Juan A. Esteban

Contemporary artist and independent researcher.

Illustration of Juan Esteban’s runic monogram rendered in a three-dimensional architectural style within a frame, set against a light background.

Guides

Free software for drawing, painting and comic layout: licences, formats and limitations

Verified on 30 October 2026. Prices, licences and the limitations of free versions are subject to change: this guide is reviewed every six months. If anything has changed, please let me know and I will update the guide and note the date of the change.

To begin digital drawing, payment for software is not required. However, 'free' carries various meanings: open-source software without limitations, an application with advertisements, a trial, or a restricted version of paid software. This guide documents the licence, compatible platforms, file formats, limitations of the free version, and data practices for eight programmes. It is intended for individuals aged 14 to 24. The conditions stated are those found on the official websites of each programme.

Summary

Software Free Primary use (my assessment)
Krita Yes, open source, no limitations Raster painting and drawing, comics
GIMP Yes, open source Image editing and retouching
Inkscape Yes, open source Vector drawing
Scribus Yes, open source Layout for print
MediBang Paint Yes, with 3 GB of cloud storage; a paid version is available Drawing and comics on desktop and mobile
Photopea Yes, ad-supported; a paid version is available Browser-based editing with PSD files
ibisPaint X Yes, ad-supported; paid features are available Drawing on mobile and tablet
Clip Studio Paint No: trial; on mobile, 30 hours per month Professional comics and manga

Krita

  • Licence. Free software under the GPL licence. The licence page states that it may be used for any purpose, including the creation of commercial work.
  • Platforms. Windows, macOS and Linux.
  • Formats. Its native format is KRA. For file exchange, it uses ORA (OpenRaster), TIFF, partial PSD and PNG.
  • PSD compatibility. The documentation warns that 100% compatibility with PSD cannot be guaranteed, and recommends ORA or TIFF.
  • Account. Not required for local use.

GIMP

  • Licence. GPL, free.
  • Platforms. GNU/Linux, Windows and macOS.
  • Formats. Its native format is XCF. It imports PDF and numerous other formats. Compatibility with PSD is partial.
  • Account and cloud. Not required for local editing.
  • Documentation. The developer's documentation regarding formats is dated 11 April 2025.

Inkscape

  • Licence. GNU GPL v2.
  • Platforms. Linux, Windows and macOS.
  • Formats. Its native format is SVG. It imports SVG, PDF, EPS and AI, and exports SVG, PNG, PDF and others depending on the version or extensions.
  • Account. Not required.

Scribus

  • Description. Free layout software for preparing pages and print materials, not for drawing.
  • Formats. Its native format is SLA or SLA.GZ. It imports PSD, PDF, PNG, TIFF and SVG, and primarily exports PDF, SVG, EPS and images.
  • Account and cloud. Not required.
  • Notice. The documentation I have located pertains to version 1.4.x, found on the project wiki. I have not verified the documentation for the current version.

MediBang Paint

  • Free and paid versions. A free version and a Premium subscription exist. The free version includes 3 GB of cloud storage. Premium expands storage, materials, fonts, and filters, removes advertisements, and extends history and team capabilities.
  • Platforms. PC, iPad, iPhone and Android.
  • Formats. Custom export in Premium offers PNG, JPEG, MDP, PSD, TIFF, HEIF, JP2, GIF, BMP, and WebP.
  • Account and cloud. The cloud requires a free account. I have not confirmed whether it can be used solely locally, nor the limitations per platform. The cloud page I reviewed was updated on 15 December 2022.

Photopea

  • Description. A free web application; the Premium version removes advertisements.
  • Privacy. Operates locally within the browser: files opened do not leave your device, unless you voluntarily access an external cloud service such as Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive.
  • Formats. Its primary format is PSD. It opens and edits PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, AI, TIFF and many others.
  • Account. Not required for editing. Required for Premium and to synchronise settings. Account data is deleted after six months of inactivity.

ibisPaint X

  • Free version. Ad-supported. Paid features, Prime and Pro, are available.
  • Platforms. iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows and macOS.
  • Formats. Imports and exports PSD, with layers or flattened, as well as PNG and JPEG. CMYK mode and certain functions are limited to Prime or Pro.
  • Not found. The project format and comprehensive information regarding privacy and cloud storage were not located on a single dated page. The tutorial I reviewed was updated on 26 October 2026.

Clip Studio Paint

  • Not free. It offers a trial on desktop and tablet, and 30 free hours per month on smartphone.
  • Platforms. Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android and Chromebook.
  • Account. Required to activate trials and plans.
  • Formats. Its native format is CLIP. Exports PSD and image formats. Certain features depend on the PRO or EX versions and the selected plan.

Compatibility between software

  • PSD is a partial format. Krita warns that no external software can guarantee 100% compatibility, and GIMP offers only partial support. If you switch software, conduct tests using a file with layers.
  • Safest formats. Krita recommends OpenRaster (ORA) or TIFF for exchanging layers. For vectors, use SVG; for print, use PDF.
  • Always retain a neutral copy. This is my recommendation. Instructions on how to do so are available in Preserving layered files and switching software.

Exporting for screen or print

This section is my own and not derived from the official documentation.

  • For screen display, PNG or JPEG formats are usually sufficient. Before uploading to a platform, consult its specifications, such as those found in Preparing a comic page for print.
  • For printing, Scribus and Inkscape export to PDF. The CMYK mode in ibisPaint X is a paid feature. Enquire with your printer regarding the required format and colour profile.

Limitations of free versions and privacy

  • Open-source software does not have usage limitations and does not require an account for local operation.
  • MediBang, Photopea, and ibisPaint X fund their free versions through advertisements or paid features.
  • The MediBang cloud requires an account. Photopea processes data on your device, and external clouds are only used if you connect them yourself.
  • Before uploading a work to any software's cloud, read its terms and conditions: as with publishing platforms, they may affect your rights. This is explained in How to publish a webcomic without relying on a platform.

Points requiring clarification

  • The terms and conditions for the current version of Scribus.
  • The privacy and cloud policy for ibisPaint X.
  • Whether MediBang Paint can be used without an account and offline, and its limitations on each platform.
  • The version date for several of these documents, which is not indicated on the pages.

Itineraries

I am starting my practice

To begin drawing, try Krita on a computer or ibisPaint X on a mobile device. If you are laying out a fanzine, consider Scribus. Always maintain a neutral copy of your files.

An open conversation

This guide compiles dated terms for eight software programmes. If you are a developer of one of these, or use one daily and detect a change, you may write to me.

Sources

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