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Yes—Adobe made Adobe Fresco free for everyone on October 23, 2024. The change unlocked more than 1,000 previously premium pixel brushes, added support for importing custom brushes, and left Fresco positioned as a serious drawing, painting, and animation app rather than a basic free sketching tool.
That makes Fresco a compelling alternative to Procreate, especially for Windows users, Adobe customers, and artists who want pixel, vector, and live-media brushes without paying upfront. But Adobe did not explicitly say it made Fresco free to target Procreate, and Fresco is not simply “free Procreate.” The better choice depends on your platform and workflow.
What changed with Adobe Fresco?
Before October 2024, Fresco offered a free tier alongside paid access. Adobe’s 2019 launch materials listed a standalone Fresco plan at $9.99 per month, or access through eligible Creative Cloud plans. The paid offering included additional brushes, Adobe Fonts access, expanded storage, Adobe Portfolio access, and deeper Photoshop integration.
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On October 23, 2024, Adobe announced that Fresco had become completely free for all users. The update unlocked more than 1,000 previously premium pixel brushes and allowed users to import their own brushes. Adobe highlighted categories including dry media, charcoal, pastel, ink, gouache, comics, spatter, and special effects.
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- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
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Adobe’s current Fresco product page continues to describe the app as completely free. That is a significant change in access, but it needs to be understood precisely.
What “completely free” includes—and what it does not
The core Fresco application is free, including the drawing, painting, and animation features Adobe makes available in the app. The formerly premium brush access announced in 2024 is also part of that change, along with custom brush importing and premium shapes.
It does not mean that every Adobe service connected to Fresco is free. Adobe’s community announcement identifies 5 GB of storage for Fresco users and refers to a paid Fresco-plus-Photoshop-on-iPad option with 100 GB of storage and additional Adobe Fonts access.
- Free: the Fresco app and the drawing features Adobe says it unlocked.
- Free with a limit: Adobe cloud storage, with 5 GB identified for Fresco users.
- Potentially paid: expanded storage, Photoshop, Adobe Fonts, Portfolio, and broader Creative Cloud services.
Adobe’s announcement also says users can begin creating without signing in, but account, cloud, and connected-service requirements may vary by platform and feature. Do not interpret the announcement as making Photoshop or Creative Cloud free.
Sources: Adobe’s 2024 announcement and Adobe’s community update.
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- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
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Which devices support Fresco?
Adobe’s current product page lists Fresco downloads for iPadOS/iOS and Windows. Adobe specifically highlights Apple Pencil compatibility on iPad.
The page does not list Android or macOS downloads. Fresco therefore should not be treated as an app that works on every tablet or desktop operating system. Check Adobe’s current system requirements before installing, particularly if you are using an older iPad or Windows tablet.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThis platform difference is one of Fresco’s biggest advantages over Procreate. A Surface or other Windows-tablet artist can use Fresco, while the main Procreate app is designed for iPad.
What makes Fresco different from a basic painting app?
Fresco combines three brush categories:
- Pixel brushes behave like conventional raster painting tools. They are suitable for textured illustration, sketching, shading, and digital painting.
- Vector brushes create scalable marks that can be useful for clean illustration and artwork that may need to be resized.
- Live brushes are designed to simulate media such as watercolor and oil, including the way wet color can interact on the canvas.
Fresco also includes animation tools and Adobe-oriented workflow connections. That combination gives it a broader identity than a simple raster painting canvas: it can serve artists who move between painted texture, scalable marks, wet-media simulation, and animation.
Adobe Fresco versus Procreate
Both apps can handle digital drawing and painting on iPad, but their priorities differ.
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- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
| Category | Adobe Fresco | Procreate |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Core app is free | One-time App Store purchase |
| Subscription | Not required for the core Fresco app | No subscription |
| Main platforms | iPadOS/iOS and Windows listed by Adobe | iPad; iPhone has the separate Procreate Pocket app |
| Brush approach | Pixel, vector, and Live brushes | Extensive raster-oriented painting and brush system |
| Ecosystem | Adobe workflow and connected services | Focused, standalone Procreate ecosystem |
| Best fit | Free entry, Windows work, Adobe users, and mixed brush types | Dedicated iPad illustration and painting |
| Storage model | Free Adobe storage is limited; paid Adobe options exist | Artwork is stored locally on the iPad, so users need their own export and backup routine |
Fresco’s platform and brush flexibility are its strongest differentiators. Procreate’s strength is its focused iPad experience, extensive painting tools, and mature canvas-and-gesture workflow.
