XDA’s piece on a paint app that took 22 years to own the domain matching its name made a useful side point: the paint category is messier than the icons suggest. Microsoft Paint is the default name and the default app on Windows, but the newer Paint adds layers and AI features, the older Paint disappeared in some installs, and a dozen free alternatives go further on tools the built-in app never tried to ship. Most of them ship on Windows, macOS, and sometimes Linux, and the picks that actually replace Paint depend on what you want to do.
We tested 7 Microsoft Paint alternatives on Windows 11 and macOS Sonoma. The benchmark mix covered four real tasks: quick screenshot annotation, basic raster image editing, pixel art, and digital painting that ought to belong in Krita. Each pick names what it does better than the built-in Paint and what it still cannot match.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krita | Digital painting and concept art | Yes, fully | Free | Brush engine built for tablet pressure |
| Paint.NET | Quick raster edits with layers | Yes (free download) | Free | The “newer Paint” replacement most users want |
| GIMP | Heavy raster editing close to Photoshop | Yes, fully | Free | Plugin ecosystem and scripting |
| Aseprite | Pixel art and sprite animation | Yes (compile yourself) | $19.99 binary | Best timeline for animated sprites |
| Drawpile | Collaborative real-time drawing | Yes, fully | Free | Multi-user real-time canvases |
| MyPaint | Distraction-free painting with brushes | Yes, fully | Free | Infinite canvas, focused brush set |
| Pixelorama | Free pixel art with animation | Yes, fully | Free | Aseprite features without the price |
Why people leave Microsoft Paint
The Paint complaints are loud but limited. The first is that the new Paint requires Windows 11 with the latest cumulative update and does not exist on macOS or Linux at all, which makes “use Paint” a non-answer on half of the desks people work on. The second is the feature ceiling: layers were a long-awaited add, but blend modes, masks, and brush pressure curves still are not part of the bundled tool. The third is the AI tools, which are limited to the regions Microsoft has lit up Copilot for.
The smaller but persistent complaint is the file format. New Paint exports to a small set of formats, and the round-trip with other apps loses metadata. Paint.NET is the cleanest swap for users who just need layers; Krita is the cleanest swap for users who actually paint.
The alternatives
Krita, best for digital painting and concept art
Krita is the free and open-source painting app that artists migrated to first when Photoshop’s subscription climbed. The brush engine is built around tablet pressure and tilt, the layer system handles vector and raster in the same document, and the animation timeline is now stable enough for short cuts. For anything that looks like art rather than a screenshot annotation, Krita is the answer.
Where it falls short: the interface is dense for someone who only wants to scribble on a screenshot. Photo editing tools (clone stamp, healing brush) exist but are not the focus.
Pricing: free and open source; donations welcome.
Migrating from Paint: the brush set is more capable, the file format (.kra) is open. Save as PNG for compatibility with anything that expects Paint output.
Download: Krita official site
Bottom line: the right pick if your real workflow is drawing, not annotating.
Paint.NET, best Windows-only Paint replacement
Paint.NET is the closest match to “I want Paint but with layers and proper tools” on Windows. The interface stays small and fast, layers and blend modes work the way Photoshop users expect, and the plugin community covers the long tail of effects.
Where it falls short: Windows only. The plugin install is on you, and the free download has stopped including the bundled installer on the Microsoft Store version that costs money.
Pricing: free directly from the official site; $9.99 on the Microsoft Store as a convenience.
Migrating from Paint: open the same PNG, get layers and the magic wand. Most Paint files load with no fuss.
Download: Paint.NET official site
Bottom line: the right pick on Windows for everyday raster editing.
GIMP, best for heavy raster editing without Photoshop
GIMP has finally cleaned up the gamut of complaints users had a decade ago: the single-window mode is solid, the brush engine has caught up, and the recent releases include better text and non-destructive editing. It remains the closest free match to Photoshop for users who do not need Adobe-specific files.
Where it falls short: the UI is still less polished than Paint.NET or Krita. The plugin ecosystem is fragmented.
Pricing: free and open source.
Migrating from Paint: GIMP imports BMP and PNG natively. The first hour is spent learning where each tool lives.
