Compare | Winner | |
Ease of Use | ||
Brush Engine | ||
Layer Management | ||
Export Capabilities | ||
Texture and Lighting | ||
Customization Options | ||
Vector graphics | ||
Interface | ||
Touch Sensitive Controls | ||
Color Management | ||
FREE / PAID | Krita is an open-source software. It’s completely free, with no costs💰 or hidden fees. They do accept donations. | GIMP also is fully open-source and free to use. There’s no subscription model, one-time payments, or upsells💰✔️. They also accept and appreciate donations. |
Conclusion | Krita 🎨is a feature-rich and versatile drawing software✍️, perfect for professional digital artists💻. With great support for textures and lighting💡, it can handle complex designs with ease😊. | GIMP is a powerful, feature-packed image editor🖥️ with superb flexibility😼. Its customization options🛠️ and wide range of tools🛠️ make it a strong competitor👍. |
Krita Pros & Cons
Impressive array of painting tools🎨🖌️
Customizable interface🛠️🕹️
Supports drawing tablets with tilt sensitivity🎚️
Great layer management📑✔️
Excellent for textures & light effects💡
GIMP Pros & Cons
Highly customizable interface🎚️🕹️
Broad format compatibility🔃
Powerful photo retouching features📸✨
Wide variety of plugins available🔌✔️
Good for complex image manipulation🖼️🔧
Open-source & free💰✔️
Could be complicated for beginners😕
Occasional stability issues⚙️💥
Lacks certain advanced editing typologies
Text tool could be more intuitive✍️❗
Limited vector toolset💹
Takes time to master🎛️⏰
Steep learning curve⛰️🎢
Some tools lack polish✍️🎨
Interface not very modern🎚️📟
Not as intuitive as some competitors❌🎮
Text tool is less effective📝❌
Other best free drawing software for mac
Inkscape is an excellent choice for vector graphics📊, with a good balance of features😌 and usability✅. Its node editing tools are particularly handy👌.
MyPaint is a simple but effective art tool that focuses on the core drawing experience. Its brush engine is noteworthy😊. However, it lacks some advanced capabilities🤓.
CinePaint is a deep-dive tool for modifying frames in video and films🎦. It’s powerful, but the interface can be tricky for beginners😅.
FAQ
What is the best free drawing software available for Mac?
The top free drawing software for Mac includes applications like Krita and GIMP. These offer a comprehensive suite of drawing and editing tools for 2D and 3D designs, catering to both beginners and experienced artists.
How can one get started with Krita on Mac?
You can start using Krita on Mac by first downloading it from the official Krita website. After installation, you can access a range of tutorials available on the site to become familiar with the tools and features.
Does GIMP offer a user-friendly interface for beginners?
Yes, GIMP offers a customizable and user-friendly interface. However, beginners might need some time to get used to the multitude of options. Fortunately, there are numerous online tutorials that can aid in learning the software.
Are the drawing tools in Krita comparable to those in premium software?
Yes, the drawing tools in Krita are highly comparable to those found in premium software. It offers a wide range of brushes, layer management, color management and more.
What kind of artwork can be created with GIMP?
GIMP is highly versatile, allowing users to create a wide array of digital artworks, including illustrations, icons, graphical design elements, and complex paintings.
Are Krita and GIMP compatible with graphic tablets like Wacom?
Yes, both Krita and GIMP are compatible with graphic tablets like Wacom, providing full pressure sensitivity and tilt functionality.
Is there community support available for Krita users?
Yes, Krita has a strong community of users who provide help and support through their official website and several online forums.
Does GIMP allow for photo editing as well?
Yes, GIMP is not only useful for drawing but also offers extensive photo editing features, including retouching, color correction, and advanced filters.
Can I use Krita for professional-level work?
Yes, Krita is fully equipped to handle professional-level digital art and design work. It’s used by many professional digital artists and illustrators around the world.
Are there any limitations to using free drawing software like GIMP?
While GIMP is a feature-rich software, as a free tool it might lack some of the specialized features of premium software. But for most users, it is more than capable to handle a wide range of design and illustration work.
Can you animate with Krita?
Yes, Krita supports 2D animation. It allows you to create traditional frame-by-frame animation as well as more complex animations.
Is it possible to use GIMP for UI/UX design?
Yes, GIMP can be used for UI/UX design. It has a range of features such as mockups, wireframing, and prototyping that can be used for designing user interfaces.
Does Krita support custom brushes?
Yes, Krita supports and allows the creation of custom brushes, enhancing your ability to create unique textures and effects in your digital artwork.
Does GIMP have an active user community?
Absolutely. GIMP has an active community of users who share insights, tutorials, and provide help to one another.
Can Krita be used for concept art creations?
Yes, Krita is an excellent tool for creating concept art and illustrations, thanks to a wide array of tools and options it offers to artists.
What image formats does GIMP support?
