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Entertainment · head to head

Adobe After Effects vs Krita

Adobe After Effects logo

Adobe After Effects

Entertainment

Visual effects and motion graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Krita logo

Krita

Design

Free and open-source digital painting software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Krita has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adobe After Effects the Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's After Effects page on 1 January 2022 priced the standalone app at US$20.99 per month, with the full Creative Cloud All Apps bundle at US$52.99 per month; current prices may differ.; Krita not portable across Windows/macOS/Linux with consistent performance
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, Krita covers Digital painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe After Effects and Krita actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe After Effects and Krita differ
AttributeAdobe After EffectsKrita
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, MacosWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryEntertainmentDesign
Founded19901999

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe After Effects

  • Motion graphics
  • Visual effects
  • 2D and 3D compositing
  • Animation tools
  • Keying and rotoscoping
  • Color correction
  • Text animation
  • Particle systems

Only in Krita

  • Digital painting
  • Brush engines
  • Layer management
  • Animation
  • Vector tools
  • OpenEXR
  • PSD files
  • Graphics tablets

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Macos support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe After Effects

  • Motion graphics creationnot Krita
  • Visual effects compositingnot Krita
  • Title sequencesnot Krita
  • Commercial advertisingnot Krita
  • Social media contentnot Krita

Krita

  • Digital paintingnot Adobe After Effects
  • Concept artnot Adobe After Effects
  • Character designnot Adobe After Effects
  • 2D animationnot Adobe After Effects
  • Texture paintingnot Adobe After Effects

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe After Effects

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's After Effects page on 1 January 2022 priced the standalone app at US$20.99 per month, with the full Creative Cloud All Apps bundle at US$52.99 per month; current prices may differ.

Krita

  • Not portable across Windows/macOS/Linux with consistent performance
  • Performance limits on large projects with many layers compared to professional software
  • Requires system administrator privileges for installation on managed systems
  • Limited professional support compared to commercial alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe After Effects

$22.99/month
  • After Effects Single App$22.99/month
    • Motion graphics and VFX
    • 3D design space
    • Data-driven animation

Krita

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Krita review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe After Effects if

  • You need motion graphics.
  • You work on Windows, Macos.
  • You also want visual effects.
Adobe After Effects review

Choose Krita if

  • You need digital painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want brush engines.
Krita review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe After Effects or Krita better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month and Krita at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe After Effects or Krita?
Krita has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe After Effects and Free for Krita.
Does Adobe After Effects or Krita run on more platforms?
Adobe After Effects runs on Windows, Macos. Krita runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Krita for free?
Yes. Krita has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month.
What is Adobe After Effects best used for?
Adobe After Effects is most often used for motion graphics creation, visual effects compositing, title sequences, commercial advertising. Of those, motion graphics creation and visual effects compositing are not what Krita is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe After Effects do that Krita cannot?
Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, Visual effects, 2D and 3D compositing, Animation tools. Krita covers Digital painting, Brush engines, Layer management, Animation. Both handle Windows support, Macos support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Krita: Is Krita free and open source?

Yes, Krita is completely free and open source software developed by the KDE community. It is distributed under the LGPL license with no licensing fees.

Source
Krita: What platforms does Krita support?

Krita is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can be downloaded from krita.org or installed via package managers on Linux distributions.

Source
Krita: What animation capabilities does Krita have?

Krita supports frame-by-frame animation with onion skin view, timeline management, and export to video formats for creating animated sequences.

Source
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