- 🥇 Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inches – Best Overall
- 🥈 Apple iPad Air 5 – Best For Hobbyists
- 🥉 Apple iPad 10 – Best Budget Pick
Procreate is one of the most popular apps for digital artists and illustrators. It’s exclusively available for iPads only.
On Procreate, you can create digital illustrations and paintings, customize your brushes, work with layers, record your entire creative process with time-lapse recording, produce animations, and export your artwork in various file formats.
The current Procreate version requires iPadOS 15.4.1 or newer to be installed. All the iPads on this list will work with Procreate’s latest version.
iPad Pro 12.9”
- OS: iPad OS
- Released: 2022, October
- Display: Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED LCD, 12.9-inch, 2048 x 2732 (~265 ppi density), 1600nits
- Refresh Rate: 120hz
- Chipset: M2
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- RAM: 8GB, 16GB
- Battery: Up to ~10 hours
- Apple Pencil Support: Apple Pencil Gen 2 & Apple Pencil USB-C
The iPad Pro with 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is the best iPad for Procreate. It has the biggest screen from iPads, it has the best color colors and screen quality. It’s also very bright with a maximum of 1600nits. It has the fastest processor. Powered by the M2 chip and up to 16GB of RAM.
It’s the most powerful iPad there is, and for digital artists who like to have space to draw on, it’s the best option. With the extra size comes a little extra weight, but even with all that, it’s still very portable. It can easily be packed in a backpack. The large display provides the artists with a generous canvas where they can show their creativity.
It’s also the most expensive iPad. It starts at $1099 and can go up to $2399 without accessories. So, if you don’t require much processing power, this iPad Pro might be an overkill for you. There are cheaper iPads you can pick that can also run Procreate just fine,
- Large Screen
- 120 Refresh Rate
- Liquid XDR Display
- Great Performance
- Wide Color Display P3
- Expensive
iPad Pro 11”
- OS: iPad OS
- Released: 2022, October
- Display: Liquid Retina LCD, 11-inch, 1668×2388 (~265 ppi density), 600nits
- Refresh Rate: 120hz
- Chipset: M2
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- RAM: 8GB, 16GB
- Battery: Up to ~10 hours
- Apple Pencil Support: Apple Pencil Gen 2 & Apple Pencil USB-C
The iPad Pro 11-inch has a Liquid Retina LCD display, which has a bit lower resolution than the 12.9-inch model. also, the screen is a bit dimmer in comparison, but it has a 120Hz and running M2 chipset with 16GB of RAM.
It’s just as powerful as the 12.9-inch model, but the bigger models have a bit better display quality, but then again, the 11-inch model is more compact. Which might be suitable for those who want a bit smaller screen. It has the same capabilities – it has the hover, palm rejection, etc. You can create complex art and render 3D videos and much more.
It’s also cheaper than the bigger model, it starts at $799 without accessories. So, if you prefer a smaller screen to draw on but require premium processing power, the iPad Pro 11-inch M2 is the best option.
- Compact Screen
- 120 Refresh Rate
- Great Performance
- Wide Color Display P3
- Expensive
- Not As Bright As 12.9-inch
iPad Air 5
- OS: iPad OS
- Released: 2022, March
- Display: Liquid Retina LCD, 10.9-inch, 1640×2360 (~264 ppi density), 500nits
- Refresh Rate: 60hz
- Chipset: M1
- Storage: 64GB, 256GB
- RAM: 8GB
- Battery: Up to ~10 hours
- Apple Pencil Support: Apple Pencil Gen 2 & Apple Pencil USB-C
The iPad Air comes with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina LCD display that’s not as bright as the iPad Pro models and also has a 60Hz refresh rate and an older Chipset – M1, backed by 8GB of RAM.
It’s a powerful iPad, fast, capable, and smooth, but in comparison to iPad Pro models, it’s slower. It also has bigger bezels, making the screen real estate smaller, and it has limited storage. The biggest difference is in the display, you can notice that it isn’t as smooth as the 120Hz Promotion displays. Making it look slower. You can still create great artwork on iPad Air, as a matter of fact, just as good as on iPad Pro. It’s not really about the device itself but more about the artists.
