Best Procreate Alternatives for Windows and Android

Procreate is fantastic, but it only runs on iPad. If you work on a Windows tablet, a Surface device, an Android tablet, or a desktop computer, you need an alternative. The good news is that several apps now match or exceed Procreate in specific areas. Some are free. Some offer features Procreate doesn't have, like vector support or animation timelines.

Here are the best options depending on your device and what kind of art you make.

Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint is probably the closest overall alternative to Procreate for illustration and comic art.

It runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chromebooks. The brush engine is deeply customizable, with thousands of free brushes available through the Clip Studio Assets marketplace. Pen stabilization is excellent, which makes inking smooth even with less expensive styluses.

The comic and manga tools are where Clip Studio really shines. Panel layout tools, speech bubble creation, screen tones, and perspective rulers are all built in.

The animation timeline supports frame-by-frame animation up to 24 FPS, which is more capable than Procreate's animation assist.

Pricing shifted to a subscription model, which is the main downside. There's a one-time purchase option for the desktop version through certain retailers, but the mobile versions require a subscription. The Pro tier covers most illustration needs. The EX tier adds multi-page document support for comics and manga.

Krita

Krita is free, open-source, and genuinely powerful.

It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with an Android version that works on tablets. The brush engine is comparable to Photoshop's, with extensive customization options for texture, spacing, pressure curves, and blending modes.

The interface can be overwhelming at first because Krita exposes a huge number of tools and settings in the default workspace. But once you customize the layout to show only what you need, it's a comfortable working environment.

The resource manager lets you import brush packs, patterns, and color palettes.

Animation support in Krita is surprisingly robust for a free app. You get a full timeline, onion skinning, and the ability to export animations as video files. Performance on large canvases can be slower than commercial alternatives, especially on older hardware, but it handles typical illustration work without issues.

Sketchbook by Autodesk

Sketchbook is now free on all platforms (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android), and it offers a clean, distraction-free drawing experience.

The interface is minimal by design, which makes it feel closer to Procreate's simplicity than any other option on this list. The brush engine is smooth, the canvas rotation is fluid, and the color tools are well-designed.

The predictive stroke feature smooths your lines automatically without the lag that stabilization sometimes introduces. The Copic color library is a unique feature that maps to real-world Copic markers, which is useful for artists who work in both traditional and digital media.

Where Sketchbook falls short is advanced features.

There are no layer blend modes beyond the basics, no animation tools, and limited selection or transformation tools. It's a sketching and illustration app, not a full digital painting suite.

MediBang Paint

MediBang Paint is free on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, with cloud sync across all devices. The app was designed specifically for comic and manga creation, with built-in panel tools, screen tones, and free fonts for lettering.

The brush library is extensive, and cloud storage means you can access your work from any device.

The learning curve is gentle, and the app runs smoothly even on older Android tablets. The main drawbacks are the ad-supported free tier (though ads are minimal) and the interface, which feels slightly dated compared to Clip Studio or Procreate. For comic artists on a budget, it's hard to argue with a free tool that covers this much ground.

Corel Painter

Corel Painter is the traditional media simulation specialist.

It runs on Windows and macOS and is designed to replicate the look and feel of real paint, pastels, charcoal, watercolor, and other physical media. The brush technology uses particle systems and real-world paint physics to produce results that look remarkably like traditional art.

This is a professional-grade tool with professional-grade pricing. The canvas texture system, blending tools, and mixing palette are unmatched by any other digital painting application. If your work specifically aims to look like traditional media, Painter is the tool built for that purpose.

The interface is complex and resource-heavy. It requires a powerful computer and a drawing tablet with pressure sensitivity. This is not a casual sketching app.

Infinite Painter (Android)

For Android tablet users specifically, Infinite Painter is the closest experience to Procreate. The interface is clean and gesture-driven. Brush customization is extensive. The perspective guide tools are among the best available on any platform. And it integrates well with Samsung S Pen and other active styluses.

The one-time purchase price is very reasonable, and there's no subscription. The app receives regular updates with new features and brush packs. Canvas size is limited by your device's RAM, but modern Android tablets handle large canvases without problems.

Which One Should You Pick

For illustration and comic art on any platform, Clip Studio Paint is the most capable option. For a completely free desktop painting app, Krita offers the most features per dollar (since it's zero dollars). For casual sketching on Android, Infinite Painter is the smoothest experience. And for artists who want digital work that looks like traditional media, Corel Painter remains in a class by itself.