Krita vs Drawpile

Krita9.3Visit Drawpile7.9Visit

Higher score Krita #1 in Sketching Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Krita

vs

Drawpile #8 in Sketching Software 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Drawpile

• Krita fits best

  Free desktop illustration and animation

• Drawpile fits best

  Free collaborative sketching with desktop flexibility

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Side by side

Feature	Krita 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Drawpile 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	7.9
Ranking	#1 in Sketching Software	#8 in Sketching Software
Best for	Free desktop illustration and animation	Free collaborative sketching with desktop flexibility
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile, Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Krita 0/4 · Drawpile 1/4
Pressure sensitivity	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Layer support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Cloud sync	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Vector drawing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Export formats	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Configurable brush engines, layers, masks and painting stabilizers Vector tools, color management and reusable document templates Frame-by-frame raster animation with image-sequence and video export	Real-time collaborative sessions, with options to use public servers or self-host Over 200 brushes, pressure support, layers and stroke stabilization Animation tools and OpenRaster and PSD export support
Cons	Its focus is painting and illustration, not a broad design suite Support channels are community and documentation Android builds are available, but desktop is the core application experience	Its broad painting toolkit may be more than casual sketching needs iPad and iPhone access is through a browser, not a native app Community and documentation are the listed support channels
Our verdict	Krita is a free, open-source painting program for illustrators, comic artists, concept artists and texture painters. Its Windows, macOS and Linux desktop applications bring configurable brushes, layers, masks, vector tools and color… Read the review →	Drawpile is a free, open-source digital painting and drawing application for artists who want offline tools or real-time collaboration. Its solo and shared-canvas features suit individual artists and small groups, while desktop apps and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Krita — where it wins

  • Configurable brush engines, layers, masks and painting stabilizers
  • Vector tools, color management and reusable document templates
  • Frame-by-frame raster animation with image-sequence and video export

  Where it doesn't

  • Its focus is painting and illustration, not a broad design suite
  • Support channels are community and documentation
  • Android builds are available, but desktop is the core application experience

• Drawpile — where it wins

  • Real-time collaborative sessions, with options to use public servers or self-host
  • Over 200 brushes, pressure support, layers and stroke stabilization
  • Animation tools and OpenRaster and PSD export support

  Where it doesn't

  • Its broad painting toolkit may be more than casual sketching needs
  • iPad and iPhone access is through a browser, not a native app
  • Community and documentation are the listed support channels

• Krita9.3/10 · Free plan

  A free desktop painting app with configurable brushes, illustration tools and raster animation.

  Visit KritaFull verdict →
• Drawpile7.9/10 · Free plan

  A flexible drawing app for solo work and shared sessions, with desktop, mobile and browser access.

  Visit DrawpileFull verdict →