Drawing apps for PC allow users to create a realistic piece of art with an extensive variety of built-in tools, effects, and colors, which can be exported into multiple file formats. Many of the best drawing software are pretty expensive though. But, if you are looking for options that would cost you nothing, your search ends here. This article brings some of the best drawing software available in the market today along with their features, that are highly competitive and appealing.
List Of 17 Best Free Drawing Software In 2023
Below are some of the most impressive options for drawing software available in the current marketplace. Let’s scroll through the list! Most of the drawing and art applications are graphically intensive. Hence, it is advised to keep your graphics driver up-to-date to avoid experiencing problems like app crashing, slowdown, artifacts, weird colored squares appearing on screen, etc. Using an automatic software like Bit Driver Updater is the safest way to update the graphics card and other Windows drivers. Besides one-click driver updates, the software comprises several useful features, such as backup and restore, exclusion list, top-notch performance, and more.
1. Canva
Price: Canva Free, Canva Pro for $12.99/month for up to 5 members Compatibility: Browser-based, App for Windows, Android, and Mac The most effective drag and drop Graphic designing tool Canva can do wonders for users seeking the best free drawing software. It has a huge library with endless elements, fonts, images, and videos to create the desired content. Moreover, with just one click you can resize the image or drawing for different platforms. You can use the tool to generate customized posts, design logos, websites, visiting or greeting cards, invites, customized posts, and all the other sorts of promotional or informative content.
Notable Offerings of Canva
With a library of more than 75 million photos and videos, over 4 lakh templates create professional images, carousels, and content for various platforms.Use the huge library of fonts to customize and create images up to the mark.Edit photos for different social media platforms and tweak them with eye-catchy wallpapers and backdrops.Plan content and posts with the planner of Canva. Schedule these posts at your convenient time.Learning graph is very quick and easy as the user interface is simple.Create videos using multiple elements, objects, and extraordinary effects.
Simply and easy-to-use User InterfaceAvailable as Freemium toolDrag and drop functionalityQuick and easy navigation between the screens or slidesHuge library of images, colors, layouts, fonts, and videosAvailable as an app for mobile and desktops and also as a browser-basedQuick learning
Free version has a limited library of images, videos, fonts, and other elementsMobile version is comparatively tougherOffline mode is unavailable.
2. Corel PaintShop Pro
Price:- $7.99/ month Compatibility:- Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 First up on our list of drawing software for Windows is Corel PaintShop Pro. The software offers some of the best features which make the work easy for every user. Irrespective of your work you can use this software to create the best art. It offers flexible and cost-effective licensing. It offers many other features which can help you in creating animation and images. The software can create animation with just three steps easily. While for transforming images you can use the Photoshop brush. It offers integration with Photoshop which makes it easy for you to work with the tools. It offers three versions which include PaintShop Pro, PaintShop Pro Ultimate, and Photo Video Bundle Ultimate. You can choose whichever version you like as per your genre of work.
Notable Offerings of Corel PaintShop Pro
The software supports a majority of file formats for import and exportIt offers various brush formats of Adobe, PaintShop, and JascPhoto Video Bundle Pro is a one-stop solution for photos and videos editingWith every update, the software gets new tools and features
3. GIMP
All files format supportedOffers a variety of brush formatsRegular updates to make the software user friendlyFree trial available for new users
The price of the software cannot be considered as budget-friendlyIt does not support older versions
Price:- Free Compatibility:- GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows GIMP is a powerful and flexible open-source image editor tool. Its professional-quality features allow the user to easily fine-tune their illustration or create an image from scratch, making it the best free drawing software. With practice, it can certainly work like Photoshop. GIMP provides top-notch tools for high-quality image manipulation such as automatic image enhancement, color adjustment, customizable brushes, cloning, filters, and much more. GIMP allows easy integration with several programming languages such as Python, Perl, Scheme, etc. Its highly customizable UI gives artists the power and flexibility to create their unique designs.
Notable Offerings of GIMP
The software can be easily customized according to the requirementsUnlike other software, you can manipulate the photos in high qualityIt also has graphic design elementsThe software lets you create mockups for re-use
4. Krita
Professional features for image editing like the smudge tool, dodge and burn tool, fuzzy select tool, healing brush, etc.High customization.Offers extensibility with custom plugins.PSD support.Supports loading and saving of virtual files.
