Overview

ibisPaint is a drawing app for people who want to create illustrations, manga, or short animations across mobile devices and computers. Its strongest fit is an artist who values a deep brush and material library, plus tools for sharing work in progress. The trade-off is a free version with ads and limited cloud storage, while some desktop capabilities require separate upgrades.

For more options, see our Digital Painting Software and Graphic Design Software lists.

Key features

Drawing and image tools

The app offers over 47,000 brush types, brush customization, layers, pressure sensitivity, and stroke stabilization. Drawing speeds reach up to 120 fps. That breadth gives artists many ways to shape a workflow without relying on a small fixed brush set, though the raw library size matters most to users who like experimenting with tools.

More than 23,000 color and monochrome materials and over 80 filters add further options. Filters include background removal and watercolor-style conversion. AI Super-resolution is intended to improve small-canvas image quality; AI Disturbance adds noise meant to discourage fine-tuning by image-generating AI. Smart Features use Smart Credits: Premium Credits replenish monthly up to a grant limit, while purchased Paid Credits do not expire.

Manga and animation

Manga tools include 46 screen tones, frame division, speech bubbles, and rulers, making ibisPaint a practical choice for artists who want page-building tools alongside general drawing. Animation supports frame copying and onion skin display, useful for carrying movement across successive frames. These tools make the app broader than a painting-only workspace, but the listed animation features are focused on frame-by-frame creation.

Cloud and sharing

Cloud Storage syncs artwork across smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The free version's 64MB allowance is modest for a growing library; Premium's 20GB is a more workable option for artists moving projects among devices. Drawing process videos can be posted to ibispaint.com or shared through LINE, X, and Facebook, which suits creators who want to show how an image developed.

Pricing

The Free version costs 0.00 USD per free and offers unlimited usage time, 64MB of cloud storage, and advertisements. It is a sensible way to start drawing, but the storage cap and ads are meaningful constraints for regular users.

Premium Membership costs 4.49 USD per month, billed monthly, or 27.99 USD per year, billed annually. Both remove advertisements, add Premium features, and provide 20GB of cloud storage; the monthly plan also specifies unlimited original brush pattern imports. The annual plan lowers the effective monthly cost for people committed to using the app, while the monthly option avoids a year-long commitment.

On Windows, Free trial / Demo Mode costs 0.00 USD per free but limits use to one hour per day, 64MB of cloud storage, and five original brush pattern imports. Windows Premium Membership is 4.49 USD per month or 27.99 USD per year, with unlimited usage, 20GB of storage, and Premium features. On Mac, Premium Membership costs 4.99 USD per month or 29.99 USD per year for unlimited use, 20GB, and Premium features.

Windows and Mac Premium Membership trials last one week for the monthly plan or one month for the yearly plan, and are available only once. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled. Ad Removal Upgrade costs 15.99 USD per month to remove ads from the free mobile version, but does not include the Premium storage and feature bundle. Pro Upgrade costs 62.99 USD per month and adds unlimited Windows and Mac usage, CMYK export, and custom keyboard shortcuts. Separate Mac Pro Upgrade and Windows Pro Upgrade cost 62.99 USD per once, with unlimited use and Pro features but 64MB cloud storage.

Platforms

ibisPaint runs on Android 7 or later, iOS/iPadOS 15 or later, macOS 11 Big Sur or later, Windows 10 version 2004 or newer, and Windows 11 version 21H2 or newer. The broad device coverage is useful for artists who switch between phone, tablet, and computer, with cloud sync connecting their work.

Who it's for

Choose ibisPaint if you want one app for digital drawing, manga elements, and basic frame-by-frame animation, particularly if you value a large brush library and cross-device syncing. Occasional users can start free; artists who build larger libraries or need an ad-free experience have a clear reason to consider Premium. It is less compelling if desktop-specific Pro features such as CMYK export are central to your work, since those require an additional upgrade.

Pros and cons

Pro: A substantial brush, material, and filter selection gives artists many starting points for illustration and image treatment.
Pro: Manga page tools and frame-based animation extend its usefulness beyond static painting.
Pro: Cloud sync connects smartphones, tablets, and PCs, with Premium raising storage from 64MB to 20GB.
Con: The free version includes ads and only 64MB of cloud storage, limiting comfort for sustained use across devices.
Con: Desktop trial mode is capped at one hour daily, and the Pro upgrade is a separate cost for users who need its listed desktop features.

Alternatives

Infinite Painter is an Android and iOS option whose free tier is limited to three layers at device resolution and selected tools; consider it if that lighter mobile scope fits your needs.

Krita is free and open source, with no subscriptions or trials, and runs on Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Pick it if avoiding a subscription model is the priority.

Sketchbook offers a free mobile app with brushes, layers, guides, rulers, and stroke tools, and also runs on desktop platforms; it suits someone seeking that core drawing toolkit.

Drawpile is a free, open-source option with official community servers available at no cost.

MediBang Paint is another freemium drawing app across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android; its 20GB Premium plan is 300.00 JPY per month.

Clip Studio Paint is a paid alternative with a free trial and versions for Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows; its listed PRO plan starts at 0.99 USD per month.

Concepts is a freemium choice for Windows, iOS, and Android, with a five-layer Basic tier and a Pro subscription at 4.99 USD per month.

Paintstorm Studio is a paid option with a free trial across iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Verdict

ibisPaint is a strong fit for artists who want a large, flexible drawing toolkit with manga, animation, and cross-device sharing in the same app. Its free tier makes it accessible, but ads and 64MB of storage give regular creators a practical reason to upgrade. Look elsewhere if your main need is a desktop Pro workflow without a separate upgrade.

	ibisPaint	PaintTool SAI
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$2.33/mo	¥5,500/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, macOS, Windows	Windows
Free plan	Yes	No

ibisPaint vs PaintTool SAI

ibisPaint

PaintTool SAI