Krita Reviews

“edits 3d textures

Pros

Being free and open source is a huge plus. And now it's become part of my regular workflow especially for editing textures for 3D models. Plus it works really well for drawing and digital painting and it even includes 2D animation capabilities.

Cons

The animation tools are definitely better than Photoshop's but I still wish they were more user friendly, more along the lines of Aseprite. But overall it's a great tool though it can be a bit hard to get comfortable with at first. That said I don't use the animation side very often. Plus I'd also really like to have a separate RGB channel editor like the one in Photoshop.

“Comes with community brush assets

Pros

Hands down this is one of the best completely free drawing programs out there. Also it is very user friendly with a drawing tablet, offers a huge range of brushes for pretty much any art style and the community also provides lots of creative and helpful assets you can use.

Cons

Because it's free, the optimization really shows as some parts feel neglected. Also it can be very laggy and slow. Instead of having clearly separated tools, many of them are just handled as brushes which makes them feel not very well thought out.

“Removes cost for new artists

Pros

Having this software available completely free makes a huge difference especially for new digital artists who can't afford expensive programs.

Cons

It is just about flawless to me. I'm usually paying attention to features that could be improved in the software I use but this one consistently delivers and I haven't run into any problems with it.

“beginner friendly but lags

Pros

To me it felt approachable especially since I am a beginner and don't have any background in graphic design.

Cons

The biggest problem is the constant lag. It gets really annoying and has honestly made me consider giving up on using it.

“easy if you know similar software

Pros

It is pretty easy to use especially if you've worked with other software that does the same kind of thing.

Cons

For what I need it to do, I really don't have any complaints.

“customizable theme with helpful tools

Pros

The program looks the best and being able to customize the theme is a big plus. Plus all the available tools are really helpful as well.

Cons

One thing I am not a fan of is the fill tool because it doesn't always stay within the lines completely and can leave some unfilled pixels behind.

“Amazing brush results

Pros

Right from the start, this program worked flawlessly with my drawing pad and was very simple to set up and start using. The brush selection is excellent too and the final artwork turns out looking amazing.

Cons

There really isn't much to complain about with this program. It runs perfectly even on a very low-end laptop which is a huge advantage.

“admin rights block portable install

Pros

I honestly do not have anything positive to mention.

Cons

I could not even get the software installed. I mean it isn't portable and on top of that it requires a system administrator-level account just to install which made it unusable for me.

“Wide tools for edit and animate

Pros

There is a wide range of tools available to edit and animate your creations or projects which makes the software really capable for different kinds of work.

Cons

At times it can feel a bit outdated because the interface looks quite plain and simple.

“Free but adobe still beats it

Pros

Since itis free, we use Krita for graphic work and for basic editing tasks. I must say it does the job well enough.

Cons

it seems pretty complex and becomes difficult to work with over longer periods. So I would definitely choose software from the Adobe suite instead.

“Replaces Photoshop basics

Pros

Krita's free, open-source version has been enough to replace Photoshop for my basic workflows.

Cons

Well it isn't always the most user friendly tool and there's a bit of a learning curve at times but Photoshop is the same way so I don't really have anything meaningful to complain about.

“performs the Best

Pros

The fact that it's free is the first thing that grabs the attention but let me tell you Krita really performs like something you'd expect to pay for. Once you figure out the initial setup which isn't very hard it becomes easy to use for drawing, animation and getting creative while staying productive. It also includes a wide range of tools, with many brush options for detailed work, layers to keep things organized and vector tools useful for graphic design projects. It even gets regular updates so if something is missing or feels off, it will likely be improved or added later. Another big plus for anyone working in 3D is that it works well for texture creation. With Blender's edit externally feature, switching between the two is quick and efficient too.

Cons

One thing that gets frustrating is how difficult it can be to organize the workspace and really tailor it to the way you want to work. There are workspace templates and they usually do the job well enough but that doesn't change the fact that customizing everything to your preference feels tedious. The vector tools also seem a bit buggy although I can't fully judge them since I don't completely understand how to use them yet. The biggest annoyance for me comes up when I'm making textures for 3D models because importing different brushes is harder than it should be and the whole process can be irritating enough to put people off.

“Customizable workspaces with auto fill

Pros

Krita is very easy to use. You can customize its multiple workspaces and workflows to match how you like to work. Plus it comes with many features and a wide selection of brushes. It is also very friendly for animation work, with simple controls that make the process feel natural. For illustration, it really shines thanks to its different brush engines, stabilizers and assistant tools. There's also a handy option where you can lay down a few colored strokes and have parts of the drawing filled in automatically.

Cons

Image editing still feels fairly basic and could definitely be expanded. That may not be the app's primary focus but stronger editing tools would still be a valuable addition. While 2D animation is absolutely possible, that side of the software could use more development too. Also better support for vector graphics and more advanced editing options would also be appreciated since the current vector tools exist but remain somewhat limited.

“Easy to use, weaker on effects

Pros

It is easier to use than Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator which can be very complex and take much longer to learn. In short it is simpler to navigate making it a great option for beginner artists.

Cons

As per me one thing that could be improved is the animation side by making those features more user-friendly. Even though the program is simple to use overall, it still doesn't measure up to Photoshop when it comes to cool FX effects you can add to artwork or Illustrator for vector art. Even Clip Studio Paint includes vector drawing features so I think it would be nice if this tool added more built-in effects that help make artwork look better instead of requiring artists to draw every detail from scratch.

“Laggy external downloads

Pros

A few things make Krita stand out for m is the color palette is really rich, the paintbrushes are excellent and it runs perfectly on Windows 10. Importing and exporting files is easy too, it's available in English and being free makes it even more enjoyable to use. Also the library is packed with impressive animation and transition effects which adds a lot of fun to the overall experience.

Cons

That said it's not the best option for creating high-quality, advanced designs or animations. It would also be much better if it supported more languages. Another downside is that it keeps asking for file downloads from an external website which can get annoying.

“Smooth and lag free

Pros

Krita's brushes are honestly the best part for me. There are so many built-in options and being able to add more brushes from online makes it even better. They feel very smooth to use and don't take extra effort to get good results. That has helped my project a lot in a positive way. The brush strokes look really effective, they don't lag and they don't make my work look rough. My absolute favorites are the fineliners because they work incredibly well. So for me they're easily a 10/10.

Cons

The part I struggle with most is the layers as they can be a little difficult to work with. Still it is not impossible once I spend more time practicing. One issue I have noticed is that when I create more than 10 layers, they sometimes mix together.

“draw like a pro

Pros

Getting started with it was not a problem. As soon as I open the program, I can begin drawing right away as if I've already been using it for months.

Cons

No cons to share all the tools and options are simple to locate and it works well as a good alternative to Photoshop.

“regular updates make it the best

Pros

There's a wide variety of features and the software keeps getting updated regularly. Plus the different brush options really help make my work look more beautiful and expressive.

Cons

The layout feels a little unusual and I'm not a fan of the button shadows. It would also be nice to have even more brushes available and I'd really appreciate more advanced brush settings.

“Animation tools keep me using it

Pros

The animation tools are what keep me using it.

Cons

price is the part that doesn't work for me especially since I'm already paying for another program called Medibang.

“Helps us grow from beginner to pro

Pros

Krita is a free program that's perfect when you're just getting started but it also holds up really well as your skills grow and you become more experienced. And it offers a lot of features without costing anything which makes it a great choice. Plus it includes all the tools needed to create high-quality work and manage files in much the same way as more famous paid drawing programs.

Cons

At the same time it has stayed fairly simple in terms of functionality and it does not include all the customization options or the newer innovative features that paid software tends to add year after year.

“Top all in one image editor

Pros

This feels like one of the top image editors available right now, with a wide range of editing tools all gathered in one place.

Cons

I honestly don't have any complaints. I really enjoy using the software.

“Its brushes beat Photoshop's

Pros

Right away the huge brush selection won me over especially when comparing it to Photoshop which it inevitably gets measured against. I also appreciated the stroke smoothing, the presence of the filter layer for applying non-destructive edits and the freedom to move panels around however I want to build my ideal workspace. On top of that the price is definitely a strong point.

Cons

One thing that still holds it back is the selection tools as they seem imprecise. Also cutting out images is not always as quick or easy as it should be. These days I often end up relying on online tools to help with that part.

“Let me edit without hiring designers

Pros

One thing I really like about Krita is how well it lets me edit images especially 2D artwork. Before using it, I used to spend hundreds of dollars hiring graphic designers just to handle small adjustments like color changes. Now I can take care of those edits on my own with this tool which feels incredibly empowering.

Cons

My only real issue with it is the sheer number of tools available on the dashboard. If you are new to this kind of software, all the menu options can feel pretty overwhelming at first. That said spending a bit of time with the tutorials really helps make things clearer.

“improves my tablet drawings

Pros

It helps me improve the drawings I make with my graphics tablet.

Cons

Its features can feel a bit scattered and it's somewhat slow.

“Helps make posters and illustrations

Pros

Being open source is a huge plus and it works well with drawing tablets while staying user friendly and lightweight. I use it to create posters for my events business alongside Canva which is faster but more expensive and less capable when it comes to producing high-quality media, as well as Photoshop and Lightroom. I also draw and it lets me make really strong illustrations even without having a lot of practice.

Cons

I noticed that it does not offer any AI-powered tools but that's something I can use Photoshop for instead.

“nice option but not trouble free

Pros

Since Krita is free, it was a nice option to get started with and it was not too hard to find my way around. As a mobile digital artist trying to learn a similar program on a computer, I felt like it was approachable and accessible.

Cons

The part I didn't enjoy was how tiny all the buttons felt. I also was not a fan of the color picker and having to reset my brush size every time I changed brushes or switched to the eraser got frustrating.

“powerful free art toolkit

Pros

Coming from some past use with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, I can say Krita packs a feature set that feels very comparable to Photoshop, even though I'm not a professional artist or photo editor. The biggest plus is that it's affordable for basically anyone. And you can get it completely free from the official website or pick it up on Steam for about $10 which gives you automatic updates while also supporting the developers. I started with the free version myself, then decided to buy it on Steam because I wanted to back the amount of work the team has clearly put into it.

Cons

Its vector graphics tools are not really on the same level as Adobe Illustrator although the core basics are included which is still better than having nothing at all. So if you need stronger vector capabilities, I'd suggest using Inkscape as a free alternative for that part of the workflow.