I want to write a proper comparison of Photoshop and Krita for painting after three years of using both seriously, because the discussion online tends to be tribal rather than analytical.

Brush engine: Krita's is more configurable and in my opinion more powerful for painting. The wetness simulation brushes have a physical quality that Photoshop's mixing brush can't fully match. Photoshop's pressure mapping is slightly more predictable.

Performance: Photoshop on Apple Silicon is fast. Krita on the same hardware is slightly slower but not meaningfully so for standard canvas sizes. Above 8000px I notice the difference.

Ecosystem: Photoshop's integration with other Adobe products is a genuine professional workflow advantage if you use InDesign or After Effects. Krita has no equivalent ecosystem.

Cost: Krita is free and open source. Photoshop is $21/month in the cheapest bundle. Over five years that's $1,260 vs $0. The cost difference is not trivial.

My current position: I use Krita for painting and personal projects. I use Photoshop for professional deliverables that require Adobe ecosystem integration. Both have a legitimate place.