Drawing Pad procreate Sketch is a digital whiteboard app for casual users and children, available on iOS.
Product velocity
Dormant
Daily rank 🇺🇸
—
Productivity
Sentiment
4.1
67k reviews
Nemesis
Fragmented field
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
The app removes the cognitive friction of physical art supplies for users seeking a quick, accessible creative outlet.
For Casual users and children seeking an accessible digital whiteboard for creative play or simple work tasks.
What does it look like?
Key features
Digital canvas with adjustable brush sizes, opacity controls, and color picker
Access to additional brushes, doodles, and stickers
Access to thousands of stock images for composition
How much does it cost?
Freemium model anchored by a weekly subscription that gates the full asset library.
Velocity
Dormant developmentnew contentperformanceShow more...
Drawing Pad procreate Sketch has been inactive for 822 days, indicating a complete cessation of development. The latest release, which introduced brush and sticker content alongside performance fixes, remains the only version in the analyzed window. Given the lack of updates for over two years, the app is classified as a zombie project.
Who built it?
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads mixed. Users appreciate creative drawing tools and diverse brush options provide a satisfying experience for digital art enthusiasts and relaxing and accessible interface allows users to express themselves through art during stressful moments.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
Weekly average review rating
What users say, by theme
- Creative drawing tools and diverse brush options provide a satisfying experience for digital art enthusiasts
- Relaxing and accessible interface allows users to express themselves through art during stressful moments
- Aggressive feedback prompts appearing after every single line drawn disrupt the creative flow for users
49 of 49 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Mixed overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Drawing Pad procreate Sketch
How's the Productivity market?
The app occupies a niche space for casual digital sketching on iOS, maintaining a 4.13 rating across its user base. The high weekly subscription price relative to the lack of recent feature updates signals a monetization strategy that prioritizes short-term revenue over long-term retention.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
Unlock the deeper market read.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Drawing Pad procreate Sketch
Where is it heading?
The casual creative market is shifting toward apps with frequent live-ops and community-sharing features, leaving Drawing Pad procreate Sketch increasingly isolated. Without a return to active development, the app will continue to lose ground to competitors that offer both stability and consistent content updates, ultimately compressing its subscriber base.
- The 27-month gap in feature updates indicates a maintenance-only posture, which leaves the app unable to compete with more active creative tools.
- Persistent reports of save-data loss create a high churn risk, as users lose their creative work and subsequently abandon the platform.
The SWOT
- Stock image integration provides a composition shortcut for non-artists
- One-time purchase option would capture casual users
Next best moves
Audit save-data logic because reports of permanent artwork loss are the #1 churn driver → stabilize retention
+ 2 more prioritized movesThe counter-intuitive read
The app's lack of updates is not just…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The analysis has shifted from identifying technical instability as the sole primary concern to highlighting the $2.99/week subscription as a significant barrier to entry for casual users. This has resulted in a new strategic recommendation to implement a one-time purchase tier.
Bottom line
Stabilizing the save-data infrastructure is the prerequisite for any growth, as the current technical instability directly undermines the value of the premium subscription. Addressing this will unlock the retention necessary to justify the current pricing model.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 1 market threat, 2 more prioritized moves and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Drawing Pad procreate Sketch good for beginners?
Does the app have intrusive ads or paywalls?
What is a free alternative to this app?
Sources
- [1] App Store, source
Report last updated