Paint.NET AlternativesOnly Free apps categorised as Image Editors for Mac

Paint.NET is not available for Mac but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on macOS with similar functionality. The best free Mac Image Editor alternative is Pinta, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Paint.NET and many of them are free and Image Editors available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Mac Image Editor alternatives to Paint.NET are GIMP, Affinity, LazPaint and Photoscape.

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Paint.NET alternatives are mainly Image Editors, but if you're looking for Photo Editors or Digital Painting Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Android, Mac, iPhone, iPad, 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...

    98 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. GIMP icon

    GIMP

     4737 likes

    Free open-source suite offering advanced photo retouching, image composition, original artwork creation, batch processing, plugin support, custom scripting, mass image format conversion, and integration with free publishing tools for comprehensive editing solutions.

    187 GIMP alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • AmigaOS
    • AppImage
    GIMP screenshot 1
     
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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
  4. Affinity icon

    Affinity

     62 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
     
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Fotor icon
    Fotor

    Comprehensive online editor offering filters, frames, text, stickers, collage creation, graphic design, templates for social media, batch editing, photo retouching, mobile and desktop access, regular updates, and direct sharing t...

    https://www.fotor.com
    Learn More
  6. 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
     
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    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
  8. FireAlpaca icon

    FireAlpaca

     89 likes

    FireAlpaca is the image editor that can be used readily and easily. We made it possible to provide the completely free download, in order for our products to be experienced by more users from all over the world. It is available for both Mac and Windows users!

    123 FireAlpaca alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    FireAlpaca screenshot 1
     
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    1
    FireAlpaca vs Paint.NET Comments
    Ola Johansson
    Positive
    0

    I just need a super simple tool to use as a web developer to crop and resave and stuff like that. I have always used Paint.net on Windows but this seems pretty good for Mac.

    • FireAlpaca is Free and ProprietaryPaint.NET is also Free and Proprietary
  11. Fotor icon

    Fotor

     61 likes

    Comprehensive online editor offering filters, frames, text, stickers, collage creation, graphic design, templates for social media, batch editing, photo retouching, mobile and desktop access, regular updates, and direct sharing to social channels.

    190 Fotor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Fotor screenshot 1
     
  12. Pixelitor icon

    Pixelitor

     27 likes

    Open source image editor with non-destructive editing, 110+ filters, adjustment and text layers, support for smart objects and adjustment layers, cross-platform compatibility, and layer-based editing for flexible image composition.

    112 Pixelitor alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Pixelitor screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Pixelitor vs Paint.NET Comments
    nlacaria
    Positive
    0

    not a similar GUI, but similar speed and basic functionality. closest "base" program to Paint.Net on Linux. Paint.Net is much more expandable with extensions. But Pixelitor is much more accurate in things like cropping than Pinta

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Pixelitor is Free and Open SourcePaint.NET is Free and Proprietary
  13. Pixen icon

    Pixen

     18 likes

    Pixen is a pixel art editor designed for working with low-resolution raster art, such as those 8-bit sprites found in old-school video games. With innovative features like a color palette system, patterns, and high-zoom support, Pixen packs all the tools pixel artists need in an...

    71 Pixen alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPad
    Pixen screenshot 1
     
  14. Photomator icon

    Photomator

     4 likes

    Mobile editor offers 30+ color adjustments, AI upscaling, smart selection, noise removal, object eraser, RAW and Apple ProRAW support, film-style presets, batch edits, real-time histograms, deep Photos and iCloud integration, plus LUT export and pro-level features.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Photomator screenshot 1
     
12 of 20 Paint.NET alternatives