paint.net
FreedotPDN LLC
- Category
- Images
- Version
- 5.1.12
- Size
- ~80 MB
- Licence terms
- Free for personal and business use (Microsoft Store edition is paid)
- Supported OS
- Windows 11 · 10
- Install method
- Automatic install supported
- Developer
- dotPDN LLC
- Downloads via this site
This links to dotPDN LLC’s own download source. AfterFormat neither stores nor modifies installer files.
What it is
Paint.NET sits between Windows Paint and Photoshop: more capable than the former, far lighter than the latter. It has layers and the usual adjustment tools, which is enough for cropping, resizing and simple compositing. It is free from the official site; the Microsoft Store edition is a paid way to support development.
When to pick this
When Paint is not enough and GIMP is too much. For batch-adjusting or stitching many photos, PhotoScape is easier.
Details
Layers
Unlike Paint it supports layers, so you can add text or shapes and reposition them later.
Startup speed
It is light and opens instantly — no reason to launch a heavy editor just to crop one image and save it.
Plugins
Third-party plugins extend it, though it never reaches GIMP’s depth for retouching and compositing.
Distribution
- winget ID
- dotPDN.PaintDotNet
- Redistribution policy
- Permission required
- Last checked
- 2026-09-09
- Official site
- https://www.getpaint.net/
