By AppHub Editorial Team · Updated August 3, 2026
Sketchbook
Overview
Art & Design
Sketchbook
Free
Oct 8, 2014
$2.99 per item
No
Dec 8, 2025
Features
From quick sketches to fully finished artwork, Sketchbook goes where your creativity takes you.
Sketchbook is an award-winning sketching, painting, and drawing app for anyone who loves to draw. Artists and illustrators love Sketchbook for its professional-grade feature set and highly customizable tools. Everyone loves Sketchbook for its elegant interface and natural drawing experience, free of distractions so you can focus on capturing and expressing your ideas.
From quick sketches to fully finished artwork, Sketchbook goes where your creativity takes you. Sketchbook is an award-winning sketching, painting, and drawing app for anyone who loves to draw. Artists and illustrators love Sketchbook for its professional-grade feature set and highly customizable tools. Everyone loves Sketchbook for its elegant interface and natural drawing experience, free of distractions so you can focus on capturing and expressing your ideas.
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Ratings breakdown
701,000 reviewsDeveloper contact
Name
Sketchbook, Inc.
Address
835 5TH Ave Ste M San Rafael, CA 94901-3204 United States
Website
https://www.sketchbook.comPhone
+1 415-851-0743
Support
support@sketchbook.com
Privacy
View policyFrequently Asked Questions
Is Sketchbook free? high
Yes, Sketchbook is free to download and use. It includes in-app purchases starting at $2.99 per item for additional features or content.
Source: app_metadata
Is Sketchbook good for professional artists? high
Yes. The app description emphasizes professional-grade features and customizable tools. User reviews highlight its extensive brush types, layers with blend modes, and ability to create detailed art, with one reviewer noting it can do 'just about anything you could in high costly apps.'
Source: app_metadata, user_reviews
Does Sketchbook have ads? high
No, Sketchbook does not contain ads, according to its Google Play listing metadata.
Source: app_metadata
Does Sketchbook crash or freeze often? low
One recent reviewer (February 2026) reported that the app can be buggy, with crashes and freezes when clicking on layers, and some brushes being laggy. However, this is a single report and may not be a common issue. The overall app rating of 4.0 out of 5 from 701,000 reviews suggests it is generally stable.
Source: user_reviews, ratings_data
What is the age rating for Sketchbook? high
The app has a content rating of 'Everyone' on Google Play, making it suitable for all ages.
Source: app_metadata
How to Use
Sketchbook is a free, professional-grade drawing and painting app that provides a range of tools for sketching, inking, and coloring on mobile devices. (app_description)
Getting Started
Source: app_description_and_user_feedback_noted
- Download and install Sketchbook from Google Play.
- Open the app and start a new drawing by tapping the '+' icon or the canvas.
- Explore the brush library at the bottom toolbar; try different brush types like pencils, markers, and watercolor.
- Use layers (icon near top right) to separate different elements of your drawing for easier editing.
- Take advantage of the rulers and guides (in the toolbar) for precision when drawing straight lines or shapes.
Key Features (from app listing)
Source: app_description
- Full complement of brush types: pencils, markers, airbrushes, smear, and more.
- Highly customizable brushes for creating unique looks.
- Guides, rulers, and stroke tools for precision drawing.
- Layers with a full complement of blend modes for building up and exploring drawings and color.
Based on a specific user complaint (recent review #4) about the app freezing when clicking a layer and laggy brushes. The tip suggests a common workaround for performance issues on mobile devices.
How this content was created
Content type: pattern_analysis_of_user_reviews_and_metadata
AI generated: Yes
- Google Play user reviews (5 reviews per app), December 22, 2025 to February 16, 2026
- Google Play ratings distribution
- App Store listing metadata
- Review sample is not statistically representative of all user sentiment.
- Claims labeled 'low confidence' are based on single-review observations only.
- No high-engagement or mixed reviews were available, so public sentiment on polarizing issues cannot be assessed.
- No real-world app testing was conducted.
- Feature availability may vary by region, device, and app version.
