Sketchbook
by Sketchbook, Inc.
Sketchbook is a free sketching and drawing app for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows with a one-time $2.99 Premium Bundle.
- Price
- Free; Premium Bundle $2.99 one-time
- Runs on
- iOS, iPadOS, Android, macOS, Windows
- Rating
- ★ 4.8 on the App Store (221K 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 Sketchbook has
- iPad
- iPhone: Yes, same app
- Apple Pencil: Supported
Feature comparison
| Feature | Sketchbook |
Krita |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | Free; Premium Bundle $2.99 one-time | Free and open source |
| Free version | Yes | Yes, everything is free |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Ad-free | Not advertised | Yes |
| No account needed | Not advertised | Yes |
| iPad | Yes | No |
| iPhone | Yes, same app | No |
| Mac | Yes, separate desktop version | Yes |
| Android and Chromebook | Yes | Tablets and Chromebooks; Android is in beta |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | Pencils, markers, airbrushes, smear and more | 100+ presets on several brush engines |
| Brush customization | Highly customizable; custom brushes in Premium | Multiple brush engines, deep customization |
| Brush import | Premium Bundle | Resource bundles and Photoshop .abr |
| Apple Pencil | Supported | No (no iPad version); pen tablets supported |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Not advertised | Comic page templates |
| Screentones | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Text and lettering | Not advertised | Text tool |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Not advertised | Limited by memory |
| Blend modes | Full set | Dozens |
| Masks | Clipping and layer masks in Premium | Transparency, filter and transform masks |
| Adjustments and filters | Blur, sharpen, brightness/contrast, greyscale, invert (Premium) | Non-destructive filter layers and masks |
| Selection tools | Selection tools | 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 | Yes | Mirror tools and multibrush |
| Perspective guides | Perspective guides | Perspective and vanishing point assistants |
| Shape correction | Predictive Stroke | Assistants and shape tools |
| Gradients | Gradient fill | 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 | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Generative AI | None advertised | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Export | Import and export |
| Export formats | PNG, JPG, PSD, PDF (Premium) | KRA, PSD, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, EXR and more |
| CMYK and print | Not advertised | CMYK, LAB and HDR color |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.8 / 5 (221K ratings) | Not on the App Store |
| Last updated | June 1, 2026 | Not on the App Store |
| Languages | 10 | Not on the App Store |
Price
Krita is free with every tool included, while Sketchbook is free to download with paid upgrades.
Sketchbook is free, and a one-time $2.99 Premium Bundle unlocks extras such as custom brushes, clipping masks, layer grouping, extra adjustments and PDF export. There is no subscription.
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 Sketchbook runs on iPad and iPhone. Only Krita runs on Linux and Chromebook.
Sketchbook is one app for iPhone and iPad, with separate versions for Android, Mac and Windows.
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
Sketchbook has a full set of pencils, markers, airbrushes and smear brushes that feel like their physical versions, and every brush is highly customizable. Creating, importing and exporting custom brushes is part of the Premium Bundle.
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
Sketchbook does not advertise comic panel or screentone tools; its strengths are sketching, rulers and perspective guides.
Krita includes comic page templates and a Comics Project Management Tools plugin for organizing multi-page projects.
Layers and editing
Sketchbook: Layers come with a full set of blend modes. The Premium Bundle adds clipping masks, layer masks, layer groups, and adjustments such as blur, sharpen and brightness/contrast.
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
Sketchbook is built for sketching and precision, with guides, rulers, symmetry, perspective guides and Predictive Stroke for clean lines and shapes. Its clean interface stays out of the way so the canvas gets the screen.
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 Sketchbook if
- You mostly sketch and want a clean, distraction-free interface
- You want a nearly free app with a $2.99 one-time upgrade
- You want the same app on iPhone and iPad
- You want to paint on an iPad with Apple Pencil
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 Sketchbook better than Krita?
Neither is better for everyone. Sketchbook is the better pick if you mostly sketch and want a clean, distraction-free interface, or you want a nearly free app with a $2.99 one-time upgrade. Krita suits you better if you want a completely free, open-source program, or you want deep customization with many brush engines.
Is Sketchbook free?
Yes. Sketchbook is free, and a one-time $2.99 Premium Bundle unlocks extras such as custom brushes, clipping masks, layer groups and PDF export. There is no subscription.
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, Sketchbook or Krita?
Sketchbook runs on iPhone in the same app as on iPad. Krita is not available on iPhone.
Do Sketchbook and Krita work on Android?
Sketchbook has an Android version. Krita runs on Android tablets and Chromebooks, though the Android version is still in beta.
Do Sketchbook or Krita use generative AI?
Sketchbook 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. Sketchbook 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 Sketchbook and Krita.