The right used iPad makes Procreate feel like drawing on paper, and the wrong one feels like drawing through a window. The difference comes down to four specs: the screen, the Apple Pencil, RAM, and refresh rate. This guide covers what each one does in Procreate, which used iPads are worth buying for digital art in 2026 and what they sell for on Swappa, and which cheap models to skip.
Quick Answer
For most artists, the iPad Air (M1) is the best value at about $314 on Swappa. It has a laminated display, 8GB of RAM, and works with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation). If you want 120Hz ProMotion, a used iPad Pro 11″ (M2) sells for about $489, and the iPad Pro 11″ (M4) has the best drawing screen at about $781. Skip the base iPad (10th gen) and iPad (A16) for serious drawing, because their screens aren’t laminated.
What Matters When You Draw on an iPad
Spec sheets bury the four things that change how drawing feels.
A laminated display. On a laminated screen, the glass and the display panel are bonded together, so the line appears right under the Pencil tip. On a non-laminated screen there is a small air gap, which creates parallax: a visible offset between the tip and the line. It makes fine detail, shading, and lettering harder, and the screen sounds hollow when you tap it. Apple lists “fully laminated display” and an antireflective coating for every iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad Pro that runs iPadOS 27. The base iPad (10th gen) and iPad (A16) have neither, and their screens don’t cover the P3 wide color range either.
An Apple Pencil with pressure sensitivity. Pressure is what makes a stroke thicker or darker as you press harder. The Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (2nd generation), and Apple Pencil (1st generation) all have it. The Apple Pencil (USB-C) doesn’t, so it’s a poor choice for drawing even though it works with every USB-C iPad. Hover, which previews your brush before the tip touches the screen, works with the Pencil Pro and with the Pencil 2 on the 2022 iPad Pro (M2).
RAM. In Procreate, RAM sets how many layers you can use. Procreate says the limit depends on your iPad’s RAM and the canvas’s pixel dimensions, and that changing the DPI doesn’t affect it. On a 4K canvas (3840 by 2160 pixels), Procreate’s layer calculator gives about 60 layers on an iPad Air (4th gen), about 122 on an 8GB iPad, about 157 on 12GB, and about 222 on 16GB. Bigger canvases get fewer layers.
ProMotion. This is the 120Hz refresh rate on the iPad Pro. Strokes look smoother, and the line keeps up with your hand more closely. No iPad Air has it, including the 2026 iPad Air (M4). It’s a real upgrade for drawing, but many working artists are happy on a 60Hz iPad Air.
Procreate and Procreate Dreams: What They Cost and Need
Procreate is the main reason people buy an iPad to draw. It costs $12.99 on the App Store, with no subscription and no in-app purchases, and there’s no Android or desktop version. Procreate Dreams, the company’s animation app, is also a one-time $12.99 purchase. Version 2.0, released in December 2025, added selection and transform tools.
Both apps require iPadOS 16.3 or later, so every iPad in this guide runs them. The real differences are how many layers you get, how smooth the strokes feel, and which Pencil you can use. Animation in Dreams also benefits from more RAM and a faster chip, which points toward an M-series iPad.
Storage fills quickly with large canvases, time-lapse recordings, and animation files, so 128GB is a sensible minimum for artists. The extra storage also helps when you sell the iPad later, as Does Storage Size Affect Resale Value? explains.
Best Used iPads for Procreate at a Glance
Prices are Swappa’s average sale prices for each model’s base storage size, from storage price tables updated October 7, 2026. They change with condition, storage, Wi-Fi or cellular, and demand, so click a price to see the current figure before you buy.
