When it comes to the best iPad for Procreate you don't really need to spend a lot of money, because this fantastic digital art app has been designed to run on all iPads, new and old-ish, large and small (click the FAQ quick link for a full list). The real question is, do you need a large display, access to newer tech like the Apple Pencil Pro or want to also use new 2D animation app Procreate Dreams, which does only run on iPad Pro.
There are several iPad options to consider based on your specific needs and budget. And the naming system isn't particularly clear to anyone who's not an Apple obsessive, so I'm not surprised if you're a little confused about which model to buy (see our iPad generations guide to help with this).
To make it easy for you, I've brought together the best iPads for Procreate in one place, drawing on our expertise on which are the best iPads for drawing. On site, we've tested every iPad on my list below, and have included links to full reviews elsewhere on Creative Bloq, so you know I've selected these from experience. In fact, I use an iPad Pro 11-inch (M2) with Procreate, the larger model is No.1 on my list.
The Apple iPad Air (M2, 2024) comes with the M2 chip, so it'll run Procreate quickly and efficiently. And because it's cheaper than the iPad Pro, that makes it our pick as the best iPad for Procreate overall. Read more below
One of the most affordable iPads you can buy today is the iPad (2022), and it's a good choice for Procreate if you're on a budget. You get a nice, bright 10.9-inch screen, as well as a USB-C port and excellent battery life. Read more below
The new 2024 iPad Pro 13 is incredibly thin and fast and has the largest, best quality display on any iPad. We love the feel of drawing on an iPad Pro, and it's just got better with the new Apple Pencil Pro. Read more below
Although it's been around a couple of years now, the 5th generation iPad Air is still very capable indeed. Apple gave this model a big specs bump from its predecessor, including the powerful M1 processor. Read more below
Unlike other iPad models, the iPad mini hasn't had an update recently, so the 2021 model is still the most recent one you can get. The good news is that it remains a brilliant tablet, and Procreate runs well on it, and it's nice and affordable. Read more below
While it doesn't boast the improved internals or newer look of more recent iPads, this older iPad is still good enough for Procreate, and the lower price makes it a great choice if you want to save some money. Read more below
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Stylus support: Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil USB-C
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Reasons to buy
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Affordable price
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Large, beautiful display
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Supports Apple Pencil Pro
Reasons to avoid
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Not the most portable
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Overkill for some
The Apple iPad Air (M2, 2024) isn't as powerful as the latest iPad Pro (third on our list). But given that it comes with the M2 chip, it'll run Procreate just as quickly and efficiently. So that combined with the lower price, and the fact this is such a beautiful iPad, make it our pick as the best iPad for Procreate overall.
Design-wise, at 6.1mm thick, it's slightly thicker than the Pro model but still very slim. It features a high-quality 2732x2048 pixel resolution screen with anti-glare coating, though not as advanced as the Pro's Ultra Retina XDR display.
In terms of creative capabilities, the device handles 2D drawing and painting apps well, with only minor limitations in layer count for very large canvases. It can also manage 3D sculpting with millions of polygons, though it may struggle with heavy GPU tasks compared to the Pro model. Notably, it supports the new Apple Pencil Pro and its features like haptics, hover, and barrel roll.
Overall, this is excellent choice for non-artists and many creatives, offering a good balance between cost and functionality. It's seen as capable enough for most tasks, including digital sculpting, though it may not suit those needing the absolute highest performance for heavy rendering or GPU-intensive work. To discover more, read our Apple iPad Air (M2, 2024) review.
Want something a bit cheaper than the first iPad on our list? The iPad (2022) is nicely affordable, and it will work well for creating art in Procreate too.
This iPad features enough power to run Procreate, and comes with features found in more expensive modern iPads – but without the high price point. You get a nice large 10.9-inch screen, which is nice and bright, as well as a USB-C port and excellent battery life. The camera is also good for video calls, which is handy if you want to chat with customers (or friends and family) remotely.
There are some compromises, however. It uses the A14 chip, rather than the more powerful M-chips now found in higher-end iPads, so while Procreate runs fine, you don't get quite as slick an experience. It's also only compatible with the first Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil 3, but not the Apple Pencil 2 (see our piece on how to connect stylus to iPad if you're unsure).
Those niggles aside, though, the latest iPad is the best value Procreate tablet you can buy right now. Read more in our iPad 2022 review.
If you want the absolute most powerful iPad available today, you want the Apple iPad Pro (M4, 2024). Released in May 2024, this 13-inch tablet features the new M4 chip and an Ultra Retina XDR display with tandem OLED technology. It's also the thinnest iPad yet at 5.1mm. The device offers 8-16GB RAM with storage options up to 2TB and is compatible with the new Apple Pencil Pro.
The design features an improved glare-free screen with a nano-texture glass option, excellent speakers, and a camera system. The new "hover" feature works with the Apple Pencil Pro, and the device manages heat well despite its thin design.
Performance-wise, the iPad Pro (M4, 2024) is extremely powerful, potentially overpowered for most users. That means it'll fly through Procreate smoothly and responsively, and excel in more resource-hungry tools such as high-polygon 3D work and video editing.
