Comparison

DraftIt vs Sketchbook

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

Head to head
About

DraftIt

This drawing app uses creative constraints and a ticking clock to help users overcome creative blocks and keep moving forward on their canvas. It encourages intuitive creation by silencing analytical thought and motivating the creative mind. Hesitation can lead to lost progress, pushing users to act decisively.

Highlights
  • Creative constraints and ticking clock
  • Overcome creative blocks
  • Intuitive right-brain motivation
  • Progress loss on hesitation
  • iPad and Apple Pencil optimized
  • Pro subscription for extended features
Features
Read full description

DraftIt leverages creative constraints and a ticking clock to motivate you to get out of your head and keep moving forward on the canvas. The race against time helps silence your analytical left-brain and motivates your creative right-brain to take the wheel. Hesitate too long, and risk losing all progress. It's not the last drawing app you'll need. But it's the first. Designed for iPad and Apple Pencil. We’re always looking to improve. So let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see in future updates using the in-app “Feedback” button. In-app subscriptions to DraftIt Pro include: • Longer session time options (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45) so you can keep the creative fire burning. • Infinity Mode removes the time pressure but keeps the app’s focus (one tool, one color, no erasing). • Beast Mode intensifies the pressure! Drafts will begin to fade sooner when a user hesitates and progress will be lost after 4 seconds. • App Themes allow you to customize the look of the app and the tool color. • App Icons to customize the look of the app on your home screen. • DraftIt Pro subscriptions help support the maintenance and development of new features, tools, and technologies to help you focus and create. A single in-app subscription enables features on all of your devices. Monthly and Yearly subscriptions will renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription in-app. Canceling has never been easier! — Privacy Policy https://mechanicalanimals.org/privacy.html Terms of Use https://mechanicalanimals.org/terms.html

About

Sketchbook

This app provides a versatile and user-friendly digital art creation experience for mobile devices. It offers a professional-grade toolset with customizable brushes and layers, allowing users to sketch, paint, and illustrate with ease. Perfect for both beginners and experienced artists looking to bring their ideas to life on the go.

Highlights
  • 60+ realistic brushes and tools
  • Multiple layers with settings
  • Import photos for reference
  • Shape draw assist and rulers
  • Customizable color wheel
  • Undo/Redo functionality
  • Instant sharing
Features
Read full description

SketchBook is the most practical, versatile and user-friendly sketching app designed for mobile gadgets. This exhaustive artist's toolbox helps users create dazzling sketches, cheerful paintings and smashing illustrations on the go. A reflexive way to produce a custom drawing! Whether you want to create graffiti or you want to create a doodle, or you want to learn to paint and draw, SketchBook is your tool of choice. Sketchbook is an award-winning sketching, artwork, and drawing app for anyone who loves to draw. Artists and illustrators love Sketchbook for its professional-grade characteristic set and highly customizable mechanisms. Everyone loves Sketchbook for its elegant interface and natural drawing experience, free of distractions so you can focus on capturing and articulating your idea. FEATURES - Shape draw assist - Paint. Draw, Sketch. Repeat - Draw smoothly like never before on iPad or iPhone with super realistic brushes. - Draw creative sketches using 60 brushes and tools - Enhance your drawing by importing pictures and photos - Zoom to paint fine details - Share instantly - Import photos for Reference - Ruler - 16 Shape Rulers - Color Palette - Custom Color Wheel - Multiple Layers drawings - Layer settings - Undo - Redo steps - Hard and soft Eraser with opacity settings Beautiful tools make beautiful drawings, we endlessly refined SketchBook brushes to create the most realistic drawing tools. List of BRUSH tools - Basic - Texture Essentials - Copic - Pen Brush - Synthetic Paint - Traditional - Texture - Shape - Splatter - Designer - Artist - Pastel - Eraser - Cutter - Smudge tool Create amazing drawing ideas to life. Use SketchBook state-of-the-art brushes and tools to sketch, type, paint, and draw. Take your drawing creations to wherever your thoughts want to go! Unlimited access to all the premium features and future updates during the subscription period. The subscriptions are $6.99 per month with 3 days trial period and $24.99 yearly or equal to the same price tier as Apple App Store Matrix, determined as the equivalent of subscription price in $USD. You may cancel a subscription or free-trial anytime via the subscription setting through your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the free trial or subscription period to avoid being charged. The subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a SketchBook Premium Features subscription. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use : https://www.loyal.app/privacy-policy

Screenshots

DraftIt2 screens
Sketchbook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DraftIt at 75% against Sketchbook's 21%. DraftIt also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.9) and monetization model (freemium vs subscription). Sketchbook's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 15). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. DraftIt sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Sketchbook sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DraftIt holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketchbook has 1.3K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of DraftIt's written reviews are positive against 21% of Sketchbook's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DraftIt ships an update every 4 days, Sketchbook every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
DraftIt versus Sketchbook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDraftItSketchbook
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (15 ratings) — better3.9 (1.3K ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better20.5% of reviews
Number of ratings151.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMechanical AnimalsLoyal Foundry, Inc.

Customer experience

DraftIt

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Sketchbook

All ratings1,281 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative23.0%
Written reviews156 reviews
Positive20.5%
Neutral4.5%
Negative75.0%

Bugs and requests

DraftIt

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Sketchbook

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Drawings not saving properly
  • Unreliable performance

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add undo/redo functionality
  • Improve brush quality and customization
  • Implement a true free version

In-app purchases

3 purchases

DraftIt

Subscriptions2
  • DraftIt Pro7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • DraftIt Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • lifetime of DraftIt Pro$2.99
14 purchases

Sketchbook

Subscriptions12
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Premium Features - One Week$4.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$4.997 Days
Show 9 more
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Premium Features - One Month$8.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Premium Access$19.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$22.991 Year
  • Annually Subscription$24.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$24.991 Year
  • Annually Subscription3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium Features - One Year3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Appsgonefree Deal$4.99
  • Lifetime Deal - Limited Period$35.99

Questions

Is DraftIt free?
DraftIt is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sketchbook free?
Sketchbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DraftIt or Sketchbook?
DraftIt is rated higher. DraftIt averages 4.6 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Sketchbook averages 3.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do DraftIt or Sketchbook have ads?
Sketchbook shows ads; DraftIt does not.
Which is updated more often, DraftIt or Sketchbook?
DraftIt ships an update every 4 days, and Sketchbook every 3 weeks. Most recently, DraftIt was updated on October 8, 2026 and Sketchbook on October 16, 2026.

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