Paint.NET
FreeA free image and photo editor for Windows with layers, effects and plugin support.
About Paint.NET
Paint.NET is an image and photo editor for Windows PCs. It began as a simple replacement for Microsoft Paint and has grown into a capable editor with layers, adjustments, effects and a clean tabbed interface.
It supports common formats and can be extended with plugins, such as the DDS and JPEG XL FileType plugins bundled with the current release. The latest 5.1.12 update adds a Kazakh translation, updates those plugins and fixes an internal service bug. It is lightweight and starts quickly, which makes it a favourite for everyday edits like cropping, resizing, retouching and composing images.
The winget manifest lists it as proprietary freeware, so it is free to use but not open source. It runs on Windows only. It suits people who want more than Paint without the complexity of GIMP or Photoshop. Advanced users needing non-destructive editing, raw processing or vector tools should look at other software.
A good step up from Paint. Use GIMP or Krita if you need cross-platform or more advanced tools.
Version history
1 release tracked- Windows: Added Kazakh translation
- Updated bundled DDS and JPEG XL plugins
- Fixed a DxgiAdapterService bug
Frequently asked
Is Paint.NET free?
Yes. It is listed as freeware.
Does it need an account?
No.
Is it open source?
No. It is proprietary freeware.
Where does the download link go?
Directly to getpaint.net or the official app store for your platform. PlanetSofts never rehosts installers or adds wrappers, and these links were last verified Oct 6, 2026.