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Design · head to head

Excalidraw vs Procreate

Excalidraw logo

Excalidraw

Design

Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ExcalidrawFull 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

  • Excalidraw is a virtual collaborative whiteboard tool; Procreate is a raster graphics editor app for digital painting.
  • Excalidraw has a free plan, then $6/mo; Procreate starts at $12.99 one-off.
  • Only Excalidraw lists hand-drawn style diagrams; only Procreate lists digital painting.
  • Where Excalidraw falls short: free hosted version persists via scene links/local storage rather than a managed multi-scene workspace.
  • 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 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Excalidraw and Procreate actually diverge.

Attributes where Excalidraw and Procreate differ
AttributeExcalidrawProcreate
Starting priceFree$12.99/one-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebiOS
Founded20202010

Identical on both: 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 Excalidraw

  • Hand-drawn style diagrams
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Infinite canvas
  • Shape libraries
  • Text support
  • Image import
  • Export options
  • Keyboard shortcuts

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.

Excalidraw

  • Wireframing and diagrammingnot Procreate
  • Real-time collaborative whiteboardingnot Procreate
  • Hand-drawn-style illustrations for docs and decksnot Procreate
  • Embedding a whiteboard into third-party apps via the npm packagenot Procreate
  • Visual planning and note-takingnot Procreate

Procreate

  • Digital illustrationnot Excalidraw
  • Concept artnot Excalidraw
  • Character designnot Excalidraw
  • Educational artnot Excalidraw
  • Hobby drawingnot Excalidraw

Where each one falls short

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

Excalidraw

  • Advanced features (unlimited private scenes/folders, cloud storage, access management, presentations, extended AI, team management) are gated behind Excalidraw+
  • Free hosted version persists via scene links/local storage rather than a managed multi-scene workspace
  • Self-hosting the full collaborative stack requires standing up a websocket server and storage beyond the npm editor package
  • No official native desktop or app-store mobile apps - web/PWA only

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

Excalidraw

Free
  • Excalidraw+$6/mo
    • Unlimited private scenes and folders
    • Cloud storage
    • Access management

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 Excalidraw if

  • You need hand-drawn style diagrams.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Excalidraw review

Choose Procreate if

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

Questions people ask

Is Excalidraw or Procreate better?
Neither clearly leads. Excalidraw 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, Excalidraw or Procreate?
Excalidraw has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Excalidraw and $12.99/one-time for Procreate.
Does Excalidraw or Procreate run on more platforms?
Excalidraw runs on Web. Procreate runs on iOS.
Can I use Excalidraw for free?
Yes. Excalidraw has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time.
What is Excalidraw best used for?
Excalidraw is most often used for wireframing and diagramming, real-time collaborative whiteboarding, hand-drawn-style illustrations for docs and decks, embedding a whiteboard into third-party apps via the npm package. Of those, wireframing and diagramming and real-time collaborative whiteboarding are not what Procreate is typically brought in for.
What can Excalidraw do that Procreate cannot?
Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Real-time collaboration, Infinite canvas, Shape libraries. Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Excalidraw: Is Excalidraw free?

Excalidraw appears to be a free drawing application available at no cost to users. The website does not display information about pricing tiers or premium features, suggesting it is offered as a free service.

Source
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
Excalidraw: Does Excalidraw offer paid plans?

No pricing tiers or paid upgrade options are mentioned on the Excalidraw website, which indicates the service is available entirely free without commercial pricing models.

Source
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
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