apps that…by

Adobe Fresco

An app that paints with watercolors and oils that blend for real.

Photo & videoSketching and paintingIllustration on iPadFree plan
Get Adobe FrescoBuild your own drawing appFree plan

What Adobe Fresco does

Adobe Fresco is a free drawing and painting app for iPad and iPhone. Its live brushes let watercolors bleed and oils smear like real paint, and it also has vector brushes and simple animation. It is a strong free pick for iPad.

Live watercolor and oil brushes that blend
Pixel and vector brushes in one app
Import Photoshop brushes
Frame-by-frame animation and motion paths
Send vector art to Adobe Illustrator

Fresco is known for its live brushes. Watercolor spreads and mixes on the page, and oil paint drags and blends as you move, which feels closer to a real canvas than most digital brushes.

Next to those you get pixel brushes, including Photoshop brushes you can import, and vector brushes that stay sharp at any size. Vector artwork can go over to Adobe Illustrator if you use it. There are also frame-by-frame animation and motion paths, with export to GIF or MP4.

The app itself is free, and the in-app purchases are bundles that add Photoshop on iPad and other Adobe apps. If you already pay for Adobe, everything fits together. If you do not, you can still use Fresco on its own.

It runs on iPad and iPhone. We could not confirm an Android version.

Alternatives to Adobe Fresco

ProcreateA pay-once painting app for iPad and Apple Pencil
Illustration on iPadSketching and painting
From $12.99 one-time
View
ConceptsSketch on an endless canvas with lines you can edit later
Sketching and paintingIllustration on iPad
Free, paid from $4.99/moFree plan
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Infinite PainterPro painting tools on Android and iPad for one purchase
Sketching and paintingIllustration on iPad
Free, with paid extrasFree plan
View
Linea SketchA simple sketch app that cleans up your rough lines
Sketching and paintingIllustration on iPad
Free, paid from $1.99/moFree plan
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ibis Paint XHuge free drawing app with over 130,000 brushes
Sketching and paintingDrawing for beginners and kids
Free, paid from $4.49/moFree plan
View
SketchbookA clean, free sketching app with a cheap one-time upgrade
Sketching and paintingDrawing for beginners and kids
Free, paid from $2.99 one-timeFree plan
View

Who it's for

iPad owners who want a strong free drawing app
Painters who love watercolor and oil looks
People already using Adobe apps

Skip it if: Android and Chromebook owners.

Pricing

Free plan
Free

Adobe Fresco is free to download and use. The in-app purchases are Adobe bundles, such as Photoshop on iPad with Fresco, which the US App Store lists at $7.99 a month.

Prices can vary by country. Checked 19 Oct 2026.

What people like

  • Free to use
  • Live paint brushes are a real highlight
  • Works with other Adobe apps
  • High App Store rating

Watch out for

  • Apple devices only, as far as we could confirm
  • Upsells point to paid Adobe bundles
  • Fewer comic and animation tools than specialist apps

Want a painting app that feels like your favorite paper and paints? Build your own.

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Try this idea: “a watercolor painting app where colors soften and blend as I paint, and I can save each painting to a little gallery”

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Fresco free?

Yes. The app is free. Paid in-app purchases add other Adobe apps like Photoshop on iPad.

Does Adobe Fresco work on iPhone?

Yes. The App Store listing supports both iPhone and iPad.

Is Adobe Fresco on Android?

We could not find an Android version. For Android, look at ibis Paint X, Infinite Painter or Sketchbook.

Can Adobe Fresco animate?

Yes. It has frame-by-frame animation and motion paths, and exports GIF or MP4.