Best drawing apps for Windows 2022

Digital Artist Using Pen Display Tablet
Digital Artist Using Pen Display Tablet (Image credit: Pixabay)

Whether you're a professional watercolorist looking to change up your work via digital art, a beginner artist hoping to start your own comic, or anywhere in between, the one thing you're going to need is a drawing app. While some features like layer management and brush calibration have become standard across the board, some apps have found ways to incorporate unique features that make them worth their premium price tags. Here are a few of the best drawing apps for Windows.

Functionality versus finances

Why you can trust Windows Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Choosing an app for your digital illustration is going to be a personal decision that balances your creative needs with your available budget. Adobe's suite of creative software is surprisingly accessible thanks to their choice to break down the higher cost of their software into monthly payments.

However, Adobe has come under fire after reports of customers who attempted to cancel their monthly subscriptions only to be charged for the remaining months of an "annual contract" even though they were not going to be using the service. This has cleared the path for some of the other apps mentioned to steal some of Adobe's limelight.

Corel Painter 2021 is easily the closest to Adobe Illustrator on this list as far as feature list and functionality goes, but it is also closest in price. Corel has gone the same route as their primary competitor as far as offering a subscription service goes. However, they still give you the option to purchase a complete license to the software outright if you'd prefer. The lump-sum price tag for a license may seem a bit expensive at first glance, but Painter's license does come with a discount for future annual updates.

Pricing aside, Painter's flexibility is what wins the hearts of the staff. Nearly every feature you would expect to find in Illustrator can be found on Painter's workspace, including the ability to use standard photoshop file formats and custom brushes. Additionally, Painter works exceptionally well with a variety of input devices. Incredible functionality bundled with the peace of mind that you own your license can go a long way.

As nice as that peace of mind is, however, it may not be in your budget. If you've just purchased a pen display, for example, throwing down even more money for software may be out of the question. That's the sweet spot where an app like Krita can really shine, as it is both feature-rich, beginner-friendly, and best of all — free.

Putting pen to digital paper

Many deciding factors can affect which drawing app may actually be best for you. Not every app is going to work well with every drawing tablet. Comic layouts may not be useful for a watercolorist. However, every drawing app on this list has been chosen because they provide a well-rounded collection of features — including brushes, canvases, and other tools — that will be useful to most digital artists.

Adobe Illustrator may be the status quo, but other apps like Corel Painter 2021, Rebelle 4, and Krita can offer the same form and function at a fraction of the price.

Cole Martin
Writer

Cole is the resident Call of Duty know-it-all and indie game enthusiast for Windows Central. She's a lifelong artist with two decades of experience in digital painting, and she will happily talk your ear off about budget pen displays. 

Read more
Surface Pro 7 with Type Cover
Best Procreate alternatives for Windows in 2025: Drawing programs that work even better
9 essential apps if you own a Surface Pen
You don't need to overspend on an official Surface Pen; check out the best alternatives for your Surface PC
Microsoft Store Windows
The best native Windows on Arm apps
Start11 runnning on Surface Pro X
Best apps to customize the look of Windows 11
The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (2024) on a desk and in tablet mode, showing Microsoft Paint open with an amateur drawing and HP's MPP2.0 stylus.
This Microsoft app is the latest to get infused with Copilot
Day One journal app in Microsoft Store on Windows 11
Popular Day One journal app finally lands on Windows
Latest in Windows 10
Windows 10 Find My Device
How to enable Find My Device on Windows 10 to recover your PC if it's ever lost or stolen
Outlook Client Hero
Microsoft just made Windows 10 worse, and there's (almost) nothing you can do about it
Windows 10 Start menu on HP ZBook Studio G4
Microsoft will retroactively downgrade this part of Windows 10 next month
Former Microsoft Executive Vice President Terry Myerson stands in front of a presentation about Windows 10
Microsoft addresses the 'elephant in the room,' discusses upcoming end of Windows 10 support
Surface Hub 2S
Windows 10 for PCs is not the only version of Windows to reach end of support this year
Windows Insider program settings
Microsoft shuts down the Windows 10 Beta Channel just five months after reopening it
Latest in Buying-guide
MSI Claw 8 AI+ flat on a table with a Steam Deck below it.
I tested MSI Claw 8 AI+ and compared it against Steam Deck — Here's why one of these handhelds reigns supreme
MSI Claw 8 AI+ propped up next to an ROG Ally X on a table.
I reviewed MSI Claw 8 AI+ and ROG Ally X — Here's which PC gaming handheld you should actually get
NVIDIA RTX 5070 vs. RTX 5070 Ti
Is NVIDIA's RTX 5070 right for you? Why it might make sense to spend more on the RTX 5070 Ti.
AMD RX 9000
Is it worth spending more on the RX 9070 XT? — What you need to know before buying an AMD RDNA 4 GPU
AMD Radeon RX 9000
AMD's RX 9000 GPUs are selling out everywhere, but I found these in-stock pre-built PCs
NVIDIA CES 2025
The RTX 5070 Ti is sold out, but I found 7 pre-built PCs still available now