Best iPad Apps
9 apps worth installing in 2026
The iPad shines with apps built for its big screen and the Apple Pencil. These ten turn it into a notebook, a sketchbook, an editing suite and a planning desk — the apps that make an iPad worth carrying.
For iPad app makers
Launch your app here
Get your iPad app featured on this page and launched to makers and early adopters on LaunchStall. Tell us about your app and we’ll get back to you within a day.
The best iPad apps
#1Procreate
procreate.com
The go-to painting and illustration app for iPad, with hundreds of brushes, layers and animation tools — a one-time purchase.
#2Goodnotes
goodnotes.com
Handwritten notes and PDF annotation with the Apple Pencil, searchable handwriting and digital notebooks you can organise like paper.
#3Notability
notability.com
Notes that combine handwriting, typing, PDFs and audio recordings that sync with what you wrote — popular with students.
Your iPad app here
Built a iPad app? Get it featured on this page, with a followed link and a launch on LaunchStall.
Contact us
#4LumaFusion
luma-touch.com
A professional multi-track video editor for iPad with transitions, effects, colour correction and external-display support.
#5Concepts
concepts.app
An infinite canvas for sketching, diagrams and design, with vector-based strokes you can move, resize and edit after drawing.
#6Craft
craft.do
A polished docs and notes app for structured writing, linked pages and beautiful documents you can share as web pages.
#7Things 3
culturedcode.com
The iPad version of the much-loved task manager, with a roomy layout and full keyboard shortcuts for planning your week.
#8Darkroom
darkroom.co
A fast photo and video editor with pro-level tools, presets and direct editing of your Photos library.
#9Fantastical
flexibits.com
A calendar that uses the iPad screen well, with day, week, month and year views and natural-language event entry.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best iPad apps for Apple Pencil?
Procreate for drawing, Goodnotes and Notability for handwritten notes, and Concepts for sketching and diagrams make the most of the Apple Pencil.
What is the best note-taking app for iPad?
Goodnotes and Notability are the most popular for handwritten notes; Craft is a strong choice if you prefer typed, structured documents.
How can I get my iPad app featured on this list?
Contact LaunchStall at founder@launchstall.com or launch your app on LaunchStall — featured apps get a highlighted spot on this page and a followed link.
Listed for information; LaunchStall isn’t affiliated with these apps. Prices and features change — check each developer’s site for current details.