We'll be honest, though: if you just want to use Procreate, this may well be overkill. In terms of processing speed, you probably won't notice much difference from M1 iPads. So unless you have a specific reason to need a powerful iPad, you may well find this unnecessarily expensive. To learn more, read our Apple iPad Pro (M4, 2024) review.
If you're after the best thin and light iPad for Procreate, the latest 5th generation iPad Air will be the one for you. Apple has given this new model a big specs bump, and it now comes with the mighty M1 processor, granting it the kind of performance you used to have to pay a lot more for with the iPad Pro.
Our reviewer called it a "pretty astounding creative computer" and decided it's more than enough for most users. The 1640 x 2360 Liquid Retina IPS LCD screen makes anything you make in Procreate look fantastic, but its real selling point is its portability. Weighing just 462g, with dimensions of 247.6x178.5x6.1mm, this is an iPad that you can take pretty much anywhere with you, allowing you to fire up Procreate no matter where you are.
The latest iPad Air also comes in five colour options, so there's more personalisation, and it works with the Apple Pencil 2 and 3. The one thing that does disappoint us, however, is that it only comes with two storage sizes: a 64GB version, which is really too small these days, and a 256GB one, which may be too big for some people. Meanwhile, for real power users, we're disappointed that there's no 512GB or even 1TB storage sizes on offer. See our complete iPad Air (5th Gen, 2022) review for more details.
Unlike most of the other iPad models, the iPad mini hasn't had an update recently, so the 2021 model is still the most recent one you can get. The good news is that it remains a brilliant tablet, and Procreate runs well on it.
Our reviewer said the only potential downfall to the mini is the 8.3-inch screen is, well, small. But that's obviously the flipside of being compact and portable, which you may feel is a compromise worth making. Because while you may not want to work on huge and complex projects in Procreate on this iPad, but it's ideal for sketching ideas and quick doodles when out and about.
That's not to say that the screen is bad, as its Liquid Retina display with 2266x1488 resolution at 326 pixels per inch is still impressively crisp and vibrant, despite its size.It also packs plenty of power thanks to the A15 Bionic chip, USB-C support and 5G connectivity. You can use the Apple Pencil 2 or 3 with it, too. Read more in our full iPad mini (6th gen) review.
Apple doesn't really do 'budget' devices, but if you don't mind settling for older models, you can pick up some great Apple products for a lot less than the most recent versions. Even at time of release our reviewer said it's "massively capable for its price", and this is even truer now it's even cheaper.
While it doesn't boast the improved internals or newer look of more recent iPads, it is still perfectly good enough for Procreate, and the lower price makes it a great choice if you want to save some money. The 2021 model has a 10.2in 1620 x 2160 LCD screen, which is large and comfortable enough to work on, and yet still perfectly portable.
It's worth pointing out, however, that it only supports the first generation of Apple Pencil. This is still a fine stylus for working on Procreate with, but you do miss out on some of the newer features. For more information, read our more detailed iPad 10.2 (2021) review.
We like to test Procreate on all the iPads that release. (Image credit: Ian Dean)
When testing iPads for drawing, I put each tablet through its paces with demanding brushes, layering heavy projects, and intricate line art. Each stroke is scrutinised for lag, responsiveness, and overall performance. From subtle blending to pressure sensitivity, we test how faithfully the iPad translates every nuance of the artist's hand onto the canvas.
I also look at practical considerations such as how long the battery lasts, how much storage there is for projects files, and whether the iPad offers value for money overall.
Industry-leading digital art app Procreate has transformed the iPad into an artistic powerhouse. However, it doesn't work with all iPad models, so picking the perfect one can feel a bit confusing.
The first task is to check that the model is actually compatible with Procreate. All our picks in the list above are, and we have a full list of compatible iPads in our FAQs below. Secondly, you should consider which of the three Apple Pencils you want to use, and check compatibility there too.
Thirdly, think about what screen size you prefer. A large screen means more space to draw, but also makes the iPad bigger and less portable, so there's a balance to be struck there if you plan to often be sketching on the move. Fourthly, consider whether the extra features in the latest version of Procreate are important to you: if so, you'll want one of the newest iPads, as we detail in our list above.
Procreate is a powerful and popular raster graphics editor app designed specifically for iPads and iPhones. It's typically used by artists for digital painting, illustration and sketching on the iPad. First launched in 2011, it's made by by the Tasmanian software company Savage Interactive. In 2018, Procreate became the overall best selling iPad app. Read our selection of Procreate tutorials to get started with using this app.
What's the latest version of Procreate?
The latest version of Procreate is 5.3. This includes a range of new hover features like Brush Cursor, Gallery Previews, Selections, Brush Size and Opacity Gestures. Our reviewer wrote "The fact that you can now create so many different mediums on Procreate, from animations to digital art, undeniably makes it one of the most powerful drawing apps on the market... The app keeps getting better with every update." For more details, read our Procreate 5.3 review.
Which iPads support Procreate?
To run the latest version of Procreate you need to have an iPad with iPadOS 15.4.1 or newer installed. The following iPads support Procreate:
iPad Pro (M4)
iPad Air (M2)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation)
iPad Pro 10.5-inch
iPad Pro 9.7-inch
iPad (5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th generation)
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
