The best Krita alternatives in 2026
Krita scores 8.7 and ranks #5 in Design & Creativity. It's not for everyone: skip it if you draw on an iPad, where Krita isn't available. Here's every alternative we rank, and exactly where each one is stronger or weaker.
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- Better design +1.7
- Faster +1.5
Best for: Illustrators, letterers and hobby painters who draw on an iPad with Apple Pencil
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- Faster +1.0
- More features +0.7
Best for: 3D artists, indie game makers and animators who want pro tools for free
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- Less private -2.9
- Better design +1.7
- Faster +1.3
- Worse value -1.3
Best for: Product designers and teams building apps and websites together
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- Less private -1.9
- Better design +1.0
- Faster +1.0
- More features +0.4
Best for: Designers and photographers who want a free alternative to Adobe's desktop apps
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- Less private -2.6
- Better design +1.0
- Faster +0.6
- Worse value -0.5
Best for: Beginners and hobby painters who want a capable drawing app that costs nothing
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- Less private -3.7
- Worse value -1.3
- Better design +1.2
- Faster +0.8
Best for: Small businesses, students and creators making social posts, slides and flyers
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- Less private -2.5
- Worse value -2.3
- Better design +1.2
- Faster +0.8
Best for: Designers, startups and freelancers who want a polished marketing site without code
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- Less private -2.7
- Worse value -2.3
- More features +0.8
- Faster +0.8
Best for: Comic, manga and webtoon artists who want pro tools on iPad and desktop
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- Less private -4.5
- Worse value -1.3
- Faster +0.6
- Weaker design -0.4
Best for: Students and hobby artists who want a capable free app on an iPad or phone
Still deciding on Krita?Read our full review, pros and cons.