Paint.net

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Paint.NET, a lightweight Windows-only image editor, is widely praised for hitting the sweet spot between simplicity and power, making it ideal for quick everyday edits without the complexity of tools like Photoshop or GIMP. Many users say it’s one of the few applications they genuinely miss after moving to macOS or Linux, where alternatives such as Pinta, Krita, GIMP, Photopea, and Pixelmator Pro are suggested but often seen as less intuitive, heavier, or less stable. Some lament its proprietary, Windows‑locked status and chaotic plugin ecosystem, noting that it was once open source and wishing for a modern, cross‑platform equivalent with similarly polished UX.

Overall sentiment and use cases

  • Widely praised as a near-ideal “everyday” graphics editor: lightweight, fast, intuitive, and sufficient for simple to mid-complexity tasks.
  • Frequently cited as a “killer app” or one of the few programs that make Windows appealing or hard to leave.
  • Common use cases: quick cropping, annotations, memes, casual photo edits, texture work (e.g., .dds), and batch-ish workflows like resizing/cropping lots of images.

Comparisons to other editors

  • Seen as sitting between MS Paint and pro tools like Photoshop/GIMP: more powerful than Paint, far simpler than GIMP/Krita/Photoshop.
  • GIMP is repeatedly criticized as overcomplicated, unintuitive, and visually unappealing for quick edits.
  • Krita is viewed as powerful and cross-platform but heavier, more complex, and sometimes buggier or visually rough.
  • Pixelmator Pro, Acorn, Aseprite, and others are liked but heavier, not free, or more specialized.

Platform and portability issues

  • Major frustration: Windows-only, with many users missing it on macOS and Linux.
  • Pinta (a Paint.NET clone/fork) is commonly suggested for Linux/macOS but criticized as unstable, less polished, and with weaker UI/performance.
  • Running under Wine is reported as poor (“garbage” rating); porting is nontrivial due to Windows-specific APIs.

Licensing, openness, and formats

  • Some avoid it because it is proprietary and no longer open source; there is resentment over that change.
  • Its native .pdn format supports layers but is proprietary and seen by some as lock-in; others don’t mind since they mostly export PNG/JPEG.

UI/UX and features

  • Praised for intuitive UI, fast startup, and “just enough” features, compared to cluttered or slow competitors.
  • Specific liked features: easy manipulation of selections (moving “marching ants”), solid plugin ecosystem (though described as chaotic and hard to navigate), good layer support.
  • Criticisms: floating windows cannot be docked; forced-update behavior; reliance on a proprietary format for layered work.

Alternatives mentioned

  • Frequent alternatives: Pinta, Krita, GIMP, Photopea, miniPaint, Drawing (GNOME), KolourPaint, Pixelitor, PhotoDemon, Pixlr, Pixelmator Pro, Acorn, Aseprite.
  • Web tools like Photopea, miniPaint, and Pixlr are appreciated for cross-platform access, though ad models and subscriptions generate mixed reactions.