Linux · Graphics

Krita

Krita is a full‑featured open‑source digital painting and illustration program.

Open sourceFreeFlatpak

Be the first to rate

License: GPL-3.0-only
Latest version: 5.3.4.1 (October 7, 2026)
Developer: Krita Foundation
Installs: 35,610 (Flathub, 30 days)

Install Website ↗

Krita is a full-featured digital painting studio

The startup window now also gives you the latest news about Krita

There are over ten immensely powerful brush engines

Into animation? Krita provides everything you need for traditional, hand-drawn animation

What is Krita?

Krita started as a KDE project in the early 2000s and has grown into a mature, actively maintained art studio used by professionals and hobbyists alike. The latest release (5.3.4.1) shows regular updates and a solid roadmap, and it ships in the major Linux distro repositories as well as via Flatpak.

The program targets illustrators, concept artists, comic creators, and anyone who needs a powerful raster‑based editor. Its UI is geared toward drawing tablets and offers a workflow that feels natural for sketching, painting, and compositing layers.

Compared with Windows‑only tools like Affinity Photo, Krita focuses more on painting and brush dynamics than on photo‑editing. It lacks some of the non‑destructive adjustment layers found in Affinity, but its brush engine, color management, and open‑source flexibility make it a strong alternative for creative work.

Best for: Artists who need a powerful, free painting program with professional‑grade brush control.

Key features of Krita

Advanced brush engine with dozens of preset brushes
Full CMYK, RGB, and HDR color space support
Layer groups, masks, and vector layers
HDR painting and 16/32‑bit float channels
Resource manager for brushes, gradients, and palettes
Python scripting for custom tools
Docker panels for quick access to tools and filters
Export to PSD, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and OpenRaster

Pros

Excellent brush customization and responsiveness
Strong community support and frequent updates
Cross‑platform, with flatpak and native packages
Good color management for print workflows

Cons

Photo‑editing features are less extensive than Affinity Photo
Learning curve for the extensive brush settings

Windows programs Krita replaces

Affinity Photo Microsoft Paint 3D Canva Affinity Designer Clip Studio Paint

How to install Krita on Linux

Flatpak (Flathub)flatpak install flathub org.kde.krita

Ubuntu / Mintsudo apt install krita

Debiansudo apt install krita

Fedorasudo dnf install krita

Arch / Manjarosudo pacman -S krita

openSUSEsudo zypper install krita

Tips for Windows users

Krita reads and writes PSD files, so you can open existing Affinity Photo projects saved as PSD. Most default shortcuts mirror Photoshop (e.g., B for brush, E for eraser), but you may need to reassign a few custom keys. Export your layered work as OpenRaster (.ora) for future editing, and use the Resource Manager to import any brushes or palettes you already own.

Recent releases

5.3.4.1 — October 7, 2026
A minor bugfix release for the Krita Stable channel
5.3.4 — September 16, 2026
A minor bugfix release for the Krita Stable channel
5.3.3 — July 23, 2026
A minor bugfix release for the Krita Stable channel
5.3.2.1 — June 1, 2026
A minor bugfix release for the Krita Stable channel

Krita: frequently asked questions

How do I install Krita on Ubuntu?

Use the official Ubuntu repository (sudo apt install krita) or install the Flatpak from Flathub for the latest version.

Can Krita handle CMYK printing workflows?

Yes, Krita supports CMYK color space and can export to PDF or TIFF for print.

Is there a way to use Photoshop shortcuts in Krita?

Krita includes a preset keymap that mimics Photoshop; enable it in Settings → Configure Krita → Keyboard Shortcuts.

Does Krita run on low‑end hardware?

It runs on modest systems, but complex brushes and high‑resolution canvases benefit from a decent GPU and RAM.

Updated October 18, 2026