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Design · head to head

PaintTool SAI vs Xara Designer Pro+

P

PaintTool SAI

Design

Lightweight digital painting and illustration software for Windows

From
5500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xara Designer Pro+ logo

Xara Designer Pro+

Design

Desktop publishing, web design, photo editing and graphic design in one workspace

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PaintTool SAI windows-only software with no native Mac or Linux version.; Xara Designer Pro+ compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PaintTool SAI and Xara Designer Pro+ actually diverge.

Attributes where PaintTool SAI and Xara Designer Pro+ differ
AttributePaintTool SAIXara Designer Pro+
Starting price5500/monthOn request
PlatformswindowsWeb

Identical on both: pricing model (one-time), free tier (No), 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 PaintTool SAI

  • Pressure-Sensitive Tablet Support
  • Anti-Aliased Brushes
  • 16-bit ARGB Color Channels
  • Lightweight Performance
  • Crash Data Protection

Only in Xara Designer Pro+

Nothing recorded that PaintTool SAI does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

PaintTool SAI

  • Digital illustration and manga artnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pensnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Lightweight painting on lower-spec computersnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Character and concept art sketchingnot Xara Designer Pro+

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Desktop publishing and professional layout workflowsnot PaintTool SAI
  • Web design and e-commerce site creation without codenot PaintTool SAI
  • Photo editing and image retouching for visual projectsnot PaintTool SAI
  • Graphic design and illustration in single workspacenot PaintTool SAI
  • Multi-discipline creative work with unlimited flexibilitynot PaintTool SAI

Where each one falls short

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

PaintTool SAI

  • Windows-only software with no native Mac or Linux version.
  • Only supports 32-bit operation, lacking modern 64-bit performance benefits.
  • Lacks the advanced brush engine customization and layer effects found in tools like Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint.
  • No cloud sync or mobile app, unlike many modern illustration tools.

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version

Pricing, plan by plan

PaintTool SAI

5500/month
  • Standard License$5500/month
    • Perpetual license
    • All 1.x.x minor updates
    • Free upgrade path to version 2

Xara Designer Pro+

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Xara Designer Pro+ review.

Which should you pick?

Choose PaintTool SAI if

  • You need pressure-sensitive tablet support.
  • You work on windows.
  • You also want anti-aliased brushes.
PaintTool SAI review

Choose Xara Designer Pro+ if

Nothing in the data separates Xara Designer Pro+ from PaintTool SAI on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Xara Designer Pro+ review

Questions people ask

Is PaintTool SAI or Xara Designer Pro+ better?
Neither clearly leads. PaintTool SAI starts at 5500/month and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PaintTool SAI or Xara Designer Pro+?
PaintTool SAI starts at 5500/month and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request.
Does PaintTool SAI or Xara Designer Pro+ run on more platforms?
PaintTool SAI runs on windows. Xara Designer Pro+ runs on Web.
What is PaintTool SAI best used for?
PaintTool SAI is most often used for digital illustration and manga art, line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pens, lightweight painting on lower-spec computers, character and concept art sketching. Of those, digital illustration and manga art and line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pens are not what Xara Designer Pro+ is typically brought in for.
What can PaintTool SAI do that Xara Designer Pro+ cannot?
PaintTool SAI covers Pressure-Sensitive Tablet Support, Anti-Aliased Brushes, 16-bit ARGB Color Channels, Lightweight Performance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PaintTool SAI: Is there a free trial for PaintTool SAI?

Yes, PaintTool SAI offers a 31-day free trial with full functionality before requiring purchase of a license.

Source
Xara Designer Pro+: Does Xara Designer Pro offer a free trial?

Yes, Xara Designer Pro offers a free trial download, allowing users to test the software before purchasing.

Source
PaintTool SAI: What does the license cover?

The one-time 5,500 JPY purchase provides a perpetual license covering all minor updates within version 1.x.x; a major version 2 upgrade is offered for free.

Source
PaintTool SAI: What operating systems are supported?

PaintTool SAI runs on Windows XP through Windows 11, but only in 32-bit mode, requiring at least a 450MHz Pentium processor and 256MB of RAM.

Source
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