What are free tools for skin weight painting 3D models?

Free tools for skin weight painting 3D models include Blender (built-in weight painting), Krita (with Blender plugins), and Autodesk Maya’s free educational version. Blender lets you paint weights directly on models—its intuitive interface requires no extra downloads. Krita syncs with plugins (like Krita to Blender) for seamless 2D painting integrated with weight adjustments. Autodesk Maya’s free educational version offers professional-grade tools, ideal for students or educators learning advanced techniques. For beginners, start with Blender—its built-in tutorials and user-friendly setup make practicing basic weight distribution easy.