Clip Studio Paint
by CELSYS
Clip Studio Paint is a subscription illustration, comic and animation app for iPad, with desktop and Android versions.
- Price
- Subscription: PRO from $4.89/month, EX from $9.69/month
- Runs on
- iPadOS, macOS, Windows, Android, ChromeOS
- Rating
- ★ 4.7 on the App Store (14K ratings)
MediBang Paint
by MediBang
MediBang Paint is a free, ad-supported painting and comic app for iPad, iPhone, Android and desktop with cloud sync and shared canvases.
- Price
- Free with ads; Premium plans from $2.99
- Runs on
- iPadOS, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
- Rating
- ★ 4.6 on the App Store (33K ratings)
Feature comparison
| Feature | Clip Studio Paint |
MediBang Paint |
|---|---|---|
| Price and platforms | ||
| Price | Subscription: PRO from $4.89/month, EX from $9.69/month | Free with ads; Premium plans from $2.99 |
| Free version | 30-day free trial; saving and exporting need a plan | Yes, ad-supported |
| Subscription | Required to save and export | Optional MediBang Premium |
| Ad-free | Not advertised | No, ads unless removed for $7.99 |
| No account needed | Clip Studio account needed to buy a plan | Account needed for cloud features |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Separate app, Clip Studio Paint for iPhone | Separate app, MediBang Paint for iPhone |
| Mac | Yes, desktop version | Yes, desktop version |
| Android and Chromebook | Yes | Yes |
| Brushes | ||
| Built-in brushes | Built-in set plus thousands of community brushes | 180 (700 more with Premium) |
| Brush customization | Brush shape, texture, paper quality and more | Adjustable; make your own |
| Brush import | Clip Studio Assets community brushes | Cloud brushes |
| Apple Pencil | Supported | Supported |
| Comics and manga | ||
| Comic panel layouts | Panel frames; multi-page projects with EX | Comic panel tools |
| Screentones | Yes | 1,000 screentones |
| Text and lettering | Text and speech balloons | 60 fonts |
| Layers and editing | ||
| Layer limit | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Blend modes | Yes | Yes |
| Masks | Masks and clipping across multiple layers | Not advertised |
| Adjustments and filters | Non-destructive color adjustment layers, gradient maps, filters | Filters (extra Filter Pack available) |
| Selection tools | Lasso, magnetic lasso and more | Not advertised |
| Liquify and distortion | Liquify, mesh transform, puppet warp | Not advertised |
| Clone tool | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Drawing aids | ||
| Symmetry | Symmetry ruler | Not advertised |
| Perspective guides | Perspective rulers and 3D shapes | Not advertised |
| Shape correction | Figure tools and rulers | Not advertised |
| Gradients | Gradient tool and gradient maps | Not advertised |
| Paintable materials | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Seamless patterns | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Extras | ||
| Animation | Frame-by-frame; unlimited frames with EX | Not advertised |
| 3D painting | 3D figures for reference, not painting | Not advertised |
| Timelapse | Yes | Yes |
| Live collaboration | Not advertised | Group Project shared canvases |
| Generative AI | None advertised | None advertised |
| Files | ||
| Photoshop PSD | Import and export | Not advertised |
| Export formats | PSD, PNG, JPEG, TIFF and more | Images, with cloud saving |
| CMYK and print | CMYK export for print | Not advertised |
| App Store | ||
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 (14K ratings) | 4.6 / 5 (33K ratings) |
| Last updated | September 8, 2026 | September 11, 2026 |
| Languages | 10 | 16 |
Price
Both are free to download, but they charge for different things.
Clip Studio Paint on iPad is a subscription. There is a 30-day free trial, after which you need a plan to save and export: PRO starts at $4.89 a month and EX, which adds multi-page comics and unlimited animation frames, at $9.69 a month on the US App Store. Plans are priced by how many devices you use.
MediBang Paint is free with ads. MediBang Premium plans, from $2.99 on the US App Store, add 700 more brushes, and ads can be removed with a separate $7.99 add-on.
