Drawing on an iPad can fundamentally change your life. You might think it's only meant for professional artists, graphic designers, but I use it everyday as someone who just loves to draw. Using the Procreate app (from the app store), you can easily create a consistent habit that you can profit from. That's why I view buying an iPad as an investment and not an expense. I spent more than 10 hours comparing the best iPads to help build a profitable skill.
My Verdict — Best overall winner (combining power and price)
Price: Starts around $899 (But check Amazon for pricing)
While the 2022 iPad Pro has some pretty great features (e.g. Apple Pencil hover), I believe the best combination of power and price sits in the (2021) model. The 2021 iPad Pro offers the best experience for drawing at a slightly more affordable price than the newest model.
My controversial take is that you shouldn't buy the iPad Pro 11". If you're going to purchase a pro model, save your pennies for the larger version—and one with larger storage capacity—because screen real estate is your friend. If you do opt for a smaller screen, stick with the regular iPad, iPad Air, or iPad Mini and save some cash at the same time.
You won't see the 11-inch iPad Pro shown in this article for this reason.
Get this if you want the best iPad that combines price and power—without the buyer's remorse of having the latest tech that's not entirely worth it, imho.
I recommend buying on Amazon for quick delivery and affordable pricing, then buying the warranty directly through Apple. (But don't forget to check Apple's refurbished store!)
The 2021 iPad Pro 12.9 inch is the best iPad for people who don't want technology to stand in the way of building their drawing habit and to save a few bucks from the latest and greatest.
Starts around $899 (But check Amazon for pricing)
My verdict — Best for creative professionals using Procreate when money is no object
Price: Starts around $1,099 (But check Amazon for pricing)
The latest iPad Pro lineup does not leave you hanging. It's slightly controversial in that the spec bumps are mild this year, but this is the year for artists!
The newest iPad Pro includes a nifty feature called Apple Pencil Hover, which shows exactly where your pencil is hovering for a more precise drawing experience.
Get it if you want the absolute best in performance, power, and the newest feature in Apple Pencil Hover.
I recommend buying on Amazon for quick delivery and affordable pricing, then buying the warranty directly through Apple. (But don't forget to check Apple's refurbished store!)
If you're an early adopter of technology, the best iPad for Procreate is the iPad Pro 12.9" (2022 model). This machine won't let you down in any way, and should be a great investment for years to come.
Starts around $1,099 (But check Amazon for pricing)
My verdict — Best for coffee shop sketching
Price: Starts around $499 (But check Amazon for pricing)
The Apple iPad Mini is the best iPad for Procreate if you want an affordable option and if you value convenience over power. The iPad Mini can be used as a notepad or sketchbook discretely in a public location like a coffee shop.
Get it if you want to use it to use the iPad Mini to take notes, sketch quickly, or just doodle discretely in Procreate.
I recommend buying the iPad Mini on Amazon for quick delivery and affordable pricing, then buying the warranty directly through Apple.
The Apple iPad Mini 6th generation (2021) is the best option for procreate users who don't love to lug a large device around. It's great for slipping into a purse or pairing it with a small book when walking around a city or the nearest coffee shop.
Starts around $499 (But check Amazon for pricing)
My verdict — Best affordable iPad for drawing on Procreate during a recession
Price: Starts around $329 (But check Amazon for pricing)
The Apple iPad 9th generation is one of the cheapest options for using Procreate. If your main concern is price, you can't beat this option if you don't mind a slightly heavier iPad.
You want to get this if you're less concerned about weight, speed, and size. I'd say this is one of the underrated picks for using Procreate.
I recommend buying on Amazon for quick delivery and affordable pricing, then buying the warranty directly through Apple.
The standard iPad is the best iPad for Procreate if you're main concern is price. If you plan to have something at home for your kids or for your ability to use Procreate for fun, this might be the best option for you.
Starts around $329 (But check Amazon for pricing)
My verdict — Best for traveling the world
Price: Starts around $599 (But check Amazon for pricing)
The Apple iPad Air 5th generation is one of the best beginner iPad options for using Procreate. If you don't need an iPad Pro, this might be your next best option that takes advantage of Apple's M1 chip. And, it's much more convenient, weight almost half a pound lighter than the 12.9" Pro.
You want to get this if you're taking your Procreate drawing practice seriously and want to invest in a fast and light iPad Air.
I recommend buying on Amazon for quick delivery and affordable pricing, then buying the warranty directly through Apple. (But don't forget to check Apple's refurbished store!)
The iPad Air is great for Procreate because of its 10.9 inch screen and Liquid Retina display. Unless you're comparing the iPad Pro 11-inch side by side with the iPad Air—with Apple's M1 chip—you would hardly know they're that much different.
Starts around $599 (But check Amazon for pricing)
My verdict — Best for seriously drawing on the couch
Price: Starts around $569 (But check Amazon for pricing)
You won't find this listed on many best-of lists, but I believe finding a refurbished iPad Pro is an underrated move most don't consider. The older iPad Pro models offer similar advanced features as the newer models. The 2018 12.9" model is roughly the same as the 4th Gen, and uses all of the same accessories.
You want to get this if you want an iPad with pro level features while being ok sacrificing the latest tech for a more affordable price. The 3rd generation iPad for Procreate is a great option for you.
I recommend buying on Amazon for quick delivery and affordable pricing, then buying the warranty directly through Apple. (But don't forget to check Apple's refurbished store!)
