--- title: Paintshop Pro Reviews meta_title: 'Paintshop Pro Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 207 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Paintshop Pro works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.1 review_count: 207 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-08-09' parent_category: name: Photography url: https://www.g2.com/categories/photography --- # Paintshop Pro Reviews **Vendor:** Corel Corporation **Category:** [Photo Editing Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/photo-editing) **Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 207 ## About Paintshop Pro PaintShop Pro 2023 Ultimate is a comprehensive photo editing software designed for Windows users, offering a versatile range of professional-grade editing and graphic design tools. It combines advanced features with time-saving AI-based solutions, catering to both novice and experienced photographers and designers. Key Features and Functionality: - Photo Editing: Provides a complete suite of tools for photo enhancement, including color correction, retouching, and creative effects. - Graphic Design: Offers vector illustration capabilities, allowing users to create compelling designs with text, shapes, and layers. - AI-Powered Tools: Incorporates artificial intelligence to automate complex tasks, such as background removal and image upscaling, enhancing efficiency and accuracy. - Focus Stacking: Enables blending of multiple images taken at different focus distances to produce a final composite with greater depth of field. - Frame Tool: Allows for the creation of shapes and masks to frame images, facilitating innovative design layouts. - AfterShot Lab: Provides powerful RAW image editing within the application, eliminating the need for additional software. - Real-time Blend Mode Preview: Offers instant feedback on layer blending results, streamlining the creative process. - Snap to Objects: Enhances precision in design by allowing objects to align accurately with each other. Primary Value and Solutions: PaintShop Pro 2023 Ultimate addresses the needs of users seeking a robust, subscription-free alternative for photo editing and graphic design. Its comprehensive toolset empowers users to produce high-quality images and designs efficiently. The integration of AI-driven features simplifies complex editing tasks, making professional results accessible to users of all skill levels. Additionally, the inclusion of bonus software, such as Painter® Essentials™ 8 and PhotoMirage™ Express, extends creative possibilities, offering a complete suite for digital artistry. ## Paintshop Pro Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users find Paintshop Pro's **ease of use** remarkable, with minimal learning curve and user-friendly features. (2 reviews) - Users love the **easy color changing** feature in Paintshop Pro, highlighting its professional photo editing capabilities. (2 reviews) - Users appreciate the **affordability** of Paintshop Pro, thanks to its lifetime purchase licensing model. (1 reviews) - Users value the **AI-powered background removal** in Paintshop Pro, significantly reducing manual editing time and enhancing productivity. (1 reviews) - Users value the **quality AI-powered editing tools** in Paintshop Pro, significantly reducing manual editing time. (1 reviews) - Users appreciate the **professional photo editing capabilities** of Paintshop Pro, along with its useful news features. (1 reviews) - Versatility (1 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users feel the **cost is high** for rudimentary features and desire more powerful tools without extra charges. (1 reviews) - Users find the software **confusing and difficult to learn** , making it inaccessible for many new users. (1 reviews) - Users find the **limited features** of Paintshop Pro lacking, especially in automation and essential tools. (1 reviews) - Users report occasional **performance issues** with Paintshop Pro, noting that it sometimes freezes during use. (1 reviews) - Users desire more **advanced AI capabilities** in PaintShop Pro, feeling it lags behind newer editing tools. (1 reviews) ## Paintshop Pro Reviews ### 1. Awesome and easy to use **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Meg B. | Business Owner, Writing and Editing, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 04, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I was able to pretty much teach myself everything there is to know about using the program in a short period of time. I've been using it for years now and though I have tried other programs, I always go back to this one. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** The initial setup of arranging all the tools on the toolbar the way you like them is the only issue I have with it. You kind of get used to having certain tools in certain spots, so when you get a new computer, have to reinstall it and have to start over with it, it can be kind of annoying to get everything back to where you like it to be. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Paintshop Pro for the majority of the graphics on my website - the main website design, photographs of my products, etc. I edit literally everything with Paintshop Pro. ### 2. Nice and easy image editing software **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Entertainment | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 23, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** We've used PaintShop Pro for a long time and have found it to be very easy and straight forward to use, with lots of great features. While I've never used PhotoShop I feel that this is a program that is more suited to the basic/medium skilled user while PhotoShop would be for the expert and a bit more complex. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** The only issue I've had is with occasional crashing of the program while I'm working on it, but it usually recovers what I'm working on when I restart it. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** It is great if you want something that you can just install and get started using with the minimum of fuss. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Allowed us to edit images in a quick, professional way with little training. Speeding up the training of new staff. ### 3. A more than acceptable photo editor **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Architecture & Planning | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 14, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The best thing about Paintshop Pro is undoubtedly its value for money: It certainly cannot compare to more advanced software like Photoshop, but it has a large portion of the same functions, more than enough for an intermediate level and at a much lower price. Without a doubt, a great choice for beginners in digital photo editing. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Perhaps its features may be somewhat insufficient for a professional level of digital retouching, making it necessary to switch to more advanced programs. Additionally, it is somewhat difficult to handle at first, something that can be resolved with the excellent online user manual. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Photo editing, retouching and digital image processing, post-editing of architectural renders ### 4. Very good **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Games | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 05, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** It is easy to use and very good for editing. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** I don't really like the program's limitation, but for something easy, there's no problem. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** It is very good for new people joining the company to gradually adapt to its way of working. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is easier to use than other programs, so for people who are new to the company, it is a very good tool. ### 5. Paintshop reviewed **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jorge S. | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 09, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** You can modify pictures to show in business tasks what you want the way you want **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** They have to improve interface to make it more friendly user **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Modifying a picture to send emails and write presentations ### 6. Its okay but not as good as Photoshop **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Photography | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 19, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** A good program as an alternative to photoshop. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** While it's a good alternative to photoshop it doesnt have nearly as many features as photoshop does. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I dont really feel it has enough benefits to be useful in an everyday setting since I have found it doesnt reach the same standards as Photoshop. ### 7. Cost effective solution to multimedia web graphic problems **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Arts and Crafts | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 27, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I prefer the user interface and layering tools as well as the general ability to create and develop my own design tools. It is very easy to edit photos. The many brushes and plug-ins make it easy to create clean graphics. The newest version (2018) is faster than previous versions. Batch processing is a breeze. Also, I love the new workspace feature! This greatly improves functionality. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** It's not as intuitive if you're more familiar with Photoshop tools, so there is a learning curve. The industry standard is Photoshop, so file compatibility becomes an issue sometimes. Certain tools are a bit laggy, but not enough to cause me to not want to use it. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** For the price, PaintShop Pro is definitely worth it. I find it just as easy to use as its Adobe competitor, once you get past the learning curve. I find that the tools for editing photos are just as good as Adobe, maybe a little slower, but improved from previous version of PaintShop Pro, and not enough to write it off as a deal killer. I've only trialed this software, but I am now considering switching to PaintShop Pro because I really do prefer it. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Batch photo editing is quick and easy. I find it faster to work with RAW images in PaintShop Pro than with Adobe. The tools make it quick to make professional looking graphics for presentations as well. ### 8. A great competitor to others **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Raven L. | Graphic and Web Designer, Marketing and Advertising, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 14, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I really liked the project templates on these, because sometimes it's so busy at work it's hard to commit the time to come up with my own template. Paint shop pro allows you to use pre-made templates that you can pay a little extra for, but save time with. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Their Camera Raw lab is very slow when making adjustments of the levels, hues, saturation etc. I find it lagging a lot when the picture is trying to reflect the changes - and then I keep over adjusting and under because it hasn't translated yet. Also when I upload a picture into this program it seems to change the colors a little depending on what format the file is. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** As a team we have been able to use this program as an alternative to others, and it's definitely on my top list of computer editors. Has great variation of palletes, filters, templates and sticker like things to add on. ### 9. Great tool to learn how to edit your photos **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jonathan C. | Propietario y Presidente de empresa, Photography, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 15, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The very smooth and customizable Interface allows you navigate throught the elements making easier to handled it than another softwares. You don`t have to deal with layers and gives you a good quality results. The last version that i used was the Paintshop Pro X6 that has a larger memory than past versions and is very usefull for when you work with more than one image at the same time. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** It gives you a pretty decent work. But some functions are still under the quality of editors like Photoshop, that gives you a little more profesional work and allows you to be more precise in some specifics tasks. For example i rather prefer the Typography and the Work space that Photoshop has. