Krita
Free, open-source raster graphics editor focused on digital painting and illustration.
Recommended as a free, open-source replacement for Photoshop and Paint.NET123, with an easier UI than GIMP45 and solid digital painting tools.67 The most common caveat is that it is heavier and more complex than needed for quick crops and resizes8910, and it leans toward painting over general photo editing.11
Why people recommend it
Photoshop replacement · 3
Commenters use it to replace Photoshop, Paint.NET and other paid editors.
“Photoshop has gotten worse so I've switched to Krita which works great in KDE”
“Meanwhile Blender, ffmpeg, Krita, ZIM, and Inkscape are all free but which I support with donations.”
Show 1 more
“I use it only for basic image editing and it can do all I wanted to do with Paint.net.”
Free and open · 3
Valued for being free and open source while still being capable.
“I will always prefer Krita to PhotoShop (because it is free, open, _and_ better, IMHO).”
“already perfect (and free) like Reaper (DAW), Krita (Image editor)”
Show 1 more
“Krita is also great (and free) but it feels more geared towards digital painting.”
Digital painting · 3
Preferred for art creation and painting, including with drawing tablets.
“For creation of art I’d use Krita, it is more feature complete.”
Show 1 more
“Killer app is Krita for the older one”
Usable UI · 3
Seen as easier and more conventional to use than GIMP or Pinta.
“So much easier to use than Gimp, excellent for consistent and modern UI conventions”
“There have been plenty of other applications (Corel, Paint Shop Pro, Fireworks, Krita etc) with their own workflows and keybindings that weren't confusing for users.”
Show 1 more
“Krita is what I use.”
Linux integration · 3
Works well on KDE and with window managers like DWM where GIMP struggles.
“Photoshop has gotten worse so I've switched to Krita which works great in KDE”
“Krita, for example, works perfectly with DWM.”
Show 1 more
AI plugin · 2
An AI diffusion plugin lets users generate images and references inside Krita.
“(1) Download Krita”
“I generate reference stuff for Krita (digital painting software) illustrations”
Caveats and dissent
Heavy for basics · 3
Some find it heavier and more UI than needed for simple image edits.
“Krita, GIMP, et al., are too much UI-wise.”
“Krita's what I'd suggest for anyone wanting an open source alternative to Paint.net”
Show 1 more
“For creation of art I’d use Krita, it is more feature complete.”
Painting-focused · 1
Feels more geared to digital painting than all-round image editing.
“Krita is also great (and free) but it feels more geared towards digital painting.”
Multiple instances · 1
Launching a second instance via script was confusing on Linux and Windows.
“I use Krita and like a lot.”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Paint.net 5.2 alpha now runs on Linux 5 mentions
- I dumped Windows 11 for Linux, and you should too 2 mentions
- Tell HN: GitHub refuses to remove cracked copies of my software after a month 1 mention
- What ArtCraft's Vibe-Coded Apps Say About Adobe 1 mention
- Vibecoding Photoshop: Time and pressure 1 mention
- Anyone Can Build an App Now, but Who Is Going to Pay for It? 1 mention
Data: krita.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 19
“I will always prefer Krita to PhotoShop (because it is free, open, _and_ better, IMHO).”
“So much easier to use than Gimp, excellent for consistent and modern UI conventions”
“replace it with gimp/krita”
“already perfect (and free) like Reaper (DAW), Krita (Image editor)”
“I use it only for basic image editing and it can do all I wanted to do with Paint.net.”
“Krita is what I use.”
“Krita, GIMP, et al., are too much UI-wise.”
“For creation of art I’d use Krita, it is more feature complete.”
“Krita's what I'd suggest for anyone wanting an open source alternative to Paint.net”
“There have been plenty of other applications (Corel, Paint Shop Pro, Fireworks, Krita etc) with their own workflows and keybindings that weren't confusing for users.”
“Photoshop has gotten worse so I've switched to Krita which works great in KDE”
“Krita (which i use for most painting stuff)”
“Krita, for example, works perfectly with DWM.”
“Meanwhile Blender, ffmpeg, Krita, ZIM, and Inkscape are all free but which I support with donations.”
“I use Krita and like a lot.”
“Krita is also great (and free) but it feels more geared towards digital painting.”
“(1) Download Krita”
“I generate reference stuff for Krita (digital painting software) illustrations”
“Killer app is Krita for the older one”