The Best Digital Painting Software in 2026
We researched digital painting software through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. Products are ranked on their core painting and drawing capabilities, value for money and verified features, helping artists compare tools for computers and tablets.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Krita#1 of 469.4/10A broad, professional-grade painting toolkit with no paid plan and wide platform coverage.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Clip Studio Paint#2 of 469.3/10A broad digital art workspace spanning illustration, comics, 3D, animation, and cloud tools.
-
Top-ranked free plan
ibisPaint#5 of 468.9/10A capable free painting app with broad platform coverage and paid color, cloud, and desktop upgrades.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 46 tools, best first
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Best forProfessional-grade painting on major desktop OSes
A broad, professional-grade painting toolkit with no paid plan and wide platform coverage.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Krita -
Best forIllustrators and comic artists needing broad workflows
A broad digital art workspace spanning illustration, comics, 3D, animation, and cloud tools.
9.3/10★★★★★Visit site -
Best foriPad artists wanting a polished painting workflow
A polished iPad painting workflow with broad creative tools and limited platform coverage.
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Procreate -
Best forNatural-media painters seeking advanced brush control
A deep digital painting studio for artists who want natural-media brush simulation.
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Corel Painter -
Best forFree cross-platform painting with advanced color tools
A capable free painting app with broad platform coverage and paid color, cloud, and desktop upgrades.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit ibisPaint -
Best forAdobe users painting across desktop and iPad
A capable Adobe-connected painting app with a generous free tier and iPad workflow.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Adobe Fresco -
Best forSerious watercolor and oil simulation
A focused choice for artists who want detailed watercolor and oil simulation.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Rebelle -
Best forAccessible sketching across desktop and mobile
A flexible sketching tool with broad platform coverage and a useful free starting point.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Sketchbook -
Best forMobile painters needing advanced color management
A capable mobile painting app for artists who need precise color and PSD workflows.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Infinite -
Best forTeams needing collaborative digital painting
A flexible open-source painting app for solo artists and real-time creative teams.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Drawpile -
Best forExperimental desktop painting and custom brush design
A focused desktop painting tool for procedural brushes, GPU paint, and experimental effects.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Sable Paint -
Best forBrush-focused painters wanting a low-cost desktop license
A low-cost desktop painting app for artists who want detailed brush control.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forOpen-source desktop painting with animation and AI options
InkForge combines pressure brushes, animation, layered editing, and optional AI tools at no cost.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit InkForge -
Best forWindows illustrators needing animation and comics
A capable free Windows art studio with paid animation, vector, and comic upgrades.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Limner -
Best forTraditional-media painting on desktop or mobile
A focused choice for traditional-media painting with strong desktop tools and affordable mobile access.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit ArtRage Vitae -
Best forApple-platform artists needing PSD and animation tools
A capable Apple-focused art app with PSD support, animation, and layered workflows.
- Brush customization
- Layer support
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Artstudio Pro -
Best forFree comic and manga creation across devices
A capable free option for artists making comics and manga across devices.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit MediBang Paint -
Best forFree desktop painting with animation basics
A free desktop painting app with pressure input, animation tools, and Linux support.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit FireAlpaca -
Best foriPad users wanting realistic media tools
A focused iPad painting app with realistic media, layers, and PSD export.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Art Set 4 -
Best forFree painting across nearly every platform
A free, cross-platform painting app with textured brushes, layers, fills, and timelapse export.
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit HEAVYPAINT -
Best forWindows artists needing animation and effects
A Windows painting tool with unusually broad animation, effects, and terrain capabilities.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit PD Howler -
Best forWindows artists needing technical layer control
A technical Windows painting tool for artists who need deep brush and layer control.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Black Ink -
Best forMinimalist open-source desktop painting
A focused desktop painting app with expressive brushes, layers, and tablet support.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit MyPaint -
Best forNatural-media sketching on Apple and Android devices
A natural-media drawing app with strong brush tools, layers, and PSD export.
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
7.0/10★★★★☆Try Tayasui Sketches -
Best forWindows users wanting a huge brush library
A deep Windows painting toolkit for artists who want extensive brush and filter control.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit TwistedBrush -
Best forFree basic painting on Windows or macOS
A capable free starting point for non-commercial digital painting on Windows and macOS.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Artweaver -
Best forSketching and visual planning with painting tools
A flexible infinite-canvas app for sketching, planning and precision visual work.
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Concepts -
Best forBrowser users wanting AI-assisted painting
A capable browser art editor with broad tools, but no desktop or native mobile app.
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Sumo Paint -
Best forFree lightweight painting across desktop and web
A capable free painting app with broad platform support and layered workflows.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Light Brush -
Best forWindows manga artists wanting a simple paid tool
A focused, one-time-purchase painting tool for Windows manga artists.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit PaintTool SAI -
Best forParticle-effect artists and Photoshop users
A focused particle-effects tool with vector layers and Photoshop integration.
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Flame Painter -
Best forWindows users wanting a long trial and replay tools
A Windows-focused painting app with replay tools, PSD support, and a 120-day trial.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit openCanvas -
Best forFree Windows painting with PSD compatibility
A capable free Windows painting tool with layers, pressure support, and PSD compatibility.
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Pixia -
Best forWindows tablet users wanting focused sketching
A focused Windows sketching app with pressure-sensitive brushes, layers, and stabilization.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
6.0/10★★★☆☆Try Sketchable Plus -
Best forBeginners exploring realistic digital media
An approachable choice for realistic digital-media workflows across desktop and iPad.
