# GIMP vs Krita: two free editors that overlap less than you think Krita is built for painting and animation, GIMP for photo work and compositing. Brushes, healing, layers, text, CMYK, PSD, scripting, platforms and governance, judged by the job. Read September 2026. Author: Anvisha Pai Canonical: https://voyageragent.ai/blog/gimp-vs-krita Published: 2026-09-21 Updated: 2026-09-21 GIMP and Krita are both free, both GPL, both run on Linux, Windows and macOS, and both get recommended to anyone who asks for a free Photoshop. That is where the resemblance ends. Krita's own manual describes it as "a 2D paint application while Photoshop (PS) is an image manipulation program", and GIMP's name is the GNU Image Manipulation Program ([Krita manual, coming from Photoshop](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/introduction_from_other_software/introduction_from_photoshop.html), [GIMP FAQ](https://www.gimp.org/docs/userfaq.html)). One is built for making pictures from a blank canvas; the other for changing pictures that already exist. The short version: choose Krita for digital painting, illustration, comics, concept art and frame-by-frame animation, and for anything where the brush engine is the tool you live in. Choose GIMP for photo retouching, compositing, screen graphics, batch processing and anything that starts from a photograph or a file someone sent you. Many people install both, and the last section covers how the two hand files to each other. Every version and feature below was read from gimp.org, docs.gimp.org, krita.org or docs.krita.org on 21 September 2026. The stable releases on that day were GIMP 3.2.6, dated 10 September 2026, and Krita 5.3.4, dated 15 September 2026 ([GIMP downloads](https://www.gimp.org/downloads/), [Krita download](https://krita.org/en/download/)). ## What each program is, in one paragraph each GIMP is a raster image editor developed by volunteers and licensed under the GPL version 3 or later ([GIMP FAQ](https://www.gimp.org/docs/userfaq.html)). Version 3.0 in March 2025 ended a seven-year gap after 2.10 and made filters non-destructive; 3.2 in March 2026 added link layers, vector layers and PSB export ([GIMP 3.0 release](https://www.gimp.org/news/2025/03/16/gimp-3-0-released/), [GIMP 3.2 release](https://www.gimp.org/news/2026/03/14/gimp-3-2-released/)). Its strengths are the photo toolkit, the filter library, color-managed export to print formats, and a scripting platform that reaches every part of the program. The separate [GIMP vs Photoshop](/blog/gimp-vs-photoshop) comparison goes deeper on where GIMP stands against Adobe. Krita started inside the KDE community in 1998 and is licensed under the GPL version 3 ([Krita Foundation](https://krita.org/en/about/krita-foundation/), [Krita license](https://krita.org/en/about/license/)). Its FAQ describes it as "an end-to-end solution for creating digital art files from scratch" whose "explicitly supported fields of painting are illustrations, concept art, matte painting, textures, comics and animations" ([Krita FAQ](https://docs.krita.org/en/KritaFAQ.html)). Its strengths are a brush system with eighteen engines, stabilizers and perspective assistants, a full animation timeline, and a layer stack designed for painters. The [Krita vs Photoshop](/blog/krita-vs-photoshop) comparison covers how far that reaches into Photoshop's territory. ## The comparison at a glance | Job | GIMP 3.2.6 | Krita 5.3.4 | Edge | | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Digital painting | Paint dynamics, MyPaint brush tool, Smooth Stroke, symmetry painting | 18 brush engines, four smoothing modes including a stabilizer, 11 assistants, brush texture and masked brushes | Krita | | Photo retouching | Heal, clone, Foreground Select with matting, Resynthesizer plugin | Clone brush with a healing mode, Smart Patch; "does not have an automatic healing tool" | GIMP | | Non-destructive editing | Editable filters on layers, groups and channels; text, link and vector layers; pass-through groups as adjustment layers | Filter layers, filter masks, transform masks, clone and file layers, layer styles | Krita, by design; GIMP has caught up a lot since 3.0 | | Selections | Rectangle, ellipse, free, fuzzy, by color, scissors, foreground select, paths | Eight tools including magnetic; pixel or vector selections; paint the global selection mask | Even, different emphases | | Text | Text layers with box modes and outlines; tool is due a rewrite | Rewritten in 5.3 with SVG 2 text, text on path and in shapes, OpenType features | Krita for typography, GIMP for a quick caption | | Color management, CMYK, print | ICC, soft-proof, CMYK import and export, no native CMYK mode | ICC through lcms2 plus OCIO, CMYK and Lab as working models, 16 and 32-bit float, soft-proof with gamut alarm | Krita has the models; neither is a print production tool | | Raw files | Hands off to darktable, RawTherapee or ART | Camera raw is not in the documented format list | GIMP | | Animation | Layers as frames, GIF export, Playback filter; core animation is roadmap work for 3.6 | Timeline, onion skins, animation curves, transform-mask tweening, storyboard, video render through FFmpeg | Krita | | Vector and shapes | Vector layers since 3.2 with stroke and fill; SVG and PDF export with vector data | Vector layers with SVG as the native format, shape and path tools, gradients, dashes, markers | Krita, by maturity | | PSD | Import and export PSD and PSB; three layer styles imported | Raster layers, blend modes, layer styles, vector shapes, text, groups and transparency masks; docs recommend ORA or