The UI is overwhelming for new users.
Price:- Free Compatibility:- macOS, Linux, Windows Krita is fast, flexible, and the best free drawing software for Windows. Its pro-level set of tools provides an innovative solution to both amateur and professional artists. Krita is one of the best drawing apps for PC with powerful 2D and 3D animation. Krita has a highly intuitive interface that allows designers to create a customized layout. In addition, Krita comes with many advanced features for image editing like the brush stabilizers, drawing assistants, professional effects, vector tools, smooth layer management, mirroring tools, etc. Krita is an extraordinary computer drawing program that makes the process of creating digital drawings very realistic. The Resource manager lets artists share brush and texture packs and expand their toolset. Also Read: Reinstall and Restore Sound Driver on Windows 10
Notable Offerings of Krita
Using the software you can easily import brush packs and texture from anywhere, you can even export them to other artistsIt offers a handy wrap-around mode to help users easily create textures and patternsThe software has 9 brush engines that can be customized and changed according to the requirementsFor all the users who has shaky hand, this software offers brush stabilizer that can help you work easily
5. Inkscape
Intelligent and unique 9 brush engines.High customization.PSD files support.Skilled Wrap-around mode.HDR image Support.Enhanced OpenGL provides increased canvas size and speed.
Cumbersome text tool.May experience a few lags after updating.
Price:- Free and Open-Source Compatibility:- Linux, macOS, Windows Inkscape is the best free drawing software for graphic designers created by a team of very talented artists and enthusiasts. This free drawing software for Windows is loaded with outstanding features and excellent tools, making it a powerful alternative to premium tools like Adobe Illustrator. Inkscape comes with a simple and customizable interface, easy node editing, well-designed vector editing tools, and filters, advanced effects, Creative Commons metadata, generous export options, wide range of snapping tools, etc. for rich image creation experience. It is especially useful in cases when there are hundreds of different pictures on the webpage.
Notable Features of Inkscape
You can easily import or export in various file formats as the software is compatible with most of the file extensionsThe software has flexible drawing and text tools to make your work easyYou get shape, drawing, objection creation, pencil, pen, and calligraphy toolsThe software is even compatible with path insetting and outsetting
6. Clip Studio Paint
Vast range of vector managing tools.Multiple file formats support.Optimized speedGreat International community.
Unsuitable for highly experienced designers.Cluttered Interface.Text tools lack flexibility.
Price:- After Free Trial, $49.99 Compatibility:- Windows, Android, Chromebook, macOS, iOS Clip Studio Paint is amongst the best free drawing software with professional-level features. This drawing app is widely used for animation, illustration, and comic creation owing to its impressive features, advanced capabilities, and enhanced flexibility. Clip Studio comes with powerful vector tools and an extensive array of coloring tools that give superior responsiveness when it comes to creating artwork. Clip Studio Paint gives you the freedom to choose from multiple preset brush options or create and use your customized brushes to accomplish a certain effect in your illustration. The latest version of Clip Studio comes with excellent animation capabilities and supports all major file formats, making it one of the good drawing apps for PC. Read More: Best Duplicate Photo Finder & Cleaner Software
Key Features of Clip Studio Paint
The software is very easy to use with its simple and clean interfaceIf you face any issue with the software then you can simply check the website and learn every aspectYou can easily customize brushes according to your needsThe software lets you create concept art/ painting/ character art/ illustration and animation
7. MyPaint
Powerful vector tools.Highly customizable brushes.Excellent coloring options.Massive user base and community.
Animation with no audio support.Confusing Interface.Text tools lack versatility.
Price:- Free Compatibility:- Linux, Windows 10 or above, macOS MyPaint is a free and stable open-source graphic editor, mostly used by digital painters. It is an easy-to-use, lightweight, and productive tool with a focus on painting and one of the best drawing apps for PC. MyPaint is one of the best free drawing software with a highly configurable and versatile brush engine, smooth brush flow, unlimited canvas size, distraction-free Fullscreen mode, and many more. It supports pressure-sensitive drawing, layer management, and basic color adjustments. It is easy to create an expressive artwork with MyPaint as it emulates the effects of pencils, paints, ink, and charcoal. Additionally, MyPaint has an interesting tool called Notepad, where you can try different brushes before actually using them to paint.
