Krita vs FireAlpaca: Which Software is Better for Artists?

Nowadays, artists and graphic designers have many options when it comes to choosing the best digital drawing software. Krita and FireAlpaca are two of the most popular software out there. Since choosing between them can be difficult, we will explore their differences to find out which is better for drawing.

Both Krita and FireAlpaca offer an enjoyable drawing experience and have a large following. In this blog post, we will test the features each app offers and determine their pros and cons.

• Related: 11 Best Laptops for Drawing
• Related: Krita vs Photoshop: Which is better for artists?

By the end of this read, you will know everything about Krita and FireAlpaca: pricing, drawing features, tools and toolbars, photo editing features, brush collection, and more.

Let us find out which is the best digital drawing software for you. Krita or FireAlpaca?

FireAlpaca vs Krita: Which is better?

Since both FireAlpaca and Krita are very popular apps among artists, it is not easy to answer which one is better. Therefore, it is important that we first look at the pros and cons of the two drawing apps.

FireAlpaca is a free digital painting software developed by PGN Inc. in 2016. In those five years, the app has continued to improve and is now one of the most reliable and comprehensive drawing apps on the market. Like Medibang (see Krita vs. Medibang), this app was specifically designed for creating comics. Its compatibility with various graphic tablets and its efficient brush engine make it a favorite for many.

That being said, FireAlpaca proves to be one of the most powerful freewares for artists. The app is lightweight and has numerous drawing and sketching tools that you can use. Finally, FireAlpaca has an innovative and easy-to-use UI, which makes it a good choice for beginner artists.

On the other hand, Krita needs no introduction. The software has been one of the most popular digital drawing tools for artists of all levels for more than a decade. The app was founded by the Krita Foundation. Krita is one of the most beginner-friendly software we have ever used.

It offers an extensive collection of brushes and numerous drawing toolbars. The app is also very reliable when it comes to basic photo editing. For this reason, Krita is by far the most popular free digital drawing software.

If you’re using Photoshop in addition to Krita you can learn How to Create Amazing Photoshop Sketches [Full Guide]

In conclusion, both FireAlpaca and Krita are popular for good reasons. Since both apps are completely free, it was not easy to choose between them. We can safely say that Krita is more powerful than FireAlpaca, especially when it comes to painter-style art and photo editing. On the other hand, FireAlpaca is better for specific tasks like comic creation.

What is FireAlpaca?

In a few words, we can say that FireAlpaca is a very comprehensive free graphic design software. With FireAlpaca, you can easily create artwork with the help of brushes, sketching tools and layers. For this reason, FireAlpaca is actually one of the best alternatives to Krita. Its user-friendly nature makes it accessible to both beginners and seasoned artists, ensuring a smooth creative process for all.

When it comes to drawing features, FireAlpaca lets you fully customize your drawings via toolboxes. Besides, FireAlpaca offers numerous templates that you can quickly integrate into your designs. The software also supports pressure-sensitive stylus features, enhancing the drawing experience and giving artists more control over their work.

Because of its innovative comic panels, FireAlpaca is considered an excellent Medibang alternative for creating mangas and comics. Also, FireAlpaca is very powerful when it comes to line art brushes and has an innovative interface. Its regular updates and active community support further ensure that artists have a tool that evolves with their needs.

Core differences between Krita and FireAlpaca for Digital Art

It’s time to analyze the core differences between Krita and FireAlpaca when it comes to creating digital art. Let us start with pricing: both apps are completely free to use. Still, there is a difference when it comes to compatible operating systems.

To be precise, FireAlpaca can only be used on macOS and Windows devices. On the other hand, you can use Krita on all Windows, Mac and Linux devices, making it a more versatile option for those on different platforms.

Another difference between the two apps concerns the system requirements. Of course, both apps can be used on high-end desktops and laptops for drawing without any problem. However, Krita is a bit lighter and can be used by most entry-level computers without any problems, ensuring that even those with older hardware can access quality digital art tools.

• Also see: 11 Best Laptops for Drawing & Digital Art [Artist Guide]

Finally, both FireAlpaca and Krita offer a considerable number of drawing and editing tools. Nevertheless, Krita is more powerful than FireAlpaca. Also, Krita is the only one of the two apps that has advanced photo editing tools and is fully extensible when it comes to brushes, making it a more comprehensive choice for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Since drawing features are crucial for artists, let us take a closer look at FireAlpaca and Krita tools, understanding their unique offerings and how they cater to different artistic needs.

