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Design · head to head

Krita vs Quill

Krita logo

Krita

Design

Free and open-source digital painting software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quill logo

Quill

AR VR

VR illustration and animation tool

From
$24.99/one-time
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; Quill no pricing information published on the main website; users directed to contact for pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Krita covers Digital painting, Quill covers VR illustration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Krita and Quill actually diverge.

Attributes where Krita and Quill differ
AttributeKritaQuill
Starting priceFree$24.99/one-time
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxVr, Quest
CategoryDesignAR VR
Founded19992021

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 Krita

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

Only in Quill

  • VR illustration
  • Animation timeline
  • Layers
  • Brushes
  • FBX export
  • Video export
  • Alembic
  • Vr support

What people use each for

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

Krita

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

Quill

  • VR Gamingnot Krita
  • AR Marketingnot Krita
  • Virtual Trainingnot Krita
  • 3D Visualizationnot Krita
  • Immersive Experiencesnot 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

Quill

  • No pricing information published on the main website; users directed to contact for pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Krita

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Krita review.

Quill

$24.99/one-time
  • Quill$24.99/one-time
    • VR illustration
    • Animation
    • Export

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 Quill if

  • You need vr illustration.
  • You work on Vr, Quest.
  • You also want animation timeline.
Quill review

Questions people ask

Is Krita or Quill better?
Neither clearly leads. Krita starts at Free and Quill at $24.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Krita or Quill?
Krita has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Krita and $24.99/one-time for Quill.
Does Krita or Quill run on more platforms?
Krita runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Quill runs on Vr, Quest.
Can I use Krita for free?
Yes. Krita has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quill starts at $24.99/one-time.
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 Quill is typically brought in for.
What can Krita do that Quill cannot?
Krita covers Digital painting, Brush engines, Layer management, Animation. Quill covers VR illustration, Animation timeline, Layers, Brushes.

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
Quill: How much does Quill cost?

Quill does not publish pricing information on its website. Interested users are directed to contact the team at [email protected] or visit the Get Quill section to inquire about pricing and licensing options.

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
Quill: Is Quill free to use?

The Quill website does not indicate whether the VR illustration and animation tool is free, paid, or subscription-based. Pricing details require contacting the company directly.

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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