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What is Krita?

Industry Specialties: Comics, Illustration, Concept Art, Matte Painting, Texture Painting, VFX.

Krita is a sophisticated digital painting software that excels in animation tasks, offering a comprehensive suite of tools for artists and animators. It is particularly well-suited for illustrators, concept artists, and animators in industries such as gaming, film, and digital art. Krita's standout features include its intuitive animation timeline, onion skinning, and frame-by-frame raster animation capabilities, which empower users to create intricate animations with ease. The software's customizable interface and extensive brush engine provide a unique advantage for artists seeking flexibility and precision. Users often praise Krita for its robust performance and versatility, noting that it compares favorably to other animation tools in terms of functionality and cost-effectiveness. While Krita is open-source and free to use, users seeking additional support or features may consider contacting SelectHub for a tailored pricing quote. Its combination of powerful features and accessibility makes Krita a compelling choice for creative professionals.
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#1

Krita is ranked #1 in the Animation Software product directory based on the latest available data collected by SelectHub. Compare the leaders with our In-Depth Report.

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Krita Pricing

Based on our most recent analysis, Krita pricing starts at $0 (Free, Open-Source).

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Starting From
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Pricing Model
Free, Open-Source
Free Trial
Yes, Request for Free

Training Resources

Krita is supported with the following types of training:

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars

Support

The following support services are available for Krita:

Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Help Desk
Knowledge Base
Tickets
Training
24/7 Live Support

Krita Benefits and Insights

Why use Krita?

Key differentiators & advantages of Krita

  • Cost Efficiency: Krita is open-source and free, making it accessible for artists and animators without the burden of expensive software licenses.
  • Comprehensive Toolset: Offers a wide range of brushes and tools tailored for digital painting and animation, allowing for detailed and intricate artwork.
  • Customizability: Users can create and modify brushes and tools to suit their specific artistic needs, enhancing workflow efficiency.
  • Animation Capabilities: Includes features like onion skinning and frame-by-frame animation, enabling smooth and precise animation creation.
  • Cross-Platform Support: Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring flexibility and accessibility across different operating systems.
  • Community Support: A vibrant community of users and developers provides tutorials, plugins, and forums for troubleshooting and skill development.
  • Regular Updates: Frequent updates and improvements driven by community feedback ensure that the software evolves to meet user needs.
  • Resource Management: Efficiently handles large files and complex projects, minimizing lag and maximizing productivity.
  • Intuitive Interface: User-friendly design with customizable layouts helps streamline the creative process for both beginners and experienced artists.
  • Non-Destructive Editing: Layer management and non-destructive editing features allow for flexible adjustments without compromising original artwork.
  • Integration with Other Tools: Supports various file formats and integrates well with other software, facilitating seamless workflow transitions.
  • Educational Resources: Extensive documentation and tutorials available online help users quickly learn and master the software.
  • Professional Quality Output: Capable of producing high-resolution, professional-grade artwork suitable for commercial projects.
  • Open Development Model: Encourages user contributions to the codebase, fostering innovation and rapid problem-solving.
  • Localized Versions: Available in multiple languages, making it accessible to a global audience.

Industry Expertise

Krita is known for its expertise in digital painting and illustration, particularly for concept artists, illustrators, matte and texture artists, and those working in the digital VFX industry. It's a popular choice for professionals and hobbyists alike, offering a powerful and versatile toolset for creating high-quality artwork.

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Based on an aggregate of Krita reviews taken from the sources above, the following pros & cons have been curated by a SelectHub Market Analyst.

Pros

  • Open-Source and Free: Krita is a completely free and open-source program, which makes it a cost-effective choice for businesses and individuals alike.
  • Brush Selection: Krita boasts a wide variety of brushes, allowing for flexibility and control in artistic creations, from mimicking traditional mediums to achieving unique digital effects.
  • Animation Tools: Krita offers a dedicated animation workspace with features like onion skinning, timelines, and audio import, making it suitable for creating animated content.

Cons

  • Software Stability: Krita may crash, especially when working with animation curves, even on powerful computers.
  • Limited Animation Tools: Krita's animation features, while suitable for simple projects, are not as advanced as those found in paid software, potentially limiting professional users.
  • Sound Integration Challenges: Krita has limited sound integration, making tasks like lip-syncing difficult as it requires using external audio editing software.

Researcher's Summary:

Is Krita a critical hit or does it miss the mark? User reviews from the past year reveal a mixed bag. While many praise Krita as a free and capable alternative to paid software like Photoshop, some find its limitations too significant to ignore. Krita's strengths lie in its intuitive interface, extensive brush customization options, and strong performance, even on less powerful devices. Users specifically highlight the ease of creating GIFs and editing creatives for small design projects. However, the software's weaknesses, such as occasional bugs, crashes when handling large files, and a somewhat dated interface, have led some users to switch to paid alternatives.

Krita's differentiating factor is undoubtedly its price point: it's completely free and open-source. This makes it an attractive option for hobbyists, students, and anyone on a budget. However, its animation capabilities, while praised for their user-friendliness, are often considered basic compared to industry-standard software. Ultimately, Krita is best-suited for beginners and intermediate users who prioritize a free and feature-rich digital art program over advanced functionalities and professional-grade stability.

Key Features

Notable Krita features include:

  • Brush Engines: Krita offers a wide variety of brush engines, such as Pixel, Smudge, and Shape, allowing artists to create diverse textures and effects.
  • Layer Management: With support for multiple layer types, including vector, filter, and group layers, Krita provides robust tools for organizing complex projects.
  • Animation Tools: Krita includes a timeline and onion skinning, enabling animators to create frame-by-frame animations with ease.
  • Color Management: The software supports ICC and OpenColorIO color management, ensuring accurate color representation across different devices.
  • Resource Manager: Users can import, export, and organize brushes, gradients, and other resources, facilitating a customizable workflow.
  • Wrap-around Mode: This feature allows artists to create seamless textures and patterns by painting across the canvas edges.
  • HDR Painting: Krita supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) painting, providing a broader range of colors and luminance levels for digital art.
  • Python Scripting: Advanced users can automate tasks and extend functionality through Python scripting, enhancing productivity.
  • Customizable Interface: The interface can be tailored to individual preferences, with dockers and panels that can be rearranged or hidden.
  • Brush Stabilizers: Krita offers multiple stabilizer options to smooth out brush strokes, aiding artists in achieving precise lines.
  • Vector Tools: The software includes vector drawing tools, allowing for scalable artwork and precise shape manipulation.
  • PSD Support: Krita can open and save PSD files, ensuring compatibility with Adobe Photoshop projects.
  • Open Source: As an open-source application, Krita is free to use and modify, with a community-driven development model.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Krita runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility for users across different operating systems.
  • Instant Preview: This feature accelerates the rendering of large brushes, improving performance on high-resolution canvases.
  • Gamut Mask: Artists can use gamut masks to limit the color palette, aiding in color harmony and consistency.
  • Reference Images: Krita allows users to import reference images directly into the workspace, facilitating easier comparison and inspiration.
  • Advanced Selection Tools: The software includes a variety of selection tools, such as polygonal and magnetic selections, for precise editing.
  • Symmetry Tools: Krita provides symmetry options, including radial and mirror symmetry, to assist in creating balanced designs.
  • Training Resources: A wealth of tutorials and documentation is available, helping users to learn and master the software efficiently.
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