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Top Alternatives to Krita

Looking for Krita alternatives? We've curated 27 top alternatives that offer similar functionality. Whether you need options, free plans, or open source solutions, explore our comprehensive list to find the perfect fit for your needs.

Open Source

Krita Alternatives

Below you'll find the best alternatives to Krita. We've analyzed these options based on features, user ratings, and compatibility to help you find the right solution. Each alternative offers unique advantages that might better suit your specific needs and budget.

GIMP

GIMP

Open Source Photos & Graphics Photo Editing

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.

Unique Features

  • Completely free and open-source, with no licensing costs.
  • Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Extensive set of tools for photo editing, graphic design, and digital art.

Compared to Krita

Completely free and open-source, with no licensing costs. compared to Krita
Steeper learning curve compared to some entry-level editors. unlike Krita
Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop

Commercial Photos & Graphics Desktop Application

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.

Unique Features

  • Industry-leading professional image editing capabilities
  • Extensive and powerful toolset for a wide range of tasks
  • Robust support for non-destructive editing

Compared to Krita

Industry-leading professional image editing capabilities compared to Krita
Subscription-based pricing model unlike Krita
Paint.NET

Paint.NET

Free Photos & Graphics Desktop Application

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.

Unique Features

  • Intuitive and easy-to-use interface, great for beginners.
  • Supports layers and transparency for complex editing.
  • Unlimited undo history allows for risk-free experimentation.

Compared to Krita

Intuitive and easy-to-use interface, great for beginners. compared to Krita
Windows-only, not available on macOS or Linux. unlike Krita
MyPaint

MyPaint

Open Source Photos & Graphics Digital Painting

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.

Unique Features

  • Excellent customizable brush engine for natural media simulation.
  • Infinite canvas allows for unrestrained drawing.
  • Well-optimized for graphics tablet use.

Compared to Krita

Excellent customizable brush engine for natural media simulation. compared to Krita
Lacks advanced image editing and manipulation features. unlike Krita
Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo

Commercial Photos & Graphics Desktop Application

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.

Unique Features

  • One-time purchase cost saving over time
  • Excellent performance and handles large files well
  • Comprehensive set of professional editing tools

Compared to Krita

One-time purchase cost saving over time compared to Krita
Smaller ecosystem of third-party plugins compared to competitors unlike Krita
PaintTool SAI

PaintTool SAI

Commercial Photos & Graphics Digital Art

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.

Unique Features

  • Excellent line stabilization for smooth strokes.
  • Lightweight and runs well on lower-end hardware.
  • Intuitive and beginner-friendly interface.

Compared to Krita

Excellent line stabilization for smooth strokes. compared to Krita
Lacks vector drawing capabilities. unlike Krita
Acorn

Acorn

Commercial Photos & Graphics Desktop

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.

Unique Features

  • Intuitive user interface compared to some professional alternatives.
  • Strong non-destructive editing capabilities with robust layer support.
  • Good performance and optimized for macOS.

Compared to Krita

Intuitive user interface compared to some professional alternatives. compared to Krita
Feature set is not as extensive as the most expensive professional suites. unlike Krita
Seashore

Seashore

Open Source Photos & Graphics Desktop

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.

Unique Features

  • Free and open source
  • User-friendly interface for basic tasks
  • Good layer support for non-destructive editing

Compared to Krita

Free and open source compared to Krita
Limited feature set compared to professional editors unlike Krita
Autodesk SketchBook

Autodesk SketchBook

Freemium Photos & Graphics Drawing Software

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.

Unique Features

  • Intuitive and easy-to-use interface with radial menus.
  • Excellent and customizable brush engine.
  • Smooth performance, even on less powerful systems.

Compared to Krita

Intuitive and easy-to-use interface with radial menus. compared to Krita
Limited advanced photo editing capabilities. unlike Krita
Adobe Photoshop Elements

Adobe Photoshop Elements

Commercial Photos & Graphics Desktop Photo Editor

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.

Unique Features

  • User-friendly interface with multiple modes for different skill levels.
  • Excellent Guided Edits make complex tasks achievable for beginners.
  • Powerful automated features save time and simplify workflows.

Compared to Krita

User-friendly interface with multiple modes for different skill levels. compared to Krita
Lacks some advanced features found in professional Photoshop. unlike Krita
Artrage

Artrage

Commercial Photos & Graphics Digital Painting

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.

Unique Features

  • Excellent natural media brush simulation
  • Realistic paint mixing and texture
  • Intuitive and user-friendly interface

Compared to Krita

Excellent natural media brush simulation compared to Krita
Basic image editing features compared to some alternatives unlike Krita
Clip Studio Paint

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.

Unique Features

  • Excellent drawing and inking engine with natural feel
  • Powerful and highly customizable brushes
  • Specialized tools for comic and manga creation

Compared to Krita

Excellent drawing and inking engine with natural feel compared to Krita
Initial learning curve for beginners due to feature depth unlike Krita
Corel Painter

Corel Painter

Commercial Photos & Graphics Digital Painting

Corel Painter is a premier digital art software tailored for artists transitioning from traditional media or seeking authentic painting simulation. It offers an extensive array of brushes, textures, and tools designed to replicate real-world paints, pastels, watercolors, and more.

Unique Features

  • Industry-leading realistic traditional media simulation.
  • Incredibly deep and customizable brush engine for unique artistic expression.
  • Excellent pressure sensitivity and tablet support.

