Best PaintSteps Alternatives in 2026
The top PaintSteps alternatives are Clip Studio Paint, Adobe Fresco and ibisPaint: 15 drawing apps for iphone our editors would look at instead of PaintSteps, in our ranking order.
PaintSteps: A photo-based study planner for painters, with grids, color steps and mixing guidance. Where it falls short: free saves only two paintings.
Switching from PaintSteps? For most drawing apps for iphone buyers the best PaintSteps alternative is Clip Studio Paint, built for professional illustrators and comic artists. Adobe Fresco has a free plan.
Why People Look for a PaintSteps Alternative
- Free saves only two paintings
- Free tutorials are limited to four steps
- Designed for painting studies, not freeform drawing
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallClip Studio Paint9.4
Professional illustrators and comic artists
Visit Clip Studio Paint - Lowest priceClip Studio Paint9.4
Paid plans from $0.99/mo
Visit Clip Studio Paint - Best free optionAdobe Fresco9.2
Has a free plan
Visit Adobe Fresco
All 15 PaintSteps Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.
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Best forProfessional illustrators and comic artists
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 4.7
Deep illustration, comic, and animation tooling with a low-cost mobile entry point.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit site -
Best forFree drawing and painting across Apple devices
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 4.7
A capable free canvas for iPhone artists who move between raster, live, and vector work.
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Adobe Fresco -
Best forMobile artists needing advanced color and brushes
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 4.7
A feature-rich drawing app with advanced brushes, color controls, and cross-device sync.
- Pressure sensitivity
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit ibisPaint -
Best forNatural-media painting on mobile
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 4.7
A focused natural-media painting app with layers, PSD support and one-time pricing.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit ArtRage Vitae -
Best forSimple iPhone sketching and visual notes
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 4.7
A focused iPhone sketchbook with an infinite canvas, sync, and export tools.
- Pressure sensitivity
- iPhone availability
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Flow -
Best foriPhone illustrators wanting a polished toolkit
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 4.7
A polished iOS illustration app with deep painting, animation and project tools.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Procreate -
Best forFree all-purpose sketching
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 4.7
A capable free sketching app with paid controls for artists across mobile and desktop.
- Pressure sensitivity
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Sketchbook -
Best forInfinite-canvas planning and sketching
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 8.3 vs 4.7
A flexible infinite canvas with strong export, markup, and reusable drawing tools.
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Concepts -
Best forNatural-media sketches with iCloud sync
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 8.2 vs 4.7
A natural-media sketching app with layers, PSD export, stylus input, and iCloud sync.
- Pressure sensitivity
8.2/10★★★★☆Try Tayasui Sketches -
Best forComic artists needing cloud and multipage tools
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 4.7
A freemium drawing suite with strong comic, multipage, and cloud tools.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit MediBang Paint -
Best forMobile comic drawing on a budget
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 8.0 vs 4.7
A mobile comic-drawing app with deep tools, a free tier, and a $9.99 one-time upgrade.
- Pressure sensitivity
8.0/10★★★★☆Try MediBang Paletta -
Best forPixel artists and animation hobbyists
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 4.7
A focused pixel-art studio for drawing, animation, exports, and community publishing.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Pixilart -
Best forAdvanced color-managed mobile painting
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 4.7
A capable iPhone painting app for artists who need deep brush and color tools.
- Pressure sensitivity
7.8/10★★★★☆Try Infinite Painter -
Best forPower users wanting desktop-class iPad painting
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 7.7 vs 4.7
A feature-rich Apple painting app with strong layers, brushes, formats, and animation.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Artstudio Pro -
Best forPixel animation and tilemap creation
- Better than PaintSteps:
- Editor score 7.6 vs 4.7
A focused pixel-art workspace with animation, tilemaps, and game-asset exports.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Resprite
PaintSteps Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to PaintSteps?
Clip Studio Paint: #1 in our Drawing Apps for iPhone ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. Deep illustration, comic, and animation tooling with a low-cost mobile entry point.
Is there a free alternative to PaintSteps?
Yes. Adobe Fresco, ibisPaint, Sketchbook, Concepts and Tayasui Sketches have a free plan or a free tier (11 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for PaintSteps alternatives?
Free saves only two paintings; Free tutorials are limited to four steps; Designed for painting studies, not freeform drawing.
How do I switch from PaintSteps?
Export your data from PaintSteps (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel PaintSteps.
How to Switch from PaintSteps
- Export your data from PaintSteps (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel PaintSteps.
PaintSteps vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Vector drawing | Layer limit | Pressure sensitivity | Export formats | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | PaintSteps | Yes | — | — | — | — | PDF, PNG | 4.7 |
| 1 | Clip Studio Paint | No | $0.99/mo | — | — | — | — | 9.4 |
| 2 | Adobe Fresco | Yes | None | — | — | — | — | 9.2 |
| 3 | ibisPaint | Yes | $27.99/yr | — | — | Yes | — | 9.0 |
| 4 | ArtRage Vitae | No | $4.99 one-time | — | — | — | — | 8.8 |
| 5 | Flow by Moleskine | No | — | — | — | Yes | PDF, PNG, timelapse video, GIF, image sequence | 8.6 |
| 6 | Procreate | No | — | — | — | — | — | 8.5 |
| 7 | Sketchbook | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | — | 8.4 |
| 8 | Concepts | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | 8.3 |
| 9 | Tayasui Sketches | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | — | 8.2 |
| 10 | MediBang Paint | Yes | 2,480 JPY/yr | — | — | — | — | 8.1 |
| 11 | MediBang Paletta | Yes | $9.99 one-time | — | — | Yes | — | 8.0 |
| 12 | Pixilart | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | 7.9 |
| 13 | Infinite Painter | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | — | 7.8 |
| 14 | Artstudio Pro | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | 7.7 |
| 15 | Resprite | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7.6 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update