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** If you doesn`t have any notion about these photo editors softwares i recomends Paintshop Pro first, because in my opinion the options are easier to handled it than others softwares and gives you a faster learning curve. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Me personally had no idea to how edit images and i had a hard time finding someone that made it for me. So i did gave an oportunity to this software and the results go pretty well. Now i can edit images from projects for the university and i can make my own visuals on my music projects. ### 10. Creative and Fun to Use **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Lisa C. | Photographer, Photography, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 15, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I really liked Paintshop. It was my first editing tool that I learned on and it allowed me to do some pretty cool things with very little knowledge! **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** It made my computer operate much slower and sometimes I had to restart it. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** I haven't used this recently. It was my first software that I purchased and used for photo editing. It used a lot of memory on my computer, but I think that is typical of editing software. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a solid editing tool and they don't want to be on the cloud like with other tools. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Oh, it helped me create beautiful business cards, and unique photos without the knowledge of Photoshop. ### 11. Not What It Used to Be **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Design | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 23, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I love the gradient tool and photo effects. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Paintshop pro lost some features, the preset shapes. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Don't use it for designing. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I'm able.to edit photos using paintshop pro ### 12. Paintshop is easier to use than Photo shop **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Geoff L. | CEO, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 08, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Paint shop Pro is a very comprehensive tool which I find much easier and less complicated to us than other comparable phot editing programs. I have used it now in various versions and all of them have performed extremely well with excellent results. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** there is nothing to really dislike with this program **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** this is the best image editor program I have ever used to give high quality results fast and efficiently **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use it on a daily basis to create images and edit images for my websites and social posting activilties. ### 13. Very funcional and practical to manage your audiovisual work **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Andres T. | General Manager, Telecommunications, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 16, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The simplicity and very elegant interface, im using the X7 version, a complete control about adjust and textures. I used to work with another software, and i find very hard, with this easy way to edit, you don't have to deal with layers or unique formats. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Theres' a fact with this work, on audiovisual you need a lot of control, im not going to compair, but you can get more especific and precisely adjustment in other software, but this is just a thing of manipulation on the basics. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** If you're trying to find a software wich have a very easy and uncomplex way to use and with an awesome results, try PSP. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Id take me a really short time to get used to functionality of this tool, i recommend if you're trying to get higher lever on this kind of work, take this step and you will find very flexible. ### 14. I've love Corel products **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kimberly H. | Business Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 21, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Corel is easy to use and you don't have to buy extras. I like that I don't have to spend hours search for the add on tool to buy. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Corel seems to have moved away from photo editing. I missed photo paint being updated. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** I love Corel products but most people use Adobe so many of have to ask use Adobe. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Corel gives me everything in one package. I have use Corel products for years and love the layout and easy of finding the tools I need. ### 15. Excellent editor **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Gladys Z. | Community Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 09, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The interface is highly customizable in terms of color and the size of elements such as icons and scroll bars. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Among the new features of PaintShop Pro X6, there are a couple of selection tools that automatically track the contours of objects in photos. It's a great concept, but hardly revolutionary, as Photoshop Elements' Quick Selection Tool has had the same feature for years. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** PaintShop Pro X6 is now a 64-bit application, which means it can use more memory. This should be useful when many images are opened at once and when working with very large images. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps me a lot to edit render images to show in my projects. ### 16. A great photo editor from Corel **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Iain R. | Entrepreneur | Director, Internet, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 10, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Great features, an overall good photo editor... **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** It's a bit pricey, but overall it could be worth it... **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** It has a lot of good features and a nice interface... ### 17. To paint it not to paint, that is the question **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Graphic Design | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 08, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Anyone with a bit of patience can use this program. There are a ton of tutorials online but if you are one who likes to go at it free range and has used another photo editing program, it is a program that you can pick up quite quickly. And the price of cannot be beat for Photoshop like features. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** I feel that some functions are still slow, typography is not as good as Photoshop, and things seem to get really cluttered. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** If you have a Photoshop need but not the budget Corel Paint Shop Pro will be a perfect fit. Though it does lack many of Photoshop's advanced tools, I found it to be very powerful and affordable photo editing software for us and placing products on the websites. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** The main business problem that is being solved is cost. Also the ability for a novice to quickly get on after one tutorial and crop product images, color correct, and then save the image as a PNG file. ### 18. Paintshop Pro - A fairly powerful software **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Christina C. | Marketing Coordinator, Insurance, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 09, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I like that you have the functionality of some of the other software. They are not consistent in most of the layout which is typical of other design software. However they are fairly easy to figure out what to do. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Same issues as above. Plus somewhat less functionality. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** I would suggest other software options in the same price range. Honestly you can get the same functionality in much cheaper and sometimes free software. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Honestly it is no better or worse then any other design software I have come across. It doesn't blow me away but it serves the purpose, though it is not my first choice. ### 19. This is my go-to software for photo editing **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Tammy B. | Business Owner, Insurance, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 09, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I like the clone tool, the batch settings and the ease of creating professionally edited photos with the click of a button. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** I don't like the most recent update which requires that I change screens for blemish, teeth whitening and a few other settings. The software sometimes changes to the wrong picture. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** There are many good you tube tutorials that are must easier to use than the instructions included with the software. Watch them and find easy shortcuts to your most needed features. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I can edit in 1/4 the amount of time using this compared to my previous software. ### 20. It's been great **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Transportation/Trucking/Railroad | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 30, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** It is very user friendly and it works great **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** nothing! i dont have any complaints. i would use this again in the future. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use it occasionally when needed. Lots of benefits! ### 21. Great photo editing software **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Graphic Design | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 31, 2018 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Ease of use... nice interface layout... **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Cost. It's a pretty expensive piece of software, but worth it. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Creating professional quality graphics and photo editing... ### 22. Review **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mahesh P. | Software Developer, Computer Software, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 29, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The software's interface uses tabs to divide the editing tools by function, which makes the program easy to use and navigate. It has three main tabs for its tools: Manage, Adjust and Edit. The Manage tab is where the photo organizer is found, and you can use it to browse, tag and organize photos. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** he picture editor can add effects to your text to make it stand out. In addition, PaintShop X9 has over 90 creative filters you can apply to completely change the textures and colors in your photos. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** nce it serves as both a photo editor and design software, this program includes vector graphic tools, which means you can use it to edit both vector and raster images. ### 23. A great alternative to Photoshop. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Civil Engineering | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 13, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I like Paintshop Pro because it is easier to use than Photoshop. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** I would like to see Corel come out with the button that when you hover over the icons, it will give you a description of the tool with a link to learn more about it. I would like to change the icon size and styles in order to be able customize icons. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** I would definitely recommend Paintshop Pro to others if you are looking for a less expensive Photoshop. Paintshop Pro can do a lot of what Photoshop can do. It's really a great program. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Adjusting photos' color when you have taken photos outside against the sun or with bad lighting. It's also cool to take pictures of office members during a party or performing a task at work. You don't need a fancy expensive