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Top Alternatives to PaintTool SAI

Looking for PaintTool SAI alternatives? We've curated 20 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.

Platforms:
Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop

Commercial

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Industry-leading professional image editing capabilities compared to PaintTool SAI
Krita

Krita

Open Source

Krita is a powerful, free, and open-source painting program designed for professional artists and illustrators. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for digital painting, sketching, image editing, and animation, making it a versatile solution for various creative workflows.

Key Features

  • Free and open-source with no hidden costs.
  • Powerful and highly customizable brush engine.
  • Comprehensive layer management capabilities.

vs PaintTool SAI

Free and open-source with no hidden costs. compared to PaintTool SAI
MyPaint

MyPaint

Open Source

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Excellent customizable brush engine for natural media simulation. compared to PaintTool SAI
Microsoft Paint

Microsoft Paint is a foundational image editing and creation tool included with all versions of Microsoft Windows, offering basic functionalities for drawing, coloring, and manipulating images.

Key Features

  • Included free with all Windows versions
  • Extremely simple and easy to learn
  • Low system resource usage

vs PaintTool SAI

Included free with all Windows versions compared to PaintTool SAI
Seashore

Seashore

Open Source

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Free and open source compared to PaintTool SAI
Autodesk SketchBook

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Intuitive and easy-to-use interface with radial menus. compared to PaintTool SAI
Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint

Commercial

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Excellent drawing and inking engine with natural feel compared to PaintTool SAI
Corel Painter

Corel Painter

Commercial

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Industry-leading realistic traditional media simulation. compared to PaintTool SAI
FireAlpaca

FireAlpaca

Free

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Completely free to download and use. compared to PaintTool SAI
MyBrushes

MyBrushes

Commercial

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Highly customizable and extensive brush collection. compared to PaintTool SAI
Livebrush

Livebrush

Free

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.

Key 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.

vs PaintTool SAI

Creates unique and dynamic brush strokes not found in traditional software. compared to PaintTool SAI
Vectr

Vectr

Free

Vectr is a straightforward, free online vector graphics editor, ideal for creating logos, illustrations, presentations, and other scalable designs. Its intuitive interface and cloud-based nature make it accessible for beginners and collaborative projects.

Key Features

  • Free and no subscription required
  • Web-based, accessible from any device
  • Intuitive and easy to learn interface

vs PaintTool SAI

Free and no subscription required compared to PaintTool SAI
Photopea

Photopea

Free

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.

Key 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.

vs PaintTool SAI

Completely free to use with no installation required. compared to PaintTool SAI
SketchPort

SketchPort

Free

SketchPort is a versatile web-based digital drawing application designed for artists of all skill levels. Offering a modern interface and a comprehensive suite of tools, it facilitates everything from quick sketches to detailed illustrations, with features like layer support, customizable brushes, and community integration.

Key Features

  • Free and accessible via web browser, no installation needed.
  • Strong layer support and management capabilities.
  • Customizable brushes offer significant artistic flexibility.

vs PaintTool SAI

Free and accessible via web browser, no installation needed. compared to PaintTool SAI
Gimp Paint Studio

Gimp Paint Studio

Open Source

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Vast library of high-quality brushes. compared to PaintTool SAI
openCanvas

openCanvas

Commercial

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.

Key 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.

vs PaintTool SAI

Excellent brush engine with extensive customization options. compared to PaintTool SAI
Leonardo

Leonardo

Commercial

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Exceptional drawing performance and responsiveness. compared to PaintTool SAI
PixBuilder

PixBuilder

Free

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Completely free to download and use. compared to PaintTool SAI
Verve Painter

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Unique and realistic paint simulation using fluid dynamics compared to PaintTool SAI
ibis Paint X

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.

Key Features

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

vs PaintTool SAI

Extensive brush library with high customization compared to PaintTool SAI

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