Corel PaintShop Pro is a Windows photo editor sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription, with native AI tools for upscaling, denoising and background replacement built into the base app. What decides whether it suits you is largely the platform and the licence: it runs on Windows only, and you buy it once instead of renewing it.
What is Corel PaintShop Pro?
PaintShop Pro is made by Corel, a company headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. It is an installed desktop application for Windows, sold in two editions: PaintShop Pro 2023 and PaintShop Pro 2023 Ultimate, which bundles extra apps on top of the same core editor. An internet connection is needed to install and activate the licence, not to edit day to day.
Editing images in Corel PaintShop Pro
PaintShop Pro develops raw files from over 800 camera models inside its AfterShot Lab, and it imports and exports PSD files with layers so you can move work to and from Photoshop. Editing uses non-destructive layers with masks for composites and precise selection. Batch processing automates edits such as watermarks, frames or resizing across many photos at once, and the app supports pressure-sensitive tablets and Windows Ink for pen input. Third-party 64-bit plugins are supported, including Adobe plugins and brushes, Topaz Labs and the Nik Collection by DXO.
CMYK is not a working colour space here: Corel's own support pages state editing happens in RGB, and CMYK is limited to conversion for printing and reopening a saved CMYK file, which converts back to RGB. AI runs through named, one-click tools in the base app rather than a prompt: AI Upsampling enlarges images, AI Denoise and AI Artifact Removal clean up noise, AI Style Transfer applies artistic effects, and AI Background Replacement swaps out a background. There is no prompt-based image generation in PaintShop Pro itself; Vision FX, a separate plugin sold on its own, adds that instead.
Working with other people
PaintShop Pro is built for one person editing locally: there is no real-time collaboration and no comments or review workflow. Automation runs through Scripts, an in-app recorder for repeating a series of edits, rather than a developer API. Support runs through Corel's ticketed email, live chat and help centre.
Corel PaintShop Pro pricing: what each edition gives
PaintShop Pro 2023 is $79.99 and PaintShop Pro 2023 Ultimate is $99.99, both one-time purchases you keep rather than a subscription. Ultimate bundles additional apps on top of the same core editor. There is no permanent free plan; instead there is a 30-day free trial with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Privacy and support
PaintShop Pro is installed software that edits your photos locally, so questions about training on your images do not arise the way they do for a cloud tool. Corel's privacy policy addresses EU, EEA, UK and Swiss residents' data rights at length and names an EU entity, though it does not hold SOC 2 certification. Support runs through email tickets, live chat and a help centre.
Who Corel PaintShop Pro suits
PaintShop Pro suits anyone on Windows who wants a full raster editor bought once rather than rented, with native AI tools for upscaling, denoising and background work, PSD compatibility, and support for third-party plugins from Adobe, Topaz Labs and Nik Collection. Batch processing and pen pressure support also suit photographers working through many files or drawing directly.
It suits less well anyone on a Mac, since no Mac version exists, or anyone doing CMYK print work, since editing stays in RGB with only conversion at export. It also suits less well anyone who wants prompt-based image generation built in, since that lives only in the separately sold Vision FX plugin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Corel PaintShop Pro cost?
PaintShop Pro 2023 is $79.99 and PaintShop Pro 2023 Ultimate is $99.99, both one-time purchases with no subscription. A 30-day free trial is available; there is no permanent free plan.
Does PaintShop Pro open Photoshop's PSD files?
Yes. It imports PSD files and exports back to Photoshop's format with layers intact.
Can PaintShop Pro generate images from a text prompt?
No, not in the base app. Its AI tools are one-click features such as upscaling, denoising, style transfer and background replacement. Prompt-based generation is only available through Vision FX, a separate plugin sold on its own.
Does PaintShop Pro train on my photos?
Because it is installed software that edits locally, there is no server your photos pass through for its own editing tools. Corel's privacy policy covers account and transactional data, not the images you edit in the app.
