Digital art has changed the creative world, providing artists endless possibilities to express their imagination. Procreate, a popular digital art software, has gained immense popularity for its features and user-friendly interface. However, Mac users looking for alternative options have a range of impressive software applications.
This article lists the top seven alternatives to Procreate for Mac to help you choose the best one for your needs.
Adobe Fresco
Price: Partially Free/Premium version: US$9.99/month after a 30-day free trial.
Adobe Fresco is software in the Creative Cloud collection of advanced Adobe design programs. It’s the most affordable choice among Adobe apps because it has a free version. You can easily download it on your Mac from the Mac App Store.
Compared to Procreate, Adobe Fresco offers more animation options, making it a superior choice in that regard. Although its user interface may initially seem complex, once you become familiar with it, this app provides a wide range of features for artists, designers, and animators.
It’s beginner-friendly, with a helpful guidebook and the ability to work with vector and raster graphics. If you upgrade to the Premium version, you also access additional cloud storage, which is helpful for various design projects.
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Krita
Price: Free
Krita is a powerful design program developed by a dedicated team of artists and software developers. You can download the free desktop version of this app for your Mac directly from their website. It’s an open-source program that relies on donations for support.
This highly advanced app offers many in-depth design options, making it particularly attractive to skilled artists and graphic designers. It also allows you to customize the user interface to suit your preferences and create a personalized experience.
Krita includes impressive features for animation and creating comic strips. You can create carefully crafted projects and easily export them for other applications. This makes it a favourite tool for cartoon creators and animators.
Tayasui Sketches Pro
Price: $9.99/month.
The Tayasui Sketches Pro app for Mac is similar to Procreate in drawing and painting tools but focuses more on watercolour features. You can buy it from the Mac App Store and use it on any Mac device.
Since this app is mainly for painting and doesn’t have too many complicated features, it’s not overwhelming for beginners. It’s a good choice for people who are starting to learn digital drawing.
One thing to remember while using this app is that it doesn’t have an autosave function. You have to manually save your artwork, which can be inconvenient if you forget or forget it’s not part of your routine.
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Artstudio Pro
Price: $19.99/month after a 7-day free trial.
The Artstudio Pro app has made significant progress since its launch in 2010. It is now widely regarded as a top digital drawing and photo editing app. You can easily download it from the App Store onto your Mac device.
While it may not be the easiest app to navigate due to its crowded user interface, it is well-suited for intermediate digital artists. It might take some familiarity with other digital drawing tools to get the hang of it without relying on the user manual from the Apple Books store.
However, once you become comfortable using Artstudio Pro, you will discover its many benefits. The recent update has brought larger canvas sizes and unlimited layers, allowing for more creative possibilities. Additionally, the app offers a wide range of photo editing tools for tasks like retouching, cropping, and recolouring.
Adobe Photoshop
Price: $19.99/month after a 7-day free trial.
One of the most powerful apps in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite is Photoshop. It has been widely known and used for graphic design purposes, particularly for editing photos.
You can download Photoshop from the Adobe website and try it for free for the first 7 days. However, please note that Photoshop requires a costly subscription, so ensure you understand what you’re getting into and if the app’s price is worth it for your specific needs.
Photoshop is the most advanced photo editing program available if you’re willing to invest in it. It offers a wide range of tools and features that seem almost limitless. With Photoshop, you can do practically anything if you take the time to learn how to use it effectively.
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Sketchbook Pro
Price: $19.99 one-time purchase.
The Sketchbook app is perfect for beginners because it has a user-friendly interface and a helpful beginner guide on their website. You can get the Pro version from the Mac App Store or the free version from their website.
This app suits various artistic tasks, from simple sketches and ideas to final designs. It has a straightforward interface and offers more than 190 brushes. While it also has photo editing tools, they are not the main focus and are similar to what you would find in the Procreate app.
If you want additional features, you can visit the free extras section on their website to search and download extra brushes or colour palettes. You can check out their daily blog to stay updated with the latest improvements.
ArtRage
Price: $80 one-time purchase.
ArtRage Vitae app is a digital design program focused on providing realistic drawing and painting techniques. You can purchase it from the Mac App Store, but it has a high price tag.
If you decide to invest in this app in terms of money and your artistic journey, you’ll be amazed by its wide range of painting tools and user-friendly interface. The app doesn’t have a limit on layers and includes a helpful in-app manual to answer any questions.
With its simplicity and easy-to-use workspace, this app is perfect for beginners. It provides all the necessary tools to learn how to create and manipulate unique masterpieces on your canvas.
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