Krita
Free open-source painting and illustration app beloved by digital artists.
Quick facts
- Price model
- Open source
- Starting price
- Free
- Best for
- Digital painting · Comics · 2D animation
- Replaces
- Clip Studio Paint subscription, Procreate-only iPad workflows on desktop
- Platforms
- MacWindowsLinux
- Last verified
- 2026-06-22
Why it's listed
Studio-quality brushes without Clip Studio's recurring license debates.
Krita offers brushes, animation timelines, and tablet support competitive with paid apps. Donation-supported development—no subscription gate for professional painting tools.
The catch
Less industry-standard than Photoshop for photo retouching crossover.
Good fit for
- Illustrators
- Animators
- Hobby painters
Not ideal for
- Photographers primarily
Alternatives
Affinity Designer
Professional vector design software you buy once—no Creative Cloud subscription.
Replaces: Adobe Illustrator subscription
GIMP
Free open-source image editor for photo retouching, compositing, and formats.
Replaces: Adobe Photoshop subscription, Pixelmator Pro for basics
Affinity Photo
Pay-once photo editing and compositing—serious Photoshop alternative.
Replaces: Adobe Photoshop subscription, Luminar Neo subscriptions
Affinity Publisher
Desktop publishing with one-time purchase—layout books, magazines, and PDFs.
Replaces: Adobe InDesign subscription