| iPad (Year) | Avg. Swappa Sale Price | RAM | Display | Apple Pencil | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad Air (M1) (2022) | About $314 (64GB) | 8GB | Laminated, 60Hz | 2nd gen | Best value |
| iPad Pro 11″ (M2) (2022) | About $489 (128GB) | 8GB | Laminated, ProMotion 120Hz | 2nd gen, with hover | ProMotion for less |
| iPad Pro 12.9″ (M1) (2021) | About $497 (128GB) | 8GB | Mini-LED, ProMotion 120Hz | 2nd gen | Big canvas for less |
| iPad Air 11″ (M2) (2024) | About $467 (128GB) | 8GB | Laminated, 60Hz | Pro | Cheapest Pencil Pro iPad |
| iPad Air 11″ (M4) (2026) | About $591 (128GB) | 12GB | Laminated, 60Hz | Pro | Most RAM in an Air |
| iPad Pro 11″ (M4) (2024) | About $781 (256GB) | 8GB (16GB with 1TB or 2TB) | Tandem OLED, ProMotion 120Hz | Pro | Best drawing screen |
| iPad Pro 13″ (M4) (2024) | About $857 (256GB) | 8GB (16GB with 1TB or 2TB) | Tandem OLED, ProMotion 120Hz | Pro | Largest canvas |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) (2024) | About $410 (128GB) | Not listed by Apple | Laminated, 8.3″, 60Hz | Pro | Portable sketchbook |
| iPad Pro 11″ (2nd gen) (2020) | About $341 (128GB) | Not listed by Apple | Laminated, ProMotion 120Hz | 2nd gen | Cheapest ProMotion |
| iPad Air (4th gen) (2020) | About $241 (64GB) | Not listed by Apple | Laminated, 60Hz | 2nd gen | Under $250 |
Every model in the table runs iPadOS 27, the current version, and works with Procreate and Procreate Dreams.
Best Value for Most Artists: iPad Air (M1)
The iPad Air (M1) is the used iPad we’d point most artists to. It has a laminated, antireflective, P3 display, an M1 chip with 8GB of RAM, and support for the Apple Pencil (2nd generation), which charges magnetically on the side. Used, it averages about $314 at 64GB and $373 at 256GB, the size to get if you keep big files or record time-lapses.
Its 8GB of RAM gives about twice the Procreate layers of the iPad Air (4th gen) on the same canvas. What you give up is ProMotion and Pencil Pro support. For a deeper look at this model, see Is the iPad Air 2022 (M1) Still Worth It in 2026?
On a tighter budget, the iPad Air (4th gen) has the same laminated screen and Pencil 2 support for about $241. Its lower memory caps your layer count sooner, so it’s better for sketching and smaller illustrations than for big layered pieces.
Best ProMotion for Less: iPad Pro (M2 and M1)
If smooth 120Hz strokes matter to you, an older iPad Pro is the best deal in this guide. A used iPad Pro 11″ (M2) averages about $489, only about $22 more than an iPad Air 11″ (M2). For that price you get ProMotion, Face ID, four speakers, and Apple Pencil hover with the Pencil 2, which no older iPad offers. The iPad Pro 12.9″ (M2) adds a bright mini-LED screen for about $579.
The 2021 M1 models cost a little less: about $472 for the 11-inch and about $497 for the 12.9-inch, which is a lot of canvas for the money. They have ProMotion and the Pencil 2, but no hover. M1 and M2 Pros with 1TB or 2TB of storage have 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB 12.9-inch M1 averages about $664, the lowest recent sale average for any 16GB iPad on Swappa.
The 2020 iPad Pro 11″ (2nd gen) is the cheapest way to get ProMotion, at about $341. It’s one of the oldest iPads iPadOS 27 supports, so expect a shorter update runway. See How Long Are iPads Supported With Updates? (2026) before you buy.
Best for Apple Pencil Pro: iPad Air (M2, M3 and M4)
The newer iPad Airs swap the Pencil 2 for the Apple Pencil Pro, which adds squeeze, barrel roll, haptic feedback, Find My, and hover. They keep the laminated 60Hz screen.
- iPad Air 11″ (M2): the cheapest Pencil Pro iPad at about $467. The 13-inch M2 gives you a much bigger canvas for about $549.
- iPad Air 11″ (M3): about $502, with a faster chip but the same 8GB of RAM, so the same layer limits as the M2.
- iPad Air 11″ (M4): about $591, and the first Air with 12GB of RAM, which raises the 4K layer count from about 122 to about 157. Apple sells it new for $749 after its June 25, 2026 price increase. The 13-inch M4 averages about $679.
One catch: none of these work with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation). If you already own a Pencil 2, an iPad Air (M1) or an M1 or M2 iPad Pro lets you keep using it.
Best Drawing Screen: iPad Pro (M4 and M5)
The iPad Pro 11″ (M4) and 13″ (M4) have Apple’s best drawing setup: a tandem OLED display with ProMotion, Apple Pencil Pro support with hover and barrel roll, and an M4 chip. Used, they average about $781 and $857 with 256GB, against Apple’s $1,199 new price for the 11-inch M5.
