The Best Free Drawing Software in 2026
Pick Krita: its free painting app combines configurable brush engines with frame-by-frame raster animation. Krita is the best free option, while Enkava is the cheapest paid option at $2.99 a month. Adobe Fresco suits artists seeking Adobe brush styles and app workflows, pairing watercolor and oil effects with vector and pixel tools, animation, and cloud documents. MediBang Paint suits manga creators using computers and phones, offering comic panels, multipage projects, and cloud syncing. For browser-based collaborative work, Drawpile lets people draw together in real time and can be self-hosted, making it useful for groups that need control over sessions. ibisPaint is a practical choice for cross-device illustrators who need print-ready color, since it supports CMYK export controls alongside customizable brushes, layers, and pressure settings; its Premium Membership costs $4.49 a month. The starting-price range is from $2.99 a month (Enkava) to $9.99 a month (Magma), whose paid option expands collaboration and layer capacity.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Krita#1 of 579.4/10A capable free painting program with animation tools for desktop and Android.
Free plan
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Runner-up
Adobe Fresco#2 of 579.3/10Fresco combines pixel, live, and vector brushes with animation and Adobe app exchange.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
ibisPaint#3 of 579.2/10A cross-device drawing app with customizable brushes, layers, and CMYK export options.
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 57 tools, best first · page 1 of 2
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Best forFree digital painting across desktop and Android
A capable free painting program with animation tools for desktop and Android.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Krita -
Best forArtists who want Adobe brushes and app workflows
Fresco combines pixel, live, and vector brushes with animation and Adobe app exchange.
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Adobe Fresco -
Best forCross-device drawing with print-ready color options
A cross-device drawing app with customizable brushes, layers, and CMYK export options.
- Custom brushes
- Pen pressure support
9.2/10★★★★★Visit ibisPaint -
Best forArtists who want smooth strokes and flexible guides
A free sketching app with smoothing, guides and layers, plus paid desktop and mobile options.
- Custom brushes
- Pen pressure support
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Sketchbook -
Best forComic artists working across desktop and mobile
A free drawing app with comic tools and optional cloud-storage subscriptions.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit MediBang -
Best forWindows artists wanting a traditional painting toolkit
A traditional painting toolkit with brush customization, layers and tablet pressure support.
- Custom brushes
- Pen pressure support
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Artweaver -
Best forFree desktop painting with animation and CMYK display
A free painting app with customizable brushes, animation tools, and CMYK display.
- Custom brushes
- Pen pressure support
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit FireAlpaca -
Best forOpen-source painting with expressive brush control
A focused painting app for artists who want customizable brushes and tablet input.
- Custom brushes
- Pen pressure support
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit MyPaint -
Best forFree vector illustration and SVG editing
A capable free SVG editor for illustration and design, not a painting-first tool.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Inkscape -
Best forFree pixel art and animation across platforms
A free pixel-art editor with animation, tilemap tools, and exports across desktop, web, and Android.
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Pixelorama -
Best forBrowser-based painting without a desktop install
A capable browser painting app, though its full feature set is part of the broader Sumo suite.
- Custom brushes
- Pen pressure support
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Sumo Paint -
Best forLinux users focused on vector paths and SVG
A Linux vector editor with detailed path tools and SVG export.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Karbon -
Best forArtists making frame-based 2D animations
A desktop animation tool with bitmap and vector workflows for frame-based 2D work.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Pencil2D -
Best forBrowser artists seeking brushes and drawing guides
A free browser drawing app with a broad brush set, layers, and drawing guides.
- Pen pressure support
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit KRESKA.art -
Best forFree raster and pixel painting on many devices
A free drawing app with layered painting, pixel tools and exports across major platforms.
- Custom brushes
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit WeebPaint -
Best forFree collaborative drawing with self-hosting options
A free drawing app with deep brush controls, animation tools and live collaboration.
- Custom brushes
- Pen pressure support
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Drawpile -
Best forArtists and teams drawing together on shared canvases
A capable raster painting tool for artists who want to draw together on shared canvases.
