Drawpile review
A flexible open-source painting app for solo artists and real-time creative teams.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Drawpile is a free, libre and open-source digital painting application for artists who want offline tools or real-time collaborative sessions. It suits teams working together on a shared canvas as well as individual artists who need configurable brushes, tablet pressure support, layers, blend modes, animation tools and canvas stabilization. The software is available on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, with a browser version for other platforms including iPad and iPhone.
Its open-source model makes the core application available without a paid plan structure. Drawpile supports browser access alongside desktop and mobile platforms, while OpenRaster and PSD export help move artwork into compatible workflows. Teams can join public servers or use dedicated server and self-hosting tools, giving organizations a choice between hosted collaboration and managing their own session infrastructure. On iPad and iPhone, the experience is browser-based rather than a native App Store application.
The standout capability is collaborative painting: multiple artists can work in real time while still using a substantial painting toolkit. Brush customization includes more than 200 built-in brushes, multiple brush engines, configurable presets and pressure-sensitive tablet support. Layers, layer groups, blend modes, clipping groups, alpha controls, selections, transforms, flood fill, an animation timeline and onion skins extend the canvas beyond basic sketching. Drawpile is a strong fit for teams that value open-source access, shared sessions and self-hosting. Artists seeking only a lightweight solo painting tool may find its collaboration and server options unnecessary.
Drawpile pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Real-time collaborative sessions with public servers or self-hosting
- 200+ brushes, pressure support, layers, animation and stabilization
- Runs on web, Windows, macOS, Linux and Android
- Where it doesn't
- iPad and iPhone access is browser-based rather than a native app
- Collaborative work requires a public or self-hosted server connection
- The broad feature set may exceed simple painting needs
Drawpile fact sheet, pricing and score →
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