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Art · head to head

Krita vs Tilt Brush

Krita logo

Krita

Art

Free and open-source digital painting software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tilt Brush logo

Tilt Brush

AR/VR & Metaverse

Paint in 3D space with VR

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Krita not portable across Windows/macOS/Linux with consistent performance; Tilt Brush no longer actively developed by Google since January 2021; future updates and support are not guaranteed
  • They diverge on capability: Krita covers Digital painting, Tilt Brush covers 3D painting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Krita and Tilt Brush actually diverge.

Attributes where Krita and Tilt Brush differ
AttributeKritaTilt Brush
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxHTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR
CategoryArtAR/VR & Metaverse
Founded19992016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Vector tools
  • OpenEXR
  • PSD files
  • Graphics tablets
  • Third-party brushes

Only in Tilt Brush

  • 3D painting
  • Dynamic brushes
  • Environment selection
  • Google Poly
  • Sketchfab
  • YouTube VR
  • Vr support
  • Pc support

Both cover

  • Animation

What people use each for

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

Krita

  • Digital paintingnot Tilt Brush
  • Concept artnot Tilt Brush
  • Character designnot Tilt Brush
  • 2D animationnot Tilt Brush
  • Texture paintingnot Tilt Brush

Tilt Brush

  • 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

Tilt Brush

  • No longer actively developed by Google since January 2021; future updates and support are not guaranteed
  • Limited editing capabilities with no layers system and no 3D brushes for precise refinement
  • Not designed for professional branding or marketing work; better suited for creative expression than practical design
  • Tool limitations make it difficult to move, cut, or rearrange grouped elements after creation
  • VR hardware costs are high relative to software cost, and can cause motion sickness in some users

Pricing, plan by plan

Krita

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Krita review.

Tilt Brush

Free
  • Google Tilt Brush$19.99/one-time
    • VR painting and creative tools
    • Available on VR app stores
  • Open Brush (open-source)Free
    • Free open-source version
    • Available on Steam and Meta Quest

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 Tilt Brush if

  • You need 3d painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR.
  • You also want dynamic brushes.
Tilt Brush review

Questions people ask

Is Krita or Tilt Brush better?
Neither clearly leads. Krita starts at Free and Tilt Brush at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Krita or Tilt Brush?
Krita starts at Free and Tilt Brush at Free.
Does Krita or Tilt Brush run on more platforms?
Krita runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Tilt Brush runs on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR.
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 Tilt Brush is typically brought in for.
What can Krita do that Tilt Brush cannot?
Krita covers Digital painting, Brush engines, Layer management, Vector tools. Tilt Brush covers 3D painting, Dynamic brushes, Environment selection, Google Poly. Both handle 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
Tilt Brush: Is Tilt Brush still available to use?

Yes. Although Google ended active development in January 2021, Tilt Brush remains available on VR app stores and continues to function. Google also open-sourced the code, enabling community-maintained alternatives like Open Brush to provide free versions for PC VR and Meta Quest.

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
Tilt Brush: Is there a free version of Tilt Brush?

The official Google Tilt Brush costs $19.99. However, Open Brush (the open-source community version) is completely free and available for PC VR via Steam and on Oculus Quest.

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
Tilt Brush: What VR headsets does Tilt Brush support?

Tilt Brush works on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, and PlayStation VR. The open-source Open Brush version also supports PC VR.

Source
Tilt Brush: Can I export my Tilt Brush creations?

Yes. Tilt Brush creations can be exported as room-scale VR pieces or animated GIFs to share with others. The app does not support direct export to 3D model formats like OBJ or FBX.

Source
Tilt Brush: Is Tilt Brush good for professional 3D design work?

Tilt Brush is primarily a creative expression and painting tool rather than a professional 3D design tool. It lacks features like layers, editable 3D brushes, and precise refinement controls needed for professional workflows. For professional VR sculpting, Adobe Medium or Quill are better choices.

Source
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