Krita 5.5

Krita is 100% free and open-source software licensed under the GNU GPL, with no hidden paywalls, feature locks, or subscription tiers. The Krita Foundation funds development through donations and sales of the Steam and Microsoft Store versions, but the desktop application itself is identical and fully free from the project's website.

Yes, Krita has robust PSD import and export support that preserves layer structure, blend modes, and group hierarchies in most files. Some advanced Photoshop-specific features like adjustment layers or smart objects may not translate perfectly, but standard painted layers come through cleanly.

Krita includes a built-in animation timeline with support for frame-by-frame raster animation, onion skinning, and frame rate control. You can export animations as image sequences or video files, though the animation tools are oriented toward traditional hand-drawn workflows rather than rig-based 2D puppet animation.

Krita's brush engine is highly regarded and supports a wide range of brush types including textured brushes, smudge tools, and color-mixing bristle brushes that rival Clip Studio Paint's capabilities. Krita particularly excels at painterly and concept-art styles, while Clip Studio Paint maintains an edge for manga-specific tools like screentones and vector inking.