Drawing

Which iPad is enough, from what Apple and app makers publish. Where nobody publishes a figure, our own rule of thumb is marked as such.

What Apple and app makers say

Apple Pencil Pro
iPad Pro (M4, M5), iPad Air (M2, M3, M4) and iPad mini (A17 Pro), with iPadOS 17.5 or later.
Apple saysSource
Procreate Dreams
Runs on every iPad that can run iPadOS 16.3. On iPad Pro (M4/M5) and iPad Air (M2–M4): 200 content tracks and 4 video tracks up to 4K.
The app's maker saysSource

The levels

Works

Fine for notes and line art. Apple Pencil (USB-C) has no pressure sensitivity.

Works with Apple Pencil (USB-C)Apple says

Comfortable

Pressure, squeeze, barrel roll and hover for serious drawing.

The Works conditions, plus:

Works with Apple Pencil ProApple says

Heavy use

Procreate Dreams handles four 4K video tracks on these models.

The Works conditions, plus:

M4 chip or newerThe app's maker says

Current models for this

Models Apple sells new today, cheapest first within each level.

Heavy use

iPad Air 11-inch (M4)$599 at launchHeavy use
iPad Air 13-inch (M4)$799 at launchHeavy use
iPad Pro 11-inch (M5)$999 at launchHeavy use
iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)$1,299 at launchHeavy use

Comfortable

iPad mini (A17 Pro)$499 at launchComfortable

Works

iPad (A16)$349 at launchWorks

Your older model?

Every iPad we have checked, by release year.

2024–

2020–2023

iPad (10th generation)Works
iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)Works
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation)Works
iPad Air (5th generation)Works
iPad (9th generation)Not enough
iPad mini (6th generation)Works
iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)Works
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)Works
iPad Air (4th generation)Works
iPad (8th generation)Not enough
iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)Works
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)Works

2015–2019

iPad (7th generation)Not enough
iPad mini (5th generation)Not enough
iPad Air (3rd generation)Not enough
iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)Works
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)Works
iPad (6th generation)Not enough
iPad Pro (10.5-inch)Not enough
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)Not enough
iPad (5th generation)Not enough
iPad Pro (9.7-inch)Not enough
iPad Pro (12.9-inch)Not enough
iPad mini 4Not enough

2010–2014

iPad mini 3Not enough
iPad Air 2Not enough
iPad mini 2Not enough
iPad AirNot enough
iPad (4th generation)Not enough
iPad miniNot enough
iPad (3rd generation)Not enough
iPad 2Not enough
iPadNot enough

How we decide

Each use has up to three levels: Works, Comfortable and Heavy use. Comfortable and Heavy use each add their own conditions to the Works conditions, and a model gets the highest level whose conditions it meets.

"Apple says" and "The app's maker says" mark requirements that Apple or the app's maker publishes. "Our rule of thumb (not Apple's)" marks our own suggestion, used where nobody publishes a figure.

Memory and storage are judged on the standard configuration. When ordering more memory or storage would reach a higher level, we add a "configurable" note.

When a spec is not published by Apple or not in our data, we say "Can't confirm" instead of guessing, and the condition does not count as met.

App and system requirements change with new versions. The date at the bottom of each page shows when we last checked them.

Heavy use:: Meets the minimum and the conditions for big projects or heavy daily use.
Comfortable:: Meets the minimum and the conditions for everyday use without waiting around.
Works:: Meets the minimum conditions: the apps and features for this run.
Can't confirm:: A spec the minimum needs is not published by Apple or not in our data, so we do not count it as met.
Not enough:: Misses at least one of the minimum conditions.

Requirements checked on 2026-10-11.