Krita vs Photoshop are used for different purposes. Krita is a software that was created mainly for artists and for painting from scratch, not for photo editing. As for Photoshop, it has great functionality and is suitable for a large number of photo editing tasks. But it can also be used as a digital drawing program. So, many artists use it for their specific needs.
Powerful functionality and a good set of tools make Krita a serious competitor to Photoshop in the field of creating drawings from scratch.
What Is Krita?
Krita is a free, open-source image editor designed for artists and photographers. It is often called the best free drawing software with the support for non-destructive editing of layers and masks (like Photoshop). Krita can work in different color spaces and with different color models: RGB, CMYK, LAB, in the mode from 8 to 32 dots per channel.Krita has good functionality and a large set of tools: a wide selection of brushes, a large number of blending modes, exporting animations using FFmpeg. A big plus of this open source paint software is the endless and rotatable canvas, as well as the ability to simulate paper and pastels.
- Read my Complete Krita Review.
Krita: Strengths and Weaknesses
Limitless Canvas. For many artists, the workspace is very important, so Krita developers made the canvas limitless. In this software you can work without space limitations since the canvas has no boundaries.
Built-in Al Assistant and other unique features. This free software supports not only RGB but also CMYK color spaces. Krita supports HDR painting and a built-in drawing assistant that is always ready to help you.
A huge library of custom brushes. This feature gives some extra points to Krita. Since the program is oriented on artists, it has an excellent selection of brushes. When using brushes, you have the opportunity to customize them for your needs. You can change the thickness and size of the brush. If the built-in brushes aren’t enough, you can download new ones as plug-ins.
Open-source. Krita software is open source. It is being developed by an international community of enthusiasts. They want to make one digital painting software with access for everyone.
Cross-platform. Another big plus is Krita system requirements. It can work on all devices. It is compatible with different operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Mac, IOS, and Android. This is a very important feature if you work from various places on different devices or as a team.
No user support. Since the program is free, there is no user support, unlike in the case with Photoshop. Therefore, you have to solve all the problems you encounter on your own.
Features aren’t extensive. Krita is more adapted for artists, so the functionality for photo processing isn’t very extensive. Photoshop, in its turn, boasts lots of features for professional image post-production.
What Is Photoshop?
Photoshop is a feature-rich graphics editor developed by Adobe. The functionality of this program is designed to work with raster graphics, but there are also several functions for vector graphics processing.Using this program, you can create images based on one of many specified pixel proportions. You can also open and work with 3D files, and with video files: edit, transform, clone, apply masks and filters to them. At the moment, it is the market leader for raster graphics editing.
Photoshop: Strengths and Weaknesses
Creating complex figures. Vector shapes are straight and curved lines that you can create using the “Shape” or “Pen” tools. In Photoshop, you can draw multiple shapes in one layer or use the “Add”, “Subtract”, “Intersect”, or “Exclusion” options to change the current shape.
Animation. With this software, you can create animated images. Just draw a picture, align it with the content grid, select the dimensions and place each element in a separate layer. Then you will get a picture drawn in PSD format. After that, you can animate it.
Additional functionality. Photoshop supports many professional filters that you can download for free or buy. While working in Ps, you can use hotkeys to enable many functions. This software has all the necessary tools for work with raster graphics: cutting, selection, frame, patch, eyedropper, and many others.
Drawing construction. Photoshop as a painting application has a huge set of features to create drawings from scratch. They include stretching, texture, working with tone and color without affecting the volume of the image. You can copy elements.
This feature is very convenient, for example, when drawing hedgehog needles. Thus, you don’t draw a new one each time. You can resize the brushes and adjust them for your needs, or you can download the brushes as plug-ins and use them.
Close integration with Illustrator. Some users need to work not only with raster graphics, but also with vector. Since Photoshop isn’t designed to work with vector graphics, it works very closely with Illustrator, which is a powerful program for this goal.
Regular subscription payment. As Photoshop is not free digital art software, you need to pay for it constantly. It isn’t a very big sum of money. But if you use this program and don’t earn with its help, then it makes no sense to use it. Learn more about how to buy Photoshop at the most affordable way.
It doesn’t support a 32-bit system. Unfortunately, the latest version of Photoshop isn’t compatible with a 32-bit OS. You can install previous versions for work, but they will lack updated functions. Therefore, you will either have to work with the old version or change your computer to a newer 64-bit one. For someone, this feature could be a serious drawback.
Krita vs Photoshop: Price
Krita is a completely free program. Photoshop is a professional photo editing software for PC for raster graphics, so you need to buy it from an official distributor. Recently, it was necessary to pay several hundred dollars for an annual license at once. Now it is distributed through Creative Cloud for a monthly fee. Therefore, you can use it as long as you need and not overpay.
- Photography Plan (20 GB) - $9.99/month
- Photoshop Plan - $20.99/month
- All Apps Plan (100GB + collection of 20+ apps) - $52.99/month
In addition to these plans, you can use Photoshop online completely for free. Photoshop Express editor has all the necessary functions and tools for improving photos.
Krita vs Photoshop – Who Wins
Krita is one of the best digital art programs that is free. It is considered a good alternative to Photoshop, but it is not suitable for all professional users. This is very good software with a large set of tools and functions for work with raster graphics.
This program is perfect for professional artists. You can work on a limitless canvas and make magnificent projects. But in terms of editing and retouching photos, its functionality cannot be compared with the world-famous Photoshop.
Photoshop is suitable for both amateur and professional work with raster graphics. Using it, you can create 3D pictures, web design, animations and more. At the moment, this program is a world leader in terms of image editing.
After considering all the positive aspects and getting to know these programs better, we can say that in the comparison of Krita vs Photoshop, the latter remains the leader. But despite this, Krita also has many handy features and is a good free alternative to Adobe giant.
Freebies
I suggest you taking advantage of these free brushes that I have prepared for you. With their help, digital drawing will become easier and more pleasant.
Circle Brush
Sometimes, you need to add circles or patterns to a photo to make it beautiful. With this brush, you can easily edit any picture and create an unforgettable image.
- Read more about how to get Photoshop free.
Star Brush
Decorate your photo with stars, using this brush. Apply it and your picture will look incredible.
Heart Brush
With this brush, you can surprise your relatives and loved ones by creating special greeting cards with hearts for them. This brush helps you put hearts where you need in a quick way.
Ann Young
Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more
