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Design · head to head

Procreate vs Visual Studio

Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

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

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Visual StudioFull review

The short version

  • Procreate is a raster graphics editor app for digital painting.
  • Visual Studio is free; Procreate starts at $12.99 one-off.
  • Where Procreate falls short: iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS.
  • Where Visual Studio falls short: A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Procreate and Visual Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Procreate and Visual Studio differ
AttributeProcreateVisual Studio
Starting price$12.99/one-timeFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOSWeb
CategoryDesignDeveloper Tools

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Procreate, founded for Visual Studio.

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 Visual Studio

Nothing recorded that Procreate does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Procreate

  • Digital illustrationnot Visual Studio
  • Concept artnot Visual Studio
  • Character designnot Visual Studio
  • Educational artnot Visual Studio
  • Hobby drawingnot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

  • Managing complex, large-scale projects across multiple platformsnot Procreate
  • Commercial development in small businessesnot Procreate
  • DevOps and automated deployment workflowsnot Procreate
  • Windows/SQL Server developer and tester rolesnot Procreate
  • Short-term or month-to-month IDE access needsnot 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

Visual Studio

  • Community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Monthly subscriptions are $45 per user per month for Professional and $250 per user per month for Enterprise, and do not include perpetual use rights the way annual Standard subscriptions do
  • A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers

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

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Procreate if

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

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Procreate or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and Visual Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Procreate or Visual Studio?
Visual Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12.99/one-time for Procreate and Free for Visual Studio.
Does Procreate or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
Procreate runs on iOS. Visual Studio runs on Web.
Can I use Visual Studio for free?
Yes. Visual Studio 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 Visual Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Procreate do that Visual Studio cannot?
Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection 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
Visual Studio: What are the pricing differences between subscription types?

Standard subscriptions include access to more benefits, such as Azure dev/test pricing, monthly Azure individual credit, software and download access, services, training, and support. Monthly subscriptions offer flexibility but fewer benefits.

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
Visual Studio: Are discounts available for startups?

There aren't any discounts available to start-ups, however an unlimited number of users within an organization can use Visual Studio Community for specific scenarios like open source work.

Source
Visual Studio: Who can use Visual Studio Community for free?

In non-enterprise organizations, up to five users can use it. Enterprise organizations (greater than 250 PCs or greater than $1M annual revenue) cannot use it beyond academic/open-source scenarios.

Source
Visual Studio: What's the renewal pricing structure?

Enterprise standard renews at $214.09/month (after initial $499.92); Professional at $66.59/month (after $99.99).

Source
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