Alternatives to PaintTool SAI

Lightweight Windows painting program with pressure-sensitive tablet support and anti-aliased brush strokes. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

  • PaintTool SAI

    Lightweight Windows painting program with pressure-sensitive tablet support and anti-aliased brush strokes.

    PaidProprietaryWindows

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as PaintTool SAI.

  • Clip Studio Paint

    A commercial drawing and painting app for illustration, comics and animation across desktop and mobile.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Clip Studio Paint adds comic and animation tools and runs on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, but it is paid after the trial and heavier than SAI.

  • Krita

    A free digital painting program built for illustrators, with over a hundred brushes ready to use.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Krita is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux with over 100 brushes and stabilisers, though large canvases with many layers need plenty of RAM.

  • FireAlpaca

    A free, lightweight digital painting program for Windows and Mac with new brushes each week.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOS

    FireAlpaca is a free, lightweight painting program for Windows and Mac with new brushes added regularly, with no trial restrictions.

  • MediBang Paint

    A free painting and comic creation app for desktop, tablet and phone.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    MediBang Paint is free and aimed at comic and manga creation, running on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.

  • Paintstorm Studio

    A paid digital painting program with deeply customizable brushes for Windows, macOS, Linux and iPad.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxiOS

    Paintstorm Studio is paid but adds very detailed brush customization, stabilizer and perspective rulers, and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and iPad.

  • MyPaint

    A distraction-free painting app for graphics tablets, with an infinite canvas and deeply configurable brushes.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    MyPaint is free and open source for Windows and Linux, with an infinite canvas and full tablet support, though its last stable release was in 2020.

  • Artweaver

    A digital painting program for Windows with realistic brushes, layers and basic image editing tools.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    Artweaver is a Windows painting program with a free edition, realistic brushes, layers and plugins, and a perpetual Plus license without subscription.

  • Sketchbook

    Drawing and painting app for sketching and illustration on macOS, Windows, Android and iOS.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Sketchbook is a freemium sketching app with an uncluttered interface on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, including guides, rulers and layers with blend modes.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.

  • Corel Painter

    A digital painting program from Corel that simulates natural media brushes for illustration and photo painting.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOS

  • Procreate

    A digital painting and illustration app for iPad, sold as a one-time purchase.

    PaidProprietaryiOS

  • ibisPaint

    A mobile drawing and painting app for illustration, manga and animation, with an online gallery.

    FreemiumProprietaryAndroidiOS

  • Adobe Fresco

    Adobe's free drawing and painting app for iPad and iPhone, built for stylus and touch.

    FreeProprietaryiOS