Best Digital Painting Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Drawpile is ranked #1 of 45 as of 2 October 2026, ahead of Krita and ibisPaint. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Krita. The lowest first paid tier on this page is ibisPaint at $2.33/mo.
Digital painting software gives you tools for building an image on screen, with workflow preferences shaping which features matter most. Compared on brush customization, color management, layer support, pressure sensitivity, and stroke stabilization, these entries show different ways to adapt a workspace to your process. Supported platforms help you check device fit; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add access and cost context. Drawpile, Krita, and ibisPaint are at the top of the ranking, with Sketchbook and Clip Studio Paint next. Consider how you work with brushes, color, and layers, then weigh the listed features against your drawing setup.
45 digital painting software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Brush customization | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drawpile | 8.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 2 | Krita | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 | ibisPaint | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $2.33/mo | Yes | 4.49 /mo | Yes | View |
| 4 | Sketchbook | 7.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 5 | Clip Studio Paint | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 6 | Adobe Fresco | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 7 | Infinite Painter | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 8 | MediBang Paint | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | ¥300/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 9 | FireAlpaca | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 10 | Sable Paint | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 11 | InkForge | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 12 | Limner | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 13 | Procreate | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 14 |  Corel Painter | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Yes | View |
| 15 |  Paintstorm Studio | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $25/mo | No | — | Yes | View |
| 16 |  Artstudio Pro | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 17 |  MyPaint | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 18 |  Art Set 4 | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 19 | Rebelle | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $89.99/mo | — | — | — | View |
| 20 | HEAVYPAINT | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 21 |  Artweaver | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 22 | Concepts | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 23 |  Tayasui Sketches | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 24 |  Sumo Paint | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 25 | ArtRage Vitae | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $4.99/mo | No | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which digital painting software is ranked first on Inferse?
Drawpile is ranked #1 of 45 with a score of 8.4. Krita is second and ibisPaint third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, ibisPaint has the lowest first paid tier we found: $2.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.