Paint.NET Review

Paint.NET is a free image editor for Windows, maintained by dotPDN LLC and Rick Brewster. It suits people who want a straightforward, no-cost editor with plugin support on Windows, and it suits less well anyone who needs PSD compatibility, non-destructive editing or CMYK color for print.

What is Paint.NET?

Paint.NET started in 2004 as a Washington State University senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and it is now maintained by dotPDN LLC and Rick Brewster. The free "Classic" release, downloaded directly from getpaint.net, is freeware rather than open source: its license explicitly forbids modifying the software or creating derivative works from it. Paint.NET is an installed Windows application with no account required to use it, and it runs only on Windows.

Editing images in Paint.NET

Paint.NET works with plain compositing layers and an unlimited undo history, and pressure-sensitive input is supported for tablets from Wacom, UGEE, Microsoft and others. Selection is handled with a manual Magic Wand tool rather than automatic subject detection. Third-party plugins, downloaded from the community forum, add new effects, adjustments and file-format support, and the app ships with a documented effect-plugin SDK for developers to build them.

Paint.NET does not open or export PSD files, and it has no non-destructive editing: there are no adjustment layers or live filters, only layers and undo history. There is no CMYK color, no camera RAW support, no batch processing across multiple files, and no AI-based editing tools of any kind.

Working with other people

Paint.NET is built for one person editing locally, with no real-time collaboration or comment workflow. It ships with 35 built-in interface languages. Support runs through a general contact email for bug reports and feedback, a community forum for how-to questions, and a built-in documentation site.

Paint.NET pricing: what it costs

Paint.NET's "Classic" release is free, with the same functionality as the paid Microsoft Store release except for fully automatic background updating, which the free release handles in two manual clicks instead. The Microsoft Store release is the identical app sold once, as a way to support the developer, rather than a paid tier with extra features. Commercial, business, school and government use is explicitly allowed.

Privacy and support

Paint.NET's privacy policy states that the software does not collect or transmit any personal information, and there is no account of any kind, so questions about training on your work, SOC 2 and GDPR do not arise. Support runs through a general contact email, a community forum and a built-in documentation site.

Who Paint.NET suits

Paint.NET suits anyone on Windows who wants a free, no-account image editor with layers, undo history, pressure-sensitive tablet input and a plugin ecosystem to extend it. It also suits anyone who wants to support the developer through an optional one-time Microsoft Store purchase of the same app.

It suits less well anyone who needs PSD compatibility, non-destructive adjustment layers or CMYK color for print production, since none of those are offered, or anyone on Mac or Linux, since Paint.NET runs only on Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions