Best Digital Painting Software in 2026
Updated
In short: ibisPaint is ranked #1 of 45 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of Artweaver and Infinite Painter. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Artweaver. The lowest first paid tier on this page is HEAVYPAINT at $1.67/mo.
Digital painting tools help you make artwork with a screen, stylus, or other supported setup. Compare brush customization, color management, layer support, pressure sensitivity, and stroke stabilization to see which controls suit the way you work. Supported platforms show where each option can run; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help you consider access and cost. ibisPaint, Infinite Painter, and Sketchbook are among the software covered, alongside Clip Studio Paint and Krita. Check the listed capabilities against your device and preferred drawing process, especially the brush behavior and layer tools you rely on.
45 digital painting software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Digital Painting Software, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 15 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 ibisPaintPaid from $2.33/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 ArtweaverFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 3 Infinite PainterFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 4 DrawpileFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 SketchbookFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 Clip Studio Paint
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 FireAlpacaFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 KritaFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 Paintstorm StudioPaid from $25/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 HEAVYPAINTPaid from $1.67/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 MyPaintFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 12 Black InkPaid from €8.25/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 KolourPaintFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 MediBang PaintPaid from ¥300/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 Concepts
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 TwistedBrush Pro StudioPaid from $109/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 Flame PainterPaid from $49.99/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 18 Light Brush
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 19 PaintTool SAIPaid from ¥5,500/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 20 Tux Paint
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 21 ArtRage VitaePaid from $4.99/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 22 InkForge
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 Sumo Paint
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 24 Tayasui Sketches
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 25 Windows Media PlayerFree plan
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Brush customization | Layer support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ibisPaint | 8.0 | Free plan | $2.33/mo | Yes | 4.49 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Artweaver | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Infinite Painter | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Drawpile | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Sketchbook | 7.3 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Clip Studio Paint | 7.2 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 7 | FireAlpaca | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | Krita | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Paintstorm Studio | 6.9 | No | $25/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | HEAVYPAINT | 6.8 | No | $1.67/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | MyPaint | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | Black Ink | 6.7 | No | €8.25/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | KolourPaint | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | MediBang Paint | 6.5 | No | ¥300/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | Concepts | 6.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 16 | TwistedBrush Pro Studio | 6.3 | No | $109/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | Flame Painter | 6.2 | No | $49.99/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Light Brush | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | PaintTool SAI | 6.2 | No | ¥5,500/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 20 | Tux Paint | 6.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 21 | ArtRage Vitae | 6.0 | No | $4.99/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 22 | InkForge | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 23 | Sumo Paint | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 24 | Tayasui Sketches | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 25 | Windows Media Player | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which digital painting software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
ibisPaint is ranked #1 of 45 with a score of 8.0. Artweaver is second and Infinite Painter third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, HEAVYPAINT has the lowest first paid tier we found: $1.67/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.