It is more expensive than the Mac/PC version, true, but the install base is a lot bigger on desktops/laptops than on iPad. CSP, a serious, professional app, costs around $2 a month.

Most people aren't - but are willing to pay a dollar or two monthly. You dislike the business model? Well, you should be willing to pay much more for quality apps.

But without subscription pricing, a lot of these apps would be unprofitable. At the same time, we expect fully featured, powerful apps. People are not willing to pay more than a couple of dollars (if anything), and $10 apps are considered 'premium'. Blame it on the fact that the whole App Store economy is borked for serious apps. These people don't drive Ferraris and do it out of greed. It's one thing when a huge company like Adobe does it (although, I can certainly understand their need to appease investors) - but for a lot of these companies, subscription model is the only way to make a sustainable business. ok, but you have to realise, you might not like the alternative. It's really hard to say which one is better, but with Procreate being just $10 and CSP having a 6-month free trial for new users, my suggestion is: just try them both. CSP is also more complex (in a good way, it's very intuitive for all the options it has) with a more advanced brush engine (though Procreate has a really great one, too) and with the ability to import 3D models on the canvas, which is crazy and super-useful for certain workflows. You can use it nicely without one, ofc, but the fact that you can make custom keyboard shortcuts for almost anything is just great and very Mac like. CSP really becomes powerful when paired with a keyboard. Procreate is more gesture based and generally nicer when you're away from your desk. And then there is Sketchbook Pro, Adobe Fresco, Linea, etc.īut, my top recommendations are Procreate and CSP, as I said. There are other nice apps, I also recommend checking out Art Studio Pro and Infinite Painter - both really nice. In fact, they just might be one of the two best apps for illustration on any platform. It comes down to needs and personal preference, but I'd say Procreate and Clip Studio Paint are the two best apps for illustration on the iPad, at the moment.

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