Two configuration details matter for artists. Models with 1TB or 2TB of storage have 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB, which gives about 222 layers on a 4K canvas; a 1TB 11-inch M4 averages about $1,006. Those same 1TB and 2TB models were the only ones offered with nano-texture glass, which cuts glare. It was an option, not standard, so check the listing or ask the seller if you want it.
The 2025 iPad Pro 11″ (M5) and 13″ (M5) start with 12GB of RAM and have a faster chip, but they’ve had few used sales on Swappa so far. Compare listings against Apple’s new price before you buy. Like the M4, neither works with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation).
Shop the iPad Pro 11″ (M4) on Swappa
Best Portable Sketchbook: iPad mini (A17 Pro)
The iPad mini (A17 Pro) is a laminated 8.3-inch iPad that works with the Apple Pencil Pro, including hover. It’s great for sketching on the go, plein air studies, and notes, but the small screen gets cramped for finished, detailed pieces. Used, it averages about $410 with 128GB.
The iPad mini (6th gen) has the same screen size and the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) for about $291. Like the iPad Air (4th gen), it has less memory, so expect lower layer limits in Procreate.
Used iPads to Skip for Drawing
The base iPad (10th gen) and iPad (A16). Neither screen is laminated or antireflective, so you get parallax and more glare. They work with the Apple Pencil (USB-C), which has no pressure sensitivity, or with the 1st-gen Pencil through Apple’s adapter. They’re fine for streaming, reading, and schoolwork, but a used iPad (A16) averages about $340, more than the far better iPad Air (M1) at about $314. The iPad (10th gen) sells for about $297.
The iPad (9th gen). At about $167, the iPad (9th gen) is the cheapest iPad that still gets updates and works with the 1st-gen Pencil, but it has the same non-laminated screen. For budget picks that aren’t about art, see Best Cheap iPads in 2026: Top Picks Under $300.
iPads that iPadOS 27 dropped. The 2018 iPad Pro (11-inch, about $222, and 12.9-inch), iPad Air (3rd gen), and iPad mini (5th gen) all have laminated screens, and the 2018 Pro even has ProMotion and Pencil 2 support. They still run Procreate today, but they’re stuck on iPadOS 26 and won’t get new features, and apps gradually stop supporting older versions. Unless the price is very low and you only want a sketch tablet for a year or two, buy a supported model.
Anything older. The iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, iPad (5th gen), and older models in those lines don’t work with any Apple Pencil.
Match the Right Apple Pencil
The Pencil is half of your drawing setup, and buying the wrong one wastes money. Apple sells the Pencil Pro for $129 and the USB-C Pencil for $79, and it no longer sells the Pencil 2 on apple.com, so used is often the only way to get one.
| Apple Pencil | Pressure | Hover | Works With | Used on Swappa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Pencil Pro | Yes | Yes | iPad Pro (M4 and M5), iPad Air (M2, M3 and M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro) | Listings average about $93 |
| Apple Pencil (2nd gen) | Yes | iPad Pro (M2) only | iPad Air (4th gen and M1), iPad mini (6th gen), iPad Pro 11″ (2018 to 2022), iPad Pro 12.9″ (2018 to 2022) | Listings average about $61 |
| Apple Pencil (1st gen) | Yes | No | iPad (6th to 9th gen), iPad (10th gen and A16) with an adapter, iPad Air (3rd gen), iPad mini (5th gen), older iPad Pro models | Few listings |
| Apple Pencil (USB-C) | No | On newer models | Every USB-C iPad | Not listed on Swappa |
The most common mistake is assuming a Pencil 2 carries over to a newer iPad. It doesn’t work with the iPad Air (M2 and newer) or iPad Pro (M4 and newer), which need the Pencil Pro. For the Pencil each iPad generation takes, alongside prices and update support, see Used iPad Buyer’s Guide: Every Generation Ranked (2026).
Buying a Used iPad for Art on Swappa
A few checks matter more when you’re buying an iPad to draw on:
- Confirm the Pencil. Most iPad listings don’t include one. If a listing does, check which model it is and that it matches the iPad.