GIMP supports a variety of image formats, including JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PSD, and even RAW formats.
Does Krita have any collaboration features for team projects?
Krita doesn’t inherently have any built-in real-time collaboration features. However, files created in Krita can be easily shared and collaborated on with team members using external tools or platforms.
Can GIMP be used on operating systems other than Mac?
Yes, GIMP is a cross-platform tool that can be used on various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS.
Can you import and edit 3D models within Krita?
While Krita is primarily a 2D painting application, it does support certain 3D functionalities, allowing you to import and view 3D models, although the editing options for 3D models are somewhat limited.
Does GIMP support layer masks?
Yes, GIMP does support layer masks, which allows for advanced editing and manipulation of individual layers in a composition.
Is Krita a good free drawing software for MacOS?
Yes, Krita is indeed a powerful and free drawing tool for MacOS that comes with a wide range of professional features. This includes advanced brush settings, layer management, and seamless integration with graphic tablets.
Can you name some of the top-rated free drawing software for Mac?
Some of the top-rated free drawing software available to Mac users include Krita, GIMP, Inkscape, and Autodesk Sketchbook.
What kind of tools does GIMP offer for drawing?
GIMP provides a variety of drawing tools, such as pens, pencils, airbrushes, and sophisticated brushes. It also allows for layers and masks, providing you with the flexibility to create complex designs with ease.
Can Krita be used for digital painting on Mac?
Yes, Krita is not just a sketching program, it’s also a robust platform for digital painting. It supports a variety of brushes, layers and blending modes, making it a perfect tool for artists of all kinds.
Do I need a graphic tablet to use GIMP?
No, you do not necessarily need a graphic tablet to use GIMP. It can be used with a mouse or trackpad but a graphics tablet can give you improved control and precision, especially for more detailed work.
Is Krita better than GIMP for drawing?
While both Krita and GIMP have a range of features tailored to meet the needs of digital artists, Krita is more focused on painting and drawing and has user-friendly tools for artists, making it a preferred choice for some.
Does GIMP support PSD files?
Yes, GIMP does offer support for Photoshop’s PSD files. You can open and edit these files, but the support is not 100% perfect and some Photoshop-specific features may not work in GIMP.
Can Krita process vector graphics?
Yes, though primarily designed for digital painting, Krita also includes a suite of tools for creating and editing vector images.
Can you use GIMP on iPad?
Currently, GIMP is not available as an app on the iPad. However, there are other app alternatives for digital drawing and painting on iOS, such as Procreate or Adobe Fresco.
Do Krita and GIMP have a user-friendly interface?
Both GIMP and Krita have user-friendly interfaces, but this can often depend on prior familiarity. Krita has an interface similar to Photoshop, making it easier for those used to Adobe programs. GIMP’s interface can be a bit more challenging for beginners, but is still quite intuitive once learned.
Do I need a powerful computer to run Krita or GIMP?
Both GIMP and Krita are fairly lightweight programs that should run smoothly on most modern computers. However, for best performance, particularly for high-resolution or complex work, a more powerful computer with good memory and a fast processor would be beneficial.
Is Krita good for animation?
Yes, Krita comes with built-in animation features that enable artists to create and modify frames directly within the platform, making it suitable for creating simple animations.
Are there any major differences between Krita and GIMP?
Yes, while both are free and open-source, Krita is more focused on digital painting and illustration, whilst GIMP is more of a general-purpose image editing tool, making it a good option for photo editing and graphic design.
Is there a mobile version of Krita for Android or iOS?
There’s a beta version of Krita available for Android tablets and Chromebooks, but currently, there isn’t a version for iOS.
Does GIMP provide features like layers and masks?
Yes, GIMP does provide layers and masks, allowing you to work on different parts of an image separately and combine them later for a complete art piece.
Is Krita helpful for people with little experience in digital drawing?
Yes, Krita is extremely user-friendly and perfect for beginners in digital drawing. It provides an intuitive interface, a wide range of brushes, tools and guides that can help remind novice digital artists.
Is GIMP good for professional graphic designers?
Yes, GIMP is a powerful tool that is well-suited for professional use. Despite being free, it offers advanced features such as layers, gradients, and highly customizable brushes that can meet the needs of professional graphic designers.
Can I do photo retouching and creation of graphics in GIMP or Krita?
Yes, both GIMP and Krita support photo retouching and graphic creation. However, GIMP is usually the preferred tool for extensive photo manipulation while Krita excels more at digital painting and drawing.
How often do Krita and GIMP get updated?
As open-source software, both Krita and GIMP have active communities of developers that push out updates regularly. Major updates typically happen once or twice a year, with minor bug fix and stability updates occurring more frequently.
Can GIMP and Krita be used for commercial purposes?
Yes, both GIMP and Krita are open-source software and can be used for commercial purposes without any license fees or restrictions.