- Custom brushes
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Magma -
Best forWeb and mobile pixel-art animation
A free, pixel-focused drawing app with frame animation, sprite-sheet export, and community publishing.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Pixilart -
Best forDesigners sketching on an infinite canvas
A flexible sketching workspace with useful free basics and paid Pro features.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Concepts -
Best forFree raster editing with scripting and batch tools
A free desktop editor for layered image work, with scripting and batch processing.
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit LazPaint -
Best forBrowser-based vector graphics and logo creation
A web-based vector editor with collaboration and AI tools, sold on a paid model.
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Vectr -
Best forWeb artists who need drawing and animation tools
A free browser editor spanning pixel art, painting, vector work, and 2D animation.
- Custom brushes
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Enkava -
Best forGeneral design users adding simple illustration
A flexible free design editor with drawing tools, but not a drawing-first workspace.
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Canva -
Best forMac artists wanting offline painting and comics tools
A free, offline macOS painting app that also organizes comics and frame animation.
- Custom brushes
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Velika -
Best forMobile artists who want vector and raster tools
A free hybrid canvas for mobile artists, with animation and comic tools in Pro.
- Pen pressure support
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Kreyon -
Best forAndroid artists using a pressure-sensitive stylus
A free Android art app with layers, custom brushes and stylus pressure support.
- Pen pressure support
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit ArtFlow -
Best forPaint-style drawing across web, desktop, and mobile
A familiar Paint-like toolkit with broad format support and offline desktop use.
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit JS Paint -
Best forBrowser pixel-art sprites and tilemap animation
A focused browser editor for pixel-art sprites, tilemaps and frame animation.
- Custom brushes
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit site -
Best forFree sprite editing and 2D animation
A focused free editor for pixel sprites, palettes, and 2D animation.
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit LibreSprite -
Best forBrowser users creating and editing vector artwork
Gusta Draw handles vector design in a browser, with layers, Bézier editing, and SVG and PDF export.
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Gusta Draw -
Best forSimple browser sketching with layers and stylus input
A free browser sketching studio with layers, pressure-sensitive brushes, and export tools.
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit SmoothDraw -
Best forUsers mixing painting with image editing and retouching
A capable free image editor whose strengths lean more toward retouching than drawing.
- Layer support
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit GIMP -
Best forDesktop users needing painting and image editing
A free desktop editor for basic painting, layered projects, and image adjustments.
5.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Impasto -
Best forFree basic image editing with layer preservation
A free desktop image editor for basic drawing, photo edits, and layered projects.
- Layer support
5.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Pinta -
Best forChildren and classrooms seeking simple free painting
A free, open-source painting app for children, homes, and classrooms.
- Custom brushes
5.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Tux Paint -
Best forQuick sketches, cards, and invitations
A free browser canvas that turns rough sketches into suggested drawings.
5.6/10★★★☆☆Visit AutoDraw -
Best forOccasional browser doodles and simple animations
A lightweight web tool for sketches and frame animations, with five local project slots.
- Layer support
5.5/10★★★☆☆Visit DrawIsland -
Best forMobile artists seeking realistic painting tools
A free drawing app with realistic media tools, layers and stylus pressure input.
- Custom brushes
- Pen pressure support
5.4/10★★★☆☆Try Tayasui Sketches -
Best forFree 2D animators who draw frame by frame
A free drawing workspace built around frame-by-frame 2D animation.
5.3/10★★★☆☆Visit TupiTube -
Best forBeginners making playful animated drawings
A free browser drawing studio for playful strokes, layers, and animated GIFs.
- Custom brushes
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
5.2/10★★★☆☆Visit JigglyPaint -
Best forLinux artists seeking pressure-aware painting
A capable Linux painting tool with pressure-aware brushes and layered, non-destructive editing.
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
5.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Lumi-o -
Best forWeb users creating and exporting SVG graphics
A free web editor for creating, refining, and exporting SVG graphics.
- Layer support
5.0/10★★☆☆☆Visit VectorDraw -
Best forFree 2D animation with drawing and scripting
A free 2D animation editor with drawing tools, scripting, and multiple export formats.
4.9/10★★☆☆☆Visit Wick Editor -
Best forFree browser-based painting and image editing
Kleki pairs accessible browser painting with layers and useful image-editing tools.
- Layer support
- Pen pressure support
4.8/10★★☆☆☆Visit Kleki -
Best forLinux and Mac users needing simple free drawing tools
A free desktop app for quick raster drawing and basic image touch-ups.
