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Design · head to head

Procreate vs Terraform

Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

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

Terraform

Developer Tools

Automate infrastructure on any cloud

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit TerraformFull review

The short version

  • Procreate is a raster graphics editor app for digital painting; Terraform is an infrastructure as code tool.
  • Terraform has a free plan, then $0.1/mo; Procreate starts at $12.99 one-off.
  • Only Procreate lists digital painting; only Terraform lists infrastructure as code.
  • Where Procreate falls short: iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS.
  • Where Terraform falls short: HCL syntax requires learning a domain-specific language with limited GUI alternatives.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Procreate and Terraform actually diverge.

Attributes where Procreate and Terraform differ
AttributeProcreateTerraform
Starting price$12.99/one-timeFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOSLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryDesignDeveloper Tools
Founded20102012

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 Terraform

  • Infrastructure as code
  • Resource graph
  • Plan & apply
  • State management
  • Provider ecosystem
  • Modules
  • Workspaces
  • Remote backends

What people use each for

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

Procreate

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

Terraform

  • Multi-cloud provisioningnot Procreate
  • Infrastructure automationnot Procreate
  • Environment replicationnot Procreate
  • Disaster recoverynot Procreate
  • Compliance automationnot 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

Terraform

  • HCL syntax requires learning a domain-specific language with limited GUI alternatives
  • State file management is complex, especially at scale with multiple workspaces
  • terraform import workflow is fiddly and must be done one resource at a time
  • No native error handling or try-catch capabilities like traditional programming languages
  • No automatic rollback capability - must manually delete and re-run if needed

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

Terraform

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Terraform review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Procreate if

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

Choose Terraform if

  • You need infrastructure as code.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want resource graph.
Terraform review

Questions people ask

Is Procreate or Terraform better?
Neither clearly leads. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and Terraform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Procreate or Terraform?
Terraform has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12.99/one-time for Procreate and Free for Terraform.
Does Procreate or Terraform run on more platforms?
Procreate runs on iOS. Terraform runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Terraform for free?
Yes. Terraform 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 Terraform is typically brought in for.
What can Procreate do that Terraform cannot?
Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools. Terraform covers Infrastructure as code, Resource graph, Plan & apply, State management.

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
Terraform: Is there a free tier?

Yes. The free tier supports up to 500 managed resources and 1 concurrent run. The legacy free tier ends March 31, 2026; remaining organizations auto-convert to the enhanced free tier.

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
Terraform: What clouds does Terraform support?

Terraform supports AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud, Docker, and HashiCorp's own HCP Terraform managed service, with over 2000 providers available.

Source
Terraform: Do I need HCP Terraform Cloud or can I run locally?

Terraform runs locally by default, storing state on your machine. For team collaboration and production use, remote backends like S3, Azure Storage, or HCP Terraform are recommended for locking and security.

Source
Terraform: Is HCL hard to learn?

HCL is designed to be human-readable and sits between JSON and YAML. It supports comments, variables, functions, and conditional logic. While beginners can get started quickly, mastering advanced features takes practice.

Source
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