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Design · head to head

Procreate vs RubyMine

Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Free plan
No
Visit ProcreateFull review
RubyMine logo

RubyMine

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for Ruby and Ruby on Rails development

From
$24/month
Free plan
No
Visit RubyMineFull review

The short version

  • Procreate is a raster graphics editor app for digital painting.
  • Procreate starts at $12.99 one-off, RubyMine at $24/mo.
  • Only Procreate lists digital painting; only RubyMine lists rails-aware coding assistance.
  • Where Procreate falls short: iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS.
  • Where RubyMine falls short: no permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Procreate and RubyMine actually diverge.

Attributes where Procreate and RubyMine differ
AttributeProcreateRubyMine
Starting price$12.99/one-time$24/month
PlatformsiOSWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryDesignDeveloper Tools
Founded20102000

Identical on both: free tier (No).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Procreate.

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 RubyMine

  • Rails-aware coding assistance
  • Integrated debugger
  • Test runner integration
  • Database tools
  • Version control integration
  • Docker support

What people use each for

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

Procreate

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

RubyMine

  • Building and maintaining Ruby on Rails applicationsnot Procreate
  • Debugging Ruby web applicationsnot Procreate
  • Running and managing RSpec or Minitest suitesnot Procreate
  • Working across Ruby, JavaScript, and SQL in one projectnot 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

RubyMine

  • No permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription
  • More resource-intensive than lightweight editors such as Sublime Text
  • Focused primarily on Ruby, so polyglot teams may prefer IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate with plugins instead
  • Startup time can be slower than simpler text editors on older hardware

Pricing, plan by plan

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

RubyMine

$24/month
  • Individual$24/mo
    • Personal use license
    • Access to RubyMine
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/mo
    • Business use license
    • Access to RubyMine
    • Volume and renewal discounts

Which should you pick?

Choose Procreate if

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

Choose RubyMine if

  • You need rails-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want integrated debugger.
RubyMine review

Questions people ask

Is Procreate or RubyMine better?
Neither clearly leads. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and RubyMine at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Procreate or RubyMine?
Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and RubyMine at $24/month.
Does Procreate or RubyMine run on more platforms?
Procreate runs on iOS. RubyMine runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 RubyMine is typically brought in for.
What can Procreate do that RubyMine cannot?
Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools. RubyMine covers Rails-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Test runner integration, Database tools.

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
RubyMine: How much does RubyMine cost?

RubyMine is sold as a JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses available for students and open-source maintainers.

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
RubyMine: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains provides a free trial period for RubyMine so developers can evaluate it before purchasing a subscription.

Source
RubyMine: What platforms does RubyMine support?

RubyMine runs as a desktop application on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
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