The iPad Pro (3rd gen) is best for serious artists who want to save money. You might need to look at refurbished models on Ebay or Amazon, but this iPad Pro is one that I use every day. You might be able to find a loaded model (1TB of space) for around the same price as a base model iPad Pro (5th gen).
Starts around $569 (But check Amazon for pricing)
Here’s a quick summary of my top three iPad picks:
Here are the top 15 iPads we considered in this review:
Procreate is an iPad and iPhone app for drawing. It's a powerful program because it's like a DSLR camera. It is easy to pick up and use just a few features to get started, but there's a lot under the hood for when you continue to improve your drawing skills.
When you combine price and power, I believe the 12.9" iPad Pro (2021) version still is a better buy than the latest model. You won't notice a difference in performance, and the only feature you're missing is Apple Pencil Hover. While that seems fantastic, it doesn't justify the added cost.
But, if money is no object, you should splurge on the 2022 12.9" iPad Pro. The M2 chip will last you for years to come.
The Apple Pencil is a stylus designed and manufactured by Apple. It's the best stylus out there in my opinion. There are two generations of the Apple Pencil.
The first generation charges by using a lightning connector cable, and is compatible with older models.
The second-generation apple pencil improves upon the first by including wireless pairing and charging, magnetic charging, double tap to change tools, and added tilt and pressure sensitivity.
Drawing is great on its own for artistic purposes, but where drawing can really shine is when it's paired with great writing.
I use illustrations to pair with my own newsletter, blog articles, and design work. I do most of this in Procreate, and I'm a fan of remixing existing images to create original compositions.
I've also participated in 100-day creative projects inspired by Julia Cameron or Austin Kleon, where I spend 30 minutes a day drawing objects.
My main business was launched from my 100-day project, where I spent each morning drawing a new palm tree. From that evolved a better intuition about what brought joy to me creatively, and helped me lean into my own visual style, paving the way for me to teach those same principles to others.
All of this stemmed from drawing every single day.
Procreate costs just $9.99 for lifetime access to its app.
This is incredibly rare in a time when we're moving closer to subscription-based apps.
You can pay more for alternative brushes that other people sell, but I've spent less than $50 total for the past 3-4 years.
Procreate makes it easy to create art and have access to hundreds of brushes in a fraction of the time it would take you to do otherwise.
Being able to create illustrations and then publish them to your shop, blog, or articles gives us a new way to bring to life our ideas immediately.
If you're a fan of taking visual notes, Procreate allows you to do that in one app, without ever having to pull out your notebook.
Procreate also can help you give a personal touch to your slide decks by giving you the tools to simplify complex data, in a visual way.
I've even used it to create hand-drawn logos, or wireframes for products I might be considering building.
Some of the great things Procreate offers us are 150+ paint brushes, filters, effects, and gradients. You can stack things in layers, animate objects on the screen, and create timelapse videos, all in an intuitive interface.
I use and recommend Paperlike. (not an affiliate!)
While Steve Jobs famously said, “If you see a stylus, they blew it,” I can't imagine using Procreate on an iPad without an Apple Pencil.
The pressure sensitivity and being able to see the line that I'm drawing is too important not to use an Apple Pencil.
I've tried many styluses over the years, but when Apple finally made their own, I haven't looked back. I'd recommend buying the Apple Pencil version that works with your iPad.
While I would love to upgrade, I am currently happy with #7 on this list of iPads. It's the 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 inch, with the 2nd generation apple pencil. I bought it refurbished and added the AppleCare+ warranty on top.
I decided to stick with this one until the iPad Pro comes out with a camera on the long side, since I do plenty of Zoom calls for my workshops and creative calls. I'd love to use my iPad as the main device, but looking off to the side during calls just doesn't cut it for me.
One thing I've learned about buying new devices, is that it's easy to compare on paper, but you'll never know what you don't know once you have it at home. So I suggest not sweating over the details all that much, and just get something you can afford, and don't overspend.
These iPads are just tools, and it comes down to building a consistent drawing habit, which the Procreate app makes so easy to stick to.
Drawing on an iPad with Procreate can be overwhelming at first. But what people love is the ability to get started quickly, and being able to create professional pieces of art.
But starting out if you don't know how to draw can be intimidating. There are many Procreate courses out there, but I believe too many try to cover every single feature. I've written a few articles that I think will help you if you're just starting out.
I believe it's easiest to look at what you enjoy, and either trace from images you find online or from your own library. The easiest way to learn a new skill is by copying others.
Imagine learning to cook. Most of the time we're just trying to replicate recipes that we found online, learning to get comfortable shopping for new ingredients. It can be a bit frustrating, but most of the time we just need someone to hold our hand.
If you're looking for a course, my good friend Salman Ansari and I created one specifically for writers, which you can find here.
To recap, here are the best iPads for Procreate for this year:
My top pick is the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9" (5th Generation) because of the power and pricing of this previous generation model. Yes, I said that right. While Apple does not sell this model, it's still widely available at Amazon, where you can also buy the AppleCare+ warranty alongside it.
The only new Procreate feature lacking is the Apple Pencil Hover, which does not support paying a premium quite yet.
The 2021 iPad Pro inch is fully capable with Apple's M1 chip, and has many of the same features as the 2022 model, except it's cheaper.
But, if money is no object, my recommendation would be to splurge and buy the 2022 iPad Pro 12.9" model.
Just don't forget to pick up an Apple Pencil.
