In a visual design world dominated by companies like Adobe and Canva, two underrated editing gems hold their own place amongst the designer fanbase. The open-source software being talked about are GNU Image Manipulation Program and Krita. While GIMP is suited for image retouching, Krita is mainly used for 2D graphic design. In this article, we will discuss the differences between GIMP vs Krita, highlighting their unique features and similarities to determine which is better.
GIMP vs Krita: Which is a Better Photoshop Alternative?
Choosing the proper tool can have a big impact on your workflow, productivity, and the overall quality of your products in the extremely competitive field of digital design. Designers, artists, and producers can choose which software best suits their own needs and tastes by being aware of the advantages and disadvantages of both GIMP and Krita. Let’s quickly skim over the main differences between GIMP and Krita:
| Krita | GIMP | |
| Interface | Minimalistic | Unfamiliar and Strange |
| Download | Free of cost | Free of cost |
| Best Use | Digital animation | Photo Retouching |
| Supported Files (the different ones) | BMP, PSD, ORA, EXR | NEF, CR2, XCF |
| Customer Support | Mainly using Forums, FAQs | Replies to Emails, Bugs page and Website |
To delve deeper into the differences between these two tools, keep reading this article!
GIMP vs Krita: Which Software Takes Less Memory?
If you are on the lookout for GIMP vs Krita download, you are at the right place. While GIMP has a storage requirement of as low as 20 MB, Krita needs at least 300 MB space on your desktop with 2 GB RAM space needed to run it smoothly. Both the software have quite low space requirements compared to other major competitors, which makes them a good alternative.
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GIMP vs Krita: Download Comparison
Being open-source software, both GIMP and Krita can be downloaded completely free of cost. In fact, you don’t need to buy any subscription to use all the features of these two software. However, you may donate to the developers so that they can push regular updates to their products.
- GIMP: You can easily down GIMP from their official website through various options available like Microsoft Store, BitTorrent or install it directly to your desktop.
- Krita: Similarly, you can easily down Krita from their official website through various options available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
What Similarities Do GIMP and Krita Have?
Both the software are similar and identical when we compare their functions based on their photo editing capability.
Functions that are similar are:
- Layer edits
- Contrast altering
- Changing saturation
- Liquify tool
- Tools for retouching
Moreover, what makes them identical is the fact that both are free to use, giving a huge boost to the user base.
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What is the Difference Between GIMP and Krita?
GIMP is primarily a photo/image/graphics editing program. Typically, users who wish to edit pictures or images will use GIMP is a free substitute to Adobe Photoshop, and while GIMP may be used for more than simply image editing, its origins are more deeply planted in that domain.
Krita is more directed towards drawing and painting. The canvas that you’ll be creating in Krita seems more suited to working with paper than an electronic background. Most people who use Krita do it primarily for artistic purposes, such as creating comics, digital paintings, and so on.
Let’s dive deeper into the different aspects of these tools:
A. Interface Comparison
Krita is equipped with an artist-centric interface that prioritizes user-friendliness for digital creators. It enables artists to personalize their workspace by arranging and giving priority to their preferred tools. The sidebar contains a diverse selection of brush presets, color choices, and layer controls, ensuring quick and convenient tool access.
In contrast, GIMP presents a more conventional interface closely resembling professional image editing software. Although GIMP’s interface may initially seem more complex, it grants users precise control over every aspect of their editing process.
Both Krita and GIMP offer extensive customization options, enabling users to tailor the interface to their specific preferences. Krita’s focus is on streamlining the experience for digital artists, while GIMP caters to the needs of photographers and graphic designers, offering a comprehensive range of tools and features for precise editing.
B. Pricing and Download Comparison
Both Krita and GIMP operate under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which gives users the liberty to customize the software. This licensing arrangement assures the software’s openness to the user community, thereby stimulating originality.
Note: Although Krita and GIMP are freely accessible for download and use, they still rely on community backing. Users are encouraged to show their support or assist the development team through whatever means they can.
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C. Best Use Comparison
Krita focuses mainly on digital painting and offers basic photo editing tools like cropping, resizing, and filters. However, its photo editing capabilities are limited compared to GIMP.
GIMP is known for its powerful photo editing tools, including advanced color correction, retouching, and support for layers and masks. It’s a preferred choice for professionals due to its extensive features and compatibility with various file formats, including RAW images.
D. Supported Files Comparison
Krita and GIMP offer versatile file import and export capabilities, accommodating artists’ diverse file format needs.
E. Customer Support Comparison
When it comes to receiving assistance, both Krita and GIMP provide official avenues for users to seek help. They offer dedicated channels for reporting bugs and other issues, and their respective user communities frequently offer valuable advice and troubleshooting tips.
Furthermore, users have the option to participate in online forums and communities where they can interact with fellow users and enthusiasts to exchange experiences and get the help they need.
GIMP vs Krita: Which is Better for Illustration?
Krita for sure takes the win for the illustration aspect as it is more suited for drawing and animations. It is capable of producing digital watercolors, drawings as well as frame-by-frame animation. The UI may be readily customized. Plus, Krita is ideal for use with graphics tablets. It is an open-source graphic editor that is powerful, versatile, and configurable. However, the interface and shortcuts are unusual; artists used to Photoshop will need to relearn.
GIMP has almost all of the tools found in Photoshop, including layers, masks, and a plethora of other capabilities. Third-party extensions can be used to screw on a few of the extensions that are absent.
Both GIMP and Krita stand as two remarkable open-source software options that come at no cost. Both applications provide a wide array of impressive features, including non-destructive editing capabilities through layers. Additionally, they boast an extensive selection of custom brushes and painting tools. Given the fact that both Krita and GIMP are freely available, it would be advisable to acquire both of these tools. GIMP has a broad spectrum of features, while Krita excels at generating various forms of digital media.
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That’s it! We hope you have understood the difference between the GIMP vs Krita graphics editors. Now, it’s your turn to experiment and decide which one aligns with your artistic vision. If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to let us know in the comment section below. Wishing you endless creativity with your graphic projects, and see you in the next article!
