Free
Sumo Paint
Browser painting app with layers, over 300 brushes and a symmetry tool that mirrors every stroke around up to 18 points.
BeginnerWeb
Sketchpad
Free browser drawing app with layers, brushes, shapes, 800+ fonts and clipart, plus a one-time paid desktop app for Mac and PC.
FreeBeginnerWebWindowsMac
Overview
Sketchpad is a browser drawing and design app from Sketch.IO. It covers both sides: brushes for drawing and design tools built around shapes, with fill, outline, gradient and pattern sliders. There are more than 800 Google fonts and over 5,000 clipart images. Work sits on layers, and it exports to PNG, JPEG, SVG and PDF.
The web version is free, and Sketch.IO states it carries no ads. The desktop app is a one-time purchase for Mac and PC, and there is no phone app. Sketch.IO also sells Sketchpad Premium, which adds browser features such as sharing a vector file others can reload. Both are one-time purchases and cover updates for one year.
Key features
✓18 brushes including crayon, calligraphy, tile & mirror
✓Layers for editing parts separately
✓14 shapes with fill, outline, gradients & patterns
✓800+ fonts from Google's library
✓5,000+ clipart images built in
✓Stamps & stickers
✓Exports PNG, JPEG, SVG, PDF & a reloadable SKETCHPAD file
✓Free in the browser with no ads, per Sketch.IO
✓One-time purchase desktop app for Mac & PC, saves files locally
✓Sketchpad Premium adds browser features like reloadable vector sharing
When to use
Use Sketchpad if:
- You want to draw or doodle without installing anything, and you want it free and ad-free.
- You are making a graphic rather than a painting. Shapes, gradients, fonts and clipart are all there.
- You need the result to scale. It exports SVG as well as PNG, JPEG and PDF.
- You want layers, so you can change one part of a picture without redoing the rest.
- You want to save files to your own machine. The Mac and PC app is a one-time purchase for that.
- You are selling what you make. Sketch.IO states its clipart is usable commercially and that artwork can go on merchandise.
When NOT to use
Skip Sketchpad if any of these describe you:
- You are making pixel art or game sprites. Pixilart is built for that, with animation frames and sprite sheets.
- You want to draw with other people at once. Magma is built around a shared canvas.
- You edit photos rather than draw. Photopea is the free browser tool for that.
- You need a professional painting app with deep brush engines and pressure work. Compare other drawing and painting apps.
- You are including its clipart in something legally sensitive. Sketch.IO states it cannot guarantee its library is free of copyrighted assets.
- You want the desktop app or Premium's extra browser features without paying. Both are a one-time purchase, and the free version is the browser one.
Frequently asked questions
The browser version is free, and Sketch.IO states it never carries advertisements. The desktop app for Mac and PC is paid, and so is Sketchpad Premium, which adds features to the browser version. Both are one-time purchases rather than subscriptions, and a purchase covers updates for one year. After that you keep what you have and can buy again. There is also an enterprise licence for organisations.
An SVG stores the shapes and lines themselves, so it can be printed at any size without going blurry or blocky. A PNG is a fixed grid of pixels, so enlarging it degrades it. If the artwork is a logo, an icon or anything headed for print at an unknown size, SVG is the one to take.
Sketch.IO states that its clipart is open source and available for professional and commercial artwork, and that you can design artwork sold on merchandise. It also states it cannot guarantee that no copyrighted asset has been added to its library by mistake, so checking the rights to anything you include stays your responsibility.
The desktop app for Mac and PC saves files to your own machine. Sketchpad Premium adds browser features, such as sharing a vector file that other people can reload and keep editing. There is no iPhone or Android app: the device list on the site is about which browsers it runs in. Both purchases cover updates for one year, and you can buy again after that.
Both. The brushes cover freehand drawing. The shapes, gradients, fonts and clipart cover the kind of work you would otherwise open a design tool for, like a poster, a card or a social post.
Yes. Layers let you keep parts of a picture separate, so you can move, hide or redraw one element without touching the others. That helps most when you are combining drawing with text, shapes or clipart in the same image.
Alternatives to Sketchpad
Freemium
Freemium
Free
