MediBang Paint
by MediBang
MediBang Paint is a free, ad-supported painting and comic app for iPad, iPhone, Android and desktop with cloud sync and shared canvases.
- Price
- Free with ads; Premium plans from $2.99
- Runs on
- iPadOS, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
- Rating
- ★ 4.6 on the App Store (33K ratings)
Krita
by the Krita Foundation
Krita is a free and open-source painting program for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android tablets and Chromebooks, made by artists and volunteers.
- Price
- Free and open source
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, ChromeOS
- Get it
- Not on the App Store; download from its website
Key differences
Only MediBang Paint has
- iPad
- Apple Pencil: Supported
Only Krita has
- Ad-free
Feature comparison
| Feature | MediBang Paint |
Krita |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | Free with ads; Premium plans from $2.99 | Free and open source |
| Free version | Yes, ad-supported | Yes, everything is free |
| Subscription | Optional MediBang Premium | None |
| Ad-free | No, ads unless removed for $7.99 | Yes |
| No account needed | Account needed for cloud features | Yes |
| iPad | Yes | No |
| iPhone | Separate app, MediBang Paint for iPhone | No |
| Mac | Yes, desktop version | Yes |
| Android and Chromebook | Yes | Tablets and Chromebooks; Android is in beta |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | 180 (700 more with Premium) | 100+ presets on several brush engines |
| Brush customization | Adjustable; make your own | Multiple brush engines, deep customization |
| Brush import | Cloud brushes | Resource bundles and Photoshop .abr |
| Apple Pencil | Supported | No (no iPad version); pen tablets supported |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Comic panel tools | Comic page templates |
| Screentones | 1,000 screentones | Not advertised |
| Text and lettering | 60 fonts | Text tool |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Not advertised | Limited by memory |
| Blend modes | Yes | Dozens |
| Masks | Not advertised | Transparency, filter and transform masks |
| Adjustments and filters | Filters (extra Filter Pack available) | Non-destructive filter layers and masks |
| Selection tools | Not advertised | Rectangle, ellipse, polygon, freehand, contiguous, similar color, Bezier, magnetic |
| Liquify and distortion | Not advertised | Liquify transform |
| Clone tool | Not advertised | Clone brush |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Not advertised | Mirror tools and multibrush |
| Perspective guides | Not advertised | Perspective and vanishing point assistants |
| Shape correction | Not advertised | Assistants and shape tools |
| Gradients | Not advertised | Gradient tool |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Wrap-around mode |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Not advertised | Frame-by-frame |
| 3D painting | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Timelapse | Yes | Recorder |
| Live collaboration | Group Project shared canvases | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | None advertised | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Not advertised | Import and export |
| Export formats | Images, with cloud saving | KRA, PSD, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, EXR and more |
| CMYK and print | Not advertised | CMYK, LAB and HDR color |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 (33K ratings) | Not on the App Store |
| Last updated | September 11, 2026 | Not on the App Store |
| Languages | 16 | Not on the App Store |
Price
Krita is free with every tool included, while MediBang Paint is free to download with paid upgrades.
MediBang Paint is free with ads. MediBang Premium plans, from $2.99 on the US App Store, add 700 more brushes, and ads can be removed with a separate $7.99 add-on.
Krita is completely free and open source under the GNU GPL, with no ads, subscription or paid tier. Development is funded by donations, and you can also buy it on some app stores to support the project.
Platforms
Both run on Android, Mac and Windows. Only MediBang Paint runs on iPad and iPhone. Only Krita runs on Linux and Chromebook.
MediBang Paint has an iPad app, a separate iPhone app, and versions for Android, Mac and Windows. Its cloud feature, which needs a MediBang account, lets you move a drawing between devices.
Krita runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, plus Android tablets and Chromebooks, where the Android version is still in beta. It is not available for iPad or iPhone.
Brushes
MediBang Paint includes 180 adjustable brushes, and Premium plans add 700 more. You can also make your own brushes.
Krita ships with more than 100 brush presets built on several brush engines, from pixel and color smudge to bristle and particle engines. It imports Photoshop .abr brushes and resource bundles.
Comics and manga
MediBang Paint was built with comics in mind, with 1,000 screentones, 60 fonts for lettering, easy comic panels and shared canvases for team projects.
Krita includes comic page templates and a Comics Project Management Tools plugin for organizing multi-page projects.
Layers and editing
MediBang Paint: It covers the essentials with layers, blend modes and filters, and keeps the interface simple and lightweight, so it stays fast without needing much storage.
Krita: Its layer system is one of the deepest anywhere: paint, vector, filter and fill layers, transparency and filter masks, dozens of blend modes, and color management with CMYK, LAB and HDR support.
Drawing tools and extras
MediBang Paint: Group Project lets you and your friends draw on the same canvas, cloud saving keeps drawings in step between devices, and MediBang Paint records a timelapse of your work.
Krita: Drawing assistants cover perspective, vanishing points and ellipses, and mirror tools, multibrush symmetry and wrap-around mode make patterns easy. Krita also has frame-by-frame animation, a text tool and a recorder for timelapses.
Which should you choose?
Choose MediBang Paint if
- You want to draw on a shared canvas with friends or a team
- You want a free app and do not mind ads
- You want a library of 1,000 screentones
- You want cloud saving between devices
Choose Krita if
- You want a completely free, open-source program
- You want deep customization with many brush engines
- You need CMYK, LAB or HDR color management
- You want frame-by-frame animation for free
Frequently asked questions
Is MediBang Paint better than Krita?
Neither is better for everyone. MediBang Paint is the better pick if you want to draw on a shared canvas with friends or a team, or you want a free app and do not mind ads. Krita suits you better if you want a completely free, open-source program, or you want deep customization with many brush engines.
Is MediBang Paint free?
Yes, MediBang Paint is free with ads. Premium plans from $2.99 add 700 more brushes, and a $7.99 add-on removes ads.
Is Krita free?
Yes. Krita is completely free and open source, with no ads, subscription or locked features. You can donate or buy it on some stores to support development.
Which works on iPhone, MediBang Paint or Krita?
MediBang Paint has a separate iPhone app, MediBang Paint for iPhone. Krita is not available on iPhone.
Do MediBang Paint and Krita work on Android?
MediBang Paint has an Android version. Krita runs on Android tablets and Chromebooks, though the Android version is still in beta.
Can two people draw together in MediBang Paint or Krita?
Yes, MediBang Paint does (Group Project shared canvases). Krita does not advertise live collaboration.
Do MediBang Paint or Krita use generative AI?
MediBang Paint does not advertise any generative AI features. Krita does not advertise any built-in generative AI features.
Sources
Facts checked on October 2, 2026. Prices are from the US App Store, and features from each app's listing and official site. Apps change often, so check the App Store for current prices and features. MediBang Paint and Krita are trademarks of their respective owners. App icons come from each app's App Store listing and belong to their owners. Krita logo by Wolthera van Hövell tot Westerflier and Timothée Giet for KDE, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Paintrix Studio is not affiliated with the makers of MediBang Paint and Krita.