Adobe is notorious for its unfavorable practices and terribly expensive subscription service. In a time of financial hardships and the fight against theft from AI, Adobe does not seem to be on the artist's side in these issues. With Adobe being the industry standard, it's hard to escape their clutches, especially if you hope to work professionally in digital art. However, if you are already familiar with Photoshop, or perhaps a hobbyist who doesn't need to learn what the industry is using, here's a comprehensive list of comparable programs that are infinitely cheaper or, even better, entirely free.
Best Overall
Clip Studio Paint
$50 for PRO or $219 for EX
Windows┃Mac┃Android┃iOS
CSP is our pick for the best overall software for drawing. It has a ton of features that are great for beautiful illustrations or even animation. There is a bit of an issue with their new model, however, you will need to connect online about every 16 days to keep access to the paid version. If you have access to the internet twice a month at the very least, you'll be able to connect and continue using the product.
It's great if you want to make webcomics as well, as there are plenty of layouts, panels, and bubbles that you can use to assist in making your comic! They have a super handy feature that even lets you preview your scroll comic on your phone without having to export it! There are also vector lines available which is great for resizing your drawings without losing the quality. Because this is an application specifically for drawing, it has well-rounded features for all your drawing needs.
They offer a free 3-month trial if you would like to test it out before you buy!
Key Features
Vector lines
Comic templates with panels and bubbles
Brush store
Traditional paint mixing
3D models for drawing assistance with live posing
PROS | CONS |
Diverse set of tools | More expensive than some the other options, especially for the full program |
Plenty of documentation and tutorials available | Not entirely offline service |
Large library of downloadable brushes | Separate subscription payment for mobile |
Can open PSD files and import Photoshop brushes | |
Best Value
Krita
FREE
Windows┃Android┃macOS
Krita is our best value option, mostly because it's 100% free and open source. The software being free doesn't mean it isn't robust! You can customize the layout of your panels and over 100 brush presets. They also have vector speech bubbles, so if you have a shorter budget and want to make webcomics it is a great alternative to the paid software. It's also great for creating textures or patterns for prints.
There is a great community around Krita and a lot of tutorials available if you're lost on how to use any feature. Even professionals use the program to create illustrations and animations. If you have a tight budget and want a great drawing program then Krita is your best bet!
Key Features
Customizable layout with custom shortcuts
Brush stabilizers
Vector tools for comic creation
Robust brush editing
Animation mode and transitions
PROS | CONS |
Amazing value for the content provided | Not the best for formatting scroll comics |
Open source software | Animation tools rudimentary |
Extensive brush collection | May be a bit slower on older computers |
Best Android
Infinite Painter
$10
Android┃iOS
Infinite Painter is a mobile drawing app with a ton of features available. For a one-time fee, you get perpetual access to the app and its large library of brushes for all your illustration needs. The same company also offers a vector mobile app though you will need to make a separate purchase for that application. They allow you to record a timelapse of your drawing and use brushstrokes to create editable shapes.
There's a detailed blending function that allows you to blend through the layers as well which definitely helps with that feeling of painting traditionally. Another fantastic feature is the ability to pin the tools you use the most for quick and easy access. There is a free version of the app, but you miss out on some useful features, and for the low price of $10, you get more than your money's worth after only a few uses of the program!
Key Features
Realistic blending
Paths and shapes
Guides and perspective grids
Over 200 brushes with over 100 customizable brush settings
Gradient and Pattern filling options
PROS | CONS |
One-time payment (no subscription) | Not compatible with Photoshop brushes |
Available on both Android and iOS | Difficult transfer process from one device to another device |
Intuitive user interface | No tools for comic creators |
Best iOS
Procreate
$13
iOS only
An immensely popular drawing app, Procreate is famous for its ease of use. It's perfect for everything from quick sketches to detailed digital paintings to short animations. Their most recent major update added the ability to paint directly onto 3D models, including texture brushes! There's also a hover mode to see your brush before you put pen to pad. This mode makes color dropping faster and easier and makes the selection tool much more efficient.
On top of those features, you can import and export PDF files. There's a handy page assist feature that lets you work on multiple layers that essentially work as separate canvases for serialized images like comic pages. Making a vertical scroll comic would be difficult since there is no functionality for that format. The animation tools are very basic as well, so you won't be making the next best 2D film on it. That does not negate the way they beautifully handled the primary function, which is drawing.
Key Features
Paint directly on 3D models
Continuous autosave
Over 100 customizable brush settings
ColorDrop and SwatchDrop
Animation and Page assist
PROS | CONS |
Compatible with Photoshop brushes | Not available on Android devices |
Can import and export PSD, including layered files | |
Many great accessibility features | |
Other great software
Affinity Photo
$70
Windows┃Mac┃iPad
Affinity Photo is essentially a Photoshop clone so, like Photoshop, it is primarily a photo editing software. That being said, the same way you could draw with Photoshop you can with Affinity Photo, so if you're switching over, it'll be a relatively easy transition. There are a ton of brushes, stroke stabilization, wet edges and much more!
Paint Tool Sai
$52
Windows Only
Paint Tool Sai is a great lightweight program for drawing. It has all the tools you need for a great illustration. It's pretty basic, as there aren't any fancy vector tools but it has all the necessary features like selection, layers, and transforms. There are also different types of brush textures available, and you can add more.
FireAlpaca
Free
Windows┃Mac
FireAlpaca is a free drawing program available in 10 languages that's great if you have a watercolor style. It has 3D perspective and comic templates which is a good start for your comic-making needs. There is a snap tool to give you straight lines right on the grid and they even have animation capabilities but they are limited. Still great for making short gifs or flipbook animations and amazing for illustrating.
Medibang
Free (Subscription options available)
Windows┃Mac┃Android┃iOS
With tons of brushes available, Medibang is a free lightweight drawing program with great comic creation features. They have 800 pre-made tones and backgrounds, as well as the ability to save all your comic pages in one file! While great for your everyday illustration this program really shines for comics if that's your focus. They do have a premium option on a subscription model with 3 different price points that give you access to cloud storage and their entire brush library.
Hopefully, this list helps you decide what software is best for you. With plenty of free options and affordable prices, there's definitely something for all budgets. Are you trying to animate or make a comic? Perhaps you just want to bring your OCs to life or create beautiful environments. Try out the software until you find what works!
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