TIFF instead | Comparable, both partial | | Scripting and plugins | Python 3, Script-Fu, JavaScript, Lua, Vala; G'MIC builds | Python 3 with PyQt, Scripter docker, bundled plugins; G'MIC bundled on Windows and Linux | GIMP for depth, Krita for convenience | | Platforms | Linux, Windows, macOS, x86\_64 and ARM64 | Linux, Windows, macOS, Android tablets in beta, ChromeOS through the Play Store; no iPad | Krita, if a tablet computer matters | | Governance | Volunteers; GNOME Foundation as fiscal agent; individual Patreon fundraisers | Krita Foundation, a Dutch non-profit; four developers sponsored full time; paid store builds fund development | Different models, both healthy | Sources for each row are linked in the sections that follow. ## Digital painting and brushes This is Krita's home ground and the section that decides most choices. Krita's brush editor exposes eighteen brush engines, among them Pixel, Color Smudge, Bristle, Sketch, Hatching, Particle, Deform, Filter, Clone, Shape, Spray, Curve and a MyPaint engine ([brush engines](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/brushes/brush_engines.html)). Each engine has its own parameter set. Above that sit features painters rely on daily: brush texture, which applies a pattern to every stroke in Multiply, Subtract, Lightness Map or Gradient Map mode, with a Soft Texturing option added in 5.3 ([brush texture](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/brushes/brush_settings/texture.html)); masked brushes, which "combine two brush tips in one stroke" in the Pixel engine ([masked brushes](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/brushes/brush_settings/masked_brush.html)); and four smoothing modes on the freehand brush, of which the Stabilizer "averages all inputs from the tablet" and draws a circle around the cursor while the line trails behind ([freehand brush](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/tools/freehand_brush.html)). The assistant system provides eleven drawing aids, including ellipse, concentric ellipse, perspective ellipse, ruler, parallel ruler, spline, vanishing point, fish eye point, two-point perspective and curvilinear perspective, and the brush can snap to them with adjustable strength ([painting with assistants](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/painting_with_assistants.html)). GIMP paints, and better than its reputation. Paint dynamics map pressure, velocity, direction, tilt, wheel, random and fade to opacity, size, angle, color, hardness, force, aspect ratio, spacing, rate, flow and jitter ([paint dynamics](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tool-dynamics.html)). The Symmetry Painting dialog offers mirror, tiling and mandala modes ([symmetry painting](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-symmetry-dialog.html)). GIMP 3.0 let paint tools "automatically expand the width and height of a layer as you draw", and 3.2 moved the MyPaint Brush tool to the version 2 API, which "adds 20 new brushes", uses barrel rotation from styluses that report it, and gained a Gain slider for pressure ([GIMP 3.0 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html), [GIMP 3.2 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.2.html), [MyPaint Brush tool](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tool-mypaint-brush.html)). The stroke smoothing option is called Smooth Stroke, with quality and weight controls ([Paintbrush tool](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tool-paintbrush.html)). Where the gap shows is in what GIMP's own developers say is missing. The roadmap lists "Better painting smoothness algorithm" with the status "No" and the note that "The current 'weight' algorithm is not as good as we'd want", and a new brush engine is likewise listed as not started ([GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). There are no perspective assistants, no brush texture system, and no engine-per-brush model; a GIMP brush is a stamp, a MyPaint brush, or a parametric shape, with dynamics on top. Choose Krita if you paint, ink, or color, if you use a stabilizer or perspective guides as a matter of course, or if you want brushes that behave like media rather than stamps. Choose GIMP if painting is an occasional step inside a photo or composite, and a pressure-sensitive brush with dynamics is all the job needs. ## Photo retouching and healing GIMP has the tools a retoucher expects. The Heal tool takes "the area around the destination" into account so that "Colors are much less transferred, especially on borders", which is what separates healing from cloning ([Heal tool](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tool-heal.html)). The Clone tool, dodge and burn, curves, levels and the full GEGL filter set sit alongside it. Foreground Select extracts subjects with a choice of Matting Levin or the faster Matting Global engine ([Foreground Select](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tool-foreground-select.html)). Content-aware fill comes from the Resynthesizer plugin, a separate GPLv3 project with a GIMP 3 release ([Resynthesizer](https://github.com/bootchk/resynthesizer)); the roadmap lists a native inpainting tool as not started ([GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). Krita's manual is candid: "Krita does not have an automatic healing tool. It does, however, have a so-called clone tool which can be used to do a healing correction, although not automatically" ([coming from Photoshop](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/introduction_from_other_software/introduction_from_photoshop.html)). The