Best Drawing Apps for Android in 2026: 9 Apps Ranked for Stylus and Tablet

Last verified 4 October 2026. The best drawing app for Android is Clip Studio Paint if you own a stylus tablet and are willing to pay for a plan: it has the deepest brush, layer and export tools here, and its plans also work on Clip Studio's iPad, Windows and Mac versions. The best free drawing app is ibis Paint X, which gives you a full painting and animation app at no cost in return for ads. Below are 9 apps we checked against each vendor's own site and Google Play listing this week, ranked for stylus drawing: what is free, which pens and devices each vendor lists, and what each one exports.

Toolradar data: of the 158 image editing tools in our catalog, 30 are completely free and another 75 are freemium, but that category also holds screenshot tools, image optimizers and AI generators, so far fewer of them are drawing apps.

Quick Comparison

Our picks: the best drawing apps for Android, ranked

1. Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint is the only app here that is also a full desktop illustration program. Celsys sells it as a subscription on Android: the PRO single-device plan is US$4.49 a month or US$26.99 a year, the EX plan is US$8.99 a month or US$76.99 a year, and a smartphone-only plan starts at US$0.99 a month for PRO. Clip Studio's plan page says plans are not tied to a platform: the single-device plan covers one device, and the dual-device PRO plan (US$7.49 a month) covers two. A first plan gets up to 3 months free, except the smartphone plan. Google Play adds that a phone gets 30 free hours a month, while a tablet needs a plan to save or export.

The tools are what you pay for. The Play listing describes vector layers, up to 10,000 layers, posable 3D models, perspective rulers, line stabilization and an Assets store of 70,000+ brushes, with a Simple mode for beginners. Export covers PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PSD, SVG and WebP, plus animated GIF and MP4. PRO animations stop at 24 frames; EX adds full-length animation, multi-page comics and PDF export.

The requirements are real: Android 13 or later and 4 GB of memory (6 GB recommended), with a 10.4-inch or larger tablet display recommended. Clip Studio lists the Samsung S Pen, Wacom Intuos and One, XPPen and Huion as tested pens, and ships separate Galaxy and Chromebook builds.

Pick it if you have a stylus tablet, draw comics or character art, and may add a laptop later on a dual-device plan.

2. ibis Paint X

ibis Paint X is the strongest free option, and it has been downloaded more than 100 million times on Google Play, where it holds 4.5 stars from over 3 million ratings. The listing counts 130,000+ brushes, 27 blend modes, vector tools, symmetry rulers, frame-by-frame animation and time-lapse recording. The app shows ads.

ibis explains how to remove them on its plan page. The Ad Removal Upgrade is a US$15.99 one-off payment, and Premium Membership costs US$4.49 a month or US$27.99 a year, with a free trial first. Premium also adds 20 GB of cloud storage, unlimited vector use, extra filters, animation at any canvas size and CMYK export.

For pens, ibis lists the S Pen with pressure and palm rejection, plus Wacom, XPPen and Huion pen tablets over USB OTG or Bluetooth on Android 6.0 or later.

Pick it if you want the most capable free app on a phone or a mid-range tablet and can live with ads.

3. Infinite Painter

Infinite Painter is the best pick if you want to pay once. Infinite Studio gives you a 7-day trial of everything, then locks certain features behind a one-time purchase instead of a subscription. The app has nearly 200 brushes, a docked brush editor and time-lapse recording, and Google Play lists it for tablets, phones and Chromebooks, with 10M+ downloads and 4.5 stars from about 246,000 ratings.

What stays free is generous: all built-in brushes and brush editing, 3 layers at the device resolution, symmetry, seamless patterns and smart shape detection. Pro adds HD canvas sizes with many more layers, adjustment and live filter layers, layer groups and masks, and 40+ tools. Google Play lists in-app items from US$1.99 to US$9.99 each. Exports include layered PSD, PNG, JPG, WEBP and Painter project files, and the app offers CMYK color modes and print presets.

Pick it if you paint rather than ink, own a stylus tablet or Chromebook, and prefer a one-time unlock to a monthly bill.

4. Krita

Krita brings the desktop painting engine to Android for free, with a clear warning. The Krita team's September 2026 release notes say Krita on Android is still beta and for tablets only, offering 64-bit Intel, 64-bit Arm and 32-bit Arm builds, and the Play listing states the app is not yet suited to real work and has no phone version. The same release finally added video export on Android, so animations and time-lapses can now be rendered.

The reason to try it is the feature list: over 100 preloaded brushes, more than 9 brush engines, three stabilizer types, onion-skin animation, comic-panel vector tools and PSD support. Google Play shows 1M+ downloads and 3.3 stars from about 6,500 ratings, so expect rough edges.

Pick it if you already know Krita on a desktop, own a tablet or Chromebook with a stylus, and will trade polish for a free full painting engine.

5. Sketchbook

Sketchbook is the simple option. Formerly Autodesk SketchBook, it is now published by Sketchbook, Inc. It is free, needs no account (its help center says you are no longer asked to sign in), and Google Play, where it has 100M+ downloads and 4.1 stars from over 700,000 ratings, shows no ads label.

The app offers hundreds of brushes, layers with blend modes, rulers, a predictive stroke tool and symmetry. Sketchbook supports the Samsung S Pen with true pressure and an optional Pen Mode that ignores finger touches. Files save as Sketchbook TIFF (native, keeps layers), PSD, PNG or JPG, and PDF export needs the Premium Bundle. Google Play lists a single in-app purchase, US$2.99.

Pick it if you want a clean, no-account sketchpad for an S Pen tablet and do not need advanced painting tools.

