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Best Productivity ResourcesBy Shushant LakhyaniVerified creator

Windows App

Paint.NET

A free, fast and simple image editor for Windows.

Visit Paint.NET4.5

  • Rating

    4.5 / 5

  • Pricing

    Free

  • Difficulty

    Beginner

  • Works on

    Windows

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What is Paint.NET?

Paint.NET is a free image and photo editor for Windows PCs, with layers, effects and a simple interface that is easier to learn than Photoshop. The latest version is 5.1.12 (March 2026). It is a free download from its website, and you can support the developer by buying it on the Microsoft Store.

Pros: what Paint.NET does well

  • Free, lightweight and fast
  • Layers and effects with a simple interface
  • Easy to learn

Cons: where it falls short

  • Windows only
  • Fewer advanced tools than GIMP or Photoshop

Who Paint.NET is for

Windows users who want quick, simple photo edits for free.

Who can skip it

Mac and Linux users, or pros who need advanced retouching.

Paint.NET alternatives

Not sold on Paint.NET? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.

All Personal Productivity resources

GIMP

Focus: open source. Shares photo editor and image editing with Paint.NET. A desktop app, not a Windows app. Adds macOS and Linux. Rated 4.4 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.4Visit

Affinity

Focus: vector design and page layout. Shares photo editor and photoshop alternative with Paint.NET. A desktop app, not a Windows app. Freemium (Paint.NET: Free). Adds macOS. Rated 4.7 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Desktop AppFree planWindows, macOS
4.7Visit

PhotoGIMP

Focus: gimp, open source and github. Shares photoshop alternative and image editing with Paint.NET. A desktop app, not a Windows app. Adds macOS, Linux and Offline. Same 4.5 rating.

Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit

ShareX

Focus: screenshots, screen recording and gif. Shares windows with Paint.NET. Rated 4.7 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Windows AppFreeWindows
4.7Visit

Free alternatives to Paint.NET

Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.

Everything

Focus: file search, search tool and lightweight. Shares windows with Paint.NET. A desktop app, not a Windows app. Adds Offline. Rated 4.8 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreeWindows, Offline
4.8Visit

AutoHotkey

Focus: hotkeys, macros and scripting. Shares windows with Paint.NET. A desktop app, not a Windows app. Adds Offline. Rated 4.7 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreeWindows, Offline
4.7Visit

Krita

Focus: digital painting, illustration and animation. Shares photoshop alternative with Paint.NET. A desktop app, not a Windows app. Adds macOS, Linux and Android. Rated 4.7 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit

Snapseed

Focus: mobile, raw and lightroom mobile alternative. Shares photo editor with Paint.NET. A mobile app, not a Windows app. Adds iOS and Android. Rated 4.7 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Mobile AppFreeiOS, Android
4.7Visit

Compositor

Focus: image editor, compositing and mac app. Shares photoshop alternative with Paint.NET. A Mac app, not a Windows app. Adds macOS. Rated 4.6 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Mac AppFreemacOS
4.6Visit

Ditto

Focus: clipboard manager, snippets and open source. Shares windows with Paint.NET. A desktop app, not a Windows app. Rated 4.6 (Paint.NET: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreeWindows
4.6Visit
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