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Laravel vs Procreate

Laravel logo

Laravel

Web Development

The PHP framework for web artisans

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Laravel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Laravel performance overhead from abstractions, middleware pipeline, and multiple layers can slow applications compared to minimal frameworks; Procreate iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS
  • They diverge on capability: Laravel covers Eloquent ORM, Procreate covers Digital painting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Laravel and Procreate actually diverge.

Attributes where Laravel and Procreate differ
AttributeLaravelProcreate
Starting priceFree$12.99/one-time
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, CLIiPad
CategoryWeb DevelopmentDesign
Founded20112010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Laravel

  • Eloquent ORM
  • Artisan CLI
  • Blade templating
  • Middleware
  • Authentication
  • Caching
  • Queue system
  • Event broadcasting

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.

Laravel

  • Web application developmentnot Procreate
  • API developmentnot Procreate
  • E-commerce platformsnot Procreate
  • Content managementnot Procreate
  • Enterprise applicationsnot Procreate

Procreate

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

Where each one falls short

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

Laravel

  • Performance overhead from abstractions, middleware pipeline, and multiple layers can slow applications compared to minimal frameworks
  • Dependency management is complex with many interdependent packages requiring careful version coordination

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

Laravel

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full framework
    • Artisan CLI
    • Eloquent ORM
  • Laravel Forge$12/month
    • Server management
    • Deployment automation
    • SSL certificates
  • Laravel Vapor$39/month
    • Serverless deployment
    • Auto-scaling
    • AWS integration

Procreate

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Laravel if

  • You need eloquent orm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want artisan cli.
Laravel review

Choose Procreate if

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

Questions people ask

Is Laravel or Procreate better?
Neither clearly leads. Laravel 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, Laravel or Procreate?
Laravel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Laravel and $12.99/one-time for Procreate.
Does Laravel or Procreate run on more platforms?
Laravel runs on Web, CLI. Procreate runs on iPad.
Can I use Laravel for free?
Yes. Laravel has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time.
What is Laravel best used for?
Laravel is most often used for web application development, api development, e-commerce platforms, content management. Of those, web application development and api development are not what Procreate is typically brought in for.
What can Laravel do that Procreate cannot?
Laravel covers Eloquent ORM, Artisan CLI, Blade templating, Middleware. Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Laravel: Is Laravel free and open source?

Yes, Laravel is completely free and open source under the MIT License. You can use, modify, and distribute it without restrictions.

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
Laravel: What are the key features Laravel provides?

Laravel includes an ORM (Eloquent), database migrations, authentication, authorization, caching, queues, email, testing, and deployment tools. It supports multiple databases and provides starter kits for full-stack and API development.

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
Laravel: Can I deploy Laravel on any server?

Yes, Laravel can be deployed on any PHP server. You can use shared hosting, VPS, or managed platforms like Laravel Cloud, which starts at $5/month with auto-scaling and git-like branching.

Source
Laravel: Does Laravel have testing and local development tools?

Yes, Laravel includes Dusk for browser testing, PHPUnit for unit tests, and Herd (free for basic use) for local development environments with built-in PHP, Composer, and Nginx support.

Source
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