Krita Download: Get the Free Digital Painting App Safely

The official Krita download page is on krita.org. At the time of writing it offers Krita 5.3.4.1, released on Wednesday 7 October 2026, with links to the release notes. The main buttons on the page are a Windows installer, a macOS installer and a Linux AppImage, with a Windows portable version and Android options further down.

The page states that Krita is free and open source and that you are free to study, modify and distribute it under the GNU GPL version 3 licence. There is no trial, no watermark and no account to create. If a site asks you to pay for the download from the website, or to enter a licence key, it is not the official Krita site.

• Windows installer: the right choice for most Windows PCs. It also installs an optional shell extension that shows thumbnails of Krita .kra files in File Explorer.
• Windows portable: runs without installation, useful on a shared or school computer. See our portable vs installer guide for the trade-offs.
• macOS installer: a disk image you open and drag into Applications.
• Linux 64-bit AppImage: runs on most distributions. Flatpak (on Flathub) and Snap packages are also linked, but the page notes that they are maintained by the community rather than the Krita team.
• Android: the page links the Google Play Store listing and individual APK builds for Android tablets and Chromebooks.

Two limits are stated clearly on the page: Apple iPads and iPhones are not supported, and new versions of Krita for Windows no longer support 32-bit systems. The last 32-bit Windows version is kept in the official old-version library. If you search for "Krita download iPad", any app claiming to be Krita for iPad is not from the project.

The download page lists these requirements:

• Operating system: Windows 8.1 or higher, macOS 10.15, or Linux.
• Memory: 4 GB of RAM at minimum, 16 GB recommended.
• Graphics: OpenGL 3.0 or higher, or Direct3D 11.
• Drawing tablet: any tablet compatible with your operating system.

Large canvases, many layers and animation all use more memory, so the 16 GB recommendation is realistic for serious work. If Krita feels slow or the canvas flickers, update your graphics driver from your PC or graphics card maker; our guide to updating drivers safely explains how. You can also change the canvas acceleration settings under Settings, Configure Krita, Display.

Krita is also sold on the Microsoft Store, Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Mac App Store. The official download page explains that these are paid versions on other platforms: you get automatic updates through the store, and after the store takes its fee, the money supports Krita development. The Microsoft Store version needs Windows 10 or later.

The program itself is the same free software. Buying a store copy is a way to support the developers and get convenient updates; it is not required. What you should avoid is any other site selling Krita, or offering a "premium" or "unlocked" Krita, since there is no such edition. Only buy through the store listings linked from krita.org.

1. Open krita.org yourself and go to Download.
2. Click Windows Installer and save the file.
3. Optionally check the download with the GPG signature the page provides. The page notes you can ignore this step if you are not familiar with GPG, but it is the strongest way to confirm the file was signed by the Krita team. Our guide to verifying downloaded files explains the idea.
4. Run the installer and follow the prompts. The official installer does not include third-party offers.
5. Start Krita, create a new document, and connect your drawing tablet. If pressure sensitivity does not work on Windows, try switching the tablet input API under Settings, Configure Krita, Tablet settings.

The page also links nightly builds called Krita Plus (bug fixes only) and Krita Next (new features for testing). Use those only if you want to test; for everyday work, stay on the stable release.

The first launch can feel busy, because Krita shows many dockers (panels) at once. A few basics make it manageable:

• Start with a sensible canvas. Under File, New, choose a size that fits your goal. A larger canvas gives more detail but uses more memory, which is where the 16 GB recommendation matters.
• Use the brush presets. The Brush Presets docker groups brushes by type, such as pencils, inks and paints. Pick one and adjust its size and opacity from the toolbar before you explore the brush editor.
• Work in layers. Keep sketch, line art and colour on separate layers so you can change one without damaging the others.
• Turn on stabilisation for line art. The tool options for the freehand brush include smoothing settings that steady shaky strokes.
• Save as .kra, export copies. Krita's own .kra format keeps layers and settings. Use File, Export to make PNG or JPEG copies for sharing, and keep the .kra file as your master.

Krita also includes an autosave feature, configurable in its general settings, which is worth checking before a long session. The official site has a Learn section with documentation and tutorials if you want to go further.

Krita vs GIMP is the comparison most people search for, and the two are complementary rather than direct rivals. Krita is built around painting: brush engines, stabilisers, a wrap-around mode for textures, comic panel tools and frame-by-frame animation. GIMP is built around photo editing and image manipulation: precise selections, colour correction and retouching. Many artists install both.

For vector artwork such as logos that must scale to any size, a vector editor is the right category, which the graphic design guide covers. For 3D modelling and sculpting, see our Blender download guide. Whichever tools you use, download them from their official sites and skip "free premium" offers, which our guide on fake download buttons explains in more detail.