Following the beta release in early February, Krita has now issued a dual release: versions 5.3 and 6.0, both built from the same codebase. The main difference is the underlying toolkit: Krita 5.3 uses Qt 5, while Krita 6.0 uses Qt 6. Both versions offer nearly identical features.
At the same time, Krita 6 serves as the forward-looking branch, while Krita 5.3 remains recommended for production due to its mature foundation.
A major update is the complete rewrite of the text system. Users can now edit text directly on the canvas with full keyboard and IME support. Additional features include text flowing inside shapes, following paths, and full OpenType capabilities.
Tooling has been expanded as well. The fill tool now includes a gap-closing mode for imperfect line art, and the transform tool’s liquify mode has been optimized for speed. A new comic panel editing tool allows splitting and merging vector objects.
Several new filters have been added, including propagate colors and reset transparent. Blending modes have been updated for HDR support. The recorder docker now supports real-time capture. Additional updates improve brushes, assistants, and selection tools.
File format support has been expanded. Krita now supports Radiance RGBE HDR images, enhanced JPEG-XL capabilities, and improved PSD compatibility, including loading text objects and advanced properties.
Krita 6.0 marks the transition to Qt 6 and introduces native Wayland support on Linux. This includes the Wayland color management protocol, enabling HDR painting, 10-bit color, and fractional scaling.
However, keep in mind that the Wayland color management protocol is still in early development and requires a compatible compositor, such as a recent version of KWin. Due to significant changes between Qt 5 and Qt 6, Krita 6 is considered early access and may have issues not found in the 5.3 branch.
With that said, Krita 5.3 remains recommended for production, while Krita 6.0 is intended for testing as development progresses toward the Qt 6-based release line.
For more information, visit the release announcement. Krita 5.3 & 6.0 are now available for download on Windows (64-bit only), Linux (as AppImage, Flatpak, and Snap), and macOS (10.14 or later).