Clone brush engine has a healing mode that the docs say is "often used for removing blemishes in photo retouching" ([Clone brush engine](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/brushes/brush_engines/clone_engine.html)), and the Smart Patch tool removes an element by drawing over it and using "patterns already existing in the image to fill the blank" ([Smart Patch](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/tools/smart_patch.html)). The same manual page warns that "you will probably miss one or two of the special filters or color adjustment tools you often use in Photoshop". Krita can retouch a photo, but every step is a painter's tool bent to the purpose. Choose GIMP if retouching is the job: heal, clone, matting and the filter library are all first-class. Choose Krita if the photo is reference or a texture source for a painting, and the occasional blemish is all you need to remove. ## Layers, masks and non-destructive editing Both programs are non-destructive now, but they arrived from opposite directions and the vocabulary differs. Krita's layer stack has been designed around non-destructive work for years. Its layer types are paint, vector, group, clone, file, fill and filter layers; its mask types are transform, filter, transparency and selection masks ([layers and masks](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/layers_and_masks.html)). A filter layer "show\[s] whatever layers are underneath them, but with a filter such as Layer Styles, Blur, Levels, Brightness / Contrast" and applies "to the entire canvas for the layers beneath", which makes it the equivalent of an adjustment layer ([filter layers](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/layers_and_masks/filter_layers.html)). A filter mask does the same for a single layer's area ([filter masks](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/layers_and_masks/filter_masks.html)). A transform mask lets you "transform (move, rotate, shear, scale and perspective) a layer without applying the transform directly to the paint layer", and can drive tweening in the animation curves docker ([transform masks](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/layers_and_masks/transformation_masks.html)). Clone layers mirror another layer live; file layers embed an external file that updates when it changes. One limit worth knowing: filter layers and masks use Krita's internal filters only, so G'MIC filters cannot be applied non-destructively ([filters](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/filters.html)). GIMP's model is newer and still filling in. Since 3.0, GEGL filters "stay active once committed" and can be re-edited from the layer's Fx list or saved into XCF and reopened later ([GIMP 3.0 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html)). GIMP 3.2 extended editable filters to channels and added link layers, which update when an external image changes in another editor, and vector layers, which keep stroke and fill editable ([GIMP 3.2 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.2.html)). What GIMP does not have is an adjustment layer as a layer type. The documented substitute is an empty layer group in Pass Through mode with filters attached, which the release notes say "allows you to recreate an 'Adjustment Layer' workflow from other software". It works, but it is a convention rather than a button, and there is no equivalent of Krita's transform mask: a transform in GIMP is applied to pixels, with the exception of text, vector and link layers, which can be transformed and reverted. ![The GIMP 3.2 release notes section titled Vector Layers, explaining that the Path tool can create a path layer with stroke and fill settings that updates when the path changes and can be rotated, scaled and transformed non-destructively.](https://cdn.moda.app/voyager/blog/gimp-vs-krita/gimp-32-vector-layers-text-645840f4f6.webp) GIMP 3.2's release notes on vector layers, the newest of GIMP's three non-destructive layer types beside text and link layers. Captured from gimp.org on 21 September 2026. Choose Krita if you want adjustment-style layers, non-destructive transforms and live clones as ordinary parts of the layer stack. Choose GIMP if editable filters on layers, groups and channels plus editable text, vector and linked layers cover your compositing, and you are comfortable with the pass-through convention for adjustments. ## Selections GIMP's selection tools are photo-oriented: rectangle, ellipse, free, fuzzy select by contiguous color, select by color across the image, the Scissors edge-following tool, Foreground Select with matting, and paths converted to selections, with Quick Mask for painting the selection ([GIMP selection tools](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tools-selection.html)). Krita documents eight selection tools, including a Magnetic Selection that "snaps to sharp contrasts in the image", a Similar Color selection and a Path selection, and adds two things GIMP does not: selections can be pixel or vector, converting between the two, and the Global Selection Mask can be painted with any brush ([Krita selections](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/selections.html)). Selection modes include replace, add, subtract, intersect and symmetric difference. Choose GIMP if you extract subjects from photographs and need matting rather than an edge snap. Choose Krita if you want vector-precise selections on line art or want to paint a selection with the same brush you draw with. ## Text and typography Neither program is a layout