Sketchbook

Sketchbook is a drawing app for taking artwork from quick sketches to finished pieces. It is best suited to artists who want a versatile brush-and-layer workflow on mobile and desktop. Its broad toolset and cross-platform PSD support are useful strengths, though some PSD elements change on export.

Overview

Sketchbook brings customizable brushes, drawing guides, symmetry tools, layers, and color controls into one drawing app. Stylus pressure and tilt affect strokes, while stroke stabilization and Predictive Stroke help keep lines controlled. That combination makes it suitable for both exploratory sketching and more deliberate illustration.

PSD import and export across Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows can help artists continue layered work across devices or hand it off to another application. The exchange has limits: export rasterizes text layers, changes Sketchbook-specific Glow and Alpha Mask blend modes to Normal, and may turn the background layer white. If preserving those details matters, Sketchbook is a less dependable choice for an unaltered PSD handoff.

Key features

Brushes and drawing aids

Pencils, markers, airbrushes, paint, smear brushes, and other brush types cover varied drawing approaches, and customization lets artists adapt brushes to their work. Rulers and French curves aid controlled line work; vertical, horizontal, and radial symmetry tools speed up balanced designs. These tools make the app more capable than a simple freehand sketch pad, particularly for stylus users.

Layers, color, and files

Layers, blend modes, color fill, and linear and radial gradients support building and coloring more structured artwork. PSD compatibility carries much of that structure between supported platforms, including layers, groups, names, and most blend modes. The exceptions to that fidelity—especially rasterized text and altered blend modes—are important for anyone who expects every element to remain editable.

The mobile Premium Bundle adds advanced brush creation, color management, layer management, and export options. Sketchbook also supports exporting sketches to other apps or to device and cloud locations configured in the Files app. That gives mobile users ways to move work beyond the app, though the bundle’s price is custom pricing.

Pricing

Sketchbook uses a freemium model, with a free mobile application and paid options for added capabilities or desktop use.

• Free — free: The free mobile application includes brushes, layers, guides, rulers, and stroke tools. It suits artists who want core drawing tools without a subscription; it does not include the Premium Bundle’s advanced brush creation, color management, layer management, and additional export options.
• Premium Bundle — custom pricing: This mobile upgrade adds advanced brush creation, advanced color management, layer grouping and masking, and additional export options. It is the better fit for mobile artists who need those expanded controls.
• Sketchbook Pro for Mac — custom pricing: The desktop drawing, painting, and sketching app includes customizable brushes and layer and blend-mode support. It is aimed at Mac users who want a desktop workflow; the price is custom pricing.
• Sketchbook Pro direct license — $24.99 a year: This annual subscription is billed per seat, requires a minimum 10-seat enterprise purchase, and covers Windows or macOS. Mobile licensing is not included, so it is for organizations licensing desktop devices rather than individual mobile users.

Platforms

Sketchbook is available for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Desktop requirements include Windows 10 or 11 and macOS 12 or later; Android requires Android 9 or later. Download sources include the Microsoft Store, Mac App Store, Apple App Store, and Google Play.

Who it's for

Sketchbook suits artists who want one drawing toolkit across mobile and desktop, especially those who use a stylus, layers, and varied brush types. It is also a sensible option for artists who exchange PSD files across supported platforms, provided they can accommodate the export changes. Look elsewhere if exact preservation of text layers, Sketchbook-specific blend modes, or background color is essential to your handoff.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Customizable brushes, rulers, French curves, symmetry tools, and stroke control support both freehand and more structured drawing.
• Pros: PSD import and export across four platforms preserves layers, groups, names, and most blend modes.
• Pros: Stylus pressure and tilt affect strokes, which is useful for pressure-sensitive drawing.
• Cons: PSD export rasterizes text and changes Glow and Alpha Mask blend modes to Normal; backgrounds may also turn white.
• Cons: The direct desktop license is an annual, per-seat purchase with a 10-seat minimum and no mobile licensing.

Alternatives

For a different fit, consider these options:

• Drawpile is free and open source under GPLv3, with free official community servers; choose it if those terms and server access better suit your needs.
• ibisPaint offers a free version with unlimited usage time, 64MB of cloud storage, and advertisements; consider it if those free-plan terms fit your workflow.
• Krita is free and open source with no subscriptions or trials; choose it if avoiding subscription-based software is the priority.
• Light Brush is a free option for Android, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows.
• FireAlpaca is free and offers customizable brushes, layered artwork, animation tools, and CMYK display; consider it if those capabilities are a better match.
• Limner has a free tier for Windows and macOS without an account or key; vector, animation, and book projects are desktop Limner Plus features.
• Tux Paint is free and open source under GPL v2, and can be installed on as many machines as you wish.
• InkForge is a free option for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Browse Digital Painting Software or Graphic Design Software for more choices.

Verdict

Sketchbook is a strong choice for artists who want adaptable brushes, drawing aids, layers, and stylus input across mobile and desktop. Its main advantage is a coherent toolset with PSD exchange across four platforms; its main drawback is that PSD export can change important editable details. Choose it if that trade-off works for your workflow, and look elsewhere when exact PSD fidelity or a small-seat desktop license is essential.