# Procreate vs Tools for Procreate

Procreate and Tools for Procreate both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Procreate's written reviews are positive against 24% of Tools for Procreate's. Procreate also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 20) and chart position (#90 vs unranked). Tools for Procreate's advantage is price (Free vs $12.99). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Tools for Procreate is free to download; Procreate costs $12.99 up front. Tools for Procreate sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Procreate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tools for Procreate holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 51K and 16K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Procreate'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.

Procreate ships an update every 2 weeks, Tools for Procreate weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Procreate | Tools for Procreate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (51K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/procreate/id425073498/reviews) | **[4.6 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tools-for-procreate/id1559271447/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **51K** | 16K |
| Positive reviews | **69.7% of reviews** | 23.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#90** | — |
| Size | 1.1 GB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.3 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Savage Interactive Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/363433636) | [Tools Products FZ-LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549858533) |

## What reviewers say

### Procreate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/procreate/id425073498)

**Currently charting:** #90 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive digital art studio for iPad, offering tools for sketching, painting, illustration, and animation. It features a vast brush library, advanced layering, color management, and precision design tools for creative professionals and aspiring artists.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of handmade brushes, Advanced layer system, High resolution canvases, 3D Painting with Lighting Studio, Frame-by-frame animation, Precision design tools, Continuous auto-save

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive drawing experience
- 💡 Vast selection of customizable brushes
- 👍 Simple and clean user interface
- 🚀 Efficient workflow with gestures and shortcuts
- 👍 Great value for the one-time purchase price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
- 🔧 Limitations in the animation and audio features
- 🔧 Frustrations with the fill bucket tool and color selection
- 🔧 Lack of advanced organization tools like folders within folders

**Reported bugs**

- Random freezing and crashes, especially after recent updates
- Issues with the fill bucket tool not working as expected
- Problems with exporting animations and preserving the animation quality

**Requested features**

- Implement a proper stroke stabilizer and shape tools
- Add the ability to import audio and sync animations to audio
- Improve the fill bucket tool to work across layers
- Introduce a folder system for better organization of artworks


### 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 Procreate free?

Procreate costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tools for Procreate free?

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

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

Tools for Procreate is rated higher. Procreate averages 4.4 out of 5 from 51K ratings, while Tools for Procreate averages 4.6 from 16K ratings.

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

Neither Procreate nor Tools for Procreate shows ads.

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

Procreate ships an update every 2 weeks, and Tools for Procreate weekly. Most recently, Procreate was updated on September 24, 2026 and Tools for Procreate on September 24, 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.*