Alternatives to Paint.NET
Approachable free Windows editor
Paint.NET ranks #9 of 10 in Image editing, with an Alt Score of 48. It is proprietary, free and available on Windows. 10 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Windows users who need more editing power than MS Paint but don't want the cost or complexity of Photoshop — hobbyists, students, and casual photo editors.
A free (donationware) raster image and photo editor with a layered editing system, unlimited undo, a wide set of tools and special-effects filters, and support for third-party plugins. It's actively maintained with a large community producing tutorials and plugins that extend its stock functionality.
Open or import a photo, build up edits across multiple layers, apply tools, adjustments, and effects/filters to those layers, then flatten and export or save the result.
Why people leave Paint.NET
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Image editing checklist (16 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Image editing checklist | Paint.NET | Photopea | Photoshop | GIMP | Krita | Pixelmator Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Layers | ||||||
| Non-destructive editing | ||||||
| RAW support | ||||||
| CMYK support | ||||||
| PSD compatibility (open / save) | ||||||
| Content-aware / AI fill | ||||||
| Vector tools included | ||||||
| Batch processing | ||||||
| Plugins ecosystem | ||||||
| Runs in browser | ||||||
| GPU acceleration | ||||||
| Scripting / macros |
Every fact and feature listed for Paint.NET is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Platforms Windows verified 2026-07-11
Windows 11 or Windows 10 (version 21H2 or newer) or Windows Server 2022
https://paint.net/download.html -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
Later on, features such as adjustment layers, text layers, and HDR will also be added (to name a few).
https://blog.paint.net/2026/05/09/paint-net-5-2-alpha-build-9625/ -
License Proprietary verified 2026-07-11
You may not modify, adapt, rent, lease, loan, sell, or create derivative works based upon the Software or any part thereof.
https://www.paint.net/license.html -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-11
The 'Classic' release is downloaded from this website and is provided free-of-charge.
https://www.paint.net/license.html -
Layers Yes verified 2026-07-11
Usually only found on expensive or complicated professional software, layers form the basis for a rich image composition experience.
https://paint.net/features.html -
Non-destructive editing No verified 2026-07-11
The commands in the Adjustments Menu modify the colorization of pixels.
https://paint.net/doc/latest/AdjustmentsMenu.html -
RAW support Partial verified 2026-07-11
Filetype add support for new types of files so they can be loaded and saved with Paint.NET.
https://paint.net/doc/latest/InstallPlugins.html -
PSD compatibility (open / save) Partial verified 2026-07-11
This plugin allows Paint.NET to load and save Photoshop .PSD files.
https://github.com/PsdPlugin/PsdPlugin -
Content-aware / AI fill No verified 2026-07-11
This tool is used to copy regions of pixels from one location to another.
https://paint.net/doc/latest/CloneStamp.html -
Vector tools included Partial verified 2026-07-11
Paint.NET includes simple tools for drawing shapes, including an easy-to-use curve tool for drawing splines or Bezier curves.
https://paint.net/features.html -
Plugins ecosystem Yes verified 2026-07-11
Many plugins are available. Examples of plugins include support for new type of file formats, drop shadows, coloring tools and photographic adjustments.
https://paint.net/doc/latest/InstallPlugins.html -
Runs in browser No verified 2026-07-11
Windows 11 or Windows 10 (version 21H2 or newer) or Windows Server 2022
https://paint.net/download.html -
GPU acceleration Yes verified 2026-07-11
Every feature has been thoroughly optimized to take advantage of the latest multicore CPUs, GPUs, and NVMe SSDs.
https://paint.net/features.html -
Scripting / macros Partial verified 2026-07-11
free beer") development environment for writing Paint.NET effect plugins in C#."
CodeLab is a free (as in
https://github.com/BoltBait/CodeLab
FAQ
Yes. Photopea, GIMP and Krita have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
GIMP and Krita — every license claim links its source.