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Design · head to head

Procreate vs SolidStart

Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SolidStart logo

SolidStart

Web Development

Full-stack meta-framework for SolidJS with fine-grained reactivity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SolidStart has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Procreate iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS; SolidStart smaller ecosystem compared to Next.js or Remix due to relative newness
  • They diverge on capability: Procreate covers Digital painting, SolidStart covers Fine-grained reactivity.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Procreate and SolidStart actually diverge.

Attributes where Procreate and SolidStart differ
AttributeProcreateSolidStart
Starting price$12.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiPadWeb
CategoryDesignWeb Development
Founded2010Unknown

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 Procreate

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

Only in SolidStart

  • Fine-grained reactivity
  • Server actions
  • Single-flight mutations
  • Request deduplication
  • Multi-router support
  • Automatic API generation
  • Vite integration

What people use each for

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

Procreate

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

SolidStart

  • Building lightweight full-stack applications with minimal runtime overheadnot Procreate
  • Projects requiring fine-grained reactivity and automatic dependency trackingnot Procreate
  • Applications targeting multiple deployment platforms with single codebasenot Procreate
  • Teams prioritizing performance and small bundle sizesnot 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

SolidStart

  • Smaller ecosystem compared to Next.js or Remix due to relative newness
  • SolidJS less familiar to developers with React experience
  • Community documentation not as extensive as larger frameworks
  • Limited third-party UI component libraries compared to React ecosystem

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

SolidStart

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SolidStart review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Procreate if

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

Choose SolidStart if

  • You need fine-grained reactivity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want server actions.
SolidStart review

Questions people ask

Is Procreate or SolidStart better?
Neither clearly leads. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and SolidStart at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Procreate or SolidStart?
SolidStart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12.99/one-time for Procreate and Free for SolidStart.
Does Procreate or SolidStart run on more platforms?
Procreate runs on iPad. SolidStart runs on Web.
Can I use SolidStart for free?
Yes. SolidStart has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time.
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 SolidStart is typically brought in for.
What can Procreate do that SolidStart cannot?
Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools. SolidStart covers Fine-grained reactivity, Server actions, Single-flight mutations, Request deduplication.

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
SolidStart: What is SolidJS and how does it differ from React?

SolidJS uses fine-grained reactivity and automatic dependency tracking instead of React's virtual DOM, resulting in smaller bundles and better performance.

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
SolidStart: How many deployment platforms does SolidStart support?

SolidStart supports over 20 deployment platforms including Cloudflare, Netlify, Vercel, Deno, AWS, and Azure through Vite plugins.

Source
SolidStart: Can I use TanStack Router with SolidStart?

Yes, SolidStart supports using either the official Solid Router or TanStack Router depending on project requirements.

Source
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