Free
Sumo Paint
Browser painting app with layers, over 300 brushes and a symmetry tool that mirrors every stroke around up to 18 points.
BeginnerWeb
Adobe Aqua
Adobe's free, ad-free drawing and coloring app for kids, with coloring pages, art games and tracing.
FreeBeginnerWebMaciOSAndroid
Overview
Adobe Aqua is a free drawing and coloring app for children, roughly ages 5 to 12, built by Adobe Labs. It holds ready-made coloring pages, a blank canvas, tracing over a photo or a famous painting, art games, short lessons from children's book illustrators, and tools for building comics. A child can also photograph a paper drawing and keep it in a personal in-app gallery next to their digital art.
It runs in a browser with no account, and as apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Apple Silicon Macs. There is no Windows or Linux program. Adobe states it is free, with no ads, in-app purchases or upsells, so there is no paid tier. Saving work to a gallery collects a name and email.
Key features
✓Coloring pages across animals, dinosaurs, vehicles, food & famous art
✓Blank canvas for free drawing & painting
✓Trace over a photo or a classic artwork
✓Art games that mix drawing with play
✓Drawing lessons from children's book illustrators
✓Fashion & design activities
✓3D building tools
✓Make comics & graphic novels
✓Photograph paper drawings into an in-app gallery
✓No ads, in-app purchases or upsells
When to use
Adobe Aqua fits when you want a safe, free art app for a young child. Use it if:
- You want an art app for a child of roughly 5 to 12 with no ads, nothing to buy and no upsells to click past.
- You want coloring pages ready to go, across animals, dinosaurs, vehicles, food and famous artworks.
- You want a photo or a classic painting turned into an outline your child can trace over.
- You want one app that covers coloring, drawing, comics, art games and illustrator-led lessons rather than several.
- You want paper drawings kept alongside digital ones, by photographing them into the in-app gallery.
- You want to try it with no commitment, since the web version opens and draws with no account.
When NOT to use
Skip Adobe Aqua if any of these describe you:
- You are an adult or teen who wants a serious drawing or painting tool. Aqua is built for young children, so a general drawing and painting app fits better.
- You need to edit photographs, such as cropping, retouching or removing backgrounds. Aqua draws and colors, so use a photo editor for that.
- You want a Windows or Linux program. Aqua runs in a browser, on phones and tablets, and on Apple Silicon Macs.
- You need precise vector drawing for logos or design work. A vector editor is built for shapes that scale cleanly.
- You do not want to share any contact details. Adobe states saving work to the in-app gallery uses a name and email address.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Adobe states it is free, with no ads, in-app purchases or upsells. There is no paid tier to unlock and nothing to buy inside the app.
It is published by Adobe Labs, Inc. It is a separate product from Adobe's paid Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop. You do not need a Creative Cloud plan or any Adobe subscription to use it.
The web version at aqua.adobe.com needs no login, so a child can start drawing straight away. Adobe states the apps collect a name and email so a child can save work to a personal gallery.
They carry the full set of activities and Adobe states they work offline. The web version runs in a browser and needs a connection.
It is designed for children roughly 5 to 12, and parents can join in. The App Store rates it suitable for ages 4 and up.
A web browser on a computer, plus apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. There is also a Mac app, which needs macOS 14 or later on an Apple Silicon Mac. There is no Windows or Linux app.
The App Store privacy label lists an email address and user content, such as photos or videos, as linked to a user's identity. A name, usage data, identifiers and crash data are collected but not linked to identity. The app shows no ads and sells nothing. Check Adobe's privacy terms if you have concerns about a child's data.
Alternatives to Adobe Aqua
Freemium
Freemium
Free
