Choosing the best drawing app: Easy Canvas vs Astropad Studio
If you have an iPad and want to use it as a drawing tablet, choosing which program to use can be tough. In the movie version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Professor Dumbledore says to Harry, “Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”
We have to make choices every day, from what to eat for breakfast, to which route to take on the road, to what to spend our hard-earned money on. Lucky for us, our decisions aren’t always as life-and-death as Harry’s are, and as Dumbledore goes on to say, “…remember this: you have friends here. You’re not alone.”
That’s where I come in! If you are trying to choose between Astropad Studio or Easy Canvas, you are not alone, and I’m here to be the friend to help you make the right choice for your drawing workflow.
Both Astropad Studio and Easy Canvas can turn your iPad into a digital drawing tablet. However, they offer different levels of customization and features. Let’s take a closer look to see how Astropad Studio and Easy Canvas compare.
Easy Canvas
Easy Canvas is primarily designed to be used with Windows and iPad or Android devices, though there is now you can also use it with your Mac and iPad.
Easy Canvas offers shortcuts and pressure support for most apps. This is all delivered over a wired cable connection. If you wish to connect wirelessly, you can use Easy Canvas Pro, though this connection type is only supported on Windows. You also need a wired connection for the initial setup.
For $4.99 per year or a one-time purchase of $11.99, Easy Canvas has minimal features and customizations. This may be a better option for you if you consider yourself more of a hobbyist or if your iPad isn’t a huge part of your digital drawing workflow and you don’t wish to spend too much money.
Astropad Studio
Mirror desktop creative software on your iPad with Astropad Studio
Astropad Studio seamlessly mirrors your Mac or PC to your iPad, giving you complete touch and gesture support to interact with your favorite desktop creative apps.
- Mirror any desktop app on your iPad
- Compatible with Mac and PC
- Build your own shortcut panels, custom gestures, and custom quick keys
- Customize your pressure curve and pressure sensitivity
- Connects wirelessly or over USB cable
Personalized Shortcuts: With unlimited customizable shortcuts, you can automatically match whatever desktop app you are working in. Astropad Studio also has an on-screen keyboard so you can click away anywhere you and your iPad go.
Custom Pressure Curves and Smoothing: With options to adjust your pressure curve or specify your pressure smoothing, you can utilize the ability to accommodate your unique drawing style, or stick to the default settings.
Connection: Optimize image quality based on your network speed and maximize responsiveness. Connect wirelessly over Wi-Fi or Peer-to-Peer or connect with a USB cable.
Custom Gestures: The benefit of digital drawing is that you can utilize gestures to quickly make a change so that you can continue working seamlessly. In Astropad Studio, you have the ability to customize your gestures, so that you can erase, undo/redo, hover, and click specifically how you want to.
We offer a 14-day free trial, so you can experience all the features for yourself before you fully commit. You can also learn more about how to customize your Astropad Studio workspace here.
Easy Canvas vs Astropad Studio: The right choice for your workflow
Well friends, as Dumbledore predicted, the time to choose which option works best for you and your workflow has arrived.
If you are more of a hobbyist and don’t see yourself investing too much time or money in digital drawing, Easy Canvas is likely the better choice for you.
If you are more of a pro and are looking to streamline your workflow with customizations that work for you, you definitely want to give Astropad Studio a try.
