Comparison

ProtoSketch Lite vs Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ProtoSketch Lite

This app offers desktop-class vector graphic design tools for iPad, enabling users to create logos, app icons, website layouts, and more. It features a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop elements, a rich library of assets, and Apple Pencil support for detailed sketching.

Highlights
  • Vector brush with variable width
  • Pen and pencil tools for path drawing
  • Shape creation tools
  • Layer management
  • Extensive asset library
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Export to desktop vector format
Features
Read full description

Get the finest Desktop-Class design software ever released for FREE!!! Fully functional alternative to PhotoShop, Illustrator or Sketch on your iPad! Make slick designs in minutes! You are a designer, a marketer or just want to sketch something, you want to make a logo or a new landing page for your business - ProtoSketch is your digital canvas! You don't have to learn anything, just choose the brush and start sketching! Supercharged with icons, fonts, ui elements, basic and complex drag and drop shapes. It is easy to design anything from logo and icon to website and mobile app. Lossless vector graphics that you can scale infinitely and continue on your desktop. "ProtoSketch puts the "Pro" in iPad Pro!" "Beautiful design in a thoughtful package." "One of the best design tools you have to try in 2016" WHAT MAKES THIS APP BETTER THAN OTHER DESIGN TOOLS ? - Made with lots of LOVE by designers for designers! - The iPad is not a PC. ProtoSketch wasn't adapted from a desktop app. It was created from the ground up exclusively for iPad. Our workflow is different - we have dedicated ALT, SHIFT and REPEAT buttons and all the commands relative to your selection appear as buttons on the bounding box. We call them shortcuts because they work as keyboard shortcuts on your PC. -The app works beautifully with Apple Pencil you can draw, sketch and concept your ideas. But hey nothing will stop you from finishing your idea and polishing it to perfection. Proto has all the tools you need. - AGILE, we are doing constant updates, enriching your experience and adding new features. - HUGE ROADMAP, there is a lot of stuff ahead better vector tools, a mac app, prototyping, real-time collaboration and more... - EXCELLENT Support, send us feedback on fb, tw and via email. We'd love to chat :) WHAT CAN YOU CREATE? - Sketches - Concepts - Vector Illustrations - Design Logos - Design App icons - Design vector icons/pictograms - Everything UI/UX - Design Websites - Design Apps - Landing pages - Sitemap flow charts - Wireframes - Use maps - Send to desktop in vector format LITE VERSION LIMITATIONS - Maximum documents 5 - Some Libraries are locked - Export is restricted to tweets and facebook shares and ProtoSketch files FEATURES - Vector Brush with Variable width (Apple Pencil support) - Pencil Tool for smooth sketching and adding fills - Pen Tool for drawing perfect vector paths - Vector Eraser - Scissors - for cutting vector paths - Shape creation tools - rect, ellipse, line, polygon, star, spiral - LAYERS - EXACT size and position input - Hardware Keyboard Shortcuts - LIBRARY full of UI elements, icons, shapes and more vector elements - Alt, Shift and Repeat buttons for fast workflows - Swathes, color wheel, rgb and hsb sliders and HEX input - Rotate and scale transform handles - CMD buttons for object oriented design - Context menu with even more actions (hold on object to show) - Grouping/ungrouping - Masking of images and other elements - Images in shapes (Quick 1 tap masking) - Select tool and Path select tools. - Precise bezier path editing - add, remove points toggle points between corner and smooth - Align, distribute actions as well as smart guides for perfect alignment - Snap to grid, point and shape sides and centers - Export ProtoSketch, SVG, PDF, JPG, PNG - Import ProtoSketch, SVG, JPG, PNG - Font import - ttf (from dropbox) - Dropbox Support - AirPrint Support visit PROTOSKETCH.IO more info, video tutorials and FAQ

About

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

Transform your iPad into a professional wireless drawing tablet for demanding creative work. Enjoy customizable workspaces, gesture shortcuts, and high-speed connectivity for efficient digital art creation on Mac and PC.

