Procreate suits artists and illustrators who draw and paint on an iPad with an Apple Pencil and want over 300 brushes ready to go. Photoshop suits people who edit photos, remove backgrounds and use Firefly's Generative Fill across desktop, web and mobile. Pick Procreate for drawing on iPad, Photoshop for photo editing and design work.
These two get compared a lot, but they were built for different jobs. I read Procreate's iPad page and Adobe's Photoshop page, so the details below are the makers' own.
Procreate and Photoshop side by side
| Procreate | Photoshop | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Procreate | Adobe |
| Where it runs | iPad | Desktop, web and mobile |
| Free plan | Not named on the page I read | Not named; a free trial |
| Main strength | Drawing and painting | Photo editing and compositing |
| Brushes | Over 300 handcrafted brushes, Brush Studio | Not the focus of the page I read |
| AI tools | Not covered on the page I read | Firefly Generative Fill, Expand and Remove |
Procreate on the iPad
Procreate's page ranks it first among drawing apps for iPad, which is its own claim, and it has two Apple Design Awards to point to: one for design and innovation, and one for making creative tools accessible to more people.
It comes with over 300 handcrafted brushes, from pencils and inks to charcoals and painterly textures, and you can change any of them in Brush Studio or download thousands more. Procreate was made for the iPad and Apple Pencil, and it records a time-lapse of your work so you can replay how a piece came together.
Photoshop's photo and AI tools
Adobe's page is all about editing images. Firefly models power Generative Fill, Generative Expand and Generative Remove, so you can add, extend or take things out of a picture by typing what you want. Harmonize blends people and objects into new backgrounds, and selection and background removal tools do the fiddly cut-out work.
Photoshop runs on desktop, web and mobile, and Adobe says you can download the mobile app for free. There's a free trial of the full app, and new adjustment layers such as Clarity, Dehaze and Grain.
Drawing tool or editing tool
This is the heart of it. Procreate is a painting and drawing app first, built around the feel of the Apple Pencil on glass. Photoshop is an editing and compositing app first, built around photos, layers and now Adobe's Firefly AI. You can draw in Photoshop and edit in Procreate, but each one is happiest doing its own job.
You can also use both: sketch and paint in Procreate, then bring the file into Photoshop for colour correction, text or a client's layout. If you only do one of those jobs, you only need one of these apps. And if you're not sure yet, notice what you open first when an idea arrives: a blank canvas or a photo you want to change.
Device choice settles a lot of this before you even open either app. Procreate's page is about the iPad and nothing else, so if you work at a desktop with a mouse or a drawing tablet, it won't fit. Photoshop follows you between desktop, web and mobile, which suits designers who start an idea on a laptop and finish it at a bigger screen.
Who each app suits
Procreate suits illustrators, hand-letterers and hobby artists who love drawing on an iPad. Photoshop suits photographers, designers and small business owners who edit product photos and social graphics. If you're going with Photoshop, my guide on how to use Photoshop Generative Fill gets you started, and these drawing prompts are a fun way to warm up in Procreate.
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My advice on Procreate or Photoshop
Ask what you'll spend most of your time doing. If it's drawing, painting or lettering and you own an iPad and Apple Pencil, Procreate is the natural place to start. If it's fixing photos, removing backgrounds or building graphics, start the Photoshop trial and try Generative Fill on a real product photo. You'll know within an afternoon which one feels like your tool.
Do you make design or drawing tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Procreate only on iPad?
Procreate's page describes it as made for the iPad and the Apple Pencil.
Does Photoshop have AI tools?
Yes. Adobe lists Firefly models for Generative Fill, Generative Expand and Generative Remove.
How many brushes does Procreate have?
Procreate says it comes with over 300 handcrafted brushes, and you can customise them in Brush Studio.
Is there a free Photoshop app?
Adobe says you can download the Photoshop mobile app for free, and the full app has a free trial.
Can I use Procreate and Photoshop together?
Yes. You can sketch and paint in Procreate on your iPad, then finish the file in Photoshop for editing or layout.
