Astropad Studio vs. Procreate

Astropad Studio vs. Procreate: Which One Should You Use?

Both Astropad Studio and Procreate are powerful iPad apps built for digital artists using Apple Pencil. While they serve different purposes, many artists use both in their creative workflows. This guide breaks down the differences to help you decide how and when to use each one.

What is Astropad Studio?

Astropad Studio turns your iPad into a professional drawing tablet by mirroring your Mac or PC screen. It gives you access to full-featured desktop creative programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Clip Studio Paint, right from your iPad.

With Astropad Studio, you get the power of your computer with the precision of your Apple Pencil, without the need for expensive pen displays.

Studio includes tools to customize your setup and boost productivity, like:

While some iPad versions of apps (like Photoshop for iPad) exist, they are often simplified. With Studio, you’re using the full desktop version, giving you more features, flexibility, and power.

What is Procreate?

Procreate is an iPad-only painting and illustration app known for its clean interface and ease of use. It’s affordable, fast, and great for sketching, painting, and simple animation.

It’s one of the most popular digital painting apps in the App Store, ideal for artists of all levels who want a standalone app with no desktop connection required. However, it doesn’t support vector work or advanced photo editing tools like desktop programs do.

Resolution Limits: Procreate vs. Studio

Procreate limits your canvas size and number of layers based on your iPad’s hardware. For example, creating a high-resolution piece on an iPad may restrict you to a single layer, which can limit flexibility when working on complex projects.

Astropad Studio, on the other hand, uses the processing power of your computer, so your layer count and canvas size are determined by your desktop program, not the iPad. This allows for much larger files and more detailed projects.

Can You Use Procreate with Astropad Studio?

Not directly. Procreate is an iPad-only app and doesn't run on your desktop. Since Astropad mirrors your computer screen onto your iPad, you can’t use iPad-only apps like Procreate within Studio.

Using Both in Your Workflow

Many artists use both apps, just at different stages of their process. Here’s how a typical workflow might look:

Start sketching or doing thumbnails in Procreate while on the go
Export your file from Procreate (PSD or PNG)
Finish the piece in a desktop app like Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint using Astropad Studio

This way, you get the best of both worlds: Procreate’s simplicity and speed, with the full power of desktop tools through Astropad.

Astropad Studio vs. Procreate