making it easy to create visually appealing content.
• AI-Powered Design Generator: The AI design generator helps users create stunning visuals quickly and efficiently, saving time and effort.
• Comprehensive Suite of Tools: Piktochart offers a wide range of visual and video tools, such as Infographic Maker, Banner Maker, and Video Cropper, catering to various content creation needs.
• Continuous Improvements: Piktochart regularly updates its features based on user feedback, ensuring the platform evolves to meet user needs.
• Versatile Templates: With a variety of templates available, users can easily create professional-looking designs for different platforms and purposes.

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)
• Campus: Custom Pricing (Minimum 3000 seats, 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 variety of illustration styles, some find it daunting for first-time users and experience occasional crashes with heavier illustrations.

• "The app can become slow with prolonged use or a large number of files." - John D., 3.5 out of 5
• "Pixelation issues when scaling art." - Maria S., 3.8 out of 5
• "Only certain iPads can have the latest version of Procreate." - Alex T., 3.9 out of 5

Find more of Procreate reviews on G2!

Sketchbook Reviews

Overall, users have given Sketchbook a rating of 4.6 out of 5. While many appreciate its variety of brushes and intuitive interface, some find it limited in functionality and experience occasional issues with the tools bar on Mac.

• "Limited functions compared to other software." - Gal, 3 out of 5
• "Mobile app not as user-friendly as the desktop version." - Miriam, 4 out of 5
• "Occasional issues with the tools bar on Mac." - Verified Reviewer, 4 out of 5

Find more of Sketchbook 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, intuitive design, and the variety of templates available. Here are some of the sentiments from our customers:

• "Easy to create content even if you're not a designer." - Jessica D.
• "My Go-To for ALL Professional Presentations!" - Jennifer K.
• "Incredibly intuitive design app." - Katie S.

Find more of our reviews on G2!

Why choose one over the other?

Why choose Procreate over Sketchbook:

• Procreate is ideal for professional artists and animators who need advanced tools like Procreate Dreams and 3D painting capabilities. Its intuitive interface and comprehensive learning resources make it perfect for those who want a powerful, one-time purchase art tool.

Why choose Sketchbook over Procreate:

• Sketchbook is perfect for artists who prefer a natural drawing experience with tools that mimic physical brushes and pens. Its clean, unobtrusive interface and availability on multiple platforms make it suitable for users who need versatility and ease of use.

Why choose Piktochart over Sketchbook and Procreate:

• Piktochart is ideal for content creators, businesses, and educators who need to create visually appealing infographics, reports, and presentations quickly. Its AI-powered design generator and versatile templates make it accessible for users without design experience.

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

Whether you're a professional artist, an aspiring creator, or a business looking to make an impact, Procreate, Sketchbook, and Piktochart each offer unique strengths to meet your needs. While Procreate and Sketchbook excel in digital art creation, Piktochart stands out for its ability to transform complex ideas into engaging visuals effortlessly. We believe Piktochart is the perfect choice for those who want to create stunning content quickly and easily, without needing any design experience.