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Design · head to head

PaintTool SAI vs Procreate

P

PaintTool SAI

Design

Lightweight digital painting and illustration software for Windows

From
5500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PaintTool SAI windows-only software with no native Mac or Linux version.; Procreate iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS
  • They diverge on capability: PaintTool SAI covers Pressure-Sensitive Tablet Support, Procreate covers Digital painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PaintTool SAI and Procreate actually diverge.

Attributes where PaintTool SAI and Procreate differ
AttributePaintTool SAIProcreate
Starting price5500/month$12.99/one-time
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
PlatformswindowsiPad
FoundedUnknown2010

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 PaintTool SAI

  • Pressure-Sensitive Tablet Support
  • Anti-Aliased Brushes
  • 16-bit ARGB Color Channels
  • Lightweight Performance
  • Crash Data Protection

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.

PaintTool SAI

  • Digital illustration and manga artnot Procreate
  • Line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pensnot Procreate
  • Lightweight painting on lower-spec computersnot Procreate
  • Character and concept art sketchingnot Procreate

Procreate

  • Digital illustrationnot PaintTool SAI
  • Concept artnot PaintTool SAI
  • Character designnot PaintTool SAI
  • Educational artnot PaintTool SAI
  • Hobby drawingnot PaintTool SAI

Where each one falls short

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

PaintTool SAI

  • Windows-only software with no native Mac or Linux version.
  • Only supports 32-bit operation, lacking modern 64-bit performance benefits.
  • Lacks the advanced brush engine customization and layer effects found in tools like Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint.
  • No cloud sync or mobile app, unlike many modern illustration 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

PaintTool SAI

5500/month
  • Standard License$5500/month
    • Perpetual license
    • All 1.x.x minor updates
    • Free upgrade path to version 2

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 PaintTool SAI if

  • You need pressure-sensitive tablet support.
  • You work on windows.
  • You also want anti-aliased brushes.
PaintTool SAI review

Choose Procreate if

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

Questions people ask

Is PaintTool SAI or Procreate better?
Neither clearly leads. PaintTool SAI starts at 5500/month 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, PaintTool SAI or Procreate?
PaintTool SAI starts at 5500/month and Procreate at $12.99/one-time.
Does PaintTool SAI or Procreate run on more platforms?
PaintTool SAI runs on windows. Procreate runs on iPad.
What is PaintTool SAI best used for?
PaintTool SAI is most often used for digital illustration and manga art, line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pens, lightweight painting on lower-spec computers, character and concept art sketching. Of those, digital illustration and manga art and line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pens are not what Procreate is typically brought in for.
What can PaintTool SAI do that Procreate cannot?
PaintTool SAI covers Pressure-Sensitive Tablet Support, Anti-Aliased Brushes, 16-bit ARGB Color Channels, Lightweight Performance. Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PaintTool SAI: Is there a free trial for PaintTool SAI?

Yes, PaintTool SAI offers a 31-day free trial with full functionality before requiring purchase of a license.

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
PaintTool SAI: What does the license cover?

The one-time 5,500 JPY purchase provides a perpetual license covering all minor updates within version 1.x.x; a major version 2 upgrade is offered for free.

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
PaintTool SAI: What operating systems are supported?

PaintTool SAI runs on Windows XP through Windows 11, but only in 32-bit mode, requiring at least a 450MHz Pentium processor and 256MB of RAM.

Source
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