Top Alternatives to Krita

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a powerful, free, and open-source raster graphics editor used for image manipulation, retouching, composition, and authoring. It supports a vast array of file formats and provides sophisticated tools comparable to commercial alternatives, making it a versatile choice for photographers, designers, and artists.

Adobe Photoshop is the industry-standard professional image editing software. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for manipulating, retouching, and creating raster graphics. From simple photo adjustments to complex digital art, Photoshop empowers users across various creative disciplines.

Paint.NET is a free and intuitive image and photo editing software designed for Windows. Initially developed as a university project, it has grown into a powerful yet easy-to-use tool, featuring layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.

MyPaint is a fast and easy-to-use digital painting program designed for artists. It features a brush engine that simulates natural media and an infinite canvas, making it ideal for sketching, drawing, and digital painting with graphics tablets like Wacom.

Affinity Photo is a professional raster graphics editor designed for photographers and digital artists on macOS and Windows. It offers powerful tools for image editing, retouching, and complex layer manipulation without a subscription model, making it a compelling alternative to industry-standard software.

PaintTool SAI is a lightweight and efficient digital painting software renowned for its smooth brush strokes and user-friendly interface, making it popular among illustrators and anime artists. It offers essential drawing tools and excellent line stabilization for creating clean and precise artwork.

Seashore is a user-friendly, open-source image editor designed for Mac OS X, offering essential editing tools and layer support within a simple interface. It's based on the GIMP's technology and focuses on providing core image manipulation capabilities for casual users and hobbyists.

Acorn is a powerful yet accessible image editing software designed for macOS. It offers a comprehensive toolset for photo manipulation, digital drawing, and graphic design, catering to both hobbyists and professionals.

Autodesk SketchBook is a powerful yet intuitive digital drawing and painting application designed for artists, designers, and creative professionals. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to create stunning artwork on various platforms, focusing on a natural drawing experience.

Adobe Photoshop Elements is a user-friendly photo editing software designed for beginners and enthusiasts. It simplifies complex tasks with guided edits, automated features, and intuitive organizational tools, making it easy to enhance, organize, and share your memories.

ArtRage is a powerful, realistic bitmap graphics editor designed for digital painting and drawing. It offers a wide range of natural-media tools that mimic traditional art mediums like oils, watercolors, and pencils, with features like paint mixing and texture simulation. It's suitable for artists of all levels, from beginners to professionals.

Clip Studio Paint, formerly Manga Studio/ComicStudio, is a comprehensive digital art software tailored for creating comics, manga, and general illustrations. It offers a powerful suite of tools for sketching, inking, coloring, and panel layout.

FireAlpaca is a free digital painting and drawing software available for both Windows and Mac. Designed with simplicity in mind, it offers core drawing tools and features like layers, brushes, and tablet support, making it accessible for beginners learning digital art.

Fotor is a comprehensive online photo editor and design tool, offering a wide array of features for both professional image manipulation and creative graphic design. It combines robust editing capabilities with user-friendly design templates.

MyBrushes is a powerful digital painting and drawing software designed for macOS, offering an expansive collection of customizable brushes, robust layer support, and an infinite canvas for both professional artists and enthusiasts to create stunning artwork.

Livebrush is a unique and innovative drawing application that leverages vector technology to create dynamic and expressive brush strokes. Originally built on the Adobe AIR platform, it offered artists a fluid and interactive way to generate artwork with complex textures and animations, moving beyond static lines.

Photopea is a powerful, free online image and photo editor that runs directly in your web browser. It supports a wide range of file formats including PSD, AI, XD, Sketch, PDF, XCF, and RAW, making it a versatile alternative to desktop software. With a familiar interface similar to Adobe Photoshop, it offers advanced editing tools for photographers, graphic designers, and digital artists.

Microsoft Expression Design was a professional graphic design tool for creating vector and raster images, primarily for web use. It offered a range of design and illustration features, including vector drawing, image editing, and support for various file formats.

GIMP Paint Studio (GPS) is a comprehensive add-on package for the GIMP image editor, significantly enhancing its capabilities for digital painting and graphic design. It provides a wealth of new brushes, brush dynamics, palettes, gradients, and tool presets, transforming GIMP into a more robust and versatile platform for creative work.

openCanvas is a robust raster graphics editor specifically designed for digital painting and drawing. It offers a blend of tools for illustrators, manga artists, and digital painters, focusing on a natural drawing experience with advanced brushes, layer management, and unique features like Event function (Instant Reply) for recording and replaying your artistic process.

Leonardo is a cutting-edge digital painting software designed for artists of all levels, offering a focus on speed, precision, and a seamless user experience. It provides essential tools for sketching, illustration, and digital painting.

Black Ink is a powerful and innovative digital painting software designed for artists who want to push the boundaries of brush creation and experimentation. Its unique generative brush technology allows users to craft highly personalized tools, moving beyond static presets to dynamic and evolving brush behaviors.

PixBuilder is a free and powerful photo editing software for Windows users, offering a comprehensive suite of tools for image manipulation, color correction, and digital drawing. Ideal for both beginners and enthusiasts looking for a capable, no-cost image editor.

PhoXo is a free and powerful image editing software, providing a comprehensive suite of tools for photo manipulation, digital painting, and creating visual effects. It's a robust alternative for users seeking advanced editing capabilities without the cost of premium software.

Verve Painter is a unique portable GPU-accelerated painting application designed to simulate real-life paint dynamics using advanced 2D fluid simulations. It offers a distinct approach to digital art, leveraging the power of your graphics card for fluid and realistic brush strokes.

ibis Paint X is a popular and versatile drawing and painting application designed for mobile platforms, offering a robust suite of tools for digital artists. It boasts a massive library of brushes, filters, blending modes, and supports layers, pen pressure, and recording timelapses.