10 Best Free Drawing Software For Windows & Mac in 2021

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10 Best Free Drawing Software: In today’s time the Drawing software is one of the most common programs that is made for creating arts or graphics on the computer. But all of these drawing application is not free. You need to pay for some of them to use.

Users can also create, edit and delete their paintings. Moreover, they can save their drawing and load existing projects in different formats like JPEG, PDF, GIF, etc. Drawing tools are mainly available as online drawing tools or can be downloaded as software programs. But all of them aren’t free to access.

Free paint software for PC

If you are in search of the best free drawing platforms, suitable for your PC, here we have enlisted the top 10 free drawing software to provide a realistic combination of attractive visualizations, effects, colors, oils, etc.

List of 10 Best Free Painting Software

Krita

Krita

Krita is a free drawing platform that might appears to be best for your PC. Although about two or three minutes is needed to install the software, the operation is very simple. Thus even novice users can use this application without any issue. Krita does not require too many resources or additional tools. You will be able to download this software in Windows and Linux on both platforms.

Many professionals prefer this platform. The size of the virtual canvas of this application depends on the performance of your PC. Krita includes an effect container with many artistic effects and can imitate real canvases that contain various drawing tools. That is why the process of creating digital drawings becomes as realistic as possible.

Pros: 

  • Improved open GL
  • HDR is supported here
  • Updated UI with a suitable layout
  • Many brushes are available
  • Availability of Layers

Cons:

  • Not enough image retouching tools
  • The text tool is inconvenient
  • You may feel laggy after updating

GIMP

gimp software

This product was launched as a free alternative to Photoshop first. This application allows you to create drawing from scratch. It is a powerful, flexible, customizable open-source editor with a large stock of tools that are available in Photoshop like:

  • Layers,
  • Masks,
  • Smart selection,
  • Brushes,
  • Filters,
  • Color grading

and many more to its users. You can add other tools to it by third-party extensions also.

Pros:

  • Allows graphics Tablet support
  • Individual file storage formats
  • Plug-in creation
  • The ability of opening PSD files

Cons:

  • GIMP is a bit complex to understand
  • UI is not well-organized
  • Features are limited compared to other paid analogs

Inkscape

Inkscape

If you want to create and edit pictures professionally, then Inkscape would be most suitable and efficient for you. Inkscape offers many useful features like:

  • 2D Drawing
  • Data import,
  • Data export,
  • Image editor,
  • Rendering, etc.

Inkscape works with Scalable Vector Graphics(SVG) which is popular as one of the best formats for creating banners and logos, modified in vector mode. The best part it is completely free.

Pros:

  • Inkscape can convert bitmap images to vectors in a variety of ways
  • The Bezier tools are easy to use for editing SVG format
  • Efficient flexibility
  • Node editing
  • Has completely smooth and multi-tasking display

Cons:

  • The default interface is a bit difficult to use
  • Software becomes slow or may face unexpected crash sometime
  • Compatibility problems with the IA and EPS files
  • Financial maintenance cost is high.

Clip Studio Paint

This app became very popular due to its various useful features and updated modern UI system. This app was launched to create animations, illustrations, and comics mainly. This app is now so much popular that it has reached over 4 million users.

Clip Studio Point app offers superior flexibility and convenient freedom to make it preferable among professional artists and illustrators. You can draw the same thing as you do on paper while creating comics or manga in this application. This program provides a wide range of great drawing tools to its users. Developers have included animation features also in the updated version of this app.

Sometimes this app is compared with Photoshop too. Nowadays many professional artists suggested that Clip Studio Paint due to its unique aspects. Newly added advanced features made this app more preferable and efficient.

Pros:

  • Customized brushes
  • Different coloring options
  • Vector tools are excellent
  • Huge community and user base
  • Free to download

Cons:

  • Not applicable

Corel Painter

Coral Painter

Corel Painter is another painting-based platform. But the main thing is Corel Painter doesn’t have a wide range of solutions for art-related problems. Moreover, it is not a universal app too. Apart from this, the Corel Painter app is well-functioned and well-developed as well. This app will provide various oil palettes, watercolors, paper textures, and brushes to you. You will get convenient professional artistic tools in this app according to your need.

The working method in this software is very realistic. As an example, a recently painted brush will give a wider and more saturated mark than the brush that has been used continuously for painting.

