Best Digital Painting Software for macOS in 2026

The ranking

1
Krita
A free GPL-3.0 desktop painter with a brush engine and painting assistants on Windows, macOS and Linux. Its interface is dense for beginners, and it has no iPad or Android app.
Best for Free open-source digital painting
WindowsmacOSLinuxFree and open sourceOpen source
91.5of 100
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2
Clip Studio Paint
The broadest device reach here, on Windows, macOS, iPad, Android and iPhone, with vector layers and comic tools. Its interface has many panels, and the full edition is paid after a trial.
Best for Comics and illustration across devices
WindowsmacOSiPadOS, iOSAndroidOne-time purchase
90.0of 100
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3
Corel Painter
Natural-media painting with a large brush library, for Windows and Mac, sold by subscription with a trial download. It is paid only, unlike the free Krita, but its brush and photo-art tools go further than the free options here.
Best for Natural-media painting and photo-art
WindowsmacOSSubscription
87.0of 100
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4
Affinity
A free illustration app with vector and pixel tools in one document, on Windows and macOS. It is built for design and layout as much as painting, and an iPad version is still in development.
Best for Illustration in a free desktop app
WindowsmacOSFree
84.5of 100
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5
ArtRage
Natural media painting with textured canvases, layers and blend modes, on Windows and macOS. The page covers the Vitae edition, a one-time $80 purchase, and it does not run on iPad.
Best for Natural media oil and paint effects
WindowsmacOSOne-time purchase
82.0of 100
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6
Rebelle
Watercolor and wet-media simulation, with color mixing, diffusion and drying on Mac and Windows. It is a specialist tool, so general painting and vector work need other apps.
Best for Watercolor and wet-media effects
macOSWindowsPaid
79.5of 100
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7
Sketchbook
A brush-focused drawing app with a clean interface, sold as a one-time desktop purchase and free to download on mobile. It has fewer natural-media options than ArtRage or Corel Painter, so it suits sketching more than full painting work.
Best for Sketching and illustration on a budget
WindowsmacOSAndroidiOSFree plan, paid upgrades
78.5of 100
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At a glance

Product	Score	Price	Platforms
Krita	91.5	Free and open source	WindowsmacOSLinux
Clip Studio Paint	90.0	One-time purchase	WindowsmacOSiPadOS, iOSAndroid
Corel Painter	87.0	Subscription	WindowsmacOS
Affinity	84.5	Free	WindowsmacOS
ArtRage	82.0	One-time purchase	WindowsmacOS
Rebelle	79.5	Paid	macOSWindows
Sketchbook	78.5	Free plan, paid upgrades	WindowsmacOSAndroidiOS