Procreate’s official site confirms that the iPad app has no subscription; it is sold as a one-time App Store purchase. The official FAQ lists version 5.4.12 as requiring iPadOS 16.3 or later. Because App Store prices vary by region and can change, check the live listing rather than relying on an old dollar price.
Sources: Procreate’s product page, Procreate’s official FAQ, and Procreate’s help center.
Who should choose Fresco?
- Beginners and students who want a capable painting app without an upfront purchase.
- Windows tablet users who cannot use the main iPad version of Procreate.
- Adobe users who already work with Photoshop, Creative Cloud Libraries, Adobe Fonts, or other Adobe applications.
- Artists who want vector and Live brushes alongside conventional pixel painting.
- Hobbyists testing digital painting before committing to paid software or hardware.
Fresco is particularly attractive if “free” is your first requirement or if you need to move between iPad and Windows. The trade-off is that Adobe’s broader ecosystem can introduce account, storage, and paid-service considerations later.
Who should still choose Procreate?
- Dedicated iPad artists who want an app built specifically around the iPad canvas and Apple Pencil experience.
- Users who prefer a one-time purchase instead of relying on an Adobe ecosystem.
- Artists who value Procreate’s established gesture-driven workflow and extensive raster-painting tools.
- Users who want local artwork storage and are comfortable exporting and backing up their own files.
Procreate is not free merely because it does not charge a subscription. It requires an upfront purchase, but that purchase is different from a recurring Adobe subscription. For some artists, paying once for a focused iPad app is preferable to using a free app with limited cloud storage and optional Adobe services.
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- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Important limitations before switching
Free does not mean unlimited storage
Large layered files, many documents, and broader Adobe workflows can make 5 GB of free storage feel restrictive. If you need more space or Photoshop integration, investigate the relevant Adobe plan rather than assuming Fresco’s free status covers it.
Free does not mean device-free
You still need compatible hardware. On iPad, the intended experience may also require a compatible stylus such as Apple Pencil. The tablet and stylus can cost substantially more than either app.
Android users should check availability carefully
Adobe’s current product page lists iPadOS/iOS and Windows, not Android. Do not assume an Android tablet can run Fresco without a newly confirmed Adobe release.
Moving files between apps may not be seamless
App-specific documents, brushes, layer structures, animation data, and color behavior may not transfer perfectly between Fresco and Procreate. Export important work before switching, and verify the exact file formats and layer behavior you need.
Older iPads may not support current Procreate
Procreate’s current FAQ lists iPadOS 16.3 or newer for version 5.4.12. Check the official compatibility information before buying or relying on an older iPad.
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What about Procreate Pocket and Procreate Dreams?
Procreate Pocket is the separate iPhone version of Procreate, not the iPad app. Its official FAQ lists version 4.0.18 and requires iOS 15.4.1 or newer. It is designed as a complete digital art studio for iPhone, but a phone is not a direct replacement for a full-size iPad canvas for demanding illustration work.
Procreate Dreams is a separate animation and motion-graphics app. It is not a free update to Procreate and should not be used as a comparison point for the core painting app. Procreate’s official materials describe Dreams as a one-time purchase with no subscription or in-app purchases. Its official pages have shown inconsistent prices, so check the live App Store listing before publication or purchase.
Is Adobe really trying to take on Procreate?
The competitive interpretation is reasonable: Procreate is a major paid iPad art app, and making Fresco free removes one of Adobe’s biggest barriers to entry. But Adobe’s announcement did not name Procreate or say the decision was a competitive response. Adobe framed the change as expanding access to digital drawing and painting.
The practical result matters more than the unconfirmed motive. Fresco is now a stronger rival in the categories where price, Windows support, Adobe integration, and vector or Live brushes matter. Procreate remains highly competitive for artists who want a concentrated iPad painting workflow and a one-time purchase without a subscription.
Verdict: free Fresco is a serious option, not a free Procreate clone
Adobe’s 2024 price change makes Fresco one of the most compelling free drawing and painting apps for iPad and Windows. It gives beginners, students, Adobe users, and budget-conscious artists access to a much larger brush library without requiring a Fresco subscription.
Choose Fresco if you want free entry, Windows support, Adobe integration, or a mix of pixel, vector, and Live brushes. Choose Procreate if you want a focused iPad-first painting experience and prefer paying once for a standalone app. Many artists can reasonably use both: Fresco for cross-platform, vector, or Adobe-oriented work, and Procreate for its dedicated iPad painting workflow.
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