Key Features of MyPaint
MyPaint has a full-screen view which allows you to view even the minute elementsIt offers a huge list of painting tools that can help you in creating your artYou can easily add shortcuts to enhance the workflowUsing the software you can create whichever art you want as you get infinite canvas size
8. MediBang Paint
Gamut masking coloring wheel.Dynamic brush library.Infinite canvas size.Simple and user-friendly interface.
Slow Undo function.No animation tools.
Price:- Free Compatibility:- Windows, macOS, Android, iOS MediBang Paint Pro is one of the good drawing programs that are appealing and ingenious to create comics, manga, and digital art with a realistic presentation. Like other computer drawing programs, it comes loaded with features like great layer management, smooth workflow, easy comic panel, good community support, etc. MediBang Paint has a library with over 800 pre-installed backgrounds and templates, wide variety of customizable brushes, multiple fonts and styles to choose from to create an illustration as per your imagination. MediBang Paint has a built-in tool to upload your artwork on the cloud for free, thus saving space on your device and transferring your art between different devices effortlessly. Read More: Best Free Animation Software Programs For Windows
Key Features of MediBang Paint
It lets you work on multiple pages and save them all in one placeYou can easily add the files from other applications and devicesYou get a stabilization tool to draw with your shaky handsYou get access to perspective grids for creating clean backgrounds
9. Microsoft Paint 3D
Simple Interface.PSD file support.Versatile brush presets.Supports multiple platforms.
Distracting ads pop-up when the app starts.
Price:- Free Compatibility:- Windows 10 Paint 3D is a free computer drawing program that comes by default with a Windows 10 system. Paint 3D is an easy, kid-friendly software from Microsoft. It enables creating a three- dimensional object and adding animation to it with ease. With 3D object creation in Microsoft Paint 3D, you can either choose a model to import from the displayed options or draw your own shape and turn it into a 3D model. The 3D model can be rotated with precision and adding animations to it is very straightforward. Paint 3D allows adding a finish and lighting effects to the created 3D image. These 3D images can be easily used with other Microsoft Office apps like Word, PowerPoint, and the like.
Key Features of Microsoft Paint 3D
The new update brings more security to the user’s dataUsing the new tube brush you can create short dollops and ribbonsEasily select the shape that you wish to createYou can easily copy your 3D model and paste them into any Microsoft Office app
10. ArtWeaver Free
Variety of paint effects.Easy 3D image editing.Kid-friendly software.
Standard picture editing tools missing.
Price:- Free Compatibility:- Windows ArtWeaver is one of those computer drawing programs that have a close similarity to Photoshop. It has creative built-in editors that enable efficient photo-editing. ArtWeaver is a full-featured tool with a wide range of realistic brushes, user-friendly interface, additional editing filters, and great ability to work with layers. This free drawing software comes with a feature to draw textures to create beautiful digital artwork. ArtWeaver is among useful and easy drawing apps suitable for kids as it has a highly configurable brush editor. Additionally, it allows working together as a team with other artists over the internet.
Notable Features of ArtWeaver Free
Using this software you can easily work with other artists on the same projectIt offers very easy to use tools to create your favorite artworkYou get seamless editing and painting experience with its powerful toolsIt has many realistic brushes that you can use
11. Vectr
Ultra-realistic effects.Configurable brush editor.Creative editing tools.Kid-friendly software.Intuitive interface.
Lesser text features in comparison to others.
Price:- Free Compatibility:- Windows Vectr is one of the best free drawing software for Windows for creating cards, logos, icons, brochures, and other digital illustrations with fewer details. It is a vector-based tool with a comprehensive toolset for image editing, built-in version control, real-time collaboration and sharing of designs, and a clean interface. Vectr comes with great tools for applying layers on the image, modifying the shape and color of the image, exporting and printing of images without compromising on quality, and sharing artwork on social media apps like Twitter, Facebook, etc. Vectr can be used online or on your desktop across multiple platforms. It is a well-designed app with many free tutorials making it easier to learn and use. Read More: Best Driver Updater Tools
Key Features of Vectr
It is a very easy to use software that takes no time to adaptThe pen tool is one of the tools which make Vectr better than other competitors. Using the tool you can easily draw and writeYou can find gradient tools in the software which helps in manipulating colors and vectorsFor any assistance, it has tutorial videos that you can watch and learn
12. Expression Design
Built-in version control.Printing made easy.Social media access.Collaboration and sharing of graphics.Great tutorials.
