Krita
Krita is a professional free and open source painting program designed for concept artists, illustrators, matte and texture artists, and the VFX industry to create digital art from scratch.
Storyboarder
Storyboarder is a free, open-source storyboarding software that provides artists with a fast, simple interface to draw, animate, and export visual stories directly to professional creative suites.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Krita | Storyboarder |
|---|---|---|
| Website | krita.org | wonderunit.com |
| Pricing Model | Free | Free |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✘ No product demo | ✘ No product demo |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2005 | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Deventer, Netherlands | New York, USA |
Overview
Krita
Krita is a professional-grade digital painting application that gives you a complete set of tools for illustration, concept art, and texture mapping. Whether you are a professional illustrator or a hobbyist, you can access a highly customizable interface and advanced brush engines without any subscription fees. You can manage complex projects using a non-destructive layer system and a wide variety of masks and blending modes.
The software solves the problem of expensive entry barriers to digital art by providing industry-standard features for free. You can create frame-by-frame animations, touch up photos with advanced filters, and work with CMYK or HDR color spaces. It is ideal for individual creators and small studios looking for a versatile, community-driven alternative to proprietary design suites.
Storyboarder
Storyboarder provides you with the fastest way to visualize your stories. Whether you are a filmmaker, animator, or novelist, you can quickly draw rough sketches to test your ideas without the friction of complex tools. You can use the built-in drawing tools or print out paper templates to draw by hand, then snap a photo to import your frames instantly.
The software integrates deeply with your existing creative workflow, allowing you to open your boards in Photoshop for detailed editing. You can also export your finished boards directly to Premiere, Final Cut, or Avid for timing and assembly. Because it is open-source and community-driven, you get a professional-grade toolset entirely for free, making it accessible for independent creators and large studios alike.
Overview
Krita Features
- Brush Engines Customize over nine unique brush engines to mimic real-world media or create entirely new digital textures for your artwork.
- Vector & Text Tools Create complex shapes and typography on dedicated vector layers so you can scale your designs without losing any quality.
- Animation Tools Bring your drawings to life with frame-by-frame raster animation and onion skinning to see previous frames while you work.
- Wrap-around Mode Create seamless textures and patterns instantly by letting your image wrap around the edges of the canvas while you paint.
- Resource Manager Import brush and texture packs from other artists or share your own custom toolsets to expand your creative library.
- Drawing Assistants Use magnetic vanishing points and perspective grids to help you nail difficult technical drawings and architectural layouts every time.
Storyboarder Features
- Quick Drawing Tools. Use a light pencil for roughing, a hard pencil for lines, and a brush for tones to create boards quickly.
- Shot Generator. Type a description to instantly generate 3D characters and sets when you need to visualize complex camera angles.
- Paper Import. Print storyboard templates, draw with a real pencil, and take a photo to automatically import and crop your frames.
- Photoshop Integration. Edit any board in Photoshop with one click and see your changes update automatically inside Storyboarder.
- Professional Export. Send your storyboards directly to Premiere, Final Cut, Avid, or PDF to begin your editing and production process.
- Layer Management. Organize your drawings with simple layers to separate characters, backgrounds, and notes for better visual clarity.
Pricing Comparison
Krita Pricing
- Full professional feature set
- No subscription required
- All brush engines included
- Animation tools included
- Commercial use allowed
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Automatic software updates
- Easy installation on Steam/Windows
- Direct support for developers
- Cloud save synchronization
Storyboarder Pricing
- Unlimited storyboards
- Shot Generator 3D tool
- Photoshop integration
- Export to Premiere and Final Cut
- Printable paper templates
- Open-source source code access
Pros & Cons
Krita
Pros
- Completely free with no recurring subscription fees
- Highly customizable interface to suit your workflow
- Excellent brush stabilization for smooth line art
- Supports professional color spaces like CMYK and HDR
Cons
- Performance can lag on very large canvases
- Steep learning curve for the advanced brush engines
- Text tool is less intuitive than competitors
- Occasional stability issues on certain hardware setups
Storyboarder
Pros
- Completely free and open-source for all users
- Extremely fast interface for rapid sketching
- Seamless round-trip editing with Adobe Photoshop
- Unique 3D shot generator for non-artists
Cons
- Limited advanced drawing features compared to Photoshop
- Occasional stability issues on certain hardware
- Smaller community support compared to paid alternatives