Krita vs Adobe Fresco

Krita9.4Visit Adobe Fresco8.8Visit

Higher score Krita #1 in Digital Painting Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Krita

vs

Adobe Fresco #6 in Digital Painting Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Adobe Fresco

• Krita fits best

  Professional-grade painting on major desktop OSes

• Adobe Fresco fits best

  Adobe users painting across desktop and iPad

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Side by side

Feature	Krita 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Adobe Fresco 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Digital Painting Software	#6 in Digital Painting Software
Best for	Professional-grade painting on major desktop OSes	Adobe users painting across desktop and iPad
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	Windows, iOS, macOS
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Krita 0/4 · Adobe Fresco 0/4
Brush customization	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Layer support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Pressure sensitivity	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Stroke stabilization	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Color management	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free GNU GPL v3 application with commercial use permitted Raster, vector, layers, masks, color management, and animation tools Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android tablets in beta	Pixel, live, and vector brushes in one app Unlimited layers, animation, symmetry, and vector tools Cloud documents connect workflows across Photoshop and Illustrator
Cons	Android tablet version is still in beta No iOS or iPadOS support Extensive features may exceed the needs of simple painting workflows	The paid tier bundles Photoshop on iPad rather than Fresco alone Free cloud storage is limited to 5 GB Collaboration allows one collaborator to edit at a time
Our verdict	Krita is a free, open-source digital painting application for illustrators, comic artists, concept artists, animators, and other digital creators. Its toolkit covers raster painting, brush engines, vector layers, layer and mask-based… Read the review →	Adobe Fresco is a digital painting and drawing application for artists, illustrators, and other digital creators. It runs on supported Windows devices and iPhone or iPad, with touch and stylus workflows. Its toolset spans pixel, live, and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Krita — where it wins

  • Free GNU GPL v3 application with commercial use permitted
  • Raster, vector, layers, masks, color management, and animation tools
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android tablets in beta

  Where it doesn't

  • Android tablet version is still in beta
  • No iOS or iPadOS support
  • Extensive features may exceed the needs of simple painting workflows

• Adobe Fresco — where it wins

  • Pixel, live, and vector brushes in one app
  • Unlimited layers, animation, symmetry, and vector tools
  • Cloud documents connect workflows across Photoshop and Illustrator

  Where it doesn't

  • The paid tier bundles Photoshop on iPad rather than Fresco alone
  • Free cloud storage is limited to 5 GB
  • Collaboration allows one collaborator to edit at a time

• Krita9.4/10 · Free plan

  A broad, professional-grade painting toolkit with no paid plan and wide platform coverage.

  Visit KritaFull verdict →
• Adobe Fresco8.8/10 · Free plan

  A capable Adobe-connected painting app with a generous free tier and iPad workflow.

  Visit Adobe FrescoFull verdict →