Download: GIMP official site
Bottom line: the right pick if you actually need Photoshop-equivalent tools and refuse to pay Adobe.
Aseprite, best for pixel art and sprite animation
Aseprite is the indie game development standard for pixel art. The timeline animates frames cleanly, the export options ship with sprite sheets that game engines pick up directly, and the constrained canvas size is the feature, not the bug.
Where it falls short: the binary is paid. The source is open, so a self-compile is free, but most users buy the binary on Steam to avoid the build step.
Pricing: $19.99 on Steam or the Aseprite site for the binary; free if you compile from source.
Migrating from Paint: the canvas size and tooling are tuned for pixel work. Paint users moving to Aseprite are usually moving for sprite art specifically.
Download: Aseprite official site, Aseprite on Steam
Bottom line: the right pick if your work is sprites for a game or pixel art for the web.
Drawpile, best for collaborative real-time drawing
Drawpile is the underrated pick on this list. Multiple users connect to a session and draw on the same canvas in real time, which makes it the closest tool to a shared whiteboard for sketching. The community sessions are also a learning resource for new digital artists.
Where it falls short: single-user use is fine but slimmer than Krita. The networking is the feature, so being offline removes the appeal.
Pricing: free and open source.
Migrating from Paint: open a PNG, invite a collaborator. The brush set is closer to MyPaint than to Krita.
Download: Drawpile official site
Bottom line: the right pick if you want to draw with friends, students, or colleagues live.
MyPaint, best for distraction-free brush painting
MyPaint is the simpler cousin to Krita. The interface gets out of the way, the canvas is infinite (no fixed boundaries), and the brush engine is well-tuned for digital ink and watercolour effects. It is the app that fans of Painter or Procreate look at when they want a free brush-first tool.
Where it falls short: thin on photo editing features. No real layer effects, no masks, no AI tools.
Pricing: free and open source.
Migrating from Paint: the brush set is the win. Save as PNG to round-trip with anything else.
Download: MyPaint official site
Bottom line: the right pick when you want to paint and nothing else.
Pixelorama, best free pixel art tool
Pixelorama is the open-source answer to Aseprite. The pixel art tools, the animation timeline, and the export options cover the same ground without the paid binary. Built on the Godot engine, it runs equally well on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Where it falls short: the community is smaller than Aseprite’s, so the tutorial library is thinner. A few polish features lag the paid tool.
Pricing: free and open source.
Migrating from Paint: the canvas, the tools, and the export are all tuned for sprite work.
Download: Pixelorama official site
Bottom line: the right pick for pixel art on a budget.
How to choose
Pick Paint.NET if your real need is Paint with layers on Windows.
Pick Krita if your real need is digital painting on a tablet.
Pick GIMP if you need Photoshop-equivalent tools without the subscription.
Pick Aseprite if pixel art is the workflow.
Pick Pixelorama if you want Aseprite features without the binary cost.
Pick Drawpile for collaborative sketching sessions.
Pick MyPaint for distraction-free brush work.
Stay on Microsoft Paint if your work is genuinely just quick annotations and the new Paint’s AI tools are enough.
FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Microsoft Paint?
Paint.NET is the closest free replacement on Windows with layers, blend modes, and a small footprint. Krita is the strongest free pick on any OS for actual drawing.
Does the new Microsoft Paint have layers?
The new Paint added a layers panel on Windows 11 in 2024 and later builds expanded the feature set with background removal and image generation tied to Copilot. It still lacks blend modes, masks, and pressure-sensitive brushes.
Can I open .psd files in these apps?
Krita and GIMP open .psd files with most layers and effects intact. Paint.NET supports a .psd plugin. Aseprite is not designed for PSD.
Which alternative runs on Mac?
Krita, GIMP, Aseprite, Drawpile, MyPaint, and Pixelorama all have macOS builds. Paint.NET is Windows-only.
Is GIMP a real Photoshop alternative in 2026?
GIMP has caught up on the gap of a decade ago but still has rougher non-destructive editing and a less consistent UI. For most users moving off Photoshop today, Affinity Photo and Photopea are the easier swaps; GIMP is the right pick when free and open source matter more than UI polish.
