Overview

ibisPaint brings digital painting, manga creation, and animation into one social drawing app. Its 47,000-plus brushes, 23,000-plus color and monochrome materials, and more than 80 filters offer plenty of starting points, while layers, brush customization, pressure sensitivity, and stroke stabilization support more deliberate work. The breadth is appealing, but the practical fit depends on whether its manga tools, animation workflow, or cross-device storage matter to you.

It runs on Android 7 or later, iOS/iPadOS 15 or later, macOS 11 Big Sur or later, Windows 10 version 2004 or later, and Windows 11 version 21H2 or later. For other options, browse our Digital Painting Software and Graphic Design Software lists.

Key features

Drawing and image tools

The large brush catalog and customizable brushes give artists many ways to shape a workflow, with drawing speeds up to 120 fps. Filters include background removal and watercolor-style conversion. AI Super-resolution is intended to improve small-canvas image quality, while AI Disturbance adds noise intended to hinder fine-tuning by image-generating AI. These are useful additions for specific image tasks, rather than reasons on their own to choose the app.

Smart Features consume Smart Credits. Premium Credits replenish monthly up to a grant limit, while purchased Paid Credits do not expire. That distinction favors occasional use of purchased credits that can be saved, but recurring use depends on the monthly grant; no credit quantity is stated.

Manga and animation

Manga makers get 46 screen tones, frame division, speech bubbles, and ruler tools in the same app as the painting tools. Animation features include frame copying and onion skin display for drawing successive frames. This combination is a strong fit for artists moving between illustration, comics, and simple frame-by-frame work; those focused only on desktop painting may not need the specialized toolkit.

Cloud and sharing

Cloud Storage syncs artwork across smartphones, tablets, and PCs, but the free version's 64MB allowance is restrictive for a growing portfolio. Premium Membership raises that to 20GB. Drawing-process videos can be posted to ibispaint.com or shared through LINE, X, and Facebook, a practical social dimension for artists who want to show how a piece developed.

Pricing

The free version costs 0.00 USD per free and offers unlimited usage time, 64MB of cloud storage, and advertisements. It is a sensible way to explore the app, but the small storage allowance and ads make it less comfortable as a long-term, multi-device workspace.

Premium Membership costs 4.49 USD per month, billed monthly, or 27.99 USD per year, billed annually. Both plans include premium features, no advertisements, and 20GB of cloud storage; monthly membership also includes unlimited original brush pattern imports. The annual option lowers the stated cost compared with paying monthly for a full year, while monthly billing offers a shorter commitment. Windows and Mac Premium Membership offers a one-week trial on the monthly plan or a one-month trial on the yearly plan, available once; subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled.

The Ad Removal Upgrade costs 15.99 USD per month and removes ads from the free mobile version. Because Premium Membership also removes ads and adds premium features plus 20GB storage, this upgrade is a narrow choice for someone who wants to keep the free mobile version and needs only ad removal.

On Windows, Free trial / Demo Mode costs 0.00 USD per free and allows one hour per day, 64MB storage, and up to five original brush pattern imports. Windows Premium Membership costs 4.49 USD per month, or 27.99 USD per year, and includes unlimited usage, 20GB storage, and premium features. Mac Premium Membership costs 4.99 USD per month, or 29.99 USD per year, with the same stated usage, storage, and feature benefits. The desktop prices differ, so Mac users should account for the higher subscription cost.

Pro Upgrade costs 62.99 USD per month and adds unlimited Windows and Mac usage, CMYK export, and custom keyboard shortcuts. Separate Windows Pro Upgrade and Mac Pro Upgrade plans each cost 62.99 USD per once, a one-off payment, and include unlimited usage and Pro features but only 64MB cloud storage. These suit desktop users who need the Pro tools without a recurring charge; the limited storage is a meaningful trade-off against Premium Membership's 20GB.

Platforms

Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows coverage makes ibisPaint a practical option for artists who move between mobile drawing and computer work. Cloud Storage syncs across smartphones, tablets, and PCs, although the 64MB free tier gives little room for a substantial library. Deleting an ibispaint.com account also deletes data uploaded to the site and Cloud Storage, so account deletion has a direct consequence for stored artwork.

IBIS INC. identifies itself as the data controller and says it processes personal data under applicable data protection laws, including Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information. Its privacy policy says device and usage data is processed for purposes including personalized advertising, service analytics, security, and bug investigation.

Who it's for

Choose ibisPaint if manga tools, frame-by-frame animation features, a large brush and material library, or drawing across mobile and desktop are central to your work. Premium Membership is the clearest fit for regular users who need ad-free use and more cloud space. The free version works for exploration and lighter use, while desktop illustrators who need CMYK export and keyboard shortcuts may prefer Pro Upgrade. If the app's manga and mobile strengths are not priorities, a more focused or open-source alternative may fit better.

Pros and cons

Pro: Manga tools and animation features sit alongside painting tools, making the app useful for creators working across those formats.
Pro: Cross-device Cloud Storage sync supports moving artwork among phones, tablets, and PCs.
Pro: The brush, material, and filter libraries provide substantial variety, with brush customization and pressure sensitivity for more controlled work.
Con: Free cloud storage is limited to 64MB, which can constrain artists building a sizable body of work.
Con: The free version includes advertisements, and the separate ad-removal plan costs 15.99 USD per month.
Con: One-off desktop Pro upgrades retain the 64MB storage allowance, unlike Premium Membership's 20GB.

Alternatives

Drawpile is worth considering if free and open-source software, free official community servers, or Linux and web access matter more than ibisPaint's listed manga and mobile-focused feature set.
Artweaver is another freemium option with a free plan and trial for Windows and macOS users.
FireAlpaca is a free option for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with customizable brushes, layered artwork, animation tools, and CMYK display.
Infinite Painter is a mobile alternative for Android and iOS, with a free tier limited to three layers at device resolution and selected tools and features.
Krita is a free, open-source choice for Android and desktop platforms, without subscriptions or trials.
Sketchbook offers a free mobile app with brushes, layers, guides, rulers, and stroke tools, alongside a premium bundle.
MyPaint is a free option with downloads for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
KolourPaint is a free desktop application for Linux and macOS.

Verdict

ibisPaint is a strong choice for artists who want one app for drawing, manga, and animation, especially when they work across mobile devices and computers. Its extensive tool libraries and 20GB Premium cloud allowance are compelling for regular users; the main reasons to look elsewhere are the free tier's 64MB cap, ads, or a workflow that does not need its manga and cross-device strengths.

	HyCanvas	ibisPaint
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	Free	$2.33/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	Android, iOS, macOS, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Template library	Yes	—
Presentation design	Yes	—
Illustration tools	Yes	—
Brand kit	Yes	—
Real-time collaboration	Yes	—

HyCanvas vs ibisPaint

HyCanvas

ibisPaint