tool, and each is weak in a different way. GIMP's text layers cover fonts, size, antialiasing, hinting, justification, line and letter spacing, dynamic and fixed text boxes and, since 3.2, non-destructive outlines ([text tool](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tool-text.html), [GIMP 3.2 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.2.html)). There are no character or paragraph styles, and the roadmap says the tool "deserves a big rewrite of interaction" ([GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). Krita rewrote its text tool for 5.3: "The text tool has been fully overhauled for 5.3!", with on-canvas editing, wrapped text, text flowing inside shapes, text on a path, a Text Properties docker with more than fifty editable properties, a glyph palette for OpenType features and a Type Setting Mode ([Krita 5.3 release notes](https://krita.org/en/release-notes/krita-5-3-release-notes/)). The tool documentation describes "full SVG 2 text support", vertical text and bidirectional editing ([text tool](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/tools/text.html)). What is missing is paragraph-level composition: the manual notes that Photoshop's option "where the whole paragraph is taken into account when line breaking" is "not available within Krita" ([coming from Photoshop](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/introduction_from_other_software/introduction_from_photoshop.html)). Text in Krita lives on vector layers, which suits comics lettering and titles well and long copy poorly. Choose Krita if text means lettering, titles, text on curves or anything typographic. Choose GIMP if text means a caption, a watermark or a label on a screenshot, and you would rather not learn a second layer type to do it. ## Color management, CMYK and print Krita has the broader color model. It runs two systems, "lcms2, which deal with ICC profiles" and "OCIO, which deal with LUT color management" ([color managed workflow](https://docs.krita.org/en/general_concepts/colors/color_managed_workflow.html)). Images can be RGB, CMYK, Lab, XYZ or grayscale at 8 or 16 bits per channel or 16 or 32-bit float, the last being "the native color depth of OpenColor IO" ([bit depth](https://docs.krita.org/en/general_concepts/colors/bit_depth.html)). Soft proofing toggles per view with Ctrl+Y and a gamut alarm with Ctrl+Shift+Y, though "Soft Proofing doesn't work properly in floating-point spaces" and is disabled there ([soft proofing](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/soft_proofing.html)). On Windows, Krita can render floating-point images to an HDR display ([display settings](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/preferences/display_settings.html)). Its manual also argues against painting in CMYK: the space "is very irregular", blending modes differ, and the image "is stuck to that space", so the recommendation is RGB with soft proofing and a conversion at the end. GIMP edits in RGB with ICC color management and a soft-proof pop-over, imports and exports CMYK JPEG, TIFF, PSD and JPEG XL with the profile attached, and since 3.2 shows total ink coverage in its CMYK color selector ([GIMP 3.0 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html), [GIMP 3.2 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.2.html)). It cannot hold the image as CMYK pixels; the FAQ says "better support for CMYK has been on our roadmap for a long time" and the 3.4 roadmap lists "High-end CMYK support" as work in progress ([GIMP FAQ](https://www.gimp.org/docs/userfaq.html), [GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). Choose Krita if you need a CMYK or Lab working space, floating-point HDR or scene-referred work, or OCIO for a VFX pipeline. Choose GIMP if your print work is RGB with a soft proof and a CMYK export at the end, and you want the file formats and metadata handling of a photo editor. Neither replaces a dedicated prepress tool. ## Raw files GIMP does not develop raw files itself but hands them to darktable, RawTherapee or, since 3.2, ART through bundled plug-ins, and brings the result back ([GIMP FAQ](https://www.gimp.org/docs/userfaq.html), [GIMP 3.2 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.2.html)). Krita's documented file format list covers BMP, EXR, GIF, HEIF, AVIF, JPEG, JPEG XL, KRA, ORA, PDF, PNG, PSD, SVG, TIFF and WebP among others, and camera raw is not on it ([Krita file formats](https://docs.krita.org/en/general_concepts/file_formats.html)). Choose GIMP, with one of the free developers beside it, for anything that starts as a raw file. ## Animation Krita animates; GIMP, for now, does not. Krita's animation system has a timeline docker, onion skins, an animation curves docker for tweening, transform masks that can be tweened, a storyboard docker, and audio for animation. Rendering to video goes through FFmpeg: "To render to a video file, you'll need a program called FFmpeg" ([Krita animation](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/animation.html)). Frames are held in memory, and the performance settings page gives the arithmetic: "For 1 second of 4K UltraHD@ 25 FPS, you will need 800 extra MiB of Memory" ([performance settings](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/preferences/performance_settings.html)). Krita 5.3.4 "finally brings video exports to Android" ([Krita 5.3.4 release](https://krita.org/en/posts/2026/krita-5.3.4-released/)). GIMP's animation is the old layers-as-frames model. The GIF exporter has an "As animation" option, loop and frame delay settings, and reads timing from layer names; it does