FORMA review
A private, account-free sketching studio with capable brushes, layers and exports.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
FORMA is a drawing and illustration studio for iPhone, iPad and Mac, with Android also listed as a supported platform. It suits solo artists and small teams that want an account-free workspace for sketching, illustration and raster editing. The Metal GPU-accelerated canvas supports pressure-sensitive brushes, layers, blend modes, selections, transformations, symmetry, perspective guides, color tools, text and photo import. Artwork stays stored locally, with no account requirement, ads or tracking.
The free plan provides the core canvas and starter brush set. The Yearly plan costs $29.99 per year and adds the full brush library, Pro tools and a 7-day free trial. Monthly costs $4.99 per month and includes the full brush library and Pro tools. A Lifetime plan provides premium access without subscription expiration. This structure lets occasional sketchers start free while regular users can choose recurring access or a one-time option. The published plans do not spell out a separate feature difference between the paid subscription tiers beyond billing period and the yearly trial.
FORMA’s strongest fit is private, self-contained creation: layers include opacity, alpha lock, clipping masks and blend modes; adjustments cover hue, saturation, brightness, contrast and invert; and exports include PNG, JPEG, PDF, TIFF and per-layer PNG, with MP4 timelapse recording and sharing. Local-only storage also means the workflow does not depend on cloud accounts or cross-device synchronization. Buyers needing PSD or SVG export, AI tools, broad integrations or centralized collaboration should choose another drawing app. Support is limited to email and documentation, so the product is better suited to independent creators who value privacy over ecosystem connectivity.
FORMA pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Local-only storage with no account, ads or tracking
- 40+ natural brushes, custom Brush Studio and pressure sensitivity
- Layers, guides, adjustments, timelapse and multiple export formats
- Where it doesn't
- No PSD or SVG export, and AI tools are not included
- Limited integrations beyond its drawing and export workflow
- Support is provided through email and documentation
FORMA fact sheet, pricing and score →
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