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Design · head to head

Photopea vs Procreate

Photopea logo

Photopea

Design

Free online photo editor

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 Photopea has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Photopea performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files; Procreate iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS
  • They diverge on capability: Photopea covers Photo editing, Procreate covers Digital painting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Photopea and Procreate actually diverge.

Attributes where Photopea and Procreate differ
AttributePhotopeaProcreate
Starting priceFree$12.99/one-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebiPad
Founded20132010

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Photopea

  • Photo editing
  • PSD compatibility
  • Layer support
  • Filters and effects
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Adobe fonts
  • Browser-based

Only in Procreate

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

Both cover

  • Selection tools
  • Local processing

What people use each for

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

Photopea

  • Quick photo editsnot Procreate
  • PSD file editingnot Procreate
  • Web designnot Procreate
  • Social media graphicsnot Procreate

Procreate

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

Where each one falls short

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

Photopea

  • Performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files
  • Risk of losing work due to browser crashes or save failures
  • Aggressive advertising that can slow down the entire computer
  • No local installation option, always requires browser access
  • Basic file organization and version tracking compared to professional tools

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

Photopea

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Photopea review.

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 Photopea if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want psd compatibility.
Photopea review

Choose Procreate if

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

Questions people ask

Is Photopea or Procreate better?
Neither clearly leads. Photopea 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, Photopea or Procreate?
Photopea has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Photopea and $12.99/one-time for Procreate.
Does Photopea or Procreate run on more platforms?
Photopea runs on Web. Procreate runs on iPad.
Can I use Photopea for free?
Yes. Photopea has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time.
What is Photopea best used for?
Photopea is most often used for quick photo edits, psd file editing, web design, social media graphics. Of those, quick photo edits and psd file editing are not what Procreate is typically brought in for.
What can Photopea do that Procreate cannot?
Photopea covers Photo editing, PSD compatibility, Layer support, Filters and effects. Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Time-lapse recording. Both handle Selection tools, Local processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Photopea: Is Photopea free to use?

Yes, Photopea is completely free and supported by ads displayed within the browser. No subscription or payment is required to use the full feature set.

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
Photopea: Does Photopea support Photoshop PSD files?

Yes, Photopea fully supports Photoshop PSD files including layers, masks, text, and effects. It can read and export files back to PSD, PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, or GIF format.

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
Photopea: What platforms does Photopea run on?

Photopea is a web-based editor accessible through any modern browser including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. It can be added to desktop as a shortcut or Chrome extension.

Source
Photopea: Does Photopea upload my files to servers?

No. Photopea processes images entirely within your browser and does not upload files to external servers, keeping your work private and secure.

Source
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