The iPad Air starts at $599 without accessories, making it the best budget iPad for Procreate. If you are looking for balance between price and performance, iPad Air is the best options.
- Good Price
- Good Performance
- Wide Color Display P3
- 60 Refresh Rate
- Lower Brightness
- Limited Storage Options
iPad 10
- OS: iPad OS
- Released: 2022, October
- Display: Liquid Retina LCD, 10.9-inch, 1640×2360(~264 ppi density), 500nits
- Refresh Rate: 60hz
- Chipset: Apple A14 Bionic
- Storage: 64GB, 256GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Battery: Up to ~10 hours
- Apple Pencil Support: Apple Pencil Gen 1 & Apple Pencil USB-C
iPad Mini 6
- OS: iPad OS
- Released: 2021, September
- Display: Liquid Retina LCD, 8.3-inch, 1488×2266(~327 ppi density), 500nits
- Refresh Rate: 60hz
- Chipset: Apple A15 Bionic
- Storage: 64GB, 256GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Battery: Up to ~10 hours
- Apple Pencil Support: Apple Pencil Gen 2 & Apple Pencil USB-C
Comparison
When it comes to tablets for art, there are a few key specifications that are important: display size, display quality, colors, refresh rate, performance, storage, RAM, and stylus support. iPad Pro M2 beats every other iPad in these categories. It has the best and brightest display. It has the biggest screen and it’s also the fastest device. Making it the best iPad for Procreate.
| Tablet Name | Sceen Size | Generation | Released Date | Display | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Starting Price | SIM | Weight | Battery | Chipset | Max Storage | RAM | Front Camera | Back Camera | Port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPad Pro 12.9 | 12.9-inches | 6 | 2022, October | LCD | 2048 x 2732 | 120Hz | ~$1099 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 1.5lbs | 10758 mAh | Apple M2 | 2TB | 8GB, 16GB | 12MP | 12MP | USB-C |
| Apple iPad Pro 11 | 11-inches | 4 | 2022, October | LCD | 1668 x 2388 | 120Hz | ~$799 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 1.03lbs | 7538 mAh | Apple M2 | 2TB | 8GB, 16GB | 12MP | 12MP | USB-C |
| Apple iPad | 10.9-inches | 10 | 2022, October | LCD | 1640 x 2360 | 60Hz | ~$459 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 1.05lbs | 7606 mAh | Apple A14 Bionic | 256GB | 4GB | 12MP | 12MP | USB-C |
| Apple iPad Air | 10.9-inches | 5 | 2022, March | LCD | 1640 x 2360 | 60Hz | ~$599 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 1.02lbs | 7606 mAh | Apple M1 | 256GB | 8GB | 12MP | 12MP | USB-C |
| Apple iPad Mini | 8.3-inches | 6 | 2021, September | LCD | 1488 x 2266 | 60Hz | ~$499 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 0.65lbs | 5124 mAh | Apple A15 Bionic | 256GB | 4GB | 12MP | 12MP | USB-C |
The only other iPad that comes close to the iPad Pro M2 12.9-inch is its smallest brother, the iPad Pro M2 11-inch. It’s also less expensive.