The presence of ads slows down the working speed.Suitable only for simple graphic projects.
Price:- Free Compatibility:- Windows Microsoft Expression Design is a professional-level graphics editing software built for creating web-based graphics, UIs, and other vector graphics with fewer visual effects. It is a lightweight and easy to use tool with an option to create a personalized workplace for future use. It comes with powerful composing tools like B-Spline with full curve control, Slice tool to select and hide parts of an image, and full layer support to slice and blend images. Expression Design has plenty of basic image editing options for creative developers and supports a variety of file formats including bitmap export option.
13. Paintstorm Studio
Super preview tool to see the website in multiple browsers simultaneously.Bitmap export.Powerful composing tools like B-Spline, Bezier, etc.
Lacks advanced image editing features.
Price:- $19.00 Compatibility:- Windows, iPad, macOS Paintstorm Studio is one of the professional level drawing apps for PC that brings powerful features to create excellent artwork effortlessly. It is a good drawing software for Windows with advanced symmetry tools, a dynamic interface, and completely customizable brushes to play with. A free trial version of Paintstorm Studio is available in which you can launch the app 30 times before it expires. Furthermore, Paintstorm Studio can be purchased for a lifetime license for just $19.00.
Notable Features of Paintstorm Studio
The software offers bristle brushes for every need and requirementThe brushes offered are fully customizable as per needsIt has a dynamic interface where you get to each and every tool easilyYou can easily work on various layers
14. SketchBook
Dynamic interface.Advanced symmetry tools.
Limited free trials.
Price:- Free, $85/ year Compatibility:- Windows, macOS, Android, iOS Autodesk Sketchbook is the next drawing software that can be used for creating amazing art/ drawings. The software offers a beautiful interface that offers the user enough space for creating their artwork. Irrespective of the device the user has it offers a great space to work. It can be the ideal software for product designers, automobile designers, architects, and industrial designers. Using the software one can even refine their sketches to an illustrated art. Other than this the user can use the camera to scan, sketch and import files.
Notable Features of SketchBook
The software supports various types of files formats including JPG, BMP, TIFF and BMPYou can use this software in various platforms as it has cross-platform compatibilityIt offers more than 190 customizable brushesWhile you draw or paint the software predicts the future move which save a lot of time
15. Mischief
Loads of brushesMultiple layers can be addedLarge working space in every deviceCompatible with almost every device
Not an ideal software for beginnersSubscription for the enterprise license
Price:- Free, $25 Compatibility:- Windows, macOS, Android, iOS Next on the list of animation software, we have Mischief. The software offers a similar experience as you are using a real pencil. It moreover offers an infinite zoom and infinite canvas feature too. All the users using tablets can use this amazing app to create realistic artworks and export them into various formats. The user can export the files in PNG, JPG, or PSG format.
16. FireAlpaca
Dock the brushes as per needInfinite canvas and zoom featureInfinite Undo and redo optionThe user can even control the transparency of the canvasFree to use software
The free version offers limited features
Price:- Free Compatibility:- macOS and Windows FireAlpaca is another one of the best free drawing software for Windows. With the help of the tool, you can draw very easily as required. Additionally, as the software is cross-platform, you can download and use the same on Mac devices as well. The software is very easy to use and available for free across Windows and Mac devices. You can also download other versions of the tool if required. Moreover, one of the best features of this free drawing program for Windows is the multilingual interface. You can select any of the languages from a variety of options including English, Dutch, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Korean, and many more. Although the tool is free to use, does not mean that it is incompatible in any way. The tool provides smart options to you for better drawing.
Notable Offerings of FireAlpaca
You can download any of the brushes you want to use on the tool.The software has a huge variety of drawing options for the best output.The software allows you to customize the drawing options as required.You get to enjoy a clutter-free interface with FireAlpaca.
