Charcoal Alternatives

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, MyPaint, Procreate and Clip Studio Paint.

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Charcoal alternatives are mainly Digital Painting Tools but may also be Image Editors or Photo Editors.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Charcoal.
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  • 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.
More about Charcoal
Charcoal alternatives page was last updated May 23, 2023
  1. Tayasui Sketches icon
     24 likes

    Sketches is a perfect mix of beauty, simplicity and power, a truly unique combination you won't find anywhere else.

    73 Tayasui Sketches alternatives
    Tayasui Sketches screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free

    Features

    1.  Drawing Tablet Support
    2.  Support for Layers
    3.  Custom Brushes
    4.  Apple Pencil support
    5.  Automatic brightness dimming
    6.  Open PSD files
    7.  Support for styluses
    8.  Color blending
    9.  Sketching
    Tayasui Sketches iconCharcoal Icon

    Tayasui Sketches VS Charcoal

    Is Tayasui Sketches a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  2. SketchPort icon
     22 likes

    SketchPort is an online drawing community with free software for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. Draw, chat, vote, be inspired, be challenged and earn badges!

    30 SketchPort alternatives
    SketchPort screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Online

    SketchPort Features

    1. Google Drive icon  Google Drive integration
    SketchPort iconCharcoal Icon

    SketchPort VS Charcoal

    Is SketchPort a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
    • SketchPort is the most popular Web-based alternative to Charcoal.

    • SketchPort is Free and ProprietaryCharcoal is also Free and Proprietary
  3. TwistedBrush Pro Studio icon
     12 likes

    A powerful and unique digital art program, focusing on natural media painting, photo editing and illustrative styles.

    85 TwistedBrush Pro Studio alternatives
    TwistedBrush Pro Studio screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Windows

    TwistedBrush Pro Studio Features

    1.  Tablet support
    2.  Image Processing
    3.  Sketching
    4.  Photographic filters
    5.  Photoshop Plugins Support
    TwistedBrush Pro Studio iconCharcoal Icon

    TwistedBrush Pro Studio VS Charcoal

    Is this a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  4. Black Ink icon
     21 likes

    Black Ink is a digital painting software that uses your computer's rendering hardware to provide a perfectly responsive experience no matter your picture's size.

    33 Black Ink alternatives
    BlackInk User Interface

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Black Ink Features

    1.  Node Based
    2.  GPU Acceleration
    3.  Image Processing
    4.  Convert Photo to Painting
    Black Ink iconCharcoal Icon

    Black Ink VS Charcoal

    Is Black Ink a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  5. Milton icon
     14 likes

    Milton is an open source application that features an infinite canvas. It feels raster-based but internally it works with vectors. It lets you export your work at any resolution.

    25 Milton alternatives
    Milton screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Infinite canvas
    2.  Simple installation
    3.  Sketching
    4.  No Tracking
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Handwritten Notes
    7.  Pressure Sensitivity
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Image exporting
    11.  Unlimited undo
    Milton iconCharcoal Icon

    Milton VS Charcoal

    Is Milton a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  6. HiPaint icon
     2 likes

    HiPaint is a professional integrated drawing and coloring software specially designed for digital drawing creators. The intuitive and simple interface allows for easy and intelligent operation even for a newbie with a medium- or small-sized screen of a mobile device.

    27 HiPaint alternatives
    HiPaint screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad

    HiPaint Features

    1.  Support for Layers
    HiPaint iconCharcoal Icon

    HiPaint VS Charcoal

    Is HiPaint a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  7. Flame Painter icon
     7 likes

    Flame Painter is a unique paint program that lets you create original artworks with flame brushes.

    75 Flame Painter alternatives
    Flame Painter screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Flame Painter iconCharcoal Icon

    Flame Painter VS Charcoal

    Is Flame Painter a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  8. Livebrush icon
     23 likes

    Livebrush is a drawing application. It employs an easy-to-use brush tool that reacts to your gestures through the use of velocity and other motion controls. By combining simple motion controls with customizable brush styles, Livebrush offers a fun and unique way to create...

    58 Livebrush alternatives
    Livebrush screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Adobe AIR

    Livebrush Features

    1.  Support for Dance Pad
    2.  Textures
    Discontinued

    The program is no longer updated. Last version, released in October 2014, can be still downloaded from the Facebook page.

    Livebrush iconCharcoal Icon

    Livebrush VS Charcoal

    Is Livebrush a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  9. Paintstorm icon
     21 likes

    Paintstorm Studio is created for professional digital painting. And a major role in this program play the brushes. We did our best so that you can easily and quickly adjust the brushes suitable for your painting style.

    38 Paintstorm alternatives
    Paintstorm screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPad

    Paintstorm Features

    1.  Multi-choice brushes
    2. Google Drive icon  Google Drive integration
    Paintstorm iconCharcoal Icon

    Paintstorm VS Charcoal

    Is Paintstorm a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  10. Tayasui Sketches School  icon
     4 likes

    Because beautiful tools make beautiful drawings, we endlessly refined Sketches brushes to create the most realistic drawing tools.

    64 Tayasui Sketches School alternatives
    Tayasui Sketches School  screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • iPad

    Tayasui Sketches School Features

    1.  Watercolor
    2.  Sketch
    Tayasui Sketches School  iconCharcoal Icon

    Tayasui Sketches School VS Charcoal

    Is this a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  11. PanelJam  icon
     12 likes

    Draw comics online with strangers and friends! PanelJam is the community where artists can have fun with comic strips one panel at a time in the collaborative online comic drawing game. Practice new subject matter, defeat artist's block, and connect with artists.

    34 PanelJam alternatives
    Over 1600 comic jams with new art added daily

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Online

    PanelJam Features

    1.  Support for Layers
    2.  Online Gaming
    3.  Multi panel
    4.  Community-based
    PanelJam  iconCharcoal Icon

    PanelJam VS Charcoal

    Is PanelJam a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
  12. iArtBook icon
     3 likes

    Professional painting app, based on Unlimited Layers with Blend Modes and Masks. Brushes, finger gestures, time-lapse video recording. Free alternative to Procreate.

    6 iArtBook alternatives
    iArtBook screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad

    iArtBook Features

    iArtBook iconCharcoal Icon

    iArtBook VS Charcoal

    Is iArtBook a good alternative to Charcoal?
     
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