6. MediBang Paint

MediBang Paint is the comics-first free app. It has 10M+ downloads on Google Play and 3.7 stars from about 303,000 ratings, and it shows ads. MediBang says you can switch them off by subscribing to Premium or by reaching Bronze creator rank through ARTstreet, its artwork community.

Premium costs 350 JPY a month on a phone (20 GB of cloud storage) or 2,480 JPY a year on MediBang's website, and one subscription covers unlimited devices across Android, iPad, iPhone and PC. It also adds paid brushes, 600+ materials and 40+ filters on mobile. Free accounts get 3 GB of cloud storage and can join up to 3 teams. MediBang's FAQ lists pen pressure and palm rejection as app settings.

Pick it if you make manga or webcomics, want cloud sync with a PC, and accept ads on the free tier.

7. Concepts

Concepts is a vector sketching app on an infinite canvas, closer to a designer's notebook than a painting studio. Free gets you five layers, unlimited drawings and basic JPG export. Pro costs US$4.99 a month or US$29.99 a year with a 7-day trial, and one-time purchases of US$1.99 to US$39.99 each include an Essentials unlock for selection tools, unlimited layers and exports to PNG, PSD, SVG and DXF on the platform you buy on. TopHatch says prices vary by region and that some features are still iOS only while Android and ChromeOS catch up.

Google Play shows 5M+ downloads and 4.4 stars from about 24,000 ratings. For vector-first work, pair it with our guide to the best free graphic design software.

Pick it if you sketch products, floor plans or storyboards on an Android tablet or Chromebook and want editable vector strokes.

8. Tayasui Sketches

Tayasui Sketches is the minimalist, paper-like option, with more than 20 realistic tools and stylus support. Tayasui says its Android app scales across phones, tablets and Chromebooks. The free version is limited: the Play listing puts layers among the Pro features, and Tayasui's Pro list adds unlimited layers, a wet watercolor brush, gradients and patterns, an extended brush editor and extra rulers.

Google Play describes weekly and yearly subscriptions and lists in-app items from US$2.99 to US$49.99. The app has 10M+ downloads and 3.7 stars from about 78,000 ratings.

Pick it if you want a quiet, paper-feel sketchbook on a phone or small tablet and are happy to subscribe for layers.

9. PENUP

PENUP is Samsung's drawing and sharing community, preinstalled on Galaxy phones according to Samsung's support site. It is free, with 100M+ downloads and 4.5 stars from about 223,000 ratings, and Samsung's guide has you sign in before you use the brushes. Samsung lists watercolor, oil paint, calligraphy, airbrush and marker brushes, plus smudge, layer and transform tools. Google Play adds coloring pages, Live Drawing and Photo Drawing follow-alongs, and drawing challenges.

It is built for learning and sharing, not production art, so it ranks last.

Pick it if you own a Galaxy phone or tablet and want guided drawing, coloring and a community.

How to choose a drawing app for Android

Start with your screen and pen. Android 13 and 4 GB of memory is the floor for Clip Studio Paint, and Clip Studio recommends a 10.4-inch or larger tablet display. Krita runs only on tablets and Chromebooks. PENUP is a Galaxy app. Google's Pixel Tablet supports USI 2.0 styluses, so check that the pen you buy says USI 2.0, and Clip Studio lists Lenovo and HP USI pens for Chromebooks.

Know what "free" costs. ibis Paint X and MediBang Paint pay for themselves with ads. Infinite Painter and Concepts cap layers until you unlock them, and both offer one-time unlocks. Sketchbook and Krita ask for nothing. Clip Studio Paint has no permanent free plan.

Check the file you need. If you hand work to a desktop editor, Clip Studio Paint, Infinite Painter, Sketchbook and Krita list PSD export, and Concepts adds PSD with a one-time purchase.

Look at desktop too. If you also draw on a computer, our guide to the best free drawing software covers the free desktop apps, and the best drawing apps for iPad covers the Apple side.

FAQ

What is the best drawing app for Android?

Clip Studio Paint is the best drawing app for Android if you have a stylus tablet: it has vector layers, 3D models, perspective rulers and PSD export, from US$4.49 a month for one device. ibis Paint X is the best free choice, with ads, and Infinite Painter is the best one-time purchase.

What is the best free drawing app for Android?

ibis Paint X is the best free drawing app for most people, with 130,000+ brushes and animation tools in exchange for ads. Sketchbook is free with no sign-in, and Krita is free but still beta on Android.

Which Android drawing apps work with the S Pen?

Clip Studio Paint, ibis Paint X and Sketchbook all list Samsung S Pen support, and Clip Studio and ibis Paint X also list Wacom, XPPen and Huion pens. ibis Paint X reports pressure and palm rejection for the S Pen.

Is Procreate available on Android?

No. Procreate is made for iPad, with Procreate Pocket for iPhone, and is sold only through the App Store for US$12.99 with no subscription. Adobe Fresco is not on Android either: Adobe lists it for iPad, iPhone and Windows.

Can I draw on a Chromebook with these apps?

Yes. Clip Studio Paint has a Chromebook build, and Infinite Painter, Tayasui Sketches, Concepts and Krita all list Chromebooks or ChromeOS. Check that your Chromebook has a stylus-capable screen first.

Can an Android drawing app export PSD files?

Clip Studio Paint, Infinite Painter, Sketchbook and Krita list PSD export. Sketchbook also keeps layers in its own TIFF format, and Concepts includes PSD in its one-time Essentials purchase.

Bottom line

Install Clip Studio Paint if you own a stylus tablet and draw seriously: it is the only app here with desktop-grade tools, and a dual-device plan covers a PC too. Pick ibis Paint X if you want the best free app and can live with ads, and Infinite Painter if you would rather pay once. For most Android artists the decision is simple: start with ibis Paint X for free, and move to Clip Studio Paint the day you need layers, comics or animation.