17. Rebelle 5
High customization.Offers custom options.Multilingual UI.Save your virtual files.
Lack of advanced featuresBetter paid alternatives are available
Price: $89.99 (Standard version), $149.99 (Pro version) Compatibility: Windows 10 and above Let us now introduce you to Rebelle 5. It is yet another excellent drawing software for its real color mixing and other phenomenal features. Talking about the features, we liked Rebelle 5, particularly for its incredible watercolor simulation with an attractive granulation effect. Other than this, the following are other interesting things about this software.
Notable features of Rebelle 5
Painting techniques that create stunning impasto effectsPalette knife along with oils to give you the most realistic drawing/painting experienceYou may clean the brush for every stroke or let it remain dirtyBlow tool for amazing dripping effectsRebelle 5 keeps transparent areas unaffected when you use transparency lockingRuler and easy-to-use perspective toolRecording and exporting your painting session as a videoPulled String or Moving Average for painting smoothed line
18. Fresh Paint
Affordable and rich in featuresIncredibly natural mixing of color pigmentsExcellent paper textureOption to save 16x larger pictures
Hardware requirements may seem high to some users
Price: Free Compatibility: Windows 10 and above The last name on this list of the best drawing software for free Windows is the Fresh Paint tool from Microsoft. This is an amazing solution for you if you don’t want to spend money on any tool but want to enjoy advanced features. Coming from the house of Microsoft, the software is quite helpful for all. Addioantlly, it does not possess any malware or virus.
Notable features of Fresh Paint
The interface of the software is quite simple.You can use the Fresh Paint app even if you are a beginner.An amazing feature of the software is that it reads your storage and provides images to edit.The interface of the software is multilingual and supports over 30 different languages.You can mix and match with the tool and decide the area you want to animate in the image.
Q1. What is Drawing Software?
In simplest terms, drawing software is a computer program that you can use to create stunning works of art. For example, Microsoft Paint is one of the most basic and best free drawing software for Windows 10 and older operating systems. There are a plethora of such programs with advanced features to make and edit pictures.
Free to useMultiple editing optionsSuper easy and smooth performance
Better options available in paid versionsLimited features.
Q2. Which Drawing App is Best for PC?
The best software for drawing varies from user to user. What may be the best for one user may not be perfect for another. It all depends on your requirements, experience, and skills. You should select software that provides you with all the required features and ease of use.
Q3. What Program can I use to Draw on my Computer for Free?
You can find a lot of different programs on the Internet that help you draw as you want. You can select and download the program according to your drawing requirements. Some offer fewer features (Ex. free programs like MS Paints) while others provide countless functionalities to help you draw as you want (Ex. paid tools like Corel PaintShop).
Q4. Are Drawing Programs Free?
Yes, most of the drawing programs are free to download and use. Programs like MS Paint, are completely free to use. However, some of the paid tools provide limited access to its features through demos, trial versions, etc.
Q5. Is Krita still free?
You will be happy to know that Krita is still a free and open-source drawing software. To download it on your computer, you may visit its official website.
Q6. What is the best drawing software for beginners?
Almost all programs shared in the above list are beginner-friendly. However, our top recommendations include Krita and Corel PaintShop.
Q7. How to test the best free drawing software?
Depending upon your requirements you can choose any one of the Best free drawing software or programs listed in the article. You can find key features of the program and check the advantages to make the right choice of drawing software.
Q8. Which type of drawing software is best for you?
The above article lists the best drawing programs that are friendly even for beginners. Depending upon your need you can choose the free or paid tools available. Also, if you have a specific purpose check the features and choose the suitable drawing program for your Windows PC.
Unleash your Creativity via Best Free Drawing Software for Windows in 2023
Nowadays, interesting digital illustrations can be created efficiently using drawing apps for PC. This article gives you a list of the best free drawing software that we found to be appealing. There is no clear winner as such because each app has different features and tools for digital painting and image editing to create powerful artwork according to your style and requirement. Lastly, subscribe now to our Newsletter to stay updated and informed about every piece of the technical realm. And, let us know your views on this through the comment box below!
