Design software: Blender 4.0 vs. Procreate 6

Quick Verdict

Blender 4.0 is the superior choice for comprehensive 3D creation and animation due to its advanced features and rendering options, while Procreate 6 is better suited for digital painting and simpler 2D animation tasks on iPad, thanks to its intuitive interface and robust brush engine.

Blender 4.0 is a comprehensive 3D creation suite with advanced modeling, sculpting, animation, and rendering capabilities, suitable for complex projects.
Procreate 6 excels in digital painting with an intuitive interface and robust brush engine, optimized for iPad and Apple Pencil, but lacks 3D modeling capabilities.
Blender offers a steeper learning curve but provides a wider range of tools for 3D creation, while Procreate is more accessible for beginners focusing on digital painting and 2D animation.
Blender supports a broader range of file formats and rendering options, including Cycles, Eevee, and Hydra Storm, catering to diverse project requirements.
Procreate's Animation Assist feature simplifies frame-by-frame animation, making it a user-friendly choice for animators on iPad.

Key features – Side-by-Side

Attribute	Blender 4.0	Procreate 6
3D Modeling Capabilities	Enhanced tools, new sculpting brushes, non-destructive editing with advanced modifiers, mesh editing and topology improvements, overhauled snapping system.	Allows painting on imported 3D models, supports USDZ and OBJ file formats, but cannot create or modify 3D models.
Texture Painting Tools	Upgraded workflows, intuitive interface, new tools for intricate textures, PBR texture support.	Brush engine can create textures on 3D models, handcraft texture maps, and paint with color, metallics, and roughness.
Animation Features	New rigging tools, advanced bone constraints, deformation systems, inverse kinematics improvements, advanced animation layers, non-linear animation, Bone Collections, Graph Editor enhancements.	Includes Animation Assist with onion skinning and a timeline, supports frame-by-frame animations, and exports in formats like animated GIFs, PNGs, and MP4s.
Rendering Engine Options	Cycles (light/shadow linking, path guiding), Eevee (enhanced lighting/shadows), Hydra Storm (USD pipeline).	Powered by the Valkyrie graphics engine, allows control over brush stroke rendering and interaction with the canvas, and uses lighting environments to enhance 3D models.
Sculpting Tools	New brushes for finer detail and organic shapes.	Does not have sculpting tools.
Digital Painting Tools	Vertex painting, texture painting (UV unwrapping).	Known for its digital painting tools, offering a range of brushes and options.
Brush Customization	Adjustable brush settings for sculpting/painting (opacity, flow).	Offers extensive brush customization, adjustable brush shape, dynamics, jitter, and pressure sensitivity, and allows creating custom brushes using the Brush Studio.
Layering System	Node-based system for materials/compositing, Bone Collections for armatures.	Allows stacking elements, moving, editing, and blending them independently, creating layer masks and clipping masks for non-destructive editing, and organizing layers into groups.
User Interface and Workflow	Revamped UI, new font (Inter), larger color picker, enhanced hierarchy lines, improved search.	Streamlined, intuitive interface designed for iPad and Apple Pencil, uses touch gestures to minimize the interface and maximize creative workflow, and has customizable floating panels and docks.
Hardware Compatibility	Pen tablets/displays supported, developed for iPad Pro with Apple Pencil support.	Designed for iPad and Apple Pencil, compatible with various iPad models and Apple Pencil versions, as well as styluses with Apple Pencil technology.
File Format Support	OBJ, FBX, 3DS, PLY, STL, USD, Collada (native OBJ import/export).	.procreate, PSD, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, PDF, MP4, HEVC, OBJ, and USDZ.
Community Resources	Large, active community with code, plugins, tutorials.	Has video resources on YouTube and a handbook.
Price	Not available	Not available
Ratings	Overall: Not available, Performance: Not available	Not available

Overall Comparison

Blender 4.0: Comprehensive 3D suite; Procreate 6: Intuitive digital painting on iPad.

Pros and Cons

Blender 4.0

Pros:

Comprehensive 3D modeling, sculpting, and animation toolset.
Advanced rendering options with Cycles, Eevee, and Hydra Storm.
Extensive file format support.
Large and active community with abundant resources.

Cons:

Complex interface with a steep learning curve, especially for new users.
Brush engine geared towards 3D sculpting and texture painting may not be as intuitive for raster-based digital painting.

Procreate 6

Pros:

Intuitive and easy-to-use interface, especially for beginners.
Robust brush engine with many customizable settings.
Good integration with drawing tablets and styluses like Apple Pencil.
Animation Assist with features like onion skinning and a timeline.

Cons:

Cannot create or modify 3D models within the app.
Performance can be affected by large, layered canvases.

User Experiences and Feedback

Blender 4.0

What Users Love

Improved UI in version 4.0.
Powerful tools for handling complex 3D scenes.

Common Complaints

Interface can be complex for new users.
Steeper learning curve compared to digital painting software.

Value Perception

Comprehensive environment for creating and animating 2D elements within a 3D space using Grease Pencil tools.
Offers a range of rendering options with Cycles (photorealistic), Eevee (real-time), and Hydra Storm (USD pipeline).

User Recommendations

Blender's interface can be complex for new users, especially compared to Procreate's more streamlined approach.
Blender's sculpting tools have a learning curve related to understanding mesh topology, dynamic topology, and various brush behaviors.

Procreate 6

What Users Love

Intuitive interface tailored for touch and Apple Pencil provides a natural drawing experience.

Common Complaints

3D texturing limitations as it only allows painting on 3D models but does not allow for 3D modeling.

Value Perception

No value feedback reported.