Compared to Krita

Industry-leading realistic traditional media simulation. compared to Krita
Steeper learning curve compared to simpler art software. unlike Krita
FireAlpaca

FireAlpaca

Free Photos & Graphics Digital Painting

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.

Unique Features

  • Completely free to download and use.
  • User-friendly and intuitive interface, ideal for beginners.
  • Good tablet support with pressure sensitivity.

Compared to Krita

Completely free to download and use. compared to Krita
Lacks some advanced features found in professional software. unlike Krita
Fotor

Fotor

Freemium Photos & Graphics Web Application

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.

Unique Features

  • Accessible directly through a web browser, no installation required.
  • Combines photo editing and graphic design features in one platform.
  • Offers a large library of pre-designed templates for various uses.

Compared to Krita

Accessible directly through a web browser, no installation required. compared to Krita
Performance can be dependent on internet connection speed. unlike Krita
MyBrushes

MyBrushes

Commercial Photos & Graphics Digital Painting Software

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.

Unique Features

  • Highly customizable and extensive brush collection.
  • Robust layer management system for complex artwork.
  • Unique infinite canvas feature provides unlimited creative space.

Compared to Krita

Highly customizable and extensive brush collection. compared to Krita
Image editing capabilities are basic. unlike Krita
Livebrush

Livebrush

Free Photos & Graphics Drawing Software

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.

Unique Features

  • Creates unique and dynamic brush strokes not found in traditional software.
  • Gesture-based drawing is intuitive and expressive.
  • Vector output allows for infinite scalability of artwork.

Compared to Krita

Creates unique and dynamic brush strokes not found in traditional software. compared to Krita
No longer actively developed or supported. unlike Krita
Photopea

Photopea

Free Photos & Graphics Photo Editing

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.

Unique Features

  • Completely free to use with no installation required.
  • Supports a vast range of file formats, including PSD, AI, and RAW.
  • User interface is very similar to Adobe Photoshop, reducing the learning curve.

Compared to Krita

Completely free to use with no installation required. compared to Krita
Requires an internet connection to function. unlike Krita
Microsoft Expression Design

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.

Unique Features

  • Strong support for SVG format
  • Hybrid vector and raster editing capabilities
  • Intuitive user interface

Compared to Krita

Strong support for SVG format compared to Krita
Discontinued software with no updates or support unlike Krita
Gimp Paint Studio

Gimp Paint Studio

Open Source Photos & Graphics Image Editor Add-on

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.

Unique Features

  • Vast library of high-quality brushes.
  • Enhances GIMP's digital painting capabilities.
  • Free and open-source resources.

Compared to Krita

Vast library of high-quality brushes. compared to Krita
Project is discontinued, no ongoing updates. unlike Krita
openCanvas

openCanvas

Commercial Photos & Graphics Digital Painting

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.

Unique Features

  • Excellent brush engine with extensive customization options.
  • Unique Instant Replay (Event function) for reviewing and sharing the artistic process.
  • Solid layer management with unlimited layers.

Compared to Krita

Excellent brush engine with extensive customization options. compared to Krita
Feature set is more specialized towards painting, less extensive in other areas like vector graphics. unlike Krita
Leonardo

Leonardo

Commercial Photos & Graphics Digital Painting Software

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.

Unique Features

  • Exceptional drawing performance and responsiveness.
  • Innovative and useful infinite canvas.
  • Clean and intuitive user interface.

Compared to Krita

Exceptional drawing performance and responsiveness. compared to Krita
Feature set is more focused compared to some industry-leading software. unlike Krita
Black Ink

Black Ink

Freemium Photos & Graphics Digital Painting Software

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.

Unique Features

  • Highly innovative generative brush engine for unique tool creation.
  • Exceptional control over brush behavior and dynamics.
  • Infinite canvas is great for large scale work and experimentation.

Compared to Krita

Highly innovative generative brush engine for unique tool creation. compared to Krita
Significant learning curve for mastering brush creation. unlike Krita
PixBuilder

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.

Unique Features

  • Completely free to download and use.
  • Strong support for layers and non-destructive editing.
  • Ability to open Adobe Photoshop (PSD) files.

Compared to Krita

Completely free to download and use. compared to Krita
Limited range of advanced filters and effects compared to commercial alternatives. unlike Krita
Verve Painter

Verve Painter

Free Digital Painting Digital Painting

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.

Unique Features

  • Unique and realistic paint simulation using fluid dynamics
  • GPU acceleration for smooth performance
  • Portable and requires no installation

Compared to Krita

Unique and realistic paint simulation using fluid dynamics compared to Krita
Limited feature set compared to general-purpose painting software unlike Krita
PhoXo

PhoXo

Open Source Photos & Graphics 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.

Unique Features

  • Completely free to use, offering significant value.
  • Comprehensive set of image editing and digital art tools.
  • Supports layers for non-destructive editing and complex compositions.

Compared to Krita

Completely free to use, offering significant value. compared to Krita
User interface can feel somewhat dated. unlike Krita
ibis Paint X

ibis Paint X

Free Digital Art Digital Art

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.

Unique Features

  • Extensive brush library with high customization
  • Unlimited layers support with blending modes
  • Excellent performance on mobile devices

Compared to Krita

Extensive brush library with high customization compared to Krita
Ads in the free version can be intrusive unlike Krita

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