Procreate is a popular yet powerful digital art app for the iPad that’s praised for its user-friendly interface, brush selection, and affordability.

You may wonder is there a way to use procreat app or iPad tablet – in similar way as a Wacom drawing tablet to control your windows or Mac computer.

Luckily! There are a number of ways to achieve your goals. In this article, I will explain in detail to clarify your doubts.

Is Procreate only available for iPad?

Procreate is a painting app that known for its intuitive interface, extensive brush library, and powerful features like layer masks and animation tools.

Procreate was developed to run exclusively on the Apple iPad, so it will run on every generation of iPad released in the last 10 years (though the newer iPads work better these days).

If you want to buy the best iPad for Procreate, The iPad Pro may offer the most advanced features and capabilities, while the iPad Air, standard iPad, and iPad Mini provide excellent alternatives that can still run Procreate beautifully.

So if you want to use procreate app, you need to have an iPad and a stylus to draw in it. The good news is that Apple pencil`s tilt and pressure sensors make it feel natural and intuitive.

Can I use Procreate with a drawing tablet?

Since procreate is primarily designed for iPadOS devices like iPads, so it’s not natively available for other Windows, Apple Mac, Linux, Android and Chrome OS device.

Drawing tablets like Wacom, huion and XPPen are not compatible with the Procreate app on an iPad as they usually only compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, android or chrome devices and not support iPad OS devices.

Can an iPad be used as a Drawing Tablet for PC or Mac?

iPads make for great digital art devices by themselves – an iPad Pro can be the best mobile standalone drawing tablet you can buy that doesn’t require being connected to a computer to work.

However, you might want to hook it up to your Windows PC or Mac for workflow reasons, or to get a desktop art app (photoshop, illustrator, Zbrush, Blender, etc) working on your iPad.

If you really need a computer to run maybe graphic design program like Photoshop or 3D Program, Luckily, There are apps that allow you to connect your iPad to a computer and mirror the display so you can use desktop software.

How to Use iPad as Drawing Tablet for PC or Mac?

If you want to Use your iPad as drawing tablet for Mac, You can try mirroring applications like Apple Sidecar (free), Astropad Studio, Luna Display, and Duet Display.

If you want to Use your iPad as drawing tablet for Windows PC, You can try mirroring applications like Duet Display, Astropad Studio, Luna Display, and EasyCanvas.

These mirroring apps support both Wireless and wired connection. You draw on the iPad’s screen in photoshop and alike, mirroring your PC or Mac, like a Wacom Cintiq.

However, they cost something. Also, The experience of using the ipad as a second screen / drawing tablet with a pc or mac isn’t going to be great, especially if you connect via wireless, which usually comes with a milliseconds of latency.

Which is better for digital art, drawing tablet or Ipad?

There are a few things you have to consider before buying anything, including budget, needs, the applications you want to run and what platforms are you comfortable with working with.

For professional animation and 3D, a computer and a drawing tablet is best. For 2D and illustration, an Ipad and the Pencil is a professional favorite and go to.

Do you want to be able to draw easily on the go, and what else do you want to do with the product. Artists love the iPad. It’s portable, versatile, and super handy.

iPad can act as a pretty good drawing device but can also do other things, since it isn’t exclusively a drawing tablet.

If you have an ipad then you can go with procreate, If you don’t have an ipad but have a laptop, then I would advise to start out with a drawing tablet.

The classic drawing tablet, whether comes with or without a screen, is not a standalone computer, it is just a pen input device, like a mouse. you would need to hook it up to a desktop computer or laptop to use the tablet with any art app.

You can get a cheap wacom tablet, or even another brand of graphic tablet and work on your computer with any of the drawing software you have, you even can get a free but powerful painting software like krita.

As you get better, you might want a better drawing software or tools and that is fine to upgrade then.

What are the benefits of using a graphic tablet for drawing?

Using a graphics tablet is almost the same as using a pencil and is much easier to control than a mouse.

Graphic tablets are also pressure-sensitive, so this can facilitate smoother lines and more precise control compared to a mouse.

Other Benefits of using a graphic tablet for drawing include the ability to easily undo mistakes, access to a wide range of digital brushes and textures, and the convenience of working in layers.

What drawing tablet should I get as a beginner?

You need to conside your preferences with things like screen or non-screen tablets, brand, budget, etc.

1. Types of drawing tablets

Graphics Pads without screen: I would recommend a cheap < 100$ non-screen drawing tablet to start out with.

This type of graphics tablets provide a surface where you draw and the results are replicated on the monitor/screen.

Small drawing tablet + a portable laptop will be just as mobile as an iPad.

The cheap drawing tablet will allow you to get a feel for digital art and begin building up your skill before you spend too much.

Drawing Tablets with screen: Drawing monitors are tablets that you can hook on your laptop or computer (Connection via USB-C or HDMI cable).

It also must be hooked into electricity, with makes a drawing monitor almost impossible to use on the go. A screen Tablet starts at a much higher price at around $200.

The big advantage of a drawing monitor is the fact that it mirrors your computer screen. Or acts like a second computer screen. So you can see what you draw on the drawing monitor.

Finally, Pen displays present an advantage over 10-inch portable standalone tablets like the iPad due to their larger screen sizes- ranging from 10-inch to 27-inch.

Bigger drawing monitors offer more space for detailed work and can enhance your drawing experience.

2. Brands of Drawing tablets

For classic drawing tablets, you can find 3 big names: Wacom, Huion and XPPen.

Wacom is generally considered to be a high-end brand in the world of graphics tablets and they are known for their high-quality drawing experience and build quality.

In terms of price/performance ratio, Wacom tablets tend to be more expensive than other brands like Huion or XPPen. However, many professional artists and illustrators prefer Wacom tablets for their precision and accuracy.

Huion and XPPen are considered as budget-friendly alternatives, they provide similar functionality and drawing experience as Wacom but at a lower cost.

Ultimately, the best choice will depend on your needs and budget.

What is the best art app that is similar to Procreate for a drawing tablet?

Procreate is not available for Windows, or Mac platforms. However, you can explore alternative digital painting software that are compatible with Windows and Mac.

Some famous examples include Adobe Photoshop, CorelPainter, Clip Studio Paint, Sketchbook, Artrage 6, Rebelle 7 Pro, or even free options like Firealpaca, Medibang Paint and Krita, which can be used with drawing tablets on Windows and Mac systems.

Also Read: The Best iPads of 2025 for Sketching, Drawing and Digital Art