The AI-Free Art Apps You Must Try in 2026

Digital art in 2026 will be dominated by AI, and finding non-AI apps isn’t going to get any easier if you want to avoid the increasing use of algorithms in art. Many of today’s best digital art software have creeping generation AI tools. Therefore, it’s not always a question of whether you should use AI, but rather whether you actually want to.

Full disclosure: I’ve tried AI platforms like Freepik and use Photoshop’s mix of AI tools daily, but I also prefer non-AI apps for my own artwork because it’s just more fun – at the top of the list are ArtRage and Procreate. But if you want to go directly to AI in 2026, it will be increasingly difficult, which is why IAMAG’s No-AI Creative Suite Kickstarter has attracted attention, because for many a safe space without AI is important.