FireAlpaca vs Krita
FireAlpaca
firealpaca.com
Krita
krita.orgSide by side
| Figure | FireAlpaca | Krita |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Spec score · Digital Painting Software | 9.1 (#2) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Spec score · Design tools | 9.0 (#22) | 8.9 (#25) |
| Spec score · Graphic Design Software | 9.0 (#23) | 8.9 (#27) |
| Animation | The program includes onion-skin animation and can export animated GIF files. | Its 2D animation tools support audio, onion skinning, thousands of timeline frames, and export to video or still images. |
| Brushes | FireAlpaca distributes unique original brushes weekly, including pencil, watercolor, motif, pattern, and effect brushes. | Krita includes more than 100 preloaded brushes and over nine brush engines for customizing brushes. |
| Commercial use | The terms say FireAlpaca artwork can be used for any purpose, including commercial use, and no license fee is required for individual or commercial users. | The GPL permits commercial artwork, and the maker says users retain sole ownership of what they create with Krita. |
| Founded | LinkedIn lists PGN Inc. as founded in 2010. | 1998 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | PGN Inc. lists CIOS Iwamoto-cho Building 3F, 1-13-3 Iwamoto-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0032, Japan. | Deventer, Netherlands |
| Purpose | FireAlpaca is a free digital painting tool for creating illustrations and images. | Krita is a free, open-source digital painting program for creating professional artwork. |
| Support | The SE page directs users to the FireAlpaca manual website for questions about basic operation and tools. | The Krita Foundation directs users with questions to the Krita Artists forum and says its foundation email is not for user support. |
Plans
FireAlpaca
- FreeFree
- FireAlpacaFree
- FireAlpaca standardFree
- FireAlpaca SE$39.99, paid once
- FireAlpaca SE$39.99, paid once
In their own words
FireAlpaca
FireAlpaca is a digital painting program for making illustrations and images, available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its listed tools include animation, mesh deformation, gradient maps, lasso fill, CMYK display, text, halftone, 3D perspective, tone curves, and reference windows. The standard software supports 10 languages, and the maker distributes original brushes weekly in styles including pencil, watercolor, motifs, patterns, and effects. Brush customization, layers, pressure sensitivity, and stroke stabilization are supported; color management is described as basic. The free edition permits individual and commercial use without a license fee. Its separate FireAlpaca SE edition adds onion-skin animation with GIF or APNG export, a store with more than 300 brush types, a liquify tool, and layer masks. SE costs 39.99 USD once. Listed downloads are version 2.16.3 or later requirements: Windows 10 or later, macOS 12 or later, and Linux distributions including Ubuntu 23.04, Fedora 36, and Debian 12 or later.
Krita
Krita is free, open-source software for digital painting and artwork creation, with tools for illustration and 2D animation. Its brush collection includes more than 100 preloaded options and over nine engines for customizing brushes. Animation tools support audio, onion skinning, extensive timeline frames, and export to video or still images. For color workflows, Krita supports ICC management through LCMS, OpenColorIO for EXR, HDR painting, and OpenEXR. It can open and save PSD files and uses SVG for vector work. C++ and Python plugins can extend the application; plugins distributed for Krita must use the GNU GPL, though creators may charge for downloads. Krita lists Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, but not iPads or iPhones. The maker says no registration or internet connection is required for use. The listed minimum RAM is 4 GB, with 16 GB recommended. Krita is free and open source, with no subscriptions or trials.