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Magma vs Clip Studio Paint

A free Clip Studio Paint alternative in your browser

Clip Studio Paint is a great app, but it's a paid download. Magma is free in your browser, with pen pressure, layers and PSD export, and it lets you draw on the same canvas with friends, live.

Magma is a good fit if

  • You want to sketch, paint or practice without buying or installing software.
  • You want to draw with friends on one canvas at the same time, with voice chat.
  • You're stuck in an art block or need motivation: drawing next to other artists sparks ideas and keeps you going.
  • You move between computers, or draw on a Chromebook or school laptop.

Stick with Clip Studio Paint if

  • You rely on built-in production tools: panel borders, speech balloons, screentones and rulers.
  • You use vector layers, 3D pose models or the animation timeline.
  • You need to work offline.

Magma and Clip Studio Paint side by side

MagmaClip Studio Paint
PriceFree (Spark plan). Blaze is $9.99/monthPRO $63 or EX $277 one-time, or a monthly plan from $4.49
DevicesAny modern browser (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux, tablets), plus a desktop app for Windows and Mac (Apple Silicon). On phones and tablets, add it to your home screen and it opens like an appApps for Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Android and Chromebook
Draw together with friendsYes: hundreds of artists on one board and up to 30 painting on the same canvas at once (50 on Blaze), with voice and text chatTeam production (EX only) shares multi-page work through the cloud, page by page, not live on one canvas
Draw together with strangersYes: join public Art Jams and open canvases, or an Artspace community, and draw with artists from around the worldNo
Infinite canvasYes: Multiboard puts many canvases side by side in one workspace, for comic pages, webtoon strips, layouts, references and big Art JamsMultiple pages in one work (EX)
Panels, balloons, screentonesNot built inBuilt in, plus rulers
Vectors and 3DNoVector layers and 3D models
AnimationNo timelineAnimation timeline and onion skin
Layers60 on the free plan, 200 on Blaze. No groups or masks yetLayer folders and masks
PSD filesExports layered PSD and imports PSD as layersImports and exports PSD
Works offlineNo. Magma is online so every stroke saves to the cloud as you draw, in the browser and in the desktop appYes
CommunityLike Discord for artists: Artspaces with chat channels, voice, events and Art Jams, plus a public gallery and 5M+ artistsClip Studio Assets and Ask

Checked on 25 September 2026. Prices and features change, so see the sources at the bottom of the page.

Where Clip Studio Paint is better

Clip Studio Paint has deep production tools that Magma doesn't: panel borders, speech balloons, screentones, vector inking, 3D pose models and animation, and it works offline. Magma doesn't try to replace them. Magma is where you sketch, paint and practice for free, and where you draw together with other people, comics included.

Use both

Sketch or paint with friends in Magma, export a layered PSD, and open it in Clip Studio Paint to ink, tone and letter your page. Or bring a PSD from Clip Studio Paint into Magma to paint over it together.

Draw together

Clip Studio Paint's team production shares pages through the cloud. In Magma, the whole group is on the same canvas at the same moment: send a link, talk over voice, and draw together. Art Jams let you do it with artists from around the world.

Made together in Magma

Art Jam pieces from the "In the Depths" contest, each painted live on one canvas by many artists. See the winners.

Featured works from the community

Frequently asked questions

Is Clip Studio Paint free?

Not on computers. Clip Studio Paint has a free trial, then you buy PRO or EX once or pay monthly. On smartphones it can be used free for up to 30 hours a month. Magma is free to use in your browser.

Can I draw together in Clip Studio Paint?

Clip Studio Paint EX has team production, where people share and edit multi-page work through the cloud, page by page. For drawing live on one canvas with friends, use Magma.

Can I move my work between Magma and Clip Studio Paint?

Yes, through PSD files. Magma exports layered PSDs that Clip Studio Paint opens, and imports PSDs as layers (layer folders are flattened).

Is Magma good for comics and manga?

Yes, for drawing and painting your pages, and for making comics and webtoons together with friends. Multiboard lets you lay out pages or long webtoon strips side by side on an infinite canvas and draw them together. Panel borders, speech balloons and screentones aren't built into Magma, so if you rely on them, Clip Studio Paint has them.

Does Magma work with my pen tablet?

Yes. Magma reads pen pressure and tilt from pen tablets and styluses in the browser.

Does Magma use generative AI?

No. Magma has no AI image-generation tools. Read our AI Art Manifesto to see why.

Compare other tools

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Start drawing free

Sources

  1. Clip Studio Paint lineup and prices
  2. Clip Studio Paint plans
  3. Clip Studio Paint team production (EX)
  4. Magma pricing
  5. Clip Studio Paint: free on smartphones (Japanese)

Try Magma with others for free

Join the one and only art collaboration platform for all kinds of digital artists, art communities, game developers, concept artists, and other creative teams.

Try Magma with others for free

Join the one and only art collaboration platform for all kinds of digital artists, art communities, game developers, concept artists, and other creative teams.

Try Magma with others for free

Join the one and only art collaboration platform for all kinds of digital artists, art communities, game developers, concept artists, and other creative teams.