Krita
Also called krita paint, krita foundation
A painting-first open-source editor. krita.exe is the process. It is not Photoshop.
What you need to know
Krita is painting-first. Photoshop is a general pixel editor.
Krita is an open-source painting app. Photoshop is Adobe's raster compositor. A missing .kra is a Krita document, not a PSD.
- What is it?
- Digital painting
- Still current?
- Yes, see Current status
- Official download?
- Use the vendor link in this article
What is Krita?
Krita is an open-source painting studio. A .kra document holds layers and brushes. The Windows executable is krita.exe.
If you have never used it
Krita is a free painting app. Brushes and a canvas are the job. It is not Photoshop. Download it from krita.org/download. A comic page or illustration is the usual reason to install it. Photo retouch is secondary.
What is it used for?
Painting brushes and a mixer. Photoshop can paint. Krita is built around that job.
Panels, vector layers, and animation timeline. Clip Studio overlaps. Photoshop does not own this.
A simple frame timeline. After Effects is still the compositing sibling, not this.
Who is it for?
- Illustrators who want a free canvas
- Comic artists comparing Clip Studio
- Anyone who opened Photoshop looking only for brushes
Current status
Krita (2005) is a current digital painting from Krita Foundation. The vendor still points Windows users at https://krita.org/download/.
How old is it?
Krita grew out of KOffice work and became its own painting app around 2005. It is younger than GIMP (1996) and it is still painting-first. Current Windows builds are the Krita Foundation releases.
Versions
Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.
System requirements
Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.
Minimum
| Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor |
|---|---|
| RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. |
Resource profile
- CPU demand
- Follows what you open inside the app
- RAM demand
- Follows documents, tabs, or libraries
Installed processes
These executables belong to this product when it is installed.
| krita.exe | Main Windows executable |
|---|
Startup components
Krita does not need to start with Windows.
File locations
| Typical install | C:\Program Files\Krita (x64)\ |
|---|
File formats
Common problems
Expected Photoshop print tools
Krita can export. Soft-proof and press PDF habits still live in Photoshop or InDesign.
Brush lag on a huge canvas
Canvas size and brush tip, not a Windows service. Lower the resolution before you reinstall.
Getting unstuck
Confirm krita.exe
Program Files\Krita is the app. Steam and krita.org builds both exist. Path tells them apart.
Install from krita.org
The Foundation download is the supported Windows build.
Reset the workspace
Settings > Dockers if a panel vanished. This is not a Photoshop workspace reset.
Alternatives
Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop overlap for illustration. GIMP is the other free raster editor, not a painting-first twin.
Official help and downloads
Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.
| Download | krita.org/download/ Official installer or vendor page |
|---|---|
| Help | docs.krita.org/ Vendor support |
| Official site | krita.org/ Start here, not a random exe host |
Related hardware
A drawing tablet helps more than a famous GPU name.
Technical details
Technical details
Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.
Sources and verification
Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.
- Krita official site · Vendor product page
- Krita help · Vendor support
- Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.
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