Platforms
Both run on iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows and Android. Only Clip Studio Paint runs on Chromebook.
Clip Studio Paint runs on iPad, with a separate app for iPhone, desktop versions for Mac and Windows, and versions for Android and Chromebook. Buying a plan requires a Clip Studio account.
MediBang Paint has an iPad app, a separate iPhone app, and versions for Android, Mac and Windows. Its cloud feature, which needs a MediBang account, lets you move a drawing between devices.
Brushes
Clip Studio Paint ships with brushes that mimic real art materials and lets you adjust brush shape, texture and paper quality in detail. Its Clip Studio Assets community offers thousands of artist-made brushes and materials.
MediBang Paint includes 180 adjustable brushes, and Premium plans add 700 more. You can also make your own brushes.
Comics and manga
Clip Studio Paint is the most complete comic tool here: panel frames, speech balloons, text, effect lines and screentones, with multi-page projects for print, web comics and webtoons in the EX plan.
MediBang Paint was built with comics in mind, with 1,000 screentones, 60 fonts for lettering, easy comic panels and shared canvases for team projects.
Layers and editing
Clip Studio Paint: Layers support masks and clipping across multiple layers, non-destructive color adjustment layers and gradient maps. Liquify, mesh transformation and puppet warp let you fix proportions after you draw, and Color Match pulls colors from a reference image.
MediBang Paint: It covers the essentials with layers, blend modes and filters, and keeps the interface simple and lightweight, so it stays fast without needing much storage.
Drawing tools and extras
Clip Studio Paint has posable 3D figures and 3D shapes for reference and perspective, perspective and symmetry rulers, Shading Assist for lighting, and frame-by-frame animation, with unlimited frames in EX.
MediBang Paint: Group Project lets you and your friends draw on the same canvas, cloud saving keeps drawings in step between devices, and MediBang Paint records a timelapse of your work.
Which should you choose?
Choose Clip Studio Paint if
- You want posable 3D figures as a drawing reference
- You want frame-by-frame animation
- You want non-destructive adjustment layers
Choose MediBang Paint if
- You want to draw on a shared canvas with friends or a team
- You want a free app and do not mind ads
- You make comics on a budget and want screentones and panels for free
Frequently asked questions
Is Clip Studio Paint better than MediBang Paint?
Neither is better for everyone. Clip Studio Paint is the better pick if you want posable 3D figures as a drawing reference, or you want frame-by-frame animation. MediBang Paint suits you better if you want to draw on a shared canvas with friends or a team, or you want a free app and do not mind ads.
Is Clip Studio Paint free?
Not fully. Clip Studio Paint has a 30-day free trial on iPad, but saving and exporting need a paid plan afterwards. Plans start at $4.89 a month for PRO and $9.69 a month for EX on the US App Store.
Is MediBang Paint free?
Yes, MediBang Paint is free with ads. Premium plans from $2.99 add 700 more brushes, and a $7.99 add-on removes ads.
Which works on iPhone, Clip Studio Paint or MediBang Paint?
Clip Studio Paint has a separate iPhone app, Clip Studio Paint for iPhone. MediBang Paint has a separate iPhone app, MediBang Paint for iPhone.
Do Clip Studio Paint and MediBang Paint work on Android?
Clip Studio Paint has an Android version. MediBang Paint has an Android version.
Can two people draw together in Clip Studio Paint or MediBang Paint?
Yes, MediBang Paint does (Group Project shared canvases). Clip Studio Paint does not advertise live collaboration.
Do Clip Studio Paint or MediBang Paint use generative AI?
Clip Studio Paint does not advertise any generative AI features. MediBang Paint does not advertise any generative AI features.
Sources
Facts checked on October 2, 2026. Prices are from the US App Store, and features from each app's listing and official site. Apps change often, so check the App Store for current prices and features. Clip Studio Paint and MediBang Paint are trademarks of their respective owners. App icons come from each app's App Store listing and belong to their owners. Paintrix Studio is not affiliated with the makers of Clip Studio Paint and MediBang Paint.