Sketchbook

Sketchbook is a cross-platform app for drawing, from quick studies to finished illustrations. It is best suited to artists who want customizable brushes, layers, and stylus-aware strokes on mobile and desktop. Its broad toolkit makes it a flexible choice, though PSD exports can change elements that matter in a layered handoff.

Overview

Sketchbook brings brushes, drawing aids, layers, and color tools into one workspace. That breadth supports both freehand sketching and more controlled artwork; artists who need to preserve every layer effect or text element across a PSD exchange should account for its export changes.

PSD import and export work across Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows, preserving layers, groups, names, and most blend modes. The caveats are consequential: text layers are rasterized, Sketchbook-specific Glow and Alpha Mask modes become Normal, and the background layer may change to white. It is useful for moving layered work between platforms, but not a guarantee of an identical editable document.

Key features

Brushes and drawing control

Customizable pencils, markers, airbrushes, paint, smear brushes, and other brush types cover varied mark-making needs. Rulers and French curves help with controlled lines, while vertical, horizontal, and radial symmetry tools speed up balanced designs. Predictive Stroke and stylus pressure and tilt add control to drawn strokes, making the app a stronger fit for stylus-led work than a basic sketch pad.

Layers and color

Layers, blend modes, color fill, and linear and radial gradients support more structured compositions without requiring a separate tool for basic color work. The mobile Premium Bundle adds advanced brush creation, color management, layer management, and export options; artists who need those advanced controls on mobile should weigh that bundle against the free app.

Moving files between apps

Alongside PSD exchange, Sketchbook can export sketches to other apps or to device and cloud locations configured in the Files app. That offers practical flexibility for continuing work elsewhere, while PSD-specific changes mean a final export should be checked when text or specialized blend effects must remain intact.

Pricing

Sketchbook uses a freemium model. The Free plan costs nothing and is a free mobile application with brushes, layers, guides, rulers, and stroke tools. It is a sensible starting point for sketching and core drawing work, but advanced brush creation, color management, layer grouping and masking, and additional export options are reserved for the Premium Bundle.

The Premium Bundle has custom pricing and unlocks those advanced mobile tools. It fits mobile artists who need deeper control of brushes, color, layers, or exports; the Free plan is the better fit for readers whose needs stop at its core tools.

Sketchbook Pro for Mac has custom pricing and includes a desktop drawing, painting, and sketching application with customizable brushes and layer and blend-mode support. The direct license costs $24.99 a year, billed per seat, with an annual subscription only and a 10-seat minimum for enterprise purchase. It covers Windows or macOS, not mobile licensing, and is therefore aimed at enterprise buyers with multiple desktop seats rather than individuals seeking a single cross-platform license.

Platforms

Sketchbook supports Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Desktop requirements are Windows 10 or 11 and macOS 12 or later; Android requires Android 9 or later. Downloads are offered through the Microsoft Store, Mac App Store, Apple App Store, and Google Play. Direct enterprise licenses work across Windows and macOS, are tied to one device at a time, and can be deactivated and reactivated on another device.

Who it's for

Sketchbook suits artists who value a broad brush set, stylus input, drawing aids, and layered work across mobile and desktop. It is especially compelling when moving PSDs among supported platforms is useful. It is less suitable when a handoff depends on preserving text layers or Sketchbook-specific blend modes exactly, or when an enterprise buyer needs mobile seats included in a direct license.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Customizable brushes, symmetry tools, rulers, and French curves cover both exploratory and controlled drawing.
• Pros: Stylus pressure and tilt, plus stroke stabilization, support a more deliberate drawing workflow.
• Pros: PSD exchange across four major platform families preserves layers, groups, names, and most blend modes.
• Cons: PSD export rasterizes text and alters Glow, Alpha Mask, and potentially the background layer, limiting exact document fidelity.
• Cons: The Premium Bundle's advanced mobile brush, color, layer, and export tools are not part of the Free plan.
• Cons: The direct enterprise license is annual, requires at least 10 seats, and excludes mobile licensing.

Alternatives

For a different fit, consider Drawpile, which is free and open source under GPLv3, with free official community servers. ibisPaint is another freemium option; its free version includes unlimited usage time, 64MB of cloud storage, and advertisements. Choose Krita if you want a free, open-source option with no subscriptions or trials. Light Brush is a free alternative. Tux Paint is free and open source under GPL v2, with installation allowed on as many machines as you wish. FireAlpaca is free and includes customizable brushes, layered artwork, animation tools, and CMYK display. InkForge is a free option under the MIT license. Limner has a free tier for Windows and macOS; vector, animation, and book projects are Limner Plus features on desktop.

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

Verdict

Choose Sketchbook if you want an adaptable brush-and-layer drawing app across mobile and desktop, particularly when stylus support and cross-platform PSD work matter. Its strongest reason to choose it is the combination of drawing controls and broad platform coverage. Look elsewhere if PSD fidelity must be exact or if an enterprise license needs to cover mobile devices.