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit site -
Best forFree Windows process-recording painters
A capable free painting workspace for Windows artists who want process recording.
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit SpeedyPainter -
Best forBeginners seeking simple traditional-media effects
A free, approachable painting app for Windows beginners and casual creators.
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Microsoft -
Best forWindows sketchers needing an infinite canvas
A focused Windows painting app for infinite-canvas sketching and tablet input.
- Stroke stabilization
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Leonardo -
Best forFree mobile sketching with common exports
A capable free mobile canvas for sketching, painting, and common file exports.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit SeePaint -
Best forSymmetry and tessellation-focused mobile artists
A focused raster app for symmetrical artwork, with layers and stylus support.
- Stroke stabilization
- Brush customization
- Pressure sensitivity
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Amaziograph -
Best forSimple free infinite-canvas drawing
A focused free painting app for infinite-canvas drawing on Windows and Linux.
- Pressure sensitivity
- Layer support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Milton -
Best forPixel artists and retro game creators
A focused open-source choice for pixel artists and retro game graphics.
- Brush customization
- Layer support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit GrafX2 -
Best forChildren and classroom painting
A friendly, free painting tool for children and classrooms, not advanced digital artists.
- Brush customization
- Layer support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Tux Paint -
Best forWindows users needing basic free image painting
A free Windows painting app for basic drawing, editing, layers, and supported AI tools.
- Layer support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Open Microsoft Paint -
Best forBasic painting on macOS
A free macOS painting tool for basic edits, annotations, and casual drawings.
5.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Paintbrush -
Best forBasic free shape and image editing
A free, focused desktop tool for basic shapes, touch-ups, selections, and image effects.
5.1/10★★★☆☆Visit KDE
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Brush customization | Layer support | Pressure sensitivity | Supported platforms | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Krita | Yes | Free | 9.4 | ||||
| 2 | Clip Studio Paint | No | $0.99/mo | 9.3 | ||||
| 3 | Procreate | No | 9.1 | |||||
| 4 | Corel Painter | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS | 9.0 | |
| 5 | ibisPaint | Yes | $27.99/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | windows, macos, ios, android | 8.9 |
| 6 | Adobe Fresco | Yes | Free | 8.8 | ||||
| 7 | Rebelle | No | $89.99 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS | 8.7 |
| 8 | Sketchbook | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | windows, macos, ios, android | 8.6 | |
| 9 | Infinite Painter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | android, ios | 8.5 | |
| 10 | Drawpile | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | web, windows, macOS, Linux, Android | 8.4 |
| 11 | Sable Paint | Yes | $49 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS | 8.3 |
| 12 | Paintstorm Studio | No | $25 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad | 8.2 |
| 13 | InkForge | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS, Linux | 8.1 |
| 14 | Limner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows | 8.0 | |
| 15 | ArtRage Vitae | No | $4.99 one-time | 7.9 | ||||
| 16 | Artstudio Pro | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, iPadOS, macOS | 7.8 | ||
| 17 | MediBang Paint | Yes | 2,480 JPY/yr | 7.7 | ||||
| 18 | FireAlpaca | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS, Linux | 7.6 |
| 19 | Art Set 4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ios | 7.5 | |
| 20 | HEAVYPAINT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | web, windows, macos, linux, ios, android | 7.4 | |
| 21 | PD Howler | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows | 7.3 | ||
| 22 | Black Ink | No | €99/seat/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | windows | 7.2 |
| 23 | MyPaint | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | linux, macos, windows | 7.1 |
| 24 | Tayasui Sketches | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ios, macos, android | 7.0 | |
| 25 | TwistedBrush Pro Studio | No | $109 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | windows | 6.9 |
| 26 | Artweaver | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS | 6.8 | |
| 27 | Concepts | Yes | 6.7 | |||||
| 28 | Sumo Paint | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | web | 6.6 | |
| 29 | Light Brush | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, web | 6.5 |
| 30 | PaintTool SAI | No | 5,500 JPY one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows | 6.4 |
| 31 | Flame Painter | No | $49.99 one-time | 6.3 | ||||
| 32 | openCanvas | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows | 6.2 | |
| 33 | Pixia | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows | 6.1 |
| 34 | Sketchable Plus | No | $19.99 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | windows | 6.0 |
| 35 | Realistic Paint Studio | No | $25 one-time | Yes | Yes | Windows, macOS, iPad | 6.0 | |
| 36 | SpeedyPainter | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows | 6.0 |
| 37 | Fresh Paint | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Windows | 6.0 | |
| 38 | Leonardo | No | No | Yes | Yes | Windows | 6.0 | |
| 39 | SeePaint | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | ios, android | 6.0 |
| 40 | Amaziograph | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android, Windows | 6.0 | |
| 41 | Milton | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Windows, Linux | 6.0 | |
| 42 | GrafX2 | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Windows, Linux | 6.0 | |
| 43 | Tux Paint | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | No | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | 6.0 |
| 44 | Microsoft Paint | Yes | Free | Yes | Windows | 6.0 | ||
| 45 | Paintbrush | Yes | Free | macOS | 5.3 | |||
| 46 | KolourPaint | Yes | Free | linux, macos | 5.1 |
Head-to-head All 24 comparisons →
- Krita vs Procreate
- Krita vs Corel Painter
- Krita vs ibisPaint
- Krita vs Adobe Fresco
- Krita vs Rebelle
- Clip Studio Paint vs Procreate
- Clip Studio Paint vs Corel Painter
- Clip Studio Paint vs Adobe Fresco
- Clip Studio Paint vs Rebelle
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How we rank digital painting software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update