Our verdict: Pinta is a clean, easy image editor for quick edits, simple drawings and pixel art. It has layers, live effect previews and unlimited history. It lacks the advanced tools of GIMP or Krita, and the Windows build is less common than Linux.
About Pinta
Pinta is an open-source drawing and image editing program released under the MIT license. Its interface is modeled on Paint.NET and it runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and BSD.
You get the usual tools such as selection, crop, resize, clone and magic wand, along with layers and a range of adjustments and effects. Effects show a live preview before you apply them.
What it does well
- Layers. Stack and blend layers to build up an image without destroying the original.
- Adjustments and effects. Brightness, curves, blur, distortion and artistic effects with live preview.
- Familiar tools. Select, crop, rotate, resize, clone stamp, recolor and magic wand.
- Unlimited undo. The history panel lets you step back through every action.
- Cross-platform. The same app runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Who it is for
Good fit
Beginners and casual users who want something more capable than Paint but simpler than GIMP.
Look elsewhere
Photographers and designers who need masks, raw editing, CMYK or advanced retouching.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very easy to learn
- Layers and live effect previews
- MIT-licensed, no ads
Cons
- Limited tools compared with GIMP or Krita
- No raw photo or CMYK support
How to install Pinta
Download the x86_64 installer linked from the releases page on pinta-project.com. Pinta opens and saves common formats such as PNG, JPG and BMP; use its own .ora format to keep layers.
Questions about Pinta
Is Pinta free?
Yes. Pinta is open source under the MIT license.
Is Pinta like Paint.NET?
Yes. Its interface and tool set are modeled on Paint.NET, but Pinta also runs on macOS and Linux.