- Look closely at the screen. You’ll stare at the glass for hours, so zoom in on the listing photos for scratches or blemishes. Swappa doesn’t allow listings with cracked glass.
- Match the exact model. The iPad Air (M2), (M3), and (M4) look alike, as do the iPad (10th gen) and (A16). Ask the seller to confirm the model name in Settings > General > About.
- Check the storage tier on an iPad Pro. It decides the RAM: 1TB and 2TB Pro models have 16GB, and only those offered nano-texture glass.
- Check Activation Lock and battery. A ready iPad shows the Hello screen. Newer models show battery health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Activation Lock on a Used iPad: How to Avoid It and Battery Health in Used Electronics: What to Know cover both.
Real people approve Swappa listings before they go live, and a listed iPad must be fully paid off and free of Activation Lock, cracked glass, and water damage. Payments run through PayPal with buyer and seller protection, or Stripe for select sellers, and if an iPad arrives not as described, you’re entitled to a refund. Buyers pay a 3% fee that’s already included in the listing price, plus sales tax where required, and selling fees are lower than other auction-site fees. Human support is available 24/7/365.
Buying used typically saves 30% to 60% off new, depending on the model and condition. Upgrading from an older iPad? How to Sell a Used iPad or Tablet for the Most Money covers pricing and prep, and you can sell your iPad on Swappa. For note-taking picks, see Best Used Tablets for Students and Note-Taking (2026), and for the full picture, start with Buying and Selling Used Tablets: The Complete Guide.
FAQ
What is the best used iPad for Procreate?
For most artists, the iPad Air (M1). It sells for about $314 on Swappa and has a laminated display, 8GB of RAM, and Apple Pencil (2nd generation) support. If you want 120Hz ProMotion, a used iPad Pro 11-inch (M2) costs about $489, and the iPad Pro (M4) has the best drawing screen at about $781 with 256GB.
Do I need an iPad Pro for Procreate, or is the iPad Air enough?
The iPad Air is enough for most artists. The iPad Pro adds 120Hz ProMotion for smoother strokes, and its 1TB and 2TB models have 16GB of RAM for more layers. That matters most for large canvases and animation. A used iPad Pro 11-inch (M2) costs only about $22 more than an iPad Air 11-inch (M2) on Swappa, so compare the two before you buy.
How much RAM do I need for Procreate?
Procreate’s layer limit depends on your iPad’s RAM and the canvas’s pixel dimensions, not its DPI. On a 4K canvas, Procreate’s calculator gives about 122 layers with 8GB of RAM, about 157 with 12GB, and about 222 with 16GB. 8GB, found in the iPad Air (M1, M2 and M3) and most iPad Pro models, is enough for most illustration work.
Which Apple Pencil works with a used iPad Air or iPad Pro?
The Apple Pencil Pro works with the iPad Air (M2, M3 and M4), iPad Pro (M4 and M5), and iPad mini (A17 Pro). The Apple Pencil (2nd generation) works with the iPad Air (4th gen and M1), iPad mini (6th gen), and iPad Pro models from 2018 to 2022. Avoid the Apple Pencil (USB-C) for drawing because it has no pressure sensitivity.
Is the base iPad good enough for Procreate?
It runs Procreate, but it isn’t a good drawing tablet. The iPad (10th gen) and iPad (A16) don’t have laminated or antireflective screens, and they work with the USB-C Pencil, which lacks pressure sensitivity, or the 1st-gen Pencil with an adapter. On Swappa, a used iPad (A16) costs about $340, more than an iPad Air (M1).
How much does Procreate cost?
Procreate costs $12.99 on the App Store as a one-time purchase, with no subscription. Procreate Dreams, the animation app, is also a one-time $12.99 purchase. Both require iPadOS 16.3 or later, so every iPad that runs iPadOS 27 can use them.
The Bottom Line
The best used iPad for digital art has a laminated screen, a Pencil with pressure sensitivity, and enough RAM for the canvases you work on. The iPad Air (M1) covers most artists for about $314. The iPad Pro (M2) adds ProMotion for about $489, the iPad Air (M2) is the cheapest way into the Apple Pencil Pro, and the iPad Pro (M4) has the best screen. Skip the base iPads and anything iPadOS 27 left behind, however cheap they look, and match your Apple Pencil to the model before you buy.
