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Design · head to head

Krita vs Lunacy

Krita logo

Krita

Design

Free and open-source digital painting software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lunacy logo

Lunacy

Design

Free design software that keeps your flow

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Krita not portable across Windows/macOS/Linux with consistent performance; Lunacy desktop application only, not cloud-based like Figma, limiting accessibility across different computers
  • They diverge on capability: Krita covers Digital painting, Lunacy covers Vector editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Krita and Lunacy actually diverge.

Attributes where Krita and Lunacy differ
AttributeKritaLunacy
Founded19992016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Design).

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 Krita

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

Only in Lunacy

  • Vector editing
  • Auto layouts
  • Components
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Built-in photos & icons
  • AI background remover
  • AI upscaler
  • Sketch file support

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

Krita

  • Digital paintingnot Lunacy
  • Concept artnot Lunacy
  • Character designnot Lunacy
  • 2D animationnot Lunacy
  • Texture paintingnot Lunacy

Lunacy

  • UI/UX designnot Krita
  • Web designnot Krita
  • Mobile app designnot Krita
  • Icon designnot Krita
  • Marketing graphicsnot Krita

Where each one falls short

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

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

Lunacy

  • Desktop application only, not cloud-based like Figma, limiting accessibility across different computers
  • Animation capabilities are basic, lacking timeline-based animation editing or spring physics available in modern design tools
  • Paid collaboration features, unlike Figma's free cloud-based team collaboration

Pricing, plan by plan

Krita

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Krita review.

Lunacy

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Lunacy review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Lunacy if

  • You need vector editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want auto layouts.
Lunacy review

Questions people ask

Is Krita or Lunacy better?
Neither clearly leads. Krita starts at Free and Lunacy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Krita or Lunacy?
Krita starts at Free and Lunacy at Free.
Does Krita or Lunacy run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, macOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Krita for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Krita best used for?
Krita is most often used for digital painting, concept art, character design, 2d animation. Of those, digital painting and concept art are not what Lunacy is typically brought in for.
What can Krita do that Lunacy cannot?
Krita covers Digital painting, Brush engines, Layer management, Animation. Lunacy covers Vector editing, Auto layouts, Components, Real-time collaboration. Both handle Windows support, Macos support, Linux 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
Lunacy: Is Lunacy free to use?

Yes. Lunacy is absolutely free for personal and commercial use. There is no subscription required or trial period limitation.

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
Lunacy: Can Lunacy open and work with Sketch files?

Yes. Lunacy has smooth integration with Sketch files, allowing designers to import and collaborate on Sketch projects without requiring a Sketch subscription.

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
Lunacy: Does Lunacy require internet connection to work?

No. Lunacy can work offline, allowing designers to work without an internet connection. It is a desktop application that runs locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Source
Lunacy: What are Lunacy's hardware requirements?

Lunacy is not demanding on hardware and runs smoothly even on moderate laptops. It has minimal system requirements compared to resource-intensive design tools.

Source
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