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Design · head to head

Procreate vs Xara Designer Pro+

Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xara Designer Pro+ logo

Xara Designer Pro+

Design

Desktop publishing, web design, photo editing and graphic design in one workspace

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; Xara Designer Pro+ compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Procreate and Xara Designer Pro+ actually diverge.

Attributes where Procreate and Xara Designer Pro+ differ
AttributeProcreateXara Designer Pro+
Starting price$12.99/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
PlatformsiPadWeb
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 Xara Designer Pro+

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 Xara Designer Pro+
  • Concept artnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Character designnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Educational artnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Hobby drawingnot Xara Designer Pro+

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Desktop publishing and professional layout workflowsnot Procreate
  • Web design and e-commerce site creation without codenot Procreate
  • Photo editing and image retouching for visual projectsnot Procreate
  • Graphic design and illustration in single workspacenot Procreate
  • Multi-discipline creative work with unlimited flexibilitynot 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

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version

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

Xara Designer Pro+

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Xara Designer Pro+ review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Procreate if

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

Choose Xara Designer Pro+ if

Nothing in the data separates Xara Designer Pro+ from Procreate on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Xara Designer Pro+ review

Questions people ask

Is Procreate or Xara Designer Pro+ better?
Neither clearly leads. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Procreate or Xara Designer Pro+?
Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request.
Does Procreate or Xara Designer Pro+ run on more platforms?
Procreate runs on iPad. Xara Designer Pro+ runs on Web.
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 Xara Designer Pro+ is typically brought in for.
What can Procreate do that Xara Designer Pro+ 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
Xara Designer Pro+: Does Xara Designer Pro offer a free trial?

Yes, Xara Designer Pro offers a free trial download, allowing users to test the software before purchasing.

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
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