not support layer groups ([GIF export](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/file-gif-export.html)). The Filters menu has a Playback preview and an Optimize step ([animation filters](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/filters-animation.html)). The GAP animation plug-in that older tutorials rely on is gone: the roadmap entry for GIMP 3.6 reads "Core animation" with the status WIP and the comment "Animation plug-in is dropped, this is being rewritten as a core feature" ([GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). ![The GIMP developer roadmap table for 3.6 listing Core animation as WIP with the comment that the animation plug-in is dropped and is being rewritten as a core feature, alongside page support and an inpainting tool.](https://cdn.moda.app/voyager/blog/gimp-vs-krita/gimp-roadmap-animation-d2439ff8db.webp) GIMP's roadmap on 21 September 2026: animation is being rebuilt in the core for 3.6, and the old plug-in is dropped. Choose Krita for any animation beyond a handful of GIF frames. Choose GIMP only for a short animated GIF assembled from layers you already have. ## Vector and shape tools Both are raster editors with a vector layer, and Krita's is the older one. Krita "saves as SVG inside KRA files", so SVG is its native vector format; the path and polyline tools, rectangle, ellipse, calligraphy and text tools all create vector shapes, which can be filled with a color, gradient or pattern and stroked with dashes and markers ([vector graphics](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/vector_graphics.html)). The stated limit is SVG 1.1 features only, minus items such as mesh gradients, when exchanging with Inkscape. GIMP 3.2 added vector layers: the Path tool creates "a 'path layer' with stroke and fill settings", the shape updates as the path changes, and it can be rotated, scaled and transformed non-destructively; GIMP can now also "export SVGs and PDFs with both raster and vector layer information" ([GIMP 3.2 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.2.html)). It is a first release of the feature, built on the path tool rather than a shape toolset. Choose Krita if shapes, dashes, markers and gradient-filled vector objects are part of the work. Choose GIMP if a vector layer is a stroked path with an editable fill, and the file will be exported to SVG or PDF. For serious vector work, both projects point to Inkscape. ## PSD compatibility Krita "supports loading and saving raster layers, blending modes, layer styles, vector shapes, text layers, layer groups, and transparency masks from PSD", with 5.3 adding vector masks, guides and text import "including the advanced text information, like text on path and open type features" ([Krita PSD](https://docs.krita.org/en/general_concepts/file_formats/file_psd.html), [Krita 5.3 release notes](https://krita.org/en/release-notes/krita-5-3-release-notes/)). The same page says PSD "needs to be reverse engineered", that no outside program can "support it 100%", and recommends "any other file format instead of PSD if possible, with a strong preference towards \*.ora or \*.tiff". GIMP imports and exports PSD and, since 3.2, PSB, reads CMYK PSDs and clipping paths, and imports three layer styles, Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow and Outer Glow, with wider layer-effect and adjustment-layer import listed as in progress on the roadmap ([GIMP 3.2 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.2.html), [GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). Choose Krita if the PSDs you receive carry layer styles or text you want to keep editable. Choose GIMP if they carry CMYK profiles, clipping paths or PSB sizes. Neither round-trips adjustment layers or smart objects, so flatten those before you hand a file over in either direction. ## Scripting, plugins and G'MIC GIMP is the deeper scripting platform. Plug-ins are Python 3 against a GObject Introspection API, Script-Fu's Scheme is still there, and JavaScript, Lua and Vala are supported where the platform is built for them ([GIMP 3.0 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html), [Python plug-in tutorial](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-using-python-plug-in-tutorial.html), [Script-Fu](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-concepts-script-fu.html)). Every filter is reachable from a script, and GIMP runs headless for batch work. There is no macro recorder; the roadmap marks script recording as not started ([GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). Krita "is compiled for python 3" and exposes PyQt, so a script can "make dockers, perform menial tasks on a lot of different files and even write our own exporters", with the Scripter docker for trying code live ([Python scripting](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/python_scripting/introduction_to_python_scripting.html)). Krita 5.3 added a painting brushstroke API and more widget wrappers, and ships plugins such as the Brush Mutator and Workflow Buttons ([Krita 5.3 release notes](https://krita.org/en/release-notes/krita-5-3-release-notes/)). Macro recording "exists in Krita, but it is not working well at this time" ([coming from Photoshop](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/introduction_from_other_software/introduction_from_photoshop.html)). G'MIC is available in both, differently. Krita bundles it: "G'Mic is now included into Krita itself", but "The G'Mic plugin for Krita exists only on Windows and Linux" ([G'MIC settings](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/preferences/g_mic_settings.html)), and