Pros & Cons
Based on analysis of Google Play user reviews
Pros
- Sketchbook is praised for its extensive features, brush variety, and versatility. high
Theme 'feature-rich with great brush variety' appeared in 4 recent reviews (IDs 1, 2, 3, 5). All four mention a wide range of brush types, tools, or features as a key strength.
Evidence (4)
“It has a lot of features! And there are a ton of tutorials out there to help you achieve the medium type you're going after.”Rating: 5★ December 22, 2025 381 likes“I can easily find erasers, and there's a wide variety of brush types. The wide variety of brush types makes it easy for me to create detailed art. My favorite brush for making clouds is the salty watercolor brush.”Rating: 5★ December 23, 2025 158 likes“out of all the drawing apps I've used including ones you need to pay for this is still my favorite. you definitely don't need to buy pro but I did just because I like the app so much. you can do just about anything in it you could in high costly apps.”Rating: 5★ February 16, 2026 11 likes“I've been using Sketchbook since I was 12, I'm 20 now and recently started using it again on my phone instead of the touchscreen laptop I used to have, and I have fallen in love with it all over again. it has every tool I need to easily make high quality digital art. Layers are so easy, I love the p”Rating: 5★ January 14, 2026 56 likes - Sketchbook is considered a free alternative to high-cost drawing apps by some users. low
Theme 'free alternative to premium apps' appeared in recent review #3, which explicitly states the free version is highly capable and that buying pro is not necessary.
Evidence (1)
“you definitely don't need to buy pro but I did just because I like the app so much. it's not confusing at least for me. you can do just about anything in it you could in high costly apps.”Rating: 5★ February 16, 2026 11 likes
Cons
- The app is reported to have bugs causing crashes and freezes, particularly when interacting with layers. low
Theme 'bugs and crashes' appeared in 1 recent review (ID 4). The reviewer describes freezes when clicking on a layer and the app crashing, requiring a forced close.
Evidence (1)
“This app is pretty buggy. for some reason it randomly crashes or freezes when I try do do certain actions. like when I click on a layer to brush me up the layer menu. it freezes and I "sketchbook" is not responding" popup. and have to close the app.”Rating: 2★ February 14, 2026 11 likes - Some brushes are reported as laggy by one reviewer. low
Theme 'laggy brushes' appeared in the same recent review (ID 4) as the crash complaint, with the user stating 'some of the brushes are also pretty laggy as well.'
Evidence (1)
“some of the brushes are also pretty laggy as well.”Rating: 2★ February 14, 2026 11 likes
Recent Reviews
Lillian Reid
5★It has a lot of features! And there are a ton of tutorials out there to help you achieve the medium type uou're going after. But I'm looking for comic-book or manga type of programs. You could probably achieve this with the paid version (which is a modest price) but I found a better ap for my needs. Still 5 stars, though, because I'll still use this for one-shot art. May even still pay for the full version.
Rosie
5★I can easily find erasers, and there's a wide variety of brush types. The wide variety of brush types makes it easy for me to create detailed art. My favorite brush for making clouds is the salty watercolor brush. Furthermore, I can have images pulled up for reference or tracing. This makes it much easier to do the art that I want to do in the image that I wanted. I really like this app and I suggest it for any beginner. Artists.
A Dumpster Diver
5★out of all the drawing apps I've used including ones you need to pay for this is still my favorite. you definitely don't need to buy pro but I did just because I like the app so much. it's not confusing at least for me. you can do just about anything in it you could in high costly apps. just need to think a little bit more creatively for some aspects.
Kami Two
2★This app is pretty buggy. for some reason it randomly crashes or freezes when I try do do certain actions. like when I click on a layer to brush me up the layer menu. it freezes and I "sketchbook" is not responding" popup. and have to close the app. some of the brushes are also pretty laggy as well. and right off the bat, the app is pretty unintuitive and sluggish.
Lark Dodge
5★I've been using Sketchbook since I was 12, I'm 20 now and recently started using it again on my phone instead of the touchscreen laptop I used to have, and I have fallen in love with it all over again. it has every tool I need to easily make high quality digital art. Layers are so easy, I love the perspective point guides, brushes, pens, texture and eraser options, customization for all drawing tools, options for the layers, especially locking and merging layers, time lapse, etc. It's perfect