7 alternatives to Microsoft Paint

Who doesn't know what Paint is? It has been around since you had your first Windows computer. Unfortunately, all those years that passed did not bring that many significant changes to this application. Maybe you have some great memories of using it, but we think it is time to try something new and better. In this article, we share seven free Paint alternatives. They are not real competitors to Adobe Photoshop, for example, but they sure are more powerful than Paint is, and you can do more with them. Let's get started:

1. My Paint

The main problem graphic programs suffer from is that most of them have complicated user interfaces. You are often tangled in many layers of features and windows, and you do not know where to start. My Paint is an excellent alternative due to its simple and minimalistic interface. It has many features, like an extensive collection of brushes that simulate a pencil, charcoal, and ink. You can also use it with graphic tablets to create more professional drawings. The canvas is unlimited, so you never have to resize.

Microsoft Paint alternative: MyPaint Download: MyPaint

2. Paint.Net

Paint.Net was initially designed as a free replacement for Paint. However, it has grown into one of the most powerful drawing tools on the market. Its user interface is a little bit complicated, but its features are well organized and relatively easy to find. This app was often compared with Adobe Photoshop or Corel Paint Shop Pro thanks to its many diverse tools, functions, and effects. You can use this program for many tasks, like photo editing and image composition. Some plugins are available that add more effects and give you the ability to work with even more types of files.

MS Paint alternative: Paint.NET Download: Paint.NET

3. GIMP

GIMP or The Gnu Image Manipulation Program is one of the most appreciated graphic applications. It can be used as a simple drawing program, an expert photo retouching program, and an image converter. It has an extensive collection of painting tools, like brushes, airbrushes, pencils, clones, and gradients. The size of the canvas is only limited by the space available on your disk. Also, it supports almost every image format, so that's a big plus. Alternative Paint: GIMP Unfortunately, GIMP does not have an intuitive user interface, so you might struggle finding what you need. In the end, although it can be an excellent alternative to Paint, it might not be the one you like, so make sure to check the other apps from our guide too. Download: GIMP

4. Inkscape

Inkscape is not as well-known as the other programs that we share in this article. However, it is suitable if you want to become or already are a web designer, an illustrator, or if you just need an occasional vector image creator or editor. It provides a user-friendly interface with some flexible drawing tools and is compatible with many image file formats. Unlike other free programs, it has a powerful text tool, including an extensive collection of fonts, and lets you shift letters horizontally and vertically. That can be quite convenient when you create a banner, a logo, or a diagram. Inkscape is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

Paint-like program: Inkscape Inkscape's main downside is that it has a rather steep learning curve, and its user interface is pretty complicated for beginners. Download: Inkscape

5. Artweaver

Artweaver has a free version and a premium version, Artweaver Plus, which costs about USD 40 (or 34 EUR). As you would expect, not all features are available in the free version. Even so, it is an excellent alternative to Paint. That's because most of the premium tools available in the Plus version are about image editing, not about painting. Artweaver provides standard image painting and image editing tools, such as brushes, fill, gradient, selection tool, crop, and filters. Furthermore, this excellent MS Paint alternative supports plugins, layers, and transparency. Paint alternative: Artweaver Download: Artweaver

6. EZ Paint

EZ Paint has been developed with the specific purpose of becoming an alternative to Paint. It features a similar user interface as Microsoft Paint, which means that it is easy to use even by beginners. It includes many different painting tools, 2D and 3D shapes, and textures. While it feels a bit more advanced than Paint, it is ultimately one of the simplest and most user-friendly Paint alternatives we found on the internet. Microsoft Paint alternative: EZ Paint Download: EZ Paint

7. Fresh Paint

Last but not least, a good Paint alternative is Fresh Paint. It's an app developed by, surprise, Microsoft! Although Fresh Paint isn't supposed to replace the Microsoft Paint app that's present in all Windows operating systems, it can be an alternative for some people. Fresh Paint is an app that's distributed via the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 users. It comes with a simple user interface that supports touch, mouse, and stylus input, letting you draw or paint using pencil, pen, oil, watercolor, and pastel tools. The only real drawback, for us at least, is that Fresh Paint is designed to imitate real-life painting, so it does not have a bucket tool. ???? Otherwise, it is an excellent MS Paint alternative. Apps like Paint: Fresh Paint (made by Microsoft) Download: Fresh Paint

What's your favorite Microsoft Paint alternative?

If Microsoft's Paint does not meet your image editing needs, it is time to find a better alternative. The choices we listed are the most popular and appreciated drawing programs on the internet. We recommend that you try them and keep the one you prefer installed on your computer. All of them are free, so the only thing to "lose" is a bit of time. After you try them out, please share with us your favorite alternative to Paint.