# ShadowDraw vs Tools for Procreate

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ShadowDraw at 59% against Tools for Procreate's 24%. Tools for Procreate's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.6 vs 4.1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShadowDraw sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Tools for Procreate sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tools for Procreate holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tools for Procreate has 16K ratings behind it against 1.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of ShadowDraw's written reviews are positive against 24% of Tools for Procreate's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, Tools for Procreate weekly. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShadowDraw | Tools for Procreate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowdraw-learn-how-to-draw/id1223507083/reviews) | **[4.6 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tools-for-procreate/id1559271447/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | **16K** |
| Positive reviews | **59.3% of reviews** | 23.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 820 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shadow Draw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1223507082) | [Tools Products FZ-LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549858533) |

## What reviewers say

### ShadowDraw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowdraw-learn-how-to-draw/id1223507083)

Learn to draw with guided, step-by-step lessons designed for beginners. Follow the strokes of professional artists to build confidence and master fundamental techniques. Explore thousands of tutorials across various popular art subjects.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step guided drawing lessons, Thousands of tutorials, Manga, anime, people, animals, and nature subjects, Art Teacher Mode, Sketch My Way Mode, Builds drawing fundamentals

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ShadowDraw: Monthly Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| ShadowDraw: Yearly Plan | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for beginners
- 🎨 Variety of drawing topics
- 👍 Intuitive step-by-step guidance
- 💡 Relaxing and therapeutic experience
- 🤖 Responsive customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy at times
- 🤔 Tracing-focused approach may not teach drawing fundamentals
- 🔍 Difficulty finding purchased content
- 🔀 Jumping between steps too quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Drawings disappearing after completion
- App crashing on launch for some users
- Eraser tool not working properly with coloring feature

**Requested features**

- More free drawing content
- Canvas rotation and reference image positioning
- Ability to save progress on drawings
- Clearer visual indicators for brush/pen changes
- Side-by-side drawing mode to practice without tracing


### Tools for Procreate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tools-for-procreate/id1559271447)

This app provides a comprehensive toolkit for Procreate users, offering a vast collection of brushes, fonts, 3D models, and design assets. Enhance your digital art with one-tap installation of unique brushes, AI-generated references, and curated color palettes. Elevate your illustrations and creative projects with professional-grade tools.

**Highlights:** 120+ handmade Procreate brushes, AI-generated art references, Curated color palettes, Unique fonts for Procreate, Digital fashion and stickers, 3D models and textures, AI soundscapes for focus

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tools Premium - Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Tools for Procreate Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Get 3k+ Brushes for Procreate | $9.99 | per month |
| Tools for Procreate Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Tools Premium - 3 Months | $12.49 | per 3 months |
| Premium Sound - Annual | $14.99 | per year |
| Premium Sound - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Sale Offer | $19.99 | per year |
| Tools Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Annually Special Offer | $34.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Access to Tools | $44.99 | per year |
| Premium - Annually | $44.99 | per year |
| Brushes for Procreate | $44.99 | per year |
| Annual Unlimited Access | $59.99 | per year |
| Tools 1 Conversion | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tools 1 Conversion | $2.99 | one-time |
| One Selected Challenge | $4.99 | one-time |
| AI References 10 Requests | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tools Premium Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎉 Lots of brushes and tools
- 🎨 Helpful for digital art
- 💻 Works well with Procreate
- 🤩 Amazing app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Everything is behind a paywall
- 🙄 Subscription model is expensive
- 🤔 Unclear what's free vs premium
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🤷‍♀️ Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Brushes won't install properly
- App crashes when trying to access content
- Subscription issues and inability to cancel

**Requested features**

- More free brushes and tools
- Better search and organization
- Ability to create and share custom brushes
- Lifetime purchase option instead of subscription


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShadowDraw free?

ShadowDraw is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Tools for Procreate free?

Tools for Procreate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ShadowDraw or Tools for Procreate?

Tools for Procreate is rated higher. ShadowDraw averages 4.1 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Tools for Procreate averages 4.6 from 16K ratings.

### Do ShadowDraw or Tools for Procreate have ads?

ShadowDraw shows ads; Tools for Procreate does not.

### Which is updated more often, ShadowDraw or Tools for Procreate?

ShadowDraw ships an update every 6 weeks, and Tools for Procreate weekly. Most recently, ShadowDraw was updated on October 18, 2026 and Tools for Procreate on October 18, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*