Features and tools – Comparison

Since FireAlpaca is designed specifically for artists and graphic designers, it offers a great collection of drawing tools. During our test, we really enjoyed using FireAlpaca for line art. With a great stabilization tool, FireAlpaca gives you the ability to create top-notch lineart in seconds. In this regard, FireAlpaca offers a better experience than Krita.

We also liked that FireAlpaca has plenty of pre-made templates that artists can use. This is why FireAlpaca is so popular among comic artists. The custom templates make the whole process much easier. Finally, we had no problems changing the style, color, line spacing, size, and other graphic elements.

The entire drawing experience with FireAlpaca is beginner-friendly, but also optimized for experienced users. Of course, the same is true for Krita. In fact, Krita is more popular than FireAlpaca when it comes to creating digital art.

During our test, Krita proved to be by far the most expendable free software for digital drawing. Even if you can not find the brush you need, Krita allows you to import your own brushes manually.

When it comes to advanced drawing features, Krita offers a lot. Layer effects, HDR painting, masks, and editable backgrounds are just a few. Finally, Krita is the only app that easily compares to Adobe Photoshop. That’s because the app also includes numerous photo editing tools.

With both Krita and Firealapaca, you can use a drawing tablet or graphics tablet along with a laptop or MacBook to create digital art. These include, but are not limited to the following brands:

• GAOMON
• Xencelabs
• XP-PEN
• Wacom One
• HUION

Comparison table: Krita vs FireAlpaca

Software	Krita	FireAlpaca
Created for	Graphic design, digital art, photography editing	Illustration, digital art, comic and manga creation
Developer	Krita Foundation, KDE	PGN Inc.
Release Date	June 21, 2005	May 22, 2016
Current Version	Krita 4.4.8 as of August 25, 2021	SE 2.6.6 (October 11, 2021)
Pricing	Free-to-use	Free-to-use
Supported OS	Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux. Check the supported devices of Krita here	MacOS, Microsoft Windows. Check the system requirements for Medibang here
Multilingual Support	Krita is available in many languages. It automatically uses the system language	FireAlpaca comes in many languages as well (English, Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese, and more)

Is Krita or Firealpaca better for Cartoon and illustration work?

To answer this question briefly, FireAlpaca is better than Krita when it comes to creating cartoons and manga. To make a long story short: FireAlpaca has many advanced features tailored to cartoonists.

For example, you can easily choose one of the preloaded templates and use various drawing tools to easily manage your comics.

However, there is no better free software than Krita when it comes to working with illustrations. In fact, Krita offers more scripting and drawing tools than FireAlpaca. Therefore, Krita is by far the best software when it comes to advanced illustrations and painter style work.

Can Firealpaca or Krita replace photoshop?

Since FireAlpaca does not offer photo editing features, it cannot be considered an alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Fortunately, this is not the case with Krita. To be precise, Krita is one of the best free alternatives to Photoshop.

The Krita Foundation has done a great job when it comes to incorporating advanced photo editing features. Of course, Photoshop is simply infinite. Even experienced photo editors who have been using Photoshop for years have not used all of its features.

Krita and Fire Alpaca both benefit from using a stylus pen, just like photoshop does.

For this reason, we think Krita is a great alternative to basic photo editors like Adobe Lightroom. In any case, Krita is by far the best of the two when it comes to photo editing features.

Who should use FireAlpaca over Krita?

Although Krita is a very powerful piece of software, FireAlpaca outperforms it at certain tasks. For example, FireAlpaca is more powerful than Krita when it comes to manga creation. Therefore, it is the better choice for cartoonists.

Moreover, FireAlpaca proves to be an amazing digital painting app for line art. This is because the app has a professional stabilizer, a feature that Krita lacks. Nevertheless, Krita is more powerful and the better choice for advanced artists and serious photo editors.

If you’re an architect or are 3 modeling, you can view the 12+ Best Laptops for AutoCAD & CAD Design (2D & 3D Modeling). However, if you’re sketching, then see our guide on laptops for sketchup.

Krita vs FireAlpaca Paint: Which is better for student artists & designers?

When you consider that both Krita and FireAlpaca are free to use, it’s no wonder that both are popular among student artists and designers. And that’s also why most students try both programs before deciding which one is best for them.

However, Krita is more powerful than FireAlpaca. It has more than 150 brushes and an extended collection of advanced drawing features. For this reason, Krita is a relatively better choice than FireAlpaca for students who primarily draw in the style of a painter.

