Best Free Sketching App

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.5 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated November 2026

Out of 250+ free sketching app on iOS, 20 are free and the rest sit in the paid tier. This page sorts them so you can compare both sides before you commit.

Compare top Free Sketching App (November 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Sketchbook®Sketchbook®Free4.8★ (221K)NoYesNov 2026
2Paper: Sketch, Draw & CreatePaper: Sketch, Draw & CreateFree4.6★ (73K)NoYesNov 2026
3Drawing Pad -Drawing Pad -Free4.3★ (99K)NoYesNov 2026
4Sketch Me!Sketch Me!Free4.5★ (7K)YesYesNov 2026
5Trace Drawing: Learn to SketchTrace Drawing: Learn to SketchFree4.3★ (216)YesYesNov 2026
6Drawing Desk:Learn To Draw ArtDrawing Desk:Learn To Draw ArtFree4.3★ (15K)YesYesNov 2026
7Whiteboard: just draw togetherWhiteboard: just draw togetherFree4.5★ (90K)NoYesNov 2026
8Doodle Drawing Pad DrawDoodle Drawing Pad DrawFree3.6★ (348)YesNoNov 2026

Top Picks for Free Sketching App

Sketchbook®#1

Sketchbook® by Sketchbook, Inc.

Draw, paint, & sketch anywhere
Editor's Choice
🎨 Graphics & Design
4.8😊(221K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#37in Graphics & Design
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This app provides a professional-grade drawing and painting experience for artists and illustrators. It offers a natural drawing feel with customizable tools, layers, and guides for precision. Unlock advanced features like custom brushes and canvas resizing with an optional premium purchase.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Amazing, free, and no ads
  • 👍 Lots of brushes and customization options
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Great for beginners and professionals
  • 👍 Smooth performance and no lag
  • 👍 Unlimited layers and canvases
  • 👍 Copic color palette

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
  • 🐛 Blurry or corrupted images when saving or copying
  • 🐛 Glitches with color selection and layers
  • 🐛 Inability to rotate canvas or access gallery easily
  • 🐛 Lack of blurring and clipping mask tools
Paper: Sketch, Draw & Create#2
4.6😐(73K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Paper: Sketch, Draw & Create screenshot 1
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Paper: Sketch, Draw & Create screenshot 4

This app offers an immersive sketching experience with intuitive tools and gesture-based controls. Easily create collages, paintings, and drawings without distracting menus. Organize your creations into journals and sync them across devices.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Fantastic drawing experience
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
  • 💡 Unique journal-like format
  • 🎨 Great for sketching and doodling
  • 📚 Useful for note-taking and organization
  • 💻 Works well with Apple Pencil

Room to Improve

  • 🔒 Subscription model for basic features
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
  • 📥 Limited image import/export options
  • 🎨 Lack of advanced drawing tools
  • 🔀 Frustrating navigation changes
  • 💰 Expensive subscription for full functionality
Drawing Pad -#3

Drawing Pad - by Sunny Side Hurricane LLC

Easy Sketch, Draw, Digital Art
Worth Considering
🎨 Graphics & Design
4.3😞(99K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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Unleash your creativity with a versatile drawing and sketching tool. Features include a kids' doodle mode, photo editing with magic brush effects, and a digital coloring book. Export your creations to physical products or share them on social media.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Simple and easy to use
  • 🎨 Good for basic drawing and doodling
  • 👍 Helpful for improving drawing skills
  • 🎨 Provides a variety of brushes and tools

Room to Improve

  • 🔒 Requires subscription to access full features
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🐛 Frequent pop-ups and ads
  • 🐛 Laggy performance and glitches
  • 🔒 Limited functionality without subscription

More Free Sketching App apps to explore

FAQ about Free Sketching App

What is the best free sketching app for iPhone?
Sketchbook® tops our free sketching app ranking as of November 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 221K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Sketchbook® has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of November 2026.
We track 250+ free sketching app on the iOS App Store as of November 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.