The Best Paint.NET AlternativesTop Image Editors & Digital Painting Tools like Paint.NET

Paint.NET is described as 'Free image editor for Windows, offering layer support, plugins, special effects, and portable use without installation. Lightweight and ad-free' and is a leading Image Editor in the photos & graphics category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Paint.NET for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Web-based, Linux and iPhone apps. The best Paint.NET alternative is Pinta, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Paint.NET are Krita, GIMP, Adobe Photoshop and Pixelmator.

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Paint.NET alternatives are mainly Image Editors, but if you're looking for Digital Painting Tools or Photo Editors you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Android, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Online and Android Tablet. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Paint.NET.
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Alternatives list

  1. Pinta icon

    Pinta

     277 likes

    Pinta is a image editing, drawing and painting application with a simple yet powerful interface. Pinta has a wide range of drawing tools, including: freehand, rectangles, circles and lines. It also has over 35 effects to apply to your images, and also has the ability to create...

    99 Pinta alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Mono
    • Snapcraft
    Pinta 3.0
     
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    21
    Pinta vs Paint.NET Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    12

    This functions in almost identical ways to Paint.NET, more so than any other program listed on here.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    6

    It gives you a good taste of Paint.NET, but it's so broken and painful to work with that it just isn't worth using; e.g. the text function doesn't work.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    harrisben
    Positive
    0

    Much more functionality and cleaner UI.

    3 of 21 comments
    • Pinta is Free and Open SourcePaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
    • Pinta is Privacy focusedPaint.NET is not according to our users
  2. Krita icon

    Krita

     1415 likes

    Free, open-source painting software designed by artists for artists. Offers customizable UI, 9 brush engines, color management, tablet support, non-destructive editing, and privacy features. Portable and available on major platforms, supporting seamless texture creation.

    143 Krita alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android Tablet
    • KDE Plasma
    • Epic Games Store
    • PortableApps.com
    • Steam
    • F-Droid
    Main Window
     
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    16
    Krita vs Paint.NET Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    beng tang
    0

    As an alternative to Paint.NET for Linux, Krita is not exactly the same, but it has most of the same functionality and it can resize (Image > Scale Image to New Size) images using a variety of resampling filters including Lanczos3, which makes it better than GIMP for resizing photos.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    16

    Very good, but not focused to photo editing.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    FiTekno
    0

    I was looking for a quick tool to combine multiple screenshots, for example. This succeeds with that but not as fast as with Paint.net. Good thing this is localized to many languages.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 16 comments
    • Krita is Free and Open SourcePaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
    • Krita is Customizable and Privacy focusedPaint.NET is not according to our users
  4. GIMP icon

    GIMP

     4734 likes

    GIMP delivers powerful functionalities for photo retouching, image composition, and format conversion. As a versatile tool, it serves as both a simple paint program and a high-end retouching suite, and offers batch processing for mass image tasks in an accessible open-source platform.

    191 GIMP alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • AmigaOS
    yes
     
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    41
    GIMP vs Paint.NET Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    1

    free, open-source, cross-platform

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    zlelmefs
    7

    The #1 perk of paint.net is how lightweight and fast it is, it's intended as a competitor to Paint. GIMP is the complete opposite- it's a big, slow monster designed to compete with photoshop.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    It's slow and has a lot of stuff you have to learn while paint.net is easy to use and lightweight.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 41 comments
    • GIMP is Free and Open SourcePaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
    • GIMP is Customizable and Privacy focusedPaint.NET is not according to our users
  5. Ad
  6. Adobe Photoshop icon

    Adobe Photoshop

     2422 likes

    Comprehensive raster graphics editor offering advanced photo and image editing features. Supports multiple layers, masks, alpha compositing, various color models, and has limited vector graphics, 3D, and video capabilities. Extensible via plug-ins.

    226 Adobe Photoshop alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Wine
    • ReactOS
    • Google Chrome
    Adobe Photoshop screenshot 1
     
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    9
    Adobe Photoshop vs Paint.NET Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    HaricharanSrinivasan
    5

    The absolute best in photo correction and manipulation. Slick interface. Fast. Loads of tools for mobile and Web design. Content-aware editing. Video editing. 3D design capability. Synced Libraries. Integrated stock library. Complementary mobile apps.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    35

    Very pricy advanced application compared to free paint.net

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    zlelmefs
    Negative
    1

    It's slow. It's not free. It's made by one of the worst software companies on the planet.

    3 of 9 comments
    • Adobe Photoshop is Paid and ProprietaryPaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
  7. Pixelmator icon

    Pixelmator

     421 likes

    Image editing software for macOS and iOS, offering nondestructive, GPU-powered editing with machine learning features, RAW support, custom brushes, and seamless macOS integration for touch-ups, painting, and creative compositions.

