Krita review
Free, open-source painting for desktop and Android tablets
- Krita Foundation
- Free
- Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
Does it deserve #5?
Is Krita worth it?
For most people, yes. Krita scores 8.7/10 and ranks #5 in Design & Creativity. It's best for digital painters and comic artists on a PC, Mac or Linux machine. Skip it if you draw on an iPad, where Krita isn't available. Price: Free from krita.org; optional paid store versions and donations fund development.
The verdict
Krita gives Windows, Mac and Linux painters a serious studio for free. You get flexible brush engines with stabilizers, drawing assistants, animation with onion skinning, comic panel tools and PSD support, and the 2026 releases rewrote the text tool. It's open source and collects no data at all. Expect a busier interface than Procreate, and the Android build is still a beta for tablets and Chromebooks only.
- Brush engines with stabilizers
- Drawing assistants
- Animation with onion skinning
- Comic panel editor
- PSD support and Python scripting
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What's new
- Sep 2026Krita 5.3.4 and 6.0.4 fix bugs and add video export on Android
- Jul 2026Krita 5.3.3 adds optional in-app donations on Android, with no features paywalled
- Mar 2026Krita 5.3 and 6.0 bring a rewritten text tool and a comic panel editor
Privacy 9.9/10
Krita says it does not access, collect, use, share or transmit any personal information. The Mac App Store label reads Data Not Collected, and Google Play lists no data collected.
What we like
- Free and open source, with nothing paywalled
- Collects no personal data at all
- Runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android tablets
What could be better
- Interface can feel cluttered and slow to start
- Android version is a tablet-only beta
- No iPad or iPhone version
Digital painters and comic artists on a PC, Mac or Linux machine
you draw on an iPad, where Krita isn't available
Questions about Krita
Is Krita worth it in 2026?
For most people, yes. Krita scores 8.7/10 and ranks #5 in Design & Creativity. It's best for digital painters and comic artists on a PC, Mac or Linux machine. Skip it if you draw on an iPad, where Krita isn't available. Price: Free from krita.org; optional paid store versions and donations fund development.
Is Krita free?
Yes, Krita is free and open source under the GPL v3. Paid store versions exist only as an optional way to support development.
Is Krita on iPad?
No. Krita runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android tablets or Chromebooks, and the project says iPads and iPhones are not supported.
Should I download Krita 5.3 or 6.0?
Krita 5.3 is the recommended release. Krita 6.0 is the newer Qt6 build offered alongside it as early access.
What are the best alternatives to Krita?
The closest alternatives are Procreate, Affinity and Blender. See all of them ranked on our Krita alternatives page.
Where does Krita rank?
Krita ranks #5 of 10 in our Design & Creativity ranking, with an overall score of 8.7 out of 10.