Pros:

  • There is a large stock of tools that imitates real painting
  • Constant updates make this app more convenient for its users
  • Interface is user-friendly
  • This digital drawing software is free to download

Cons:

  • Some functions are difficult to use
  • Expensive upgrade
  • Lack of solutions for problems

MyPaint

MyPaint

It is a systematic free drawing program with a simple, user-friendly interface and unlimited canvas size. This graphic editor is suitable for beginner artists. The application provides chances to select brushes that are divided into three parts mainly; Classic, Favorite and Experimental. Moreover, an interesting feature, known as “Notepad’ is included in MyPaint software. You can try different types of brush paint and save them in this draft section.

Pros:

  • Available in Mac, Windows, Linux on all platforms
  • Suitable for manga and anime artists
  • Many special features are included in it
  • Draft saving option is available

Cons:

  • You may face some problems in the GUI when choosing brushes
  • Undo feature is comparatively slower
  • Lack of smoothness in sharp lines

Mischief

Unlimited canvas and scalable cool brushes are included in the recently updated version of this drawing application. The UI has become panel-based now and its components are placed across the screen. This software also provides you a larger canvas than others. You can stretch the canvas according to your desired size. You will be able to zoom in also. In the updated version many new features are included such as- multi-touch support, trackpad support for Macs, two new custom swatch palettes, etc.

This program has pro-efficiency in detailing other areas while giving broadly sketched parts to an image at the same time.

Pros:

  • Updated free version
  • The unlimited stock of canvas
  • Many brushes are available
  • Decent interface
  • The paid version has become cheaper

Cons:

  • Lack of standard brushes

Artweaver Free

artweaver-free

You can describe this free paint program is called an analog program of Corel Painter. You can perform excellent photo editing operations with the help of Artweaver efficiently.

You will get a systemized set of various brushes like charcoal, pencil, chalk, sponge, etc. You will be able to import and export graphics in various formats. Artweaver offers all kinds of drawing effect editing filters. Wind effect, waves, blur, oil effect are included in this editing section. Additionally, Artweaver has Plugin packs that have many additional filters.

Pros:

  • Various creative brushes
  • The texture drawing feature is available
  • The installation file size is very small(<20MB)
  • Painting tools are creative

Cons:

  • Poor text work
  • You may face problem while using the stamp tool

Gravit

Gravit

Gravit is a popular Drawing tool that is available in both online versions and desktop applications. This graphic editing software can work on vector graphics. Users can also manipulate objects with the help of curves, layers, transformation tools, geometric shapes, etc. You will get many extra features like cropping, blending, resizing, masks in Gravit software. These filters are very useful during interface designing, web page layout creation, and printing products. Moreover, this platform is accessible to a huge vector library.

Pros:

  • This software supports sketched files
  • The interface is easy to understand
  • The same elements can be re-use repeatedly
  • Has a magnificent set of tools to work with vector graphics

Cons:

  • Activities become laggy sometimes
  • The sketch import function is very poor

Medibang Paint Pro

Medibang Paint Pro

This tool is specially made for those, who create comics, anime. This application is not only free to use but very simple and fast also. If you are an anime creator then you will be glad to know that Medibang Paint Pro has over 800 pre-installed backgrounds and 50 brushes in its library. You can upload your works in its in-built cloud that does not require space on your computer. Medibang Paint Pro can work with .PSD files too.

Pros:

  •  Simple and friendly interface
  • Many backgrounds, patterns, and brushes are available
  • Different input modes are supported
  • In-built cloud storage

Cons:

  • You may face some annoying advertise after opening the program
  • Some special features are still needed

Quick Overview of Top 10 Free Drawing Software

Sl. No.SoftwareSystem SupportsWebsite
1KritaWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, Chrome OShttps://krita.org/en/
2GIMPLinux, macOS, Microsoft Windowshttps://www.gimp.org/
3InkscapeLinux, Mac OS X and Windowshttps://inkscape.org/
4Clip Studio PaintWindows, macOS(Intel & Apple M1), iPad, iPhone, Android,  Chromebookhttps://www.clipstudio.net/en/
5Corel PaintermacOS, Microsoft Windowshttps://www.painterartist.com/
6MyPaintGNU/Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS Xhttp://mypaint.org/
7MischiefMac OShttp://mischief.findmysoft.com/
8Artweaver FreeMicrosoft Windowshttps://www.artweaver.de/en/download
9GravitWindows, Mac OS, Linux, Chrome OS, Progressive Web App, and in-browserhttps://www.designer.io/en/
10Medibang Paint ProMicrosoft Windows & Mac OShttps://medibangpaint.com/
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