Report updated Apr 7, 2026
Paper: Sketch, Draw & Create
v5.5.10Creatives, designers, and visual thinkers who need a distraction-free, intuitive space for sketching, mood boarding, and storyboarding.
What Is Paper: Sketch, Draw & Create?
Launched Mar 29, 2012
Updated Dec 2025
What users think iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.
What does it look like?
What are the key features?
Navigation and tool usage driven by natural gestures to minimize menu distractions
Ability to add multiple photos to a single page and manipulate them without complex layers
Grouping sketches and notes into structured, visual journals
Syncing journals across devices to allow for continuous workflow
A suite of tuned tools for sketching, painting, and drawing
What do users think? iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.
“Recent user voice shows a thrilled sentiment. Users appreciate intuitive design.”
What Users Love
High overall rating of 4.57 suggests strong satisfaction with the core user experience.
High confidence · 70.9K reviews available
What are the pros and cons?
Pros
- Iconic gesture-based UI/UX that minimizes cognitive load
- Strong brand recognition with 30M+ users
- Unique 'Journal' metaphor for visual organization
Cons
- Limited feature set compared to professional illustration apps (e.g., no layers)
- Platform exclusivity to iOS/iPadOS
- Recent updates focused on maintenance rather than innovation
What is the market outlook?
Growth Opportunities
- Expansion into spatial computing (visionOS) for immersive sketching
- AI-assisted ideation and mood boarding tools
- Deeper integration with WeTransfer's professional workflow ecosystem
Market Threats
- Direct competition from Moleskine's Flow app
- Users migrating to Procreate for more advanced technical features
- Note-taking apps like GoodNotes expanding their creative toolsets
Who competes with Paper: Sketch, Draw & Create?
The Nemesis
Why it's a threat
- +
Weaker sentiment at 78/100 — but still a direct threat
- +
Live Brushes
Contenders
A major rival in the visual productivity space, combining sketching with structured note-taking.
AI-Powered Features
Procreate
Savage Interactive Pty Ltd
The dominant professional sketching app that many Paper users graduate to for more advanced features.
The dominant professional sketching app that many Paper users graduate to for more advanced features.
Peers
Advanced drawing engine for users needing more than core sketching tools.
Advanced Perspective Guides
Miro: your visual workspace
★4.7 (5K)RealtimeBoard Inc.
Broader ecosystem tool for visual collaboration and brainstorming.
Broader ecosystem tool for visual collaboration and brainstorming.
ibis Paint X
ibis inc.
Highly popular drawing app with a massive community, though more UI-heavy.
Highly popular drawing app with a massive community, though more UI-heavy.
New Kids on the Block
Muse: Reels Video Editor
Bigrowth
A 'tool for thought' that uses a spatial, visual canvas very similar to Paper's core philosophy.
A 'tool for thought' that uses a spatial, visual canvas very similar to Paper's core philosophy.
What are the key takeaways?
Paper: Sketch, Draw & Create is a thrilling productivity app that is available. With a 4.6/5 rating from 70.9K reviews, it thrills its users from users. Users particularly value intuitive design.
Best for: Creatives, designers, and visual thinkers who need a distraction-free, intuitive space for sketching, mood boarding, and storyboarding.
How much does it cost?
Model: subscription
Uses a 'freemium' model that relies on a low barrier to entry to build a user base, with a subscription upsell for power users requiring more advanced creative capabilities.