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Design · head to head

Krita vs Procreate Dreams

Krita logo

Krita

Design

Free and open-source digital painting software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Procreate Dreams logo

Procreate Dreams

Design

Edit. Animate. Create.

From
$12.99/once
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Krita has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Krita not portable across Windows/macOS/Linux with consistent performance; Procreate Dreams requires iPadOS 16.3 and is exclusive to iPad; track capacity varies by device, with the base iPad (A16) limited to 1 track at up to 4K
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Krita and Procreate Dreams actually diverge.

Attributes where Krita and Procreate Dreams differ
AttributeKritaProcreate Dreams
Starting priceFree$12.99/once
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWeb
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Procreate Dreams

Nothing recorded that Krita does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Krita

  • Digital paintingnot Procreate Dreams
  • Concept artnot Procreate Dreams
  • Character designnot Procreate Dreams
  • 2D animationnot Procreate Dreams
  • Texture paintingnot Procreate Dreams

Procreate Dreams

  • Animation software for iPad usersnot Krita
  • Alternative to subscription-based animation toolsnot 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

Procreate Dreams

  • Requires iPadOS 16.3 and is exclusive to iPad; track capacity varies by device, with the base iPad (A16) limited to 1 track at up to 4K
  • 8K video support is not yet available and is listed as coming in a future release

Pricing, plan by plan

Krita

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Krita review.

Procreate Dreams

$12.99/once
  • Procreate Dreams$12.99/once
    • No subscriptions
    • Pay once, create forever

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 Procreate Dreams if

Nothing in the data separates Procreate Dreams from Krita on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Procreate Dreams review

Questions people ask

Is Krita or Procreate Dreams better?
Neither clearly leads. Krita starts at Free and Procreate Dreams at $12.99/once, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Krita or Procreate Dreams?
Krita has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Krita and $12.99/once for Procreate Dreams.
Does Krita or Procreate Dreams run on more platforms?
Krita runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Procreate Dreams runs on Web.
Can I use Krita for free?
Yes. Krita has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Procreate Dreams starts at $12.99/once.
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 Procreate Dreams is typically brought in for.
What can Krita do that Procreate Dreams cannot?
Krita covers Digital painting, Brush engines, Layer management, Animation.

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
Procreate Dreams: How much does Procreate Dreams cost?

Procreate Dreams costs $12.99 USD as a one-time purchase through the Apple App Store. Regional pricing may vary by location.

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
Procreate Dreams: Is there a subscription fee after purchasing Procreate Dreams?

No. The purchase is permanent with no recurring fees or subscriptions. You pay once and retain the app forever.

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
Procreate Dreams: What payment methods does Procreate Dreams accept?

Payment is processed through the Apple App Store, which accepts the payment methods configured on your Apple account.

Source
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