Procreate was the go-to digital art platform for a while. Then, Adobe decided to enter the competition with its Adobe Fresco.
It’s not the perfect competition, but it has led to some exciting developments. While Adobe Fresco was meant to draw Procreate users over to Adobe software, it has started to find and fill its unique niche instead.
Both are great programs, but each has areas that they fit in better. Adobe Fresco, for example, works well on professional and money-making artwork.
Since it offers vector brushes, you can create scalable work that won’t pixelate, which is perfect for logos, t-shirts, stickers, and much more. Procreate has some professional uses but works best for artists who want to stay as close to the traditional feel of pen and paper artwork as possible.
Depending on what you’re looking for, either could be a great option. Take the time to watch videos and try trials to see how they both work and which one fits your needs better. And, of course, read through this article to learn more about the two different software.
Check out this article for the top drawing software for XP Pen.
Key Takeaways
- Adobe Fresco’s main features include vector-based brushes and collaboration with other products.
- Despite being digital, Procreate offers many import and export options and has a much more traditional feel.
- Both are great, but your budget, tablet operating system, and your needs may make the final decision between the two.
Adobe Fresco vs Procreate Comparison Table
| Adobe Fresco | Procreate | |
| Price | Subscription of $9.99 a month. Can be included with Adobe Bundles, such as the Creative Cloud Bundle, for $54.99 | Subscription of $9.99 a month. Can be included with Adobe Bundles such as the Creative Cloud Bundle, for $54.99 |
| Company | Adobe owns Fresco | Savage Interactive owns Procreate |
| Main Uses | One-time cost of $9.99. There is a pocket version for $4.99 | Mainly a drawing tool, but can be used for animation, 3D art, and sketches. |
| Experience Level | Works for all experience and skill levels, but does work best for those who have experience with Adobe. | Mainly a drawing and painting app. Does have motion paths and frame-by-frame techniques for animation |
| Best For | Subscription of $9.99 a month. Can be included with Adobe Bundles, such as the Creative Cloud Bundle, for $54.99 | May be overwhelming for beginners. Best for experienced digital artists. |
| System Requirements | Anyone who wants to use other Adobe software has a Windows device, or wants to do more than simple drawing Does mostly vector work but has raster brushes as well. | iPads: Air 2, 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation iPad mini 4, 5th and 6th generation iPad 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th generation iPad Pro 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch, 11-inch, 12.9-inch iPadOS 15.4.1 or newer required |
| Key Features | Anyone who wants to use their iPad for most of their art wants to do more simple work. Does mostly raster work | Easy to make revisions Share work instantly Traditional feel of pen and paper |
| Platforms | Works with Apple and Windows products | iPhone and iPad with iOS version 15 or later and 16 GB storage space recommended, five required. Windows 11 version 22000 or later or Windows 10 version 21H2 or later. With 8GB of RAM and 5GB available disk space. |
| Acceptable Export File Types | Connection to other Adobe products: Available on more systems | PNG. JPG. PSD. PDF. MP4. GIF. PNG Sequence. |
Adobe Fresco
Adobe Fresco Key Features
- Raster, vector, and live brush options
- Available for MacOS and Windows
- Intuitive features and layout
- Easy to make patterns, trace, and create art
- Simple enough to back up from a mistake without messing up your artwork completely
Adobe Fresco Uses
Adobe Fresco works for a wide variety of uses. It works perfectly for illustrations, sketches, animation, watercolor, and oil paintings. You can even do photo colleges with Adobe Fresco.
Check out this comparison between Adobe Fresco and Photoshop in this article.
It’s also great for beginners. Since Adobe has such a large community, there are plenty of videos on how to get started and community discussions.
There are also many different kinds of brushes and patterns to use, and even more, created by the community to make artwork of all kinds nice and easy.
