Why I’m Not Upgrading to Rebelle 8 Pro (Yet)

Honest thoughts on brushes, performance, and support.

Aug 27, 2025

Hello everyone, 😁

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Honestly, I didn’t know what to write about for some time. But now I do. Let’s talk about why I’ve decided not to upgrade to Rebelle 8 Pro.

I bought Rebelle 7 Pro about a year ago because I wanted to own it outright. The software is known for mimicking traditional mediums and it does that really well. But for me, some features are either missing, or they don’t work properly on my M1 Max.

Now Rebelle 8 is in early access. Why early access? I honestly don’t get it. Just release it the normal way. I don’t like early access in games either…

Sure, there are a couple of new features that sound interesting, like the symmetry tool and a bigger brush size limit. That’s awesome! But the things I really hoped for are still missing. For example: a motion blur tool or better performance upgrades.

And the big question: has it actually been optimized for M chips this time? I couldn’t find any info on that, which doesn’t inspire much confidence.

So why won’t I upgrade? A few reasons:

1. The support issue.

Last year, I reached out about a problem with the drip feature not working properly. I gave them everything they asked for. And then, silence. No replies. Last update I saw was from November 2024. I have no idea if they fixed it in the new version, and honestly, it feels like its a big no on that part.

2. The price.

When I first bought Rebelle 7 Pro, I got a really good deal, 70% off. Now, the upgrade to 8 Pro is 50%. Still not bad, but it feels harder to justify when I’m already unsure about the improvements. And why should I pay more this time around?

Here’s the thing: the program itself isn’t bad. In fact, it has so much potential. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with it. The brush and canvas textures are amazing, sometimes even insane in how real they feel. But I never really clicked with it the way I did with Procreate or Clip Studio Paint.

Some software just nails the default brushes, like Procreate, which is already great and soon adding even more upgrades. Others… not so much. (Looking at you, Affinity.) Rebelle sits somewhere in between.

So, for now, I probably won’t use Rebelle again. And that’s sad. Because this software could be incredible. But when the support isn’t there, it makes me lose trust. And without trust, I don’t want to invest more of my time or money.

Still, I did create some artwork with Rebelle 7 Pro this year, and I’ll share some of that below.