commons
Built in the open
THE REPLACEMENT INDEX

Open alternatives to Clip Studio Paint.

Compare projects for digital painting. Pick the workflow you need, then check the gaps and adoption documentation.

Want to help build an alternative?
A PLACE TO START

Open alternatives exist. Start a Commons project.

The curated references below are independent upstream projects. A member-owned Commons project is a separate place to share work and coordinate a team.

No Commons project is linked to Clip Studio Paint yet. Add yours or use the guide to start one.

How to start one
1 project for this comparison

Reviewed upstream alternatives

Comparisons cover specific workflows, not complete feature parity. An active alpha can be worth building while still being unsuitable for daily work.

Creative tools

Krita

Established project

A digital painting and illustration application developed in the open.

Windows / macOS / LinuxLocalGPL-3.0Open source
Digital painting and illustrationSelected workflows

Check comics, animation and asset workflows against your own projects.

Sources, activity & license scope

The comparison focuses on painting, not all image-editing workflows.

Reviewed Oct 14, 2026 · Commons editorial research

Independent curated reference · discuss it here; contribute upstream.