There are plenty of iPad apps to help you explore and express your creativity. While the iPad started out as a simple device that you could use to stream content or browse the Internet on the go, Apple has essentially turned its iPads into powerful machines that can be used for things like creating digital art and editing videos.
We've prepared a list of the best creative iPad apps available in the App Store.
Before we get into the list, it's worth noting that while Adobe's creative apps are often the best choice for creativity on the iPad, they won't be included in this list because they're already well-known. Instead, the list will focus on slightly lesser-known applications.
Procreate
Procreate is one of the most popular drawing apps for iPad, and for good reason. The app allows you to create digital paintings, sketches and illustrations using dozens of different types of brushes. Procreate is easy to use and has built-in gesture controls and a simple interface.
The app allows you to create high-resolution canvases up to 16K to 8K on compatible iPad Pros. It also allows you to create storyboards, GIFs, animations and simple animations. Additionally, you can import image files such as JPG, PNG and TIFF. Procreate includes several features designed to help you with your creative process on iPad, such as QuickShape, StreamLine, Drawing Assist, and ColorDrop.
Once you've finished creating your masterpiece, you can relive your creative journey with the app's “Replay” time-lapse feature and share your 30-second time-lapse video on social media.
You can access Procreate for a one-time fee of $12.99.
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LumaFusion
LumaFusion is a great video editing app if you want to complete iMovie. The app is packed with user-friendly features, making it perfect for beginner videographers or independent filmmakers on a budget.
With LumaFusion, you can create multi-layered edits using 4K ProRes and HDR media. You can add various effects, choose from dozens of transitions and record narration. The application allows you to create multi-layered titles and import fonts and graphics. Additionally, you can fine-tune your audio with graphic equalizer, parametric equalizer, voice isolation and more.
The app allows you to create designs in a variety of aspect ratios, including 16:9 landscape, 9:16 portrait, square, film, anamorphic, and more.
LumaFusion is available for a one-time fee of $29.99. You can also purchase additional features such as multi-camera editing and the ability to send your project to Final Cut Pro for Mac.
Canva
Canva offers a user-friendly platform that allows anyone to create visual content, even without graphic design experience. You can use it to create presentations, infographics, videos, websites, social media posts and more with over 250,000 templates.
Canva includes tools for editing photos, personalizing content with logos and images, adding audio, and trimming and speeding up video.
The platform also has a number of AI features that are designed to facilitate the creation process. For example, you can expand an image with “Magic Switch” or turn ideas into images with “Magic Media”.
Canva is free, but offers a monthly subscription for $12.99 if you want unlimited access to AI features, premium templates, and more.
Affinity Designer 2
Affinity Designer 2 is a graphic design application that combines vector design, pixel-based textures and retouching in one platform. It's great for professional illustrators, web designers, game developers and other creators.
The app allows you to create illustrations, branding, logos, icons, UI/UX designs, typography, posters, labels, flyers, stickers, concept art, digital graphics and more. Supports precision, pressure sensitivity and tilt function of Apple Pencil.
Affinity Designer 2 provides gesture control to speed up your workflow and lets you customize keyboard shortcuts. You can also create your own fonts and enlarge them to over 1,000,000% for absolute precision.
You can access the app with a one-time payment of $18.49.
Concepts
Concepts is a great app for exploring ideas and experimenting with designs. With the app you can sketch plans, take notes and mind maps, and draw storyboards and designs.
The app includes Nudge, Slice, and Selection tools that let you easily change any element of your sketch without having to redraw it. The app includes realistic pens, pencils and brushes that move with pressure and tilt.
Concepts gives you access to scaling and measurement tools that calculate real-world dimensions, and also includes a wheel or toolbar that you can personalize to your liking.
The basic functions of the application are free. Concepts offers a monthly subscription for $4.99 if you want access to additional features, such as the ability to create your own brushes and premium editing tools.
Tayasui's sketches
Tayasui's sketches is a good user-friendly sketching and drawing app. It has several different features such as a realistic watercolor brush, digital acrylic brushes, the ability to mix two colors to get the perfect shade, gradient and depth tools, and much more.
The app allows you to multitask by opening another app and dragging lawyers and documents between them. There's also a “Zen mode” that lets you create without distraction.
You can also upload your images to incorporate them into your creations. Tayasui Sketches allows you to store your creations in personalized folders.
The basic features of Tayasui Sketches are free. The app offers a $2.99 monthly subscription that unlocks unlimited layers, new brushes and markers, an expanded brush editor, the ability to backup your drawings, and much more.
Dudel Draw
Dudel Draw is a bit different from the other apps on this list: it's designed to unleash your creativity by giving you a new shape every day that serves as a starting point for sketching.
These everyday shapes vary from basic geometric forms to more complex and abstract designs. Plus, you can expand your creativity even further by choosing to view the shape from any angle using the “flip” and “rotate” features in the app.
You can also engage your friends in creativity by organizing a fun competition, comparing your different creations every day. Dudel Draw is a great way to improve your artistic skills, challenge yourself to create something new every day and simply express yourself.
Dudel Draw is available for free.
This story was originally published in December 2024 and is updated regularly with new information.