    154 Pixelmator alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Pixelmator screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Pixelmator vs Paint.NET Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    2

    Fast, easy to use, not overloaded with useless features

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    oddityoverseer13
    Positive
    0

    It's cheap, and it has all the capabilities of Paint.NET (plus some), and it's even more user-friendly.

    • Pixelmator is Paid and ProprietaryPaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
    • Pixelmator is CustomizablePaint.NET is not according to our users
  8. Photopea icon

    Photopea

     337 likes

    Browser-based image editing supports PSD, XCF, Sketch formats, advanced layers, vector tools, RAW photo support, and exports in 40+ formats. Fully client-side with AI background removal, content-aware tools, and privacy as files never leave your device.

    112 Photopea alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Photopea screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Photopea vs Paint.NET Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It can cover something up and add shapes to block off anything annoying.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Photopea is Freemium and ProprietaryPaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
  10. Affinity icon

    Affinity

     58 likes

    Unified design solution merging advanced photo, vector, and layout tools for seamless workflow, non-destructive editing, RAW support, batch processing, AI enhancements, GPU acceleration, file compatibility, cloud asset integration, and tailored workspace options.

    67 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Affinity screenshot 1
     
  11. Affinity Photo icon

    Affinity Photo

     552 likes

    Real-time image editing software supporting extensive colour spaces, unlimited layers, non-destructive edits, and a streamlined workspace for complex tasks on Windows, Mac, and iPad.

    100 Affinity Photo alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPad
    Affinity Photo screenshot 1
     
  12. Sly icon

    Sly

     51 likes

    Sly is a user-friendly, offline image editor requiring no expertise; adjust brightness, contrast, apply effects, and export in JPEG or PNG formats with control over metadata.

    36 Sly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Online
    Sly screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Sly vs Paint.NET Comments
    Lunae
    Negative
    0

    Sly is too simplistic. It is merely a tool to crop and apply filters, and doesn't have any tools like area selection, cut copy paste, fill, brush/pencil, text, etc.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Sly is Free and Open SourcePaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
    • Sly is Privacy focusedPaint.NET is not according to our users
  13. MyPaint icon

    MyPaint

     388 likes

    MyPaint is a fast, distraction-free, and easy painting tool for digital artists. It supports graphics tablets made by Wacom, and many similar devices.

    127 MyPaint alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    MyPaint screenshot 1
     
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    2
    MyPaint vs Paint.NET Comments
    superluminar
    Negative
    6

    MyPaint is a digital painting/drawing program, Paint.NET is a simple image editor.

    Guest
    Negative
    2

    MyPaint looks a lot like Photoshop. Paint.NET is so popular because of the simplicity. Photoshop is a beautiful program with a lot of options. Paint.NET is a simple "paint" program that allows you to go as you like, but keep it simple at the beginning. MyPaint is like a Photoshop lite.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • MyPaint is Free and Open SourcePaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
  14. Pixlr icon

    Pixlr

     389 likes

    Web-based editor with AI image generation, quick fixes, overlays, intricate lighting and texture adjustments, customizable templates, advanced filters, support for layers, high-res export, and ad-free premium features for accessible image and design editing.

    227 Pixlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Pixlr screenshot 1
     
    |
    5
    Pixlr vs Paint.NET Comments
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    19

    Pixlr is more a fun tool adding overlays and colours and basic fixes. Paint.NET is a full photo manipulation tool

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Like the others said, Paint.NET is made for photo manipulation while Pixlr on the other hand, is great for Windows but it''s android version is just for adding filters.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Paint.NET is awesome to edit pictures (cut, copy, resize, write). Pixlr on the other hand is mainly effective in applying effects to pictures (blur, colorize, liquify,heal)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 5 comments
    • Pixlr is Freemium and ProprietaryPaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
  15. LazPaint icon

    LazPaint

     46 likes

    Raster & vector graphic editor with many tools and filters, written in Lazarus. Portable, 32bit & 64bit versions, ORA format & 16384x16384 image support. In app 3D import & rendering.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Main UI
     
    |
    6
    LazPaint vs Paint.NET Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    sourloti
    3

    Is able to open and edit .pdn files! Especially handy if you're on Linux and aren't able/don't want to use paint.net.

    beng tang
    Positive
    0

    LazPaint comes close to Paint.NET in terms of ease of use and features. Unlike GIMP, LazPaint has good resampling / resizing algorithms including Lanczos. Unlike Krita, it's selection tool does not select outside the image and it can print images. Amongst the Linux image editors I have tried, it is so far the best alternative to Paint.NET.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Lightweight and available in Debian 11

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 6 comments
    • LazPaint is Free and Open SourcePaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
12 of 166 Paint.NET alternatives