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Design · head to head

ArtRage vs Principle

ArtRage logo

ArtRage

Design

A digital artist studio with tools that look and work like the real things

From
$29.9/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Principle

Design

Animate your ideas, design better apps

From
$129/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ArtRage no subscription model; each purchase is one-time; Principle macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArtRage and Principle actually diverge.

Attributes where ArtRage and Principle differ
AttributeArtRagePrinciple
Starting price$29.9/one-time$129/one-time
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
PlatformsWebmacOS
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Design).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ArtRage

Nothing recorded that Principle does not also cover.

Only in Principle

  • Timeline-based animation
  • Interactive prototypes
  • Touch gestures
  • Component reuse
  • Video export
  • Sketch import
  • Figma import
  • Driver animations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ArtRage

  • Digital paintingnot Principle
  • Drawingnot Principle
  • Art creation and illustrationnot Principle

Principle

  • Mobile app prototypesnot ArtRage
  • Micro-interactionsnot ArtRage
  • Animation designnot ArtRage
  • User flow designnot ArtRage
  • Gesture-based interfacesnot ArtRage

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ArtRage

  • No subscription model; each purchase is one-time
  • Separate purchases needed for desktop and mobile versions

Principle

  • macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available
  • No vector morphing capability for complex shape transformations
  • Limited asset creation tools; cannot create vectors or shapes directly within Principle
  • Sketch import flattens certain properties including paths, fills, borders, masks, blur effects, and text layers
  • Limited variable support, logical loops, and data input capabilities compared to tools like ProtoPie or Origami

Pricing, plan by plan

ArtRage

$29.9/one-time
  • ArtRage Vitae Desktop$80/one-time
    • Windows and macOS
    • Full painting and drawing tools
  • ArtRage Vitae Mobile$4.99/one-time
    • iOS and Android
    • Mobile painting and drawing tools
  • ArtRage Lite$29.9/one-time
    • Basic painting and drawing tools
    • Selected subset for beginners

Principle

$129/one-time
  • License$129/one-time
    • One year of upgrades
    • Full access to all features
  • Upgrade License$99/year
    • Annual renewal for ongoing upgrades

Which should you pick?

Choose ArtRage if

Nothing in the data separates ArtRage from Principle on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

ArtRage review

Choose Principle if

  • You need timeline-based animation.
  • You work on macOS.
  • You also want interactive prototypes.
Principle review

Questions people ask

Is ArtRage or Principle better?
Neither clearly leads. ArtRage starts at $29.9/one-time and Principle at $129/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArtRage or Principle?
ArtRage starts at $29.9/one-time and Principle at $129/one-time.
Does ArtRage or Principle run on more platforms?
ArtRage runs on Web. Principle runs on macOS.
What is ArtRage best used for?
ArtRage is most often used for digital painting, drawing, art creation and illustration. Of those, digital painting and drawing are not what Principle is typically brought in for.
What can ArtRage do that Principle cannot?
Principle covers Timeline-based animation, Interactive prototypes, Touch gestures, Component reuse.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ArtRage: How much does ArtRage cost?

ArtRage Vitae Desktop (Windows/macOS) is $80 as a one-time purchase. ArtRage Vitae Mobile (iOS/Android) is $4.99. ArtRage Lite is $29.90 for a basic tool set.

Source
Principle: Does Principle run on Windows or Linux?

No. Principle is macOS only and runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. There is no Windows or Linux editor available; however, prototypes can be shared and viewed on any platform via web link.

Source
ArtRage: Are ArtRage purchases one-time or subscription?

All ArtRage products are one-time purchases available through the Windows Store, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store with no ongoing subscription fees.

Source
Principle: What is the cost of Principle?

Principle costs $129 for a one-time purchase with 1 year of upgrades included. After 1 year, upgrade licenses cost $99/year. A 14-day free trial is available with all features included.

Source
Principle: Can I import designs from Figma or Sketch into Principle?

Yes. Principle supports importing designs from Figma and Sketch with intelligent merging of re-imported files. Some Sketch properties such as paths, fills, borders, blur effects, masks, and text layers are flattened upon import.

Source
Principle: How do I share Principle prototypes with others?

Prototypes can be shared via web link with one click (File > Export > Share to Web). Recipients can view and interact with prototypes in any browser on any platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS. No installation required.

Source
Principle: Can I create vector shapes and morphing animations in Principle?

Principle does not support vector morphing, where vector objects transform into other vector shapes. It also has limited asset creation capabilities and editing is restricted to basic operations like scale and rotate.

Source
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