Procreate Alternatives for Windows

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If you’re someone fond of creating visual art and are looking for a digital platform for the same, this guide is going to be worth giving a read to you. Reason? Because today, we are exclusively going to discuss the best creative illustration application for Windows users.

Now that we are talking about raster graphic editor apps, it is almost impossible to talk about it without naming Procreate. But do you know the fact that it is only limited to iOS and iPadOS users? Well, unfortunately, yes.

But we surely can find the best Procreate alternatives for Windows users for you where you can make some of your best rich paintings, animations, illustrations and expressive sketches without any limitations.

How to choose the best Procreate alternative?

Since we have got many Procreate alternatives available, it will be a tough task for our users to pick one out of all. Thus, we are sharing this guide that you must take a look at before you start looking at the list and ensure that the illustrator app you’re using has all such qualities that will make it a good alternative to Procreate. Let us take a look ahead-

• Easy UI- Although you’re looking for a painting tool to create your artwork, it is assumed that you’re no beginner when it comes to using applications. However, if you are looking to use a creative illustration app, you must make sure that the UI of the app is pretty straightforward and has the option of minimizing the tool segment so that you can have the full screen to create your artwork with more clarity.
• Support for 4K- If we talk about Procreate, you will find that it supports exporting or rendering and even watching 4k content which is a plus point for many. If you’re looking forward to something like that, make sure that the application you’re using as an alternative to Procreate should have this support for 4K so that you can also watch the HD content without any annoyance.
• Drawing tablet support- If the app you’re using supports this drawing tablet, then you will also be able to use the external drawing tablet in your artwork without any barriers. This will give you the liberty of being more creative and drawing freely without any limitations. 
• Support for layers- If you’re someone who knows it closely, you know that not every pen can give you the same thickness or line that you’re needing. If there is an option for customizing it, you will be freely able to customize the thickness and know if you’re doing it right. It is generally required when you’re creating something with perfection and where every line that you draw matters.
• Features– Although it is needless to say, if you’re looking for a creative illustration application, you must go for the maximum number of features. If the app has it all, you will be able to create anything and everything. Be it for a comic maker, graphic designer, or someone who’s just making art out of passion, having more and more features is a plus point that you would love to have.
• Ad-free- What’s the point when something is popping-up every time you’re trying to concentrate? When it comes to artwork, you need to have dedication and concentration as your main elements and for that, the app you’re using must be ad-free. Try choosing an app that comes with an ad-free feature.
• Pricing- Pricing matters and it depends on the level of artwork you want to try. If you’re at the beginner’s level, you can try out any of the free apps that we have shared below. However, if your work requires a professional touch, you will have to go for the paid versions as they come with a range of professional tools. The pricing will differ from app to app and there will also be some free trials available in some of the apps. You can try checking it out before choosing the one you want to have.
• Dark mode- If the app you’re using has the dark mode option, then you will be able to create your artwork even in low light conditions and that is the thing most artists look for. They do not want a lot of light while creating artwork so make sure that your app comes with the dark mode option.
• OS supported- The reason why we have come up with this guide is that you can not use Procreate on Windows. And thus, you’re looking for its alternatives. So before you choose an app, make sure that it is supporting your device or not. Also, always try to opt for an app that has compatibility with most OS so that whenever you want to switch, you do not have to switch your application as well. If it supports tablets, it will be a plus point.

Top best Procreate alternatives for Windows

So let us now concentrate on the list where you can surely find the creative illustrator app that suits you-

1-Krita

Let us start this list with the painting program that is not only available for Windows but is also free of cost. Krita is the one available for all the users who are looking forward to the Procreate alternative. It is an open-source application that comes with both, personal and commercial use licenses.

To give you some insights, it comes with more than 100 brushes, supports colorspaces like CMYK at 16 and RGB at 8 bits integer channel, customized panel and dockers, brush engines for every brush, and brush stabilizer so that you can seek perfection even when your hands are shaking, pressure sensitivity so that you can know the thickness of the drawing that you have drawn and more.

If you want to choose a colour specifically from an image or an object, you can do it through the app. In addition, it supports vector illustration which surely is a good thing for any graphic designer. If you think that you’re lacking behind, there’s an option of importing the creative tools from others as well through the same platform. In the nutshell, it is a good-to-go tool for anyone who’s looking for a free alternative to Procreate.

2-Adobe Fresco

Adobe Fresco is basically not a very popular but quite useful alternative to Procreate. It comes with plenty of features such as personal customization of the interface, full-screen mode, plenty of brushes and tools, picking colours from anywhere and setting it up as per the image.

Be it for editing pictures or creating some professional graphics, this tool is apt for all. However, you will not be going to have it for free as it comes with this paid version where you need to pay $9.99 per month but if you unpack its features, you’ll know that it is worth it. It works well on Windows, macOS and iOS devices.

Since they offer dozen of paintbrushes from Adobe Photoshop, and master Kyle T Webmaster, you know that it’s worth taking it. It also has many live brush options, vector brushes, swirl effects, virtual colour thickness features and more to offer. If you’re unsure whether to pay the amount or not, you can try their 30-day free trial and decide.

3-Sketchbook

Sketchbook is another free-of-charge editing program that works well for everyone who aspires to be an editor/ graphic designer/ animator. Talking about the interface of the application, it is pretty decent and the best part? You can even use the incognito mode when you’re not navigating much so that you will have enough space on your screen to work.

Features like more than 180 customizable brushes, a Copic colour library with tons of colours in it, stroking tools, guides and more are the reason why this app has a huge fan base. If you’re an artist who needs full control over what you’re drawing, using their brushes and pens will be favourable as you can easily have full control over it. In addition, you can also use your mobile as a scanner and go to this 100 mpx canvases option.

4-Ibis Paint X

Another name on the list is this Ibis Paint X which provides more than 140 collections of professional brushes, erasers, a wide collection of colour pickers, smudgers, blur options and more.

This tool is most recommended for making a Manga as it has all such things required such as an adjustable line stabilizer, layer tools, compatibility with styluses, and more. On top of it, you can also customize your brushes as required and upload videos of creating the artwork as it will be recorded through the app itself.

It is free and available to everyone and our recommendation will be to use it if you’re a beginner or at the intermediate level.

5-ArtRage

ArtRage is also one of the top-notch alternatives to Procreate for Windows users. It is mainly suited for children and beginner-level artists who are looking forward to seeking a career in graphic design. We won’t say that you will find every tool that is required, but yet, they have a range of painting tools that will work well in crafting your artwork.

Oil painting brushes, customized brushes, pencils with exact thickness meters, spray paint, acrylic and everything else will be included and yes, it is all free of cost. Although it is most suitable for people who are willing to create some art on a tablet, however, that does not mean you can not use it on a PC at all.

Also, since it also has that smearing and tracing effects available, you will get guidance while portraying your artwork.

Wrapping up,

So that was all about the best alternatives to Procreate. All these apps that we have included are not only capable of being a good alternative but can also be proven to be a better one than Procreate for Windows users. Now that we understand that you will have to choose one among all, we have shared the detailed review with its features, pros and cons so that you can decide what works best for you. If you have any issues or queries regarding the same, please comment below and let us know.

FAQ

1-Is Procreate available for Windows?

No, Procreate is an application exclusively limited to iOS and iPadOS users and thus, we have shared the best alternatives of Procreate for Windows users.

2-Is Procreate a free-to-use application?

No, Procreate is an application that comes with the paid version only and thus, you will not be able to use it for free.

3-Is Sketchbook better than Procreate?

While Procreate is an application good for advanced-level users, Sketchbook is an app that works well for people who’re starting up with their digital drawing. And thus, it would be unfair to compare both.

4-What are the free alternatives to Procreate?

There are many free alternatives to Procreate that you can easily use on your Windows app. Some of them are Adobe fresco, Krita, Sketchbook, ArtRage and more.