it runs as a destructive filter, not inside filter layers. For GIMP, G'MIC-Qt is a separate download; the current 4.0.5 builds target GIMP 3.2.4 on Windows and Linux, with macOS through package managers ([G'MIC downloads](https://gmic.eu/download.html)). Choose GIMP if you automate image processing, run it on a server, or write plug-ins in something other than Python. Choose Krita if you want Python dockers and exporters inside a painting workflow, or G'MIC without an installer. ## Performance and large canvases Krita's preferences give explicit control over memory: a RAM limit set in percent or bytes, undo states swapped to disk once the limit is reached, a CPU core limit, and a frame rendering clone limit for animation ([performance settings](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/preferences/performance_settings.html)). The canvas renders through OpenGL, or through ANGLE to Direct3D on Windows, with an OpenGL ES renderer for weaker devices ([display settings](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/preferences/display_settings.html)). The download page asks for 4 GB of RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended, and OpenGL 3.0 or Direct3D 11 ([Krita download](https://krita.org/en/download/)). GIMP publishes no minimum RAM or GPU figure. Its canvas is CPU-rendered; OpenCL has been disabled by default since 2.10.22 and re-enabling it is a 3.4 roadmap item marked in progress ([GIMP 3.0 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html), [GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). The 3.2.6 notes say font loading is faster but "some lag remains and will likely require us to update to GTK4" ([GIMP 3.2.6 release](https://www.gimp.org/news/2026/09/10/gimp-3-2-6-released/)). Choose Krita for very large canvases with many layers and for a GPU-accelerated canvas. Choose GIMP for modest machines with no dedicated GPU, where a CPU renderer is not a disadvantage. ## Tablet support Both programs handle pressure-sensitive tablets; Krita documents the edge cases more thoroughly because its users hit them more. On Windows, Krita offers WinTab, "recommended for most Wacom tablets", and Windows 8+ Pointer Input for N-Trig and Surface devices, plus a global pressure curve and a tablet tester that shows raw input for bug reports ([tablet settings](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/preferences/tablet_settings.html)). GIMP 3's move to GTK3 brought "Much better support for tablet input", native Wayland with tablet button mapping, and on Windows a choice between Windows Ink and the Wintab API in its input device preferences ([GIMP 3.0 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html), [input devices](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-prefs-input-devices.html)). Krita's download page states that any tablet compatible with the operating system will work ([Krita download](https://krita.org/en/download/)). If a stylus is your primary input, Krita's stabilizer, tilt-aware engines and pressure curve make more of it. ## Platforms GIMP 3.2.6 ships for Linux as AppImage, Flatpak and Snap, for macOS 11 or newer, and for Windows 10 1903 or newer, on x86\_64 and ARM64 for all three; the Microsoft Store build needs Windows 11 or Server 2022, and 3.2.0 was the last 32-bit Windows build ([GIMP downloads](https://www.gimp.org/downloads/), [GIMP 3.2 release notes](https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.2.html)). Krita 5.3.4 ships for Windows 8.1 or higher as an installer or portable zip, macOS 10.15 or newer, and Linux as an AppImage; the 5.3.4 post raised the macOS floor from 10.14 and says "We are no longer making 32-bit Windows builds" ([Krita download](https://krita.org/en/download/), [Krita 5.3.4 release](https://krita.org/en/posts/2026/krita-5.3.4-released/)). Beyond the desktop, Krita runs on Android tablets through the Play Store and direct APKs, described as "still beta; tablets only", and on Chromebooks through the same Play Store listing, which has supported "Android tablets & Chromebooks" since the 2020 beta and is free there because, in the project's words, "it's the only way people can install Krita on those devices" ([Krita 5.3.4 release](https://krita.org/en/posts/2026/krita-5.3.4-released/), [first Krita beta for Android and ChromeOS](https://krita.org/en/posts/2020/first-krita-beta-for-android-and-chromeos-in-play-store/)). There is no iPad or iPhone version, which the FAQ attributes to the GPL's incompatibility with Apple's App Store terms ([Krita FAQ](https://docs.krita.org/en/KritaFAQ.html)). Krita 6.0.4, the Qt6 build released alongside 5.3.4, is described as "more experimental" and not yet functional on Android. Choose Krita if a Chromebook or Android tablet is one of your working surfaces. Choose GIMP if you need an ARM64 Windows build or a Flatpak and Snap on Linux. On a Linux, Windows or macOS desktop, both run. ## Licensing, funding and governance Both are free software under the GPL, and the difference is in the wording and in who is paid. GIMP is "distributed under terms of General Public License v3 and later" and developed by "a diverse group of volunteers from around the world who work on this project in their spare time" ([GIMP FAQ](https://www.gimp.org/docs/userfaq.html)). Donations go through the GNOME Foundation "which acts as our fiscal agent" or through Liberapay, and the project "actively encourages personal fundraisers by trusted contributors": Øyvind Kolås raises funds on Patreon for GEGL, and the maintainer Jehan and the animator Aryeom for GIMP through