Older Generation iPads
iPads are great tablet computers, not only for Procreate and art, but many other things. They are also very expensive, to lower the price there’s an option to buy a refurbished iPads or an older generation iPads. Here are 1 older generation iPads comparison:
| Tablet Name | Sceen Size | Generation | Released Date | Display | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Starting Price | SIM | Weight | Battery | Chipset | Max Storage | RAM | Front Camera | Back Camera | Port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPad Pro 12.9 | 12.9-inches | 5 | 2021, May | LCD | 2048 x 2732 | 120Hz | ~$1049 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 1.5lbs | 10758 mAh | Apple M1 | 2TB | 8GB, 16GB | 12MP | 12MP | USB-C |
| Apple iPad Pro 11 | 11-inches | 3 | 2021, May | LCD | 1668 x 2388 | 120Hz | ~$800 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 1.03lbs | 7538 mAh | Apple M1 | 2TB | 8GB, 16GB | 12MP | 12MP | USB-C |
| Apple iPad | 10.2-inches | 9 | 2021, September | LCD | 1620 x 2160 | 60Hz | ~$400 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 1.07lbs | 8557 mAh | Apple A13 Bionic | 256GB | 3GB | 12MP | 8MP | Lightning |
| Apple iPad Air | 10.9-inches | 4 | 2020, October | LCD | 1640 x 2360 | 60Hz | ~$549 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 1.01lbs | 7606 mAh | Apple A14 Bionic | 256GB | 4GB | 7MP | 12MP | USB-C |
| Apple iPad Mini | 7.9-inches | 5 | 2019, March | LCD | 1536 x 2048 | 60Hz | ~$450 | Nano SIM, eSIM | 0.68lbs | 5124 mAh | Apple A12 Bionic | 256GB | 3GB | 7MP | 8MP | Lightning |
Why is iPad Pro 12.9-inch Better Than the iPad Pro 11-inch?
The 11-inch iPad Pro suits most users, but professional artists may find limitations. For high-brightness HDR work, the 12.9-inch model excels, offering detailed views and a larger canvas for fine detail in Procreate. Its Liquid Retina XDR display enhances brightness, blacks, and details compared to the 11-inch version, making it ideal for HDR images. Additionally, the 12.9-inch model boasts 1600 nits brightness and better battery life compared to the 11-inch variant.
It’s also larger, giving you more space to draw and has a better battery life.
Things To Look For When Buying an iPads For Procreate
You should look for 6 details:
- Display Size
- Resolution
- Refresh Rate
- Battery Life
- Processing Power
- Apple Pencil Compatibility
There are, of course, other things to consider as: price, design, weight, ports, cameras, etc.
Why Do iPads Get Hot Using Procreate?
It’s not unusual for your iPad to get hot when you are using Procreate or any other high-demanding app that requires high CPU usage. Particularly those that relate to graphics and gaming.
In these situations I recommend removing the iPad from the case, so it’s easier for the device to cool down. You can also lower your screen brightness to cool it down. High brightness will generate more heat, so make sure to unplug your iPad from the charger.
Make sure your surroundings aren’t excessively warm, as high temperatures can hinder the iPad’s natural cooling process.
Procreate Alternatives
Other Things To Do On iPads:
iPads are not only for art and drawing. There are other things you can do with it, like:
- Take Handwritten Notes
- Watch Movies
- Make Video-Calls
- Watch Social Media
- Read e-books
- Control Smart Gadgets around the house
- Play Games with and without a controller
You can find out more about what you can do with iPads in this article.
How much does Procreate cost?
Procreate costs $9.99 as a one-time purchase. The price may vary slightly based on your region.
Do I need an iPad Pro for Procreate?
No, you need an iPad with OS 15.4.1 or newer, but iPad Pro is the best iPad for Procreate in terms of quality and performance.
On how many iPads Procreate can be used?
You can use the Procreate app on multiple iPads as long as they are all logged into the same Apple ID.
Which is the best iPad overall?
iPad Pro 12.9-inch was released in October 2022. It is the flagship of all iPads and is the best in every category. However, some people have different preferences, like a smaller screen, so what’s the best iPad for one might not be the best for another.
I'm a writer and editor in iPads & Android Tablets, Windows Tablet section. I'm passionate about technology, especially about tablets. I'm on a mission to assist people in discovering their ideal tablets. In addition, I'm dedicated to producing helpful how-to guides and sharing top-notch tips and tricks. In my early carrier I founded and became and editor at worldoftablet and have been a guest author at many other tech blogs. In wolfoftablet I'm focusing on iPads, Tablets, Apple Pencil, Apps, Reviews, Buyers Guides and Tablet Accessories. In free time I like to play games on my PS5 or iOS.