Side by side

Drawpile vs HEAVYPAINT

Both stand on digital painting software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Drawpile

Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+5

Drawpile combines collaborative drawing with offline use, animation, and extensive layer tools. iPhone and iPad users can use its browser version, while hosting a session themselves calls for care.

Visit Drawpile

HEAVYPAINT combines specialized painting tools with web, mobile, and desktop availability. Note that Classic is no longer receiving updates, and exports use pixel dimensions for print-resolution calculations.

Visit HEAVYPAINT

The facts

	Drawpile	HEAVYPAINT
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Yes	Not published
Runs on	Android, API, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows	Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Gallery Sync Yearly: $19.99 a year
Plans published	2	3
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	drawpile.net	heavypaint.com
On digital painting software	#1 of 46	#5 of 46

Drawpile: what it does well

Over 200 built-in brushes
Includes layers, groups, and blend modes
Animation timeline with onion skins
Saves canvases as OpenRaster or PSD
Free and open source under GPLv3

What to know first

No native iOS application
Built-in server is not recommended
Home server exposure has security and privacy implications

HEAVYPAINT: what it does well

Includes Color Jitter, Fan Fill, and Liquify tools.
Supports brush customization, layers, and pressure sensitivity.
Available on web, desktop, and mobile.
HEAVYPAINT 3+ accounts work across multiple devices.
Offers a free plan.

What to know first

Classic will not receive new features or bug fixes.
Exports are pixel-based.
Full Version unlock costs $9.99, paid once.
Gallery Sync costs $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year.

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