Highlights
  • Wireless or USB connectivity
  • Customizable gesture shortcuts
  • Keyboard support
  • Pressure curve customization
  • Second display functionality
  • Optimized for Apple Pencil
Features
Read full description

Go beyond a drawing tablet with Astropad Studio. Start a free 14-day trial today! Astropad Studio is the ultimate wireless drawing tablet, designed for the most demanding creative work. With complete workspace customization, Studio allows artists to work faster and more efficiently, with the freedom to work in the studio, at home, or on-the-go. Built for creative professionals with features like: · Wifi or USB connectivity · Built in 2nd display · Crystal clear & ultra-fast · Gesture shortcut customization · Keyboard support · Customizable pressure curves · Magic Gestures: Create your own gesture shortcuts with touch-Pencil combinations · Shortcut Sets: Sidebar shortcuts automatically adapt to match whatever Mac app you’re working in · Unlimited upgrades · Works on Mac and PC $14.99 monthly or $79.99 annually ___ STREAMLINED PRODUCTIVITY · Pinch to Zoom: Pinch to zoom and pan in Mac or PC Apps · Liquid Extreme: Up to 5x faster than baseline Liquid · Wifi & USB: Use your iPad as a drawing tablet plugged in or wirelessly · Keyboard Support: Access our built-in keyboard or use your own Bluetooth keyboard · Velocity Control: Analyzes network conditions dozens of times per second to balance image quality and latency COMPLETE CUSTOMIZATION · Magic Gestures: Create your own gesture shortcuts with touch-Pencil combinations · Shortcut Sets: Sidebar shortcuts automatically adapt to match whatever Mac app you’re working in BUILT FOR CREATIVES · Apple Pencil Optimized: Designed exclusively for the precision of Apple Pencil · Color Corrected: True to your source material with color corrected output and retina resolution ___ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS · Mac: OS X 10.14 or later · PC: Windows 10 64-bit, build 1809 or later · iPad iOS 13.1 or later: iPad Mini 4 (2015+), iPad Air (2014+), iPad Pro (2016+), iPad 5th generation (2017+) · Optimized for iPad Pro and Apple Pencil SUBSCRIPTION TERMS · $14.99 monthly or $79.99 annually · Price may vary by location. ___ Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card using your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. ___ MORE RESOURCES Download the free desktop companion app: astropad.com/downloads FAQ: astropad.com/faq Support: support@astropad.com Twitter: @astropad Instagram: @astropadco Facebook: facebook.com/astropadco ___ Privacy Policy: http://astropad.com/studio/privacy.html Terms of Use: http://astropad.com/studio/terms.html

Screenshots

ProtoSketch Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet at 4.7 against ProtoSketch Lite's 2.5. Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet also leads on ratings volume (3.8K vs 14) and review sentiment (46% vs 25%). ProtoSketch Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. ProtoSketch Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet has 3.8K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of ProtoSketch Lite's written reviews are positive against 46% of Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ProtoSketch Lite ships an update every 2 months, Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ProtoSketch Lite versus Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProtoSketch LiteAstropad Studio Drawing Tablet
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (14 ratings)4.7 (3.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews46.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings143.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better13
Further details — not scored
Size139 MB103 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCodemotionAstro HQ

Customer experience

ProtoSketch Lite

All ratings14 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral21.4%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

All ratings3,772 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews607 reviews
Positive46.3%
Neutral7.4%
Negative46.3%

Bugs and requests

ProtoSketch Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes and disconnects
  • Compatibility issues with certain apps
  • Unresponsive or glitchy input

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to use iPad as a secondary display
  • More affordable one-time purchase option
  • Improved stability and performance

In-app purchases

None

ProtoSketch Lite

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

Subscriptions3
  • Subscription14 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Subscription14 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Astropad Studio Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is ProtoSketch Lite free?
ProtoSketch Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet free?
Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ProtoSketch Lite or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet?
Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet is rated higher. ProtoSketch Lite averages 2.5 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet averages 4.7 from 3.8K ratings.
Do ProtoSketch Lite or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet have ads?
Neither ProtoSketch Lite nor Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ProtoSketch Lite or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet?
ProtoSketch Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet every 3 months. Most recently, ProtoSketch Lite was updated on October 20, 2026 and Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet on October 29, 2026.

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