Comparing Digital Art Programs

The world of digital art programs can be a tricky plane to navigate. Whether you're a budding digital artist looking for beginners programs to start on or a professional artist with a bunch of experience, here is a quick list of some of the more well-known names in digital art!

Krita - FREE

Krita is a free, open-source software that is becoming much more popular among digital artists. The interface has full customization, so you can fix it to look almost however you want. It gives you access to all brushes, colors, and other settings from the beginning without extra purchases. It's also quite advanced and powerful. Some drawbacks of Krita are that there is a learning curve, as the interface can be quite tricky. It's also very laggy and slow, especially on older laptops. (P.S.: If you like the software, consider donating to the Krita Foundation! They work on this software for free, and it's always nice to give back.)

FireAlpaca - FREE

FireAlpaca is a free software that seems to be little known among digital artists, but is surprisingly powerful. You can make your own custom brushes and settings, and it has a very simplistic look. It is also possible to use FireAlpaca using your laptop mouse! Just make sure to ramp up the correction field. Some drawbacks are that there is no hardness/softness settings for brushes. The more layers you have on a page, the more it lags. Also, the canvas has a limit of 10,000x10,000. The program is originally Japanese, so the official website may seem sketchy/scam-y. Be careful if you go to download--there are many, many download links on the page but most of them are advertisements. Pay attention!

AutoDesk Sketchbook - FREE

AutoDesk Sketchbook is a quickly-growing free software by Autodesk. You will need to create an Autodesk account, but this can be done for free. It is a very simple software, and is good for beginners. However, there are some glitches and bugs left in the program, and there is a small learners curve. Thankfully (?), there aren't a lot of features, so there isn't too much to learn.

MS Paint/3D Paint/Paint 3D - FREE

MS Paint (also known as 3D Paint or Paint 3D) is a free software available on Windows only. It's very simple, and perfect for beginners. However, there is no layers support, and no photo editing support. All in all, a very basic software, but probably not a long-term choice.

MediBang - FREE

MediBang is a free art software available for almost every platform. (iOS, Mac, Windows, Android) It has a customizable layout, similar to Krita, and you get all features, settings, and brushes for free. It has some quite advanced tool sets available, and it can also do photo editing. Unfortunately, since it's free, there are advertisements. Its brush functionalities are limited, and it's not great at animation. If these drawbacks don't sound too bad to you, however, go for it!

Artflow - FREE, IN-APP PURCHASES

Artflow is a free-to-start art program for Android. Some of the features require in-app purchases, which range from $2.99 - $5.99. It is a pretty good program, supporting features such as custom brushes and photo editing abilities. One of the major drawbacks is that it does not support portrait mode, I believe, although it may have been updated since the time of writing.

Artrage - PAID

Artrage is a line of software available on all platforms. On Windows and Mac the current, normal version is $79.99, and the Lite version is $29.90. The iOS version is $4.99, as is the Android version. They do have a back version, which is slightly cheaper ($59.99). These are one-time payments.

The Artrage software is very simple. It has many tools, and recently added custom brushes. Unfortunately, it's not very powerful, nor very user-friendly. But it is a good choice for beginners (although I personally would recommend using either the Lite version or finding a different, free software.)

Paint Tool Sai - PAID

Paint Tool Sai is an originally Japanese art program available on Windows PCs. You get a 31 day free trial, and then it's a one time payment of $51.33 (¥5500). Paint Tool Sai is a versatile and powerful art program. It has many features, such as custom brushes, lots of file endings for exporting, and it can animate (if that's your thing). Some drawbacks are that it is a very slow running program, and it has a steep learning curve. It's also difficult to bring custom Photoshop brushes into Paint Tool Sai. This is probably not a program for beginners.

ProCreate - PAID

ProCreate is a relatively cheap ($9.99) art program for iOS. There are lots of brushes available, and some of them have very unique designs. This program also automatically records a speedpaint. Some drawbacks of this program is that it has a maximum of 128 or so layers, and that there is no text tool.

(NOTE: The information here is from 2016. Unfortunately, I could not find more up-to-date information, but if anyone knows, let us know!)

