The Best Free Clip Studio Paint AlternativesTop Digital Painting Tools & Image Editors like Clip Studio Paint

The best free alternative to Clip Studio Paint is Krita, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Clip Studio Paint and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Clip Studio Paint are MediBang Paint, Affinity, Photopea and MyPaint.

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Clip Studio Paint alternatives are mainly Digital Painting Tools, but if you're looking for Image Editors or Color Picker Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Free, Android Tablet, Linux, Open Source, Android and iPad. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Clip Studio Paint.
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Alternatives list

  1. Krita icon

    Krita

     1482 likes

    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.

    150 Krita alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android Tablet
    • KDE Plasma
    • Epic Games Store
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Steam
    • AppImage
    Krita screenshot 1
     
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    8
    Krita vs Clip Studio Paint Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    6

    a great software for poor artist but very powerfull to drew . i'm like it

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    0

    It lacks key features like reference layers, gap closing, etc. so is impossible to do flatting with any speed. The supposed 'autofill' alternative is unintuitive and doesn't work most times. Krita is a good painting program, but its not usable for illustration the way clip studio is.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    BlueTen
    Positive
    0

    A recent (May 2026) comment here claimed that Krita lacks features like reference layers and gap closing. It has both of these, and has had them for a while.

    Reference Layers: right-click on and assign a color to your Layer -- then tools like the fill bucket and magic wand can be made to reference those layers by their assigned color.

    Gap Closing: when you're using the Fill Bucket tool or the magic wand, there is a slider in the Tool Options docker called "Close Gap" which does exactly that.

    Krita is a fantastic alternative to Clip Studio!

    3 of 8 comments
    • Krita is Free and Open SourceClip Studio Paint is Paid and Proprietary
    • Krita is Privacy focusedClip Studio Paint is not according to our users
  2. MediBang Paint icon

    MediBang Paint

     120 likes

    MediBang Paint is a lightweight software for illustration and making comic books on Windows and Mac OS.

    80 MediBang Paint alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Steam
    Great for anime or comics
     
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    4
    MediBang Paint vs Clip Studio Paint Comments
    Milla Palacio
    Positive
    2

    Not only is it free, they do share a lot of common functionality. Of course, MediBang Paint isn't as feature-rich, but it's still good for anime- and manga-style art.

    Guest
    Positive
    4

    It has all the things that I needed that Clip Studio Paint also had! LOVE IT!??

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    SoftOlive
    Positive
    0

    It's an amazing tool for art, just like Clip Studio Paint. VERY good for not just manga, anime, etc art styles, but other art styles.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    • MediBang Paint is Freemium and ProprietaryClip Studio Paint is Paid and Proprietary
  4. Affinity icon

    Affinity

     86 likes

    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.

    93 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Affinity screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Affinity vs Clip Studio Paint Comments
    cel
    Negative
    0

    Different intended audience, difference tools pack.

    • Affinity is Freemium and ProprietaryClip Studio Paint is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Adobe Fresco icon
    Adobe Fresco

    Unlock creativity with a massive brush collection and real-time effects. Blend oils, paint with vibrant watercolors, and enjoy vector and raster brushes on stylus-ready devices. Ideal for artists of all levels.

    https://www.adobe.com
    Learn More
  6. Photopea icon

    Photopea

     354 likes

    Browser-based image editing supports PSD, XCF, Sketch formats, advanced layers, vector tools, RAW photo support, and exports in 40+ formats. Fully client-side with AI background removal, content-aware tools, and privacy as files never leave your device.

    121 Photopea alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Photopea screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Photopea vs Clip Studio Paint Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Photopea isn't made with drawing and painting purposes in mind, you could use it for that, but it really isn't a Clip Studio Paint alternative

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Photopea is Freemium and ProprietaryClip Studio Paint is Paid and Proprietary
  8. MyPaint icon

    MyPaint

     396 likes

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

    135 MyPaint alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    MyPaint screenshot 1
     
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    1
    MyPaint vs Clip Studio Paint Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    -1

    not made for drawing manga

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • MyPaint is Free and Open SourceClip Studio Paint is Paid and Proprietary
  9. OpenToonz icon

    OpenToonz

     136 likes

    Open-source 2D animation software supporting raster and vector workflows, node-based compositing, plug-in extensions, anti-aliased painting, and support for major platforms, developed in collaboration with Studio Ghibli and suitable for commercial projects.

    44 OpenToonz alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    OpenToonz screenshot 1
     
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    1
    OpenToonz vs Clip Studio Paint Comments
    SoftOlive
    Negative
    0

    Opentoonz is very confusing for use, and primarily focuses on animation rather than art. Clip Studio Paint and Opentoonz is almost completely incomparable to Clip Studio, aside from the fact that they both can make art.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • OpenToonz is Free and Open SourceClip Studio Paint is Paid and Proprietary
    • OpenToonz is Privacy focusedClip Studio Paint is not according to our users
  10. FireAlpaca icon

    FireAlpaca

     90 likes

    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!

    127 FireAlpaca alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    FireAlpaca screenshot 1
     
  11. Storyboarder icon

    Storyboarder

     49 likes

    Storyboarder makes it easy to visualize a story as fast you can draw stick figures. Quickly draw to test if a story idea works. Create and show animatics to others. Express your story idea without making a movie.

    44 Storyboarder alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Storyboarder screenshot 1
     
  12. Microsoft Paint icon

    Microsoft Paint

     181 likes

    Windows-bundled image editor for basic painting and raster editing tasks, supporting bitmap, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and TIFF. Offers layer support, offline access, no registration, and dark mode. Lightweight and ad-free, ensuring minimal resource use.

    128 Microsoft Paint alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Microsoft Paint screenshot 1
     
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    3
    Microsoft Paint vs Clip Studio Paint Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    5

    Microsoft paint is a very basic tool without much functionality

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    4

    Well, it's like comparing a car and pair of Rollerblade. Both can take you where you want to go, but it will be harder to go too far using the latter. It's unfair to the Clip Studio Paint to even compare it to Microsoft Paint

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It's the best for shitposts excluding photoshopped stuff.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Microsoft Paint is Free and ProprietaryClip Studio Paint is Paid and Proprietary
    • Microsoft Paint is MinimalisticClip Studio Paint is not according to our users
  14. Our Paint icon

    Our Paint

     12 likes

    Our Paint is a featureless but programmable painting program.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • itch.io
    Our Paint screenshot 1
     
  15. KRESKA.art icon

    KRESKA.art

     8 likes

    KRESKA.art is a free online drawing and painting app that lets you create art directly in your web browser. It offers a simple interface, diverse brushes, and unique features like auto-color tracing. You can use it to sketch and paint without any downloads or installations.

    20 KRESKA.art alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    KRESKA.art screenshot 1
     
12 of 66 Clip Studio Paint alternatives