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Design · head to head

Procreate vs Proto.io

Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Proto.io logo

Proto.io

Design

Hosted high-fidelity prototyping with device preview and no code

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Procreate iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS; Proto.io prototypes live in the vendor cloud and offline export is a higher-tier feature, so the ability to archive completed client work is a plan-level decision rather than a given.
  • They diverge on capability: Procreate covers Digital painting, Proto.io covers Event and condition system.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Procreate and Proto.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Procreate and Proto.io differ
AttributeProcreateProto.io
Starting price$12.99/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownPer user per month
PlatformsiPadWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2010Unknown

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 Procreate

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

Only in Proto.io

  • Event and condition system
  • Timeline animation
  • Device preview
  • Component library
  • User testing integration
  • Design import

What people use each for

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

Procreate

  • Digital illustrationnot Proto.io
  • Concept artnot Proto.io
  • Character designnot Proto.io
  • Educational artnot Proto.io
  • Hobby drawingnot Proto.io

Proto.io

  • Running usability tests where the prototype must respond to real input rather than replay a fixed click pathnot Procreate
  • Demonstrating a form-heavy or data-driven flow to stakeholders before any code existsnot Procreate
  • Testing a mobile interaction on the physical device it is designed for, with correct gesture behaviournot Procreate
  • Validating a concept for a client who needs to feel the product, not watch a video of itnot Procreate

Where each one falls short

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

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

Proto.io

  • Prototypes live in the vendor cloud and offline export is a higher-tier feature, so the ability to archive completed client work is a plan-level decision rather than a given.
  • Design is done elsewhere and interaction is rebuilt here, so every change to the visual design has to be reapplied by hand and the two artefacts drift apart.
  • The event and condition model is layer based, so a genuinely complex flow becomes a large tree of triggers that nobody but its author can audit.
  • Editor seats are priced individually and viewer access is limited on lower plans, so opening review to a wide stakeholder group pushes you up a tier for people who never edit anything.
  • The market standardised on Figma, so hiring people who already know Proto.io is progressively harder and every new researcher is a training cost.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Proto.io

On request
  • Freelancer$undefined/month
    • Single editor
    • Limited active projects
    • Standard sharing
  • Startup$undefined/month
    • Multiple editors
    • More projects
    • Team library
  • Agency$undefined/month
    • Higher project and storage limits
    • Client sharing controls
  • Corporate$undefined/month
    • Largest quotas
    • Offline export on higher tiers
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Procreate if

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

Choose Proto.io if

  • You need event and condition system.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want timeline animation.
Proto.io review

Questions people ask

Is Procreate or Proto.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and Proto.io at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Procreate or Proto.io?
Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and Proto.io at On request.
Does Procreate or Proto.io run on more platforms?
Procreate runs on iPad. Proto.io runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Procreate best used for?
Procreate is most often used for digital illustration, concept art, character design, educational art. Of those, digital illustration and concept art are not what Proto.io is typically brought in for.
What can Procreate do that Proto.io cannot?
Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools. Proto.io covers Event and condition system, Timeline animation, Device preview, Component library.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Proto.io: Can it replace Figma?

No. It has no design system or file-handoff role. It sits alongside Figma for the prototypes Figma cannot express.

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
Proto.io: What happens to prototypes if we stop paying?

They stop being accessible unless you have exported them, and offline export is restricted to higher plans, so plan archiving before you cancel.

Proto.io: Is it worth learning now that InVision has gone?

If your work is usability research on conditional flows, yes. If you need click-through demos of static screens, Figma already does that at no extra cost.

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