sitealternatives
Design · 11 alternatives

Instead of Paint.NET, try one of these 11.

Every alternative is lined up against Paint.NET on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. Paint.NET sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.

Show onlySorted by likes · 11 of 11
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Paint.NETWhat you have now
Lightweight free image editor for Windows with layers.
PriceFree
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win
Canva#1
Drag-and-drop design for social posts, decks and print.
PriceFreemium
pro $13/mo
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android
GIMP#2
Free, open-source image editor with layers, masks and plugins.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Photopea#3
Photoshop-like editor right in the browser, opens PSD files.
PriceFreemium
ads, $5/mo to remove
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
Krita#4
Open-source digital painting studio made by artists.
PriceFree
donations
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · Android
Affinity Designer#5
Precise vector design with a flat, one-time price.
PricePaid
$70 once
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · iOS
Pixlr#6
Web photo editor with AI tools and filters.
PricePaid
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · iOS · Android
Sumo Paint#7
Browser painting app with brushes and layer support.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
PaintShop Pro#8
Windows photo editor with guided tools and creative effects.
PricePaid
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win
Pinta#9
Simple open-source paint program with layers and effects.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Adobe Photoshop Express#10
Lightweight Adobe editor for fast mobile photo fixes.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android
PhotoCraft#11
Open-source Photoshop-style editor with layers and vector tools.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux

How to read this. “Yes” means fully supported by the maker. “Partial” means it works with caveats. Likes reflect community popularity; vendors can’t pay for them or for placement. How we compare.

Paint.NET alternatives at a glance

Paint.NET is a free design app. We compared 11 alternatives: 4 are open source, 4 are completely free, 0 can be self-hosted and 5 work fully offline. The most popular is Canva, with 3.4k likes.

Most liked overallCanva

Drag-and-drop design for social posts, decks and print.

Freemium
Best free optionGIMP

Free, open-source image editor with layers, masks and plugins.

Free · Open source · Works offline
Best open-source optionKrita

Open-source digital painting studio made by artists.

Free · Open source · Works offline
Best for offline useAffinity Designer

Precise vector design with a flat, one-time price.

Paid · Works offline

More design apps

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