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Cloud Native Buildpacks vs Procreate

Cloud Native Buildpacks logo

Cloud Native Buildpacks

Developer Tools

Specification and tooling that turns source code into OCI images without Dockerfiles

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Cloud Native BuildpacksFull review
Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Free plan
No
Visit ProcreateFull review

The short version

  • Cloud Native Buildpacks is a specification plus a lifecycle and the pack CLI; Procreate is a raster graphics editor app for digital painting.
  • Cloud Native Buildpacks is free; Procreate starts at $12.99 one-off.
  • Only Cloud Native Buildpacks lists detect and build lifecycle; only Procreate lists digital painting.
  • Where Procreate falls short: iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloud Native Buildpacks and Procreate actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloud Native Buildpacks and Procreate differ
AttributeCloud Native BuildpacksProcreate
Starting priceFree$12.99/one-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, API, Self-hostediOS
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDesign

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Procreate, founded for Cloud Native Buildpacks.

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 Cloud Native Buildpacks

  • Detect and build lifecycle
  • Image rebasing
  • Reproducible layers
  • Builder images
  • Automatic SBOM output
  • pack CLI

Only in Procreate

  • Digital painting
  • Brush library
  • Layer management
  • Selection tools
  • Time-lapse recording
  • Apple Pencil
  • iPad Pro
  • Cloud services

What people use each for

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

Cloud Native Buildpacks

  • Patching a base image once and rebasing hundreds of application images rather than rebuilding and redeploying eachnot Procreate
  • Removing per-team Dockerfiles at an organisation where inconsistent base images have become an audit findingnot Procreate
  • Giving application teams a supported path to a hardened image without teaching every team container securitynot Procreate
  • Choosing a build system that a risk committee will accept because governance is vendor neutral rather than single vendornot Procreate

Procreate

  • Digital illustrationnot Cloud Native Buildpacks
  • Concept artnot Cloud Native Buildpacks
  • Character designnot Cloud Native Buildpacks
  • Educational artnot Cloud Native Buildpacks
  • Hobby drawingnot Cloud Native Buildpacks

Where each one falls short

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

Cloud Native Buildpacks

  • The operational cost is real: you own builder images, base image refresh cadence and migrations between specification versions, which currently sit at Buildpack API 0.10 and Platform API 0.12 with published migration guides, so breaking changes are a recurring chore
  • A cold build with no warm cache is noticeably slower than a well layered Dockerfile, and because the cache lives in a cache image or volume, ephemeral continuous integration runners pay full price on every run unless you deliberately warm them
  • Reproducibility depends on discipline rather than defaults, because buildpacks resolve runtime patch versions at build time unless you pin them and stability is only as good as the builder image tag you point at
  • The specification is neutral but the buildpacks are not, and in practice you depend on Paketo, Heroku or Google, whose roadmaps, support levels and update cadences differ; CNCF also records contributing organisations down 12 per cent year on year
  • Native dependencies, unusual monorepo layouts and non-standard project structures push you into writing custom buildpacks or extensions, which is a genuine engineering investment and not a configuration change

Procreate

  • iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS
  • Requires Apple hardware investment (iPad and Apple Pencil)
  • Cannot export to cloud storage natively, limiting cross-device workflows
  • High upfront cost when accounting for required iPad hardware

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloud Native Buildpacks

Free
  • Cloud Native BuildpacksFree
    • Apache-2.0, hosted by the CNCF
    • No commercial edition from the project itself
    • Commercial support only from vendors of specific buildpack distributions

Procreate

$12.99/one-time
  • Procreate$12.99 one-off
    • 200+ brushes
    • Unlimited layers
    • Advanced blending modes
  • Procreate Pocket$5.99 one-off
    • iPhone version
    • Touch-optimized interface
  • Procreate Dreams$19.99 one-off
    • Animation tool
    • Frame-by-frame animation

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloud Native Buildpacks if

  • You need detect and build lifecycle.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, API, Self-hosted.
  • You also want image rebasing.
Cloud Native Buildpacks review

Choose Procreate if

  • You need digital painting.
  • You work on iOS.
  • You also want brush library.
Procreate review

Questions people ask

Is Cloud Native Buildpacks or Procreate better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloud Native Buildpacks starts at Free and Procreate at $12.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloud Native Buildpacks or Procreate?
Cloud Native Buildpacks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cloud Native Buildpacks and $12.99/one-time for Procreate.
Does Cloud Native Buildpacks or Procreate run on more platforms?
Cloud Native Buildpacks runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, API, Self-hosted. Procreate runs on iOS.
Can I use Cloud Native Buildpacks for free?
Yes. Cloud Native Buildpacks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time.
What is Cloud Native Buildpacks best used for?
Cloud Native Buildpacks is most often used for patching a base image once and rebasing hundreds of application images rather than rebuilding and redeploying each, removing per-team dockerfiles at an organisation where inconsistent base images have become an audit finding, giving application teams a supported path to a hardened image without teaching every team container security, choosing a build system that a risk committee will accept because governance is vendor neutral rather than single vendor. Of those, patching a base image once and rebasing hundreds of application images rather than rebuilding and redeploying each and removing per-team dockerfiles at an organisation where inconsistent base images have become an audit finding are not what Procreate is typically brought in for.
What can Cloud Native Buildpacks do that Procreate cannot?
Cloud Native Buildpacks covers Detect and build lifecycle, Image rebasing, Reproducible layers, Builder images. Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloud Native Buildpacks: What does CNCF graduation actually change?

Nothing technically, but it signals audited governance, security review and multi-vendor maintenance, which is usually what a procurement or risk team needs before approving a build system.

Procreate: Does Procreate work on desktop or only iPad?

Procreate is iPad-only. There is no desktop version for Windows or macOS, requiring users to purchase iPad hardware and Apple Pencil for use.

Source
Cloud Native Buildpacks: How is this different from writing a Dockerfile?

Container build knowledge lives with the platform team in a builder image rather than in every repository, and rebasing lets you patch the runtime base of many images without rebuilding them.

Procreate: What companion apps are available for Procreate?

Procreate Pocket is an iPhone version at $5.99, and Procreate Dreams is an animation tool at $19.99, both one-time purchases.

Source
Cloud Native Buildpacks: Does it cost anything?

No. The specification and tooling are Apache-2.0 and free. You pay only if you buy commercial support for a specific buildpack distribution from Broadcom, Heroku or Google.

Cloud Native Buildpacks: Is it slower than a Dockerfile?

On a cold build with no cache, yes. Warm builds are competitive, but continuous integration runners that start empty every time will feel the difference.

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