their ZeMarmot project ([GIMP donating](https://www.gimp.org/donating/)). There is no organization paying a GIMP team. Krita "is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), version 3", and the source and the paid store builds are the same code under the same license ([Krita license](https://krita.org/en/about/license/)). The Krita Foundation, a Dutch non-profit founded by the community in 2012 and based in Deventer, owns the trademark and sponsors developers; its page says "Currently, Halla Rempt, Dmitry Kazakov, Agata Cacko and Ivan Yossi are sponsored to work on Krita full-time" ([Krita Foundation](https://krita.org/en/about/krita-foundation/)). The money comes from donations, a development fund subscription, and paid builds on the Microsoft Store, Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Mac App Store, where "After deduction of the Store fee, the money will support Krita development" ([Krita download](https://krita.org/en/download/)). The Steam listing was US$9.99 on 21 September 2026 ([Krita on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/280680/Krita/)). The development fund page showed US$2,871 a month from 245 members on the same day, a figure that changes constantly ([Krita Development Fund](https://fund.krita.org/)). ![Krita's download page showing system requirements of Windows 8.1 or higher, macOS 10.15 or Linux, 4 GB RAM minimum and 16 GB recommended, OpenGL 3.0 or Direct3D 11, beside a Store version section explaining that paid versions on the Microsoft Store, Steam, Epic Games Store and Mac App Store fund development after store fees.](https://cdn.moda.app/voyager/blog/gimp-vs-krita/krita-download-store-31770b50c0.webp) Krita's download page on 21 September 2026. The store builds are the same software as the free download; the price is a contribution with automatic updates attached. ![Text from the Krita Foundation page stating that donations and the development fund sponsor developers, and that Halla Rempt, Dmitry Kazakov, Agata Cacko and Ivan Yossi are currently sponsored to work on Krita full-time.](https://cdn.moda.app/voyager/blog/gimp-vs-krita/krita-foundation-sponsored-f16dc2ce2d.webp) The Krita Foundation's statement of who it pays, captured from krita.org on 21 September 2026. GIMP has no equivalent paid team. For a user, the practical difference is predictability. Krita's paid developers ship a bugfix release most months. GIMP's volunteer model produced a seven-year wait between 2.10 and 3.0, though the project now plans yearly feature releases and has shipped 3.0, 3.2 and six 3.2.x updates in eighteen months ([GIMP 3.0 release](https://www.gimp.org/news/2025/03/16/gimp-3-0-released/), [GIMP downloads](https://www.gimp.org/downloads/)). ## Release cadence Krita 5.3.0 shipped on 5 February 2026, followed by 5.3.1 on 31 March, 5.3.2 on 27 May, 5.3.2.1 on 2 June, 5.3.3 on 29 July and 5.3.4 on 15 September, each paired with a 6.0.x build of the same code on Qt6 ([Krita release notes](https://krita.org/en/release-notes/), [Krita 5.3 release notes](https://krita.org/en/release-notes/krita-5-3-release-notes/)). GIMP 3.2.0 shipped on 14 March 2026 and 3.2.6 on 10 September 2026, with 3.4 on the roadmap for CMYK and OpenCL work and 3.6 for core animation ([GIMP 3.2 release](https://www.gimp.org/news/2026/03/14/gimp-3-2-released/), [GIMP downloads](https://www.gimp.org/downloads/), [GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). Both are actively maintained; Krita's cycle is shorter and more regular. ## Using both together Plenty of people paint in Krita and finish in GIMP, or retouch a reference in GIMP and paint over it in Krita. Two things about the hand-off changed recently. First, Krita no longer opens GIMP's XCF files. The 5.3.4 post says "the GIMP XCF file import plugin has been removed. The plugin relied on a third party library that is no longer maintained and had many security issues" ([Krita 5.3.4 release](https://krita.org/en/posts/2026/krita-5.3.4-released/)). GIMP has never opened KRA files. So neither native format crosses over. ![The opening of the Krita 5.3.4 release post dated 15 September 2026, noting video export on Android and that the GIMP XCF file import plugin has been removed because its third-party library is unmaintained and had security issues.](https://cdn.moda.app/voyager/blog/gimp-vs-krita/krita-534-xcf-a119b23d9e.webp) Krita's 5.3.4 announcement on 15 September 2026. XCF import is gone, so files between the two programs now travel as OpenRaster, TIFF or PSD. Second, OpenRaster is the format both projects point to. Krita's manual calls .ora "an interchange format" designed to replace PSD for that purpose, "a ZIP file with a bunch of XMLs and PNGs" that any program can support ([Krita ORA](https://docs.krita.org/en/general_concepts/file_formats/file_ora.html)). GIMP exports and imports it: choose the .ora extension or OpenRaster as the file type and "It will automatically start the export" with no dialog ([GIMP ORA export](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/file-ora-export.html)). Layers, groups, opacity and visibility survive; non-destructive constructs do not, so flatten filter layers in Krita and rasterize text, vector and link layers in GIMP before you save the exchange copy. TIFF and PSD are the alternatives when you need 16-bit data or layer styles. A workable split: sketch, ink, paint and animate in Krita; open the flattened or ORA export in GIMP for healing, perspective correction, sharpening, color-managed export and any batch script; keep the KRA and XCF masters in their own programs. ## Verdict by job | If