If you’re considering a laptop for graphic design, it’s common that gaming laptops are used due to their strong processors and graphics cards that can handle demanding, graphic heavy tasks.

On the other hand, FireAlpaca is simply better when it comes to line drawings and cartoons. So it all depends on your personal needs and preferences.

What Software is better than FireAlpaca Paint?

FireAlpaca is a reliable and relatively powerful digital drawing software. However, this does not mean that it is the best one out there. In fact, there are more powerful applications on the market than FireAlpaca. When it comes to free options, Gimp and Krita are by far more powerful than FireAlpaca.

On the other hand, FireAlpaca cannot easily be compared to some of the highest quality drawing software. For example, apps like Procreate and Adobe Illustrator, have endless drawing features (see how to get Procreate on Windows)

For this reason, such apps are generally more popular among professionals who need to have full control over their creations.

Related: Is Procreate worth it for beginner Artists? (costs, features, and more)

Is FireAlpaca Paint good for drawing?

FireAlpaca is a free to use digital drawing software. That said, it is not the most powerful application out there. However, during our test, we had a more than pleasant drawing experience.

• See the 10 Best Touch Screen Laptops for Drawing

In fact,FireAlpaca has most of the features that beginners and professionals need. It also has an innovative and beginner-friendly user interface. In summary, we can safely say that FireAlpaca Paint is good for drawing and definitely worth your time.

FireAlpaca vs Krita – Best digital art software alternatives

Both FireAlpaca and Krita are beginner-friendly, free software for artists. Even though free digital drawing apps are more powerful than they used to, they might not be the best way to go for professionals. If you need a top-tier software that will help you create amazing artwork, then you should go for one of:

1. Adobe Photoshop
2. Figma
3. CorelDRAW
4. Adobe Illustrator
5. Procreate (iPad)

On the flip side, if you want to try other reliable free alternatives you could try one of the following:

1. Inkscape
2. Gimp
3. Sketchbook

The equipment you would typically use alongside Photoshop or illustrator is similar for Krita & FireAlpaca. For example, if you’re using a stylus, see the 7 Best Stylus for Photoshop & Adobe Illustrator. If using a drawing tablet visit our guide on the 7 Best Drawing Tablets for Photoshop & Illustrator.

Brushes – Firealpaca vs Krita

During our test, both Krita and FireAlpaca proved to have all the brushes we needed. We also had no problems connecting and drawing with an active pen with either app. Krita has a relatively larger collection of brushes (150+) than FireAlpaca.

As for brush settings, both FireAlpaca and Krita let you fully adjust color, size, and opacity.

How to use Firealpaca

Using FireAlpaca is as easy as it goes. The app is completely free. So, all you need to do to use FireAlpaca is:

1. Visit the official FireAlpaca webpage
2. From the homepage, choose the operation system of your device
3. Download the correct FireAlpaca version
4. Install FireAlpaca on your computer
5. You are good to go! FireAlpaca is successfully installed and ready to be used.

Medibang vs FireAlpaca

In a few words, Medibang and FireAlpaca are very similar. Both apps are specifically designed for artists and graphic designers. Also, both Medibang and FireAlpaca are free and very popular among cartoonists.

We really liked the user interface of Medibang and FireAlpaca. The main difference between the two is that Medibang can also be used on mobile devices. So, as a cross-platform software, Medibang is by far the best option for those of you who also use mobile devices for drawing.

Also see our comparison on the following digital art apps: Sketchbook vs Photoshop: Which Software is Better?

On the other hand, FireAlpaca has one of the best stabilizers we have ever tested. For this reason, it’s the better choice for line art. All in all, both apps are perfect for beginners and people who want to explore the fascinating world of digital art.

Conclusion

Both Krita and FireAlpaca prove to be very reliable and powerful when it comes to creating digital artwork. Our personal opinion is that Krita is generally better than FireAlpaca.

In fact, Krita offers a more advanced drawing experience and integrates numerous drawing and photo editing features. Of course, that does not mean FireAlpaca is not a good app for digital drawing. On the contrary, FireAlpaca is perfect for beginners in cartoons and line drawings.

In conclusion, Krita and FireAlpaca are two of our favorite free drawing apps. We believe both apps are perfect for students (artists and designers) as well. If you are looking for a great app for digital drawing, you should definitely try Krita and FireAlpaca.