🎨 Art, music and story makers
Krita
By Krita (open-source project). Visit Krita
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A free, open-source painting program for computers and Android tablets. Kids and teens paint and draw with many brushes, layers, and drawing aids, and can make simple frame-by-frame animations. It is made by artists for artists, so the screen is busy at first, but it costs nothing and has no ads, account or tracking. A drawing tablet helps a lot.
Our take: The best free choice for a teen serious about digital painting on a computer; younger kids may find it too complex.
| Ages it suits | about 10+ |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Not stated; there are no terms or account. Krita is free software under an open-source license. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free download (Oct 2026). Optional paid copies on Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store and Mac App Store fund development and auto-update; prices not shown on the site. |
| Works on | Windows, Mac, Android |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI described by the project. |
What's good
- Completely free with no data collection
- Full painting and basic animation tools
- Runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android
Watch for
- Busy, grown-up interface
- Not on iPad or iPhone
- Needs a fairly capable computer (4 GB RAM minimum)
Data and privacy
The privacy statement says Krita does not access, collect, use, share or send any personal information; the optional news feed is the only network call. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No studies found.
Alternatives to Krita
Desk researchPaidNo ads
3Doodler Start+
3Doodler (WobbleWorks) · ages 6+
A fun, safe-by-design entry to 3D making for ages 6-10; kids who want precise models will move to a 3D printer.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Adobe Express for Education
Adobe · ages grades K-12 through a school
A good free option for schools that want design and AI in one tool and will set the admin controls; families cannot set it up for a young child on their own.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
AI Duet
Yotam Mann with Google Magenta and Creative Lab · ages about 5 and up
Worth a few minutes in a music or AI lesson; not a tool for learning piano.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Algodoo
Algoryx Simulation AB · ages about 8 and up
A great creative sandbox for curious kids and science classes; parents should supervise use of the public sharing site and forum.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Animaker
Animaker · ages 18+ by its terms (teachers, older students with a parent)
A tool for teachers making lesson videos, not for kids; families wanting a kids' animation app should look at Stop Motion Studio or FlipaClip instead.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo · ages about 6-14
A calm, creative pick for younger kids; keep online visits to known friends.
Where these facts come from
- https://krita.org/en/
- https://krita.org/en/download
- https://krita.org/en/privacy-statement
- https://krita.org/en/about/license
- Reviews on G2: https://www.g2.com/products/krita/reviews
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.