Storyboarder - FREE

Storyboarder is a free and open-source animation program for Windows and Mac. It's created by an indie publisher, and has many features. It has many import and export options, and is perfect for quick sketches and, well, storyboarding! Unfortunately, it's not very good at creating full-blown animatics. Also, the application is slow and glitchy, which can lead to the brushes being a little "dotty."

Photoshop - PAID

And, of course, I can't put together a list of programs about art without mentioning Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard of art programs, and is very powerful. Most art programs are styled after this one. One of the most obvious drawbacks is that it is very expensive. ($239.88/yr) Using this program is up to you as an artist. Some people hate it, others love it. The choice is down to you.

PHOTO EDITORS:

As I was looking for programs, a bunch of the ones coming up were more suited towards photo editing, so I decided to put those in a separate section. 

GIMP - FREE

GIMP is a free, open-source, online program that is surprisingly good at what it does. It has a layout very similar to the art program Krita, and it is compatible with Photoshop, if that matters to you. Some drawbacks of GIMP is that it's not as powerful as Photoshop, but it can do a lot of things. It does have a steep learning curve, and is probably not for beginners. (P.S.: If you like the software, consider donating! They work on this software for free, and it's always nice to give back. There are many ways to donate to GIMP, so check it out!)

BeFunky - FREE, PREMIUM

BeFunky is a free, online program that is pretty easy to use. It uses a simple drag and drop concept to help you create collages and edit photos. They have partnered with Pixabay to put built-in free stock photos into their program as well. It's very user-friendly and easy to use. Some drawbacks of BeFunky are that it isn't completely free--there are many features within the program that require you to purchase their "BeFunky Plus," which is basically a premium/deluxe membership.

Canva - FREE, PREMIUM

Canva is a free-to-use online program that can do a wide variety of things. It uses a drag and drop system, similar to BeFunky. It does have some built-in free icons/stock images to use, and there's a fair bit of templates. It's very user-friendly and quickly renders files into and out of the editor. Some drawbacks of Canva is that the mobile app is much trickier to use than the web program, so mobile users, beware! Another issue is that it does not have a "Save As" function, which means your files will be complicated and messy. There is a Pro version, which is available for $9.95/mo. I believe the free version has watermarks, as well.

Pixlr X - FREE

Pixlr X is a free, online program that is quite powerful while remaining user-friendly. The layout is intuitive and easy-to-use--I use this software myself for creating book covers and I've rarely needed to look up how to do something. You can do a lot with this software--everything from touch-ups and filters to cut-and-paste manuvers. Some drawbacks of Pixlr X is that the mobile version is free, but requires a lot of downloads for certain features. It is also not as good as the web browser. Also, if you are someone who likes to have complete control over what you're doing, it might be a better idea to check out Pixlr Editor. It's a more robust, less user-friendly software that will let you do a lot.

There is also a Pro version called Pixlr Pro, but honestly, I don't see the difference between Pro and X. If you really want to know, however, Pro is $5.00/mo.

NOTE: Do not use Pixlr Express. It is a beta version of Pixlr X that will be discontinued shortly.

Adobe Spark - FREE, INDIVIDUAL, TEAM

Adobe Spark is an online program that is a little annoying to use. If you are not an Adobe user, this is definitely not the product for you. It has an intuitive interface, and it's good for making graphics with. However, the stock images are mostly cartoon-y, and it is constantly pushing for you to buy more Adobe products. There are three different tiers--Free, Individual, and Team. Team ($19.99/mo) is for companies and things. Free will let you do most things, but there is a watermark. Individual ($9.99/mo) unlocks all settings, all fonts, all colors, all templates, and all photos.

PicMonkey - PAID

PicMonkey is an online program that is easy-to-use. You can create many things with this software, and it is quite powerful. However, there is no free version, only a free trial, and you cannot download, export, or share your products during this trial without a paid account. There are three tiers--Basic, Pro, and Team. Team ($33.99/mo, split among team) is for companies. Basic ($7.99/mo) unlocks most settings, and Pro ($12.99/mo) gives you the last few pieces.

Thanks to multiple sites on the Internets, including (but not limited to):

comparecamp.com

alternative.me

reddit.com

deviantart.com

slant.co

quora.com

And some blogs.

Also, a big thanks to Lunyxsta, Coopbella, PurrfectGirl, architeuthid, and ViveLaPluto on the Young Writers Program for their contributions!