Charcoal AlternativesDigital Painting Tools and other similar apps like Charcoal

Charcoal is described as '- Charcoal is incredibly easy to use: Just create or open a sketch and start drawing. There are no layers, properties panels or confusing settings. Instead, Charcoal features rich tools and beautiful color palettes' and is a digital painting tool in the photos & graphics category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Charcoal for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone and Android apps. The best Charcoal alternative is Krita, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Charcoal are Paint.NET, Affinity, MyPaint and Clip Studio Paint.

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Alternatives list

  1. Krita icon

    Krita

     1407 likes
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    Free, open-source painting software designed by artists for artists. Offers customizable UI, 9 brush engines, color management, tablet support, non-destructive editing, and privacy features. Portable and available on major platforms, supporting seamless texture creation.

    140 Krita alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android Tablet
    • KDE Plasma
    • Epic Games Store
    • PortableApps.com
    • Steam
    • F-Droid
    Main Window
     

    • Krita is the most popular Windows, Mac, Linux & Android Tablet alternative to Charcoal.

    • Krita is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Charcoal.

    • Krita is Free and Open SourceCharcoal is Free and Proprietary
    • Krita is Lightweight, Customizable and Privacy focusedCharcoal is not according to our users
  2. Paint.NET icon

    Paint.NET

     1647 likes
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    Free Windows image editor with support for layers, plugins, and special effects. Offers intuitive interface, works offline, ad-free, and portable, consuming fewer resources.

    163 Paint.NET alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • .NET Framework
    Paint.NET screenshot 1
     
  4. Affinity icon

    Affinity

     44 likes
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    Unified design solution merging advanced photo, vector, and layout tools for seamless workflow, non-destructive editing, RAW support, batch processing, AI enhancements, GPU acceleration, file compatibility, cloud asset integration, and tailored workspace options.

    64 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Affinity screenshot 1
     
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Corel Painter icon
    Corel Painter

    Corel Painter offers realistic traditional media simulation with features like customizable brushes, extensive format support, layering, blending tools, and more, tailored for professional artists working in drawing, painting, an...

    https://www.painterartist.com
    Learn More
  6. MyPaint icon

    MyPaint

     387 likes
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    MyPaint is a fast, distraction-free, and easy painting tool for digital artists. It supports graphics tablets made by Wacom, and many similar devices.

    126 MyPaint alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    MyPaint screenshot 1
     
  7. Clip Studio Paint icon

    Clip Studio Paint

     132 likes
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    Professional software for comic and manga creation, optimized with panel layouts, perspective rulers, sketching, inking, toning, vector support, and 3D model import, suitable for artists seeking advanced drawing and coloring tools.

    101 Clip Studio Paint alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once or Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
    Customizable workspace
     

    • Clip Studio Paint is the most popular Android, iPhone & iPad alternative to Charcoal.

    • Clip Studio Paint is the most popular commercial alternative to Charcoal.

    • Clip Studio Paint is Paid and ProprietaryCharcoal is Free and Proprietary
    • Clip Studio Paint is Customizable and LightweightCharcoal is not according to our users
  8. Procreate icon

    Procreate

     164 likes
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    Procreate is a versatile, award-winning app for creative digital drawing and painting on iOS. It delivers a robust, professional toolset with hundreds of configurable brushes, a powerful layering system, vector graphic tools, and comprehensive design capabilities, ensuring desktop-level flexibility and power.

    62 Procreate alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Procreate screenshot 1
     
  10. FireAlpaca icon

    FireAlpaca

     88 likes
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    FireAlpaca is the image editor that can be used readily and easily. We made it possible to provide the completely free download, in order for our products to be experienced by more users from all over the world. It is available for both Mac and Windows users!

    122 FireAlpaca alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    FireAlpaca screenshot 1
     
  13. PaintTool SAI icon

    PaintTool SAI

     140 likes
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    PaintTool SAI is high quality and lightweight painting software, fully digitizer support, amazing anti-aliased paintings, provide easy and stable operation, this software make digital art more enjoyable and comfortable.

    91 PaintTool SAI alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    PaintTool SAI screenshot 1
     
  14. Kleki icon

    Kleki

     11 likes
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    Kleki is a multi-platform web app for painting and editing. It features: 4 different brushes; pressure sensitivity for Wacom tablets; up to 8 layers; numerous filters with real-time preview; import to PSD, PNG, JPEG; export to JPEG and PNG; upload to imgur.com; local storage.

    64 Kleki alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    Kleki screenshot 1
     

    • Kleki is the most popular Web-based alternative to Charcoal.

    • Kleki is Free and Open SourceCharcoal is Free and Proprietary
    • Kleki is LightweightCharcoal is not according to our users
  15. Concepts icon

    Concepts

     31 likes
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    Concepts is the digital design sketchbook of the future. It’s powerful, flexible and smart, so you can go from quick sketches to beautiful and precise illustrations in a single app. Enhance your creative capabilities with our infinite canvas, flexible multi-touch shape guides...

    42 Concepts alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Concepts screenshot 1
     
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