4.7/10★★☆☆☆Visit KDE -
Best forBrowser users needing simple vector and raster art
A free drawing editor for combining vector tools, raster brushes, and export options.
4.6/10★★☆☆☆Visit Sketchpad -
Best forApple users making lightweight vector illustrations
A focused, free vector editor for Apple users creating lightweight illustrations.
- Layer support
4.5/10★★☆☆☆View Inkpad Libre -
Best forPixel-art and animated-sprite creators
A focused free editor for pixel art and frame-based sprite animation.
4.4/10★★☆☆☆Visit Piskel -
Best forLinux users creating vector illustrations
A focused, open-source vector editor for Linux and UNIX-compatible systems.
- Layer support
4.3/10★★☆☆☆Visit Skencil -
Best forCasual browser-based drawing and pixel-art edits
A quick, no-download option for simple raster edits, sketches, and pixel art.
4.2/10★★☆☆☆Visit MCPaint
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Krita | Yes | Free | 9.4 |
| 2 | Adobe Fresco | Yes | Free | 9.3 |
| 3 | ibisPaint | Yes | $27.99/yr | 9.2 |
| 4 | Sketchbook | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | MediBang Paint | Yes | 2,480 JPY/yr | 8.8 |
| 6 | Artweaver | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 7 | FireAlpaca | Yes | Free | 8.6 |
| 8 | MyPaint | Yes | Free | 8.5 |
| 9 | Inkscape | Yes | Free | 8.4 |
| 10 | Pixelorama | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 11 | Sumo Paint | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 12 | Karbon | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 13 | Pencil2D | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 14 | KRESKA.art | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 15 | WeebPaint | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 16 | Drawpile | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 17 | Magma | Yes | $9.99/mo | 7.8 |
| 18 | Pixilart | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 19 | Concepts | Yes | 7.6 | |
| 20 | LazPaint | Yes | Free | 7.5 |
| 21 | Vectr | 7.4 | ||
| 22 | Enkava | Yes | $24.99/yr | 7.2 |
| 23 | Canva | Yes | 7.1 | |
| 24 | Velika | Yes | Free | 7.0 |
| 25 | Kreyon | Yes | 6.9 | |
| 26 | ArtFlow | Yes | 6.8 | |
| 27 | JS Paint | Yes | Free | 6.7 |
| 28 | Tiny Pixel Editor | Yes | Free | 6.6 |
| 29 | LibreSprite | Yes | Free | 6.5 |
| 30 | Gusta Draw | Yes | Free | 6.4 |
| 31 | SmoothDraw Studio 5 | Yes | Free | 6.3 |
| 32 | GIMP | Yes | Free | 6.1 |
| 33 | Impasto | Yes | Free | 5.9 |
| 34 | Pinta | Yes | Free | 5.8 |
| 35 | Tux Paint | Yes | Free | 5.7 |
| 36 | AutoDraw | Yes | Free | 5.6 |
| 37 | DrawIsland | Yes | Free | 5.5 |
| 38 | Tayasui Sketches | Yes | 5.4 | |
| 39 | TupiTube | Yes | Free | 5.3 |
| 40 | JigglyPaint | Yes | 5.2 | |
| 41 | Lumi-o | Yes | Free | 5.1 |
| 42 | VectorDraw | Yes | Free | 5.0 |
| 43 | Wick Editor | Yes | Free | 4.9 |
| 44 | Kleki | Yes | Free | 4.8 |
| 45 | KolourPaint | Yes | Free | 4.7 |
| 46 | Sketchpad | Yes | 4.6 | |
| 47 | Inkpad Libre | Yes | Free | 4.5 |
| 48 | Piskel | Yes | Free | 4.4 |
| 49 | Skencil | Yes | Free | 4.3 |
| 50 | MCPaint | Yes | Free | 4.2 |
Head-to-head All 19 comparisons →
- Krita vs Artweaver
- Krita vs FireAlpaca
- Krita vs MyPaint
- Adobe Fresco vs MediBang Paint
- Adobe Fresco vs Artweaver
- Adobe Fresco vs FireAlpaca
- Adobe Fresco vs MyPaint
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How we rank free drawing 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