PaintTool SAI vs Photoshop: Which Is Too Limited?

By Eva Williams 11 days ago, Software Reviews

Being a digital artist for more than 5 years, I was able to compare Paint Tool SAI vs Photoshop when working on my projects.

I believe that Paint Tool SAI is more suitable for beginners as it is quite basic and has a streamlined interface. I like its fully customizable brushes which helps me create images in different styles. The line stabilization feature enables me to make my brush strokes smooth.

At the same time, Photoshop has more advanced functionality and comes with a more impressive choice of tools for digital artists working on complex projects – it’s a basis, no one will argue. While it might be difficult to master, you will benefit from using the tools available in this software once you learn how to make the most of them.

Final Verdict:

When working, I often need to rely on these both manga drawing software, and I can conclude that if I need to choose only one, it would be Photoshop. Using its tools, I can produce impressive graphics with little to no effort.

Head To Head Comparison

photoshop logo

Photoshop

painttool sai logo

PaintTool SAI

Rating

★★★★☆ 4.5/5

★★★★☆ 4/5

Best For:

Photo manipulation and graphic design projects

Manga artists and beginner digital painting artists

Ease of use

Steeper learning curve

Simple and intuitive

Free Trial

✔️

✔️

Price

$22.99/mo

$37

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Web

Windows

What Is Photoshop

photoshop interface

Photoshop stands out for an impressive variety of tools. It allows me to create pro-level pictures using handy selection tools, layers, levels, and curves. Using this software, I can crop and resize my pics as well as perform image manipulations.

The newest Photoshop AI features enable me to resize my pics and remove specific objects from them in no time. If you consider a SAI vs Photoshop comparison, you will see that the latter allows users to enhance images and perform manipulations using a web-based version.

Pros
  • A large choice of retouching tools
  • Allows for saving a lot of time
  • Affordable prices for businesses
  • Compatible with all devices
  • Perfect for professional use
Cons
  • Not for novices
  • Pricey subscription

What Is PaintTool SAI

painttool sai interface

When using PaintTool SAI, I was pleased with its powerful performance and digitizer support, which enabled me to create drawings, including manga, with ease. I can customize its Airbrush, Watercolor, Pen, and Marker tools depending on my needs.

If you download PaintTool SAI from the official website, you can use it for free for a month. It will allow you to test out its vector drawing and raster tools. You can adjust their settings to make them pressure-sensitive.

I like the fact that the program supports layer editing. I can work on different layers and then group them or add opacity masks. Besides, I can mask the layers by clipping them to the lower layer. This method is suitable for situations when I need to add highlights and shadows without creating masks for specific layers.

Pros
  • Streamlined UI and intuitive tools
  • Easy-to-customize brushes
  • Selection tools
  • Layer editing
  • Does not require powerful hardware
Cons
  • A limited number of editing tools
  • Outdated UI

Features Comparison

photoshop logo

Photoshop

painttool sai logo

PaintTool SAI

Brushes

Extensive brush customization

Basic

Selection tools

Tools for precise editing and masking

Tools for simple tasks

Blend modes

✔️

Limited

Opacity adjustments

Fine-tuning of layer opacity

Basic opacity control

Anti-aliased drawings

✔️

✔️

Retouching tools

✔️

Limited

Generative AI

✔️

Adjustment presets

✔️

File compatibility

PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIF, etc.

Limited

painttool sai features

PaintTool SAI stands out for its rich color palettes, which allows users to produce attention-grabbing artwork. I can use any set of colors to select the most suitable hues for my current project. The anti-aliased feature, allows me to draw smooth lines, which gives my pictures a professional feel. Due to this, I can easily produce detailed illustrations without any sign of blur.

photoshop features

After reading Photoshop portrait tutorials, I quickly figured out how to remove various defects from my photos, including wrinkles and blemishes. It allows me to give my photos an immaculate feel. I can easily convert my color photos into black-and-white images or use sepia hues to give my works a vintage feel.

photoshop vs sai battle

Summing up, after comparing Photoshop vs Paint Tool SAI, I believe that the former has a more extensive set of features, which makes it suitable for professionals who work on projects of different complexity. SAI has an easy-to-navigate interface with customizable brushes, but Photoshop comes with pro-level editing, manipulation, and design tools.

Price

photoshop logo

Photoshop

painttool sai logo
PaintTool SAI

Free Trial

✔️

✔️

Paid Plan

$22.99/mo

$37

Best Offer

Creative Cloud All Apps (20+ apps bundle)

$59.99/mo

$37

Compatibility

photoshop logo
Photoshop

painttool sai logo
PaintTool SAI

Windows

✔️

✔️

Mac

✔️

Web

✔️

iOS

Android

Integrations

photoshop logo

Photoshop

painttool sai logo
PaintTool SAI

Lightroom

✔️

Illustrator

✔️

Adobe Stock

✔️

Adobe Express

✔️

Alternatives

  • canva logo
    Canva
    Free
  • gimp logo
    GIMP
    Free
  • pixlr logo
    Pixlr
    Free
  • picmonkey logo
    PicMonkey
    $7.99/mo
  • krita logo
    Krita
    Free

Final Thoughts: Overall Winner

After comparing Photoshop vs SAI, I would definitely recommend the SAI software if you’re a total beginner and after that subscribe to Adobe CC and get all apps + Photoshop. For me, Photoshop is a better solution, as it has advanced tools for drawing anything and tutorials in any language.

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