Krita AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Photo Editors

The best Photo Editor alternative to Krita is GIMP, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Krita and many of them are Photo Editors so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Photo Editor alternatives to Krita are Adobe Photoshop, Paint.NET, Affinity Photo and Affinity.

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Krita alternatives are mainly Photo Editors, but if you're looking for Image Editors or Digital Painting Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Online, iPad, Free, Open Source, iPad + Free, Mac and Android. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Krita.
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Alternatives list

  1. GIMP icon
     4720 likes
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    GIMP delivers powerful functionalities for photo retouching, image composition, and format conversion. As a versatile tool, it serves as both a simple paint program and a high-end retouching suite, and offers batch processing for mass image tasks in an accessible open-source platform.

    190 GIMP alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • AmigaOS
     
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    97
    Comments about GIMP as an Alternative to Krita
    Comment summary: Krita is widely recognized for digital painting and illustrations, whereas GIMP is mainly utilized for photo editing. Users frequently emphasize that these applications serve distinct purposes, with Krita excelling in drawing and art, and GIMP focusing on image manipulation and photo retouching. Although some indicate GIMP can be used for drawing, it is generally not considered a direct competitor to Krita for digital art creation.
    Top Positive Comment
    Paul
    2

    Lots of people use GIMP for photo editing, and it's not the best alternative to Krita for digital drawing/painting but you can definitely use GIMP for drawing and painting and not only to edit photos.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    13

    Krita is for digital illustrations. GIMP is for photo editing.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    cel
    Negative
    0

    Different intended purpose: GIMP for general image editing, Krita for digital painting and animation.

    Show more comments
    3 of 14 comments
    Krita Icon
    GIMP icon
    • Most users think GIMP is a great Krita alternative.

    • GIMP is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Krita.

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

    • GIMP is Free and Open SourceKrita is also Free and Open Source
  2. Adobe Photoshop icon
     2417 likes
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    Comprehensive raster graphics editor offering advanced photo and image editing features. Supports multiple layers, masks, alpha compositing, various color models, and has limited vector graphics, 3D, and video capabilities. Extensible via plug-ins.

    225 Adobe Photoshop alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once or Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Wine
    • ReactOS
    • Google Chrome
     
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    34
    Comments about Adobe Photoshop as an Alternative to Krita
    Guest
    Negative
    5

    Photoshop is more focused on image editing and photo manipulation. Krita is for digital drawing.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    RemovedUser
    Positive
    2

    Photoshop has many great drawing tools and a frame-by-frame animation tool like krita

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    shaundre no
    Positive
    0

    Photoshop is a great photo manipulation tool and it has some of the better digital l drawing/painting tools but its animation tools are... lacking, unintuitive and easily becomes very laggy/slow. krita has a massive one up on photoshop in the animation department. even with the features that krita has over photoshop its hard to use and super laggy even at the lightest use of filter layers however. I will stick to krita cause screw adobe.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Krita Icon
    Adobe Photoshop icon
    • Most users think Adobe Photoshop is a great Krita alternative.

    • Adobe Photoshop is the most popular Web-based, Android, iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to Krita.

    • Adobe Photoshop is the most popular commercial alternative to Krita.

    • Adobe Photoshop is Paid and ProprietaryKrita is Free and Open Source
  3. Paint.NET icon
     1649 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.

    165 Paint.NET alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • .NET Framework
     
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    26
    Comments about Paint.NET as an Alternative to Krita
    lian00
    Positive
    1

    It’s an image editing software. Not a digital painting software as Krita.

    RemovedUser
    Positive
    0

    If you are fine with using proprietary software this program is just right!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    wajeeh
    Positive
    -5

    The best FREE image editor nowaday.

    Krita Icon
    Paint.NET icon
    • Most users think Paint.NET is a great Krita alternative.

    • Paint.NET is Free and ProprietaryKrita is Free and Open Source
    • Paint.NET is MinimalisticKrita is not according to our users
  4. Affinity Photo icon
     552 likes
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    Real-time image editing software supporting extensive colour spaces, unlimited layers, non-destructive edits, and a streamlined workspace for complex tasks on Windows, Mac, and iPad.

    100 Affinity Photo alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPad
     
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    1
    30
    Comments about Affinity Photo as an Alternative to Krita
    lian00
    Negative
    0

    Affinity Photo has some tools for digital painting but as it’s not the main goal of the sofware (more photo editing), interface and selection tools are not suited for digital artists.

    Krita Icon
    Affinity Photo icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Affinity Photo is a great Krita alternative.

    • Affinity Photo is Paid and ProprietaryKrita is Free and Open Source
  5. Affinity icon
     48 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.

    65 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
     
  6. Photopea icon
     332 likes
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    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.

    111 Photopea alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
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    1
    Comments about Photopea as an Alternative to Krita
    shaundre no
    Positive
    1

    photopea is a great alternative to photoshop but not at all for krita.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Krita Icon
    Photopea icon
    • Some users think Photopea is a great Krita alternative, some don't.

    • Photopea is the most popular SaaS alternative to Krita.

    • Photopea is Freemium and ProprietaryKrita is Free and Open Source
  7. MediBang Paint icon
     117 likes
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    MediBang Paint is a lightweight software for illustration and making comic books on Windows and Mac OS.

    75 MediBang Paint alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Steam
     
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    39
    Comments about MediBang Paint as an Alternative to Krita
    lian00
    Positive
    1

    Default brushes in MediBang cannot be compared to Krita’s engine. MediBang may be a nice tool for manga creation but it cannot compete relative to digital painting with Krita.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Everything looks the same.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Krita Icon
    MediBang Paint icon
    • Almost everyone thinks MediBang Paint is a great Krita alternative.

    • MediBang Paint is Freemium and ProprietaryKrita is Free and Open Source
  8. LazPaint icon
     45 likes
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    Raster & vector graphic editor with many tools and filters, written in Lazarus. Portable, 32bit & 64bit versions, ORA format & 16384x16384 image support. In app 3D import & rendering.

    41 LazPaint alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
  9. Adobe Elements icon
     83 likes
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    Comprehensive photo editing tool with AI-powered automation and easy step-by-step guidance. It includes unique creation tools, layer support, facial recognition, and organizes your photos seamlessly. Available as a one-time purchase, no subscription required, with cloud sync for flexibility.

    148 Adobe Elements alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
     
  10. PhotoDemon icon
     33 likes
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    PhotoDemon provides a comprehensive selection of photo editing tools in an 8 MB download. It runs on any Windows machine (XP through Win 10) and does not require installation. It can easily be run from a USB stick or SD card.

    22 PhotoDemon alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  11. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Convert your tablet, Chromebook, or phone into digital sketchbook with more than 80 paint brushes, smudge, file and eraser tool. This fast and intuitive painting and drawing application will unlock full power of your imagination.

    21 Artflow Studio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • Kindle Fire
     
12 of 38 Krita alternatives