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A PaintTool SAI alternative for Windows

PaintTool SAI is a light, much-loved Windows app for clean lineart and painting. If you want that same lightness with editable vector, animation, comics, and modern file support, Limner is worth a try.

Clean lines, the part SAI is loved for

• A stabilizer and taper for smooth, confident strokes.
• Post-stroke inking correction that tidies a line without flattening it.
• Editable vector line art you can reshape after drawing, alongside raster brushes.

Light on your machine

Like SAI, Limner is built to start fast and run on modest hardware, down to integrated graphics, rather than demanding a heavy setup.

Modern files and more workspaces

• Opens and exports layered PSD, exports PNG, JPEG, and SVG, and imports Photoshop .abr brushes.
• Frame-by-frame animation and multi-page comics in the same document.
• 4K timelapse recording saved in the file.

An honest comparison

SAI is mature and famously smooth, and it has years of muscle memory behind it. Limner is younger. What it adds is vector, animation, comics, and modern format support in one native app, with a one-time purchase and a Free tier.

Common questions

Does Limner open SAI files?

Not the native .sai format. The common bridge is PSD: SAI exports PSD, and Limner opens PSD with its layers.

Is Limner good for lineart?

Yes. It has a stabilizer, taper, inking correction, and editable vector lines for clean, reshapeable strokes.

Is it a one-time purchase?

Limner is free during the beta, and Limner Plus will be a one-time purchase.