Unleash Your Creativity: The Best Paint +++ Alternatives for Every Artist

Paint +++ has long been a go-to for Mac users seeking a simple, streamlined, and inexpensive image editor. It's excellent for quick crops, adding text, or even teaching the basics of painting software. However, as creative needs evolve, users often look for more powerful or specialized tools. This guide explores the best Paint +++ alternative options, catering to a diverse range of artistic ambitions and technical requirements.

Top Paint +++ Alternatives

Whether you're a budding artist, a seasoned graphic designer, or just need a reliable tool for quick edits, there's a perfect alternative to Paint +++ out there for you. Dive into our curated list to find your next go-to image editor.

GIMP

GIMP

GIMP, or GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a free and open-source powerhouse, often lauded as the closest free alternative to Photoshop. Available across Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and more, GIMP offers extensive features like layer manipulation, photo effects, batch image manipulation, and comprehensive scripting support, making it an excellent step up for serious image editing from Paint +++.

Krita

Krita

Krita is a professional, open-source raster graphics editor specifically designed for digital painting and sketching. It's a fantastic Paint +++ alternative for artists on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android Tablet, offering advanced brush settings, animation capabilities, and excellent support for Wacom Tablets, ensuring smooth lines and texture painting for intricate artwork.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop remains the industry standard for professional image editing and compositing. While a commercial option for Mac, Windows, and iPad, it's an unparalleled Paint +++ alternative for those requiring advanced features like non-destructive editing, extensive layer support, CMYK mode, and an integrated stock library, suitable for complex creative design work.

Paint.NET

Paint.NET

Paint.NET is a free and highly capable image editing software for Windows, serving as an excellent Paint +++ alternative for users who don't need Photoshop's full suite. It boasts a minimalistic UI, support for layers and plugins, a built-in color picker, and features like curve manipulation and PNG compression, making it beginner-friendly yet powerful.

MyPaint

MyPaint

MyPaint is a free, open-source, and distraction-free painting tool perfect for digital artists on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It offers an infinite canvas, superb color blending, and strong support for graphics tablets, making it an ideal Paint +++ alternative for those focused purely on digital art and sketching.

Pixlr

Pixlr

Pixlr is a versatile freemium web-based photo editor, also available on Android and iPhone. As a browser-based Paint +++ alternative, it offers convenience for quick edits, custom overlays, gradients, photo effects, and support for layers, allowing users to transform everyday images into stunning works of art from anywhere with an internet connection.

Pixelmator

Pixelmator

Pixelmator is a powerful, beautiful, and easy-to-use commercial image editor exclusively for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It's a fantastic Paint +++ alternative for Apple users, featuring an elegant interface, healing brush, photo effects, raw photo processing, and excellent tablet support, making professional-grade image editing accessible and enjoyable.

Photoscape

Photoscape

PhotoScape is a fun and easy freemium photo editing software for Mac and Windows, offering a suite of tools to fix and enhance photos. As a Paint +++ alternative, it excels in batch editing, image combining, and includes features like color correction, lossless cropping, and a raw converter, making it ideal for quick photo adjustments and collage creation.

Microsoft Paint

Microsoft Paint

Microsoft Paint is the classic, free, and ultra-basic graphics painting program bundled with almost all versions of Microsoft Windows. For users seeking a direct, minimalist Paint +++ alternative on Windows for simple pixel art and fundamental image editing tasks, it remains a surprisingly capable and universally accessible choice.

PaintTool SAI

PaintTool SAI

PaintTool SAI is a lightweight commercial painting software for Windows, highly regarded for its amazing anti-aliased paintings and stable operation. It's a prime Paint +++ alternative for digital artists, offering full digitizer support, color blending, advanced brush settings, and vector-like strokes, making it ideal for smooth, high-quality line art and sketching.

Exploring these alternatives will help you discover the perfect tool to match your creative workflow and budget. Whether you prioritize advanced features, open-source accessibility, or a simple, intuitive interface, there's a Paint +++ alternative ready to empower your digital art and image editing endeavors.

Isabella Walker

Isabella Walker

Focuses on mobile apps, design tools, and how software improves digital workflows.