Overview

ibisPaint supports Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. It combines drawing tools with manga layout, animation, and sharing features, giving artists room to move between different kinds of work without changing apps. Its large libraries are a clear strength, but the breadth matters most to people who will use more than basic sketching tools.

Drawing features include layers, brush customization, pressure sensitivity, stroke stabilization, and speeds up to 120 fps. The app offers more than 47,000 brush types, over 23,000 color and monochrome materials, and more than 80 filters. That selection gives artists many starting points; filters such as background removal and watercolor-style conversion also cover some image-editing tasks.

For more options, browse our Digital Painting Software and Graphic Design Software lists.

Key features

Manga, animation, and sharing

Manga tools include 46 screen tones, frame division, speech bubbles, and rulers. They make ibisPaint a practical fit for comic pages as well as standalone illustrations. Animation tools include frame copying and onion skin display, which help artists build successive frames, though the described animation features are focused on frame-by-frame drawing.

Artists can post drawing-process videos to ibispaint.com or share them through LINE, X, and Facebook. Cloud Storage syncs artwork across smartphones, tablets, and PCs, which is useful for moving between devices. The free plan allows 64MB of cloud storage; Premium Membership raises that to 20GB.

AI tools and credits

AI Disturbance adds noise intended to discourage fine-tuning by image-generating AI, while AI Super-resolution aims to improve small-canvas image quality. Smart Features use Smart Credits. Premium Credits replenish monthly up to a grant limit, while purchased Paid Credits do not expire. These tools may be useful for specific image-protection or upscaling needs, but their credit system adds a separate usage constraint.

Pricing

The Free version costs 0.00 USD per free and offers unlimited usage time with 64MB cloud storage, but includes advertisements. It is the sensible starting point for casual drawing or for deciding whether the toolkit fits; ads and the small storage allowance are the trade-offs.

Premium Membership costs 4.49 USD per month, billed monthly, or 27.99 USD per year, billed annually. Both plans remove ads, include Premium features and 20GB cloud storage; the monthly plan also specifies unlimited original brush pattern imports. The annual price is lower than paying the monthly rate for a full year, but requires an upfront yearly commitment. Windows and Mac Premium Membership costs 4.49 USD per month or 27.99 USD per year; Mac Premium Membership is 4.99 USD per month or 29.99 USD per year.

On Windows, Free trial / Demo Mode costs 0.00 USD per free and limits use to one hour per day, 64MB cloud storage, and five original brush pattern imports. The Windows and Mac Premium Membership trial is one week for the monthly plan or one month for the yearly plan, and can be used only once. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled.

The Ad Removal Upgrade costs 15.99 USD per month and removes ads from the free mobile version, but does not include the stated Premium storage and feature bundle. Pro Upgrade costs 62.99 USD per month and adds unlimited Windows and Mac usage, CMYK export, and custom keyboard shortcuts. Windows Pro Upgrade and Mac Pro Upgrade each cost 62.99 USD per once, a one-off payment; each includes unlimited usage and Pro features but only 64MB cloud storage. Desktop artists who need the Pro features without a recurring subscription may prefer that one-time option, while those who need 20GB storage should consider Premium instead.

Platforms

ibisPaint supports 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. Mobile users can draw and share, while cloud sync provides a route to continue work on a PC or tablet. Windows and Mac plans have their own trial and Pro terms, so desktop buyers should compare those carefully with the mobile subscriptions.

Who it's for

ibisPaint suits illustrators and comic artists who want a large brush and material selection, dedicated manga tools, and basic frame animation in one app. It also makes sense for artists who work across phones, tablets, and PCs and can benefit from cloud syncing. People who only need occasional mobile drawing may find the free plan adequate if ads and 64MB storage are acceptable. Artists seeking a desktop-focused workflow with CMYK export or custom keyboard shortcuts should weigh the Pro options, while those who do not need ibisPaint's manga, animation, or sharing features may prefer a simpler fit.

Pros and cons

Pro: A very broad brush, material, and filter selection gives artists many ways to start and refine work.
Pro: Manga layout tools and frame-by-frame animation features make it useful beyond general painting.
Pro: Cloud Storage syncs work across phones, tablets, and PCs, with 20GB included in Premium Membership.
Con: The free version includes ads and caps cloud storage at 64MB.
Con: Windows demo use is limited to one hour per day, and its original brush pattern imports are capped at five.
Con: Premium subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled, and the trial is limited to one use.

Alternatives

Infinite Painter is worth considering for Android or iOS users who prefer a free plan with selected tools and a three-layer limit at device resolution; its Pro option is a one-time purchase.

Drawpile is a free, open-source alternative with official community servers available free and support across mobile, desktop, web, and self-hosted setups.

Sketchbook offers a free mobile app with brushes, layers, guides, rulers, and stroke tools, making it a straightforward alternative for artists who do not need ibisPaint's specific manga and animation features.

Clip Studio Paint is a paid option with a free trial and a listed PRO annual/monthly plan at 0.99 USD per month, suited to concept artists, illustrators, and designers.

FireAlpaca is a free alternative for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with customizable brushes, layered artwork, animation tools, and CMYK display.

Krita is free and open source, with no subscriptions or trials, for artists who would rather avoid a subscription model.

Paintstorm Studio is a paid drawing app with a free trial; its listed Windows, macOS, and Linux license is 25.00 USD per month for one PC and includes perpetual updates.

Artweaver offers a free Windows and macOS edition for non-commercial and academic use.

Verdict

Choose ibisPaint if you want a cross-device drawing app that brings extensive brush and material libraries together with manga, animation, and sharing tools. The free plan is a useful entry point, but its ads and 64MB storage cap are meaningful constraints; Premium is the better fit for regular artists who need more room and an ad-free experience. Look elsewhere if your priority is a free open-source desktop app or a less restricted storage arrangement without a subscription.

	Calligra Stage	ibisPaint
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	—	$2.33/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Linux	Android, iOS, macOS, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Illustration tools	Yes	—
Desktop app	Yes	—

Calligra Stage vs ibisPaint

Calligra Stage

ibisPaint