Adobe Fresco Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Flexible and easy to use | No version for Android |
| More than enough tools at your disposal | Somewhat steep learning curve |
| Editing tools are powerful | Little to no realistic-looking brushes |
| Runs smoothly on every device | |
| Many different pixel brushes | |
Companies That Use Adobe Fresco
Adobe Fresco is mainly designed for artists who prefer traditional pen and paper. This means it’s not heavily used for big businesses. However, you can find some businesses that use Adobe Fresco:
- Nordstrom
- Ruggable
- HONOR NYC
- Lantern Press
- The Social Standard
Procreate
Procreate Key Features
- QuickShape
- StreamLine
- Drawing Assist
- ColorDrop
- Simple revision process
- Made for portability
- Instinctual mechanics and gestures
Procreate Uses
Procreate is excellent for creative professionals. It allows one to add all sorts of little details and touches that are often included in hand-drawn art but are often missing in digital art. It has plenty of features that allow artists to get as creative and original as they want.
Whether the artist wants to focus on detailed sketches, bright paintings, beautiful animations, or breathtaking illustrations, Procreate allows them to do that.
With Procreate, an artist gets all the benefits of digital work while also allowing the benefits of hand-drawing. There are very few cons to using this software.
Get started with Procreate today, with this list of the top Procreate courses.
Procreate Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Some really unique and interesting brushes | Masking isn’t easy |
| Smooth transitions between one step of the process to the other | Procreate is primarily raster-based, and there are no vectors |
| Easy time-lapse recording without the need for an alternative program | Your tablet determines the number of layers you can use |
| A large variety of formats for exporting and importing | iOS only |
| Cheap | |
| Simulates real-life art |
Companies That Use/ Examples of Procreate
Procreate isn’t as widely used by professionals and businesses. Because there is a lack of communication and flow between programs like Adobe has.
However, plenty of professional artists use Procreate and are famous. Additionally, there are plenty of big companies that enjoy using Procreate for movie posters:
- Kyle Lambert - Stranger Things movie poster
- Lisa Congdon
- Target
- Disney
- DC Comics
- Marvel
- Pixar
Which Is Better?
Honestly, if you have the budget, both are great options. They each have their own perks, and you may find yourself wanting to use one over the other for certain pieces or art types. However, if you want one software to practice your work in, the best one is based on your needs.
Many enjoy Procreate for illustrations, sketches, drawings, and paintings. It’s the perfect way to take your art and make it more professional. It’s also easier to share and edit when you draw it digitally in the first place.
Adobe Fresco, on the other hand, is made for a variety of different uses. It works well for any vector art or just as a simple tool that works with other Adobe products when you need to draw something quickly on the go.
Are you thinking about getting a Drawing Tablet? Check out this list.
When to Use Adobe Fresco
Because it does vector art, Adobe Fresco works well for making logos and graphic designs. So, if you want to make logos or work that can be resized to any proportions without pixelation or blurring, then Adobe Fresco is the way to go.
Adobe Fresco also works with other Adobe products works perfectly with other Adobe products. Suppose you like to finish up work in Photoshop or do some light editing in Illustrator. In that case, Adobe Fresco is the best option because the transitions are smooth, and you don’t have to worry about your artwork getting messed up when you move between programs.
Additionally, there’s the glaring fact that Procreate only works in iOS software. So, this is automatically the best option if you have a Windows tablet. If you have an Android, neither option will work well.
Simply put, anyone looking to scale their work, do something professionally, or transfer between different programs will do best with Adobe Fresco.
If you like to do a mix of art for a hobby and art for work, then Adobe Fresco is still the way to go if you only buy one. It offers raster and vector brushes, so you can change up your art as you need.
Check out this list of the Top Adobe Fresco Courses.
When to Use Procreate
On the other hand, while it does have some professional uses, Procreate is more for hobbyists. For starters, only those with iOS software can use Procreate, so that definitely limits the options. Also, it’s only raster-based. This means that scaling without distortion or pixelation is pretty much impossible.
Still, it’s a great app if you want to draw in your free time without constantly buying pen and paper. Its one-time purchase that costs less than $10 makes it terribly easy to justify buying. Even if you switch to Adobe Fresco later, the cost doesn’t hurt much.
If you’re a beginner looking to get started on digital work or want something that works incredibly well with your iPad and don’t want to shell out a monthly fee, then Procreate won’t disappoint.