your work is mostly | Choose | Because | | ------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Digital painting, illustration, concept art | Krita | Eighteen brush engines, stabilizer, assistants, texture; GIMP's own roadmap lists its brush engine and smoothing as unfinished | | Comics and lettering | Krita | Vector text on a path or in a shape, panel-friendly vector layers, a comics manager plugin | | Frame-by-frame animation | Krita | Timeline, onion skins, tweening, FFmpeg render; GIMP's core animation is roadmap work | | Photo retouching | GIMP | Heal, clone, matting, Resynthesizer; Krita has no automatic healing tool | | Raw photography | GIMP plus darktable, RawTherapee or ART | Krita's format list has no camera raw | | Compositing for screen | Either | Krita's filter and transform masks are more complete; GIMP's editable filters and link layers are close enough | | Screenshots, web graphics, quick edits | GIMP | Faster to open, crop, annotate and export; the file formats and metadata are its specialty | | Scene-referred or HDR work, OCIO pipelines | Krita | 32-bit float, OCIO, HDR display on Windows | | Print with a CMYK working space | Krita, with reservations | Krita has the model; its manual recommends RGB plus soft proofing anyway | | Scripted, headless or batch processing | GIMP | Python, Script-Fu and more against a full API; runs without a display | | Chromebook or Android tablet | Krita | Play Store build; GIMP is desktop only | | Learning one free editor for everything | Depends on the everything | Painters start with Krita; photographers and designers with GIMP; many end up with both | ## Frequently asked questions **Is Krita better than GIMP?** For painting, illustration and animation, yes, and its developers built it for those jobs. For photo retouching, raw workflows, compositing from photographs and scripting, GIMP is the more complete tool. The programs are peers in different categories rather than rivals in one, and the choice comes down to whether you start from a blank canvas or from an existing image. **Can Krita edit photos?** It can crop, adjust with filter layers, clone and use Smart Patch to remove objects, but its manual states that "Krita does not have an automatic healing tool" and that users "will probably miss one or two" of the adjustments they know from Photoshop ([coming from Photoshop](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/introduction_from_other_software/introduction_from_photoshop.html)). It has no raw import in its documented format list. For anything past a quick adjustment, GIMP is the better fit. **Can GIMP do digital painting?** Yes, with paint dynamics, MyPaint brushes, symmetry painting and a stroke smoother ([paint dynamics](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tool-dynamics.html), [MyPaint Brush tool](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/gimp-tool-mypaint-brush.html)). It lacks Krita's stabilizer, assistants, brush texture and per-engine brushes, and its roadmap lists a better smoothing algorithm and a new brush engine as not started ([GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). **Does GIMP have animation?** Only the layers-as-frames model with GIF export and a Playback preview ([GIF export](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/file-gif-export.html)). The GAP plug-in is dropped, and "Core animation" is listed as work in progress for GIMP 3.6 ([GIMP roadmap](https://developer.gimp.org/core/roadmap/)). Krita has a full animation timeline today ([Krita animation](https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/animation.html)). **Can Krita open XCF files, and can GIMP open KRA files?** No and no. Krita removed its XCF import plugin in 5.3.4 for security reasons ([Krita 5.3.4 release](https://krita.org/en/posts/2026/krita-5.3.4-released/)), and GIMP does not read KRA. Exchange layered files as OpenRaster, which both export and import, or as TIFF or PSD ([GIMP ORA export](https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en/file-ora-export.html), [Krita ORA](https://docs.krita.org/en/general_concepts/file_formats/file_ora.html)). **Why does Krita cost money on Steam if it is free?** The store builds are the same GPL software as the free download; the price funds development, and the project says the income supports its sponsored developers ([Krita license](https://krita.org/en/about/license/), [Krita download](https://krita.org/en/download/)). Steam listed it at US$9.99 on 21 September 2026 ([Krita on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/280680/Krita/)). GIMP has no paid build and is funded by donations through the GNOME Foundation and contributors' personal fundraisers ([GIMP donating](https://www.gimp.org/donating/)). **Which runs on a Chromebook or tablet?** Krita, through the Play Store on ChromeOS and Android tablets, the latter still labeled beta; neither runs on an iPad ([Krita 5.3.4 release](https://krita.org/en/posts/2026/krita-5.3.4-released/), [Krita FAQ](https://docs.krita.org/en/KritaFAQ.html)). GIMP is desktop only, on Linux, Windows and macOS ([GIMP downloads](https://www.gimp.org/downloads/)). **Do both support G'MIC?** Yes. Krita bundles G'MIC on Windows and Linux but not macOS, and only as a destructive filter ([G'MIC settings](https://docs.krita.org/en/reference_manual/preferences/g_mic_settings.html)). GIMP users install G'MIC-Qt separately, with builds for GIMP 3.2 and 2.10 ([G'MIC downloads](https://gmic.eu/download.html)). ## Make your next project in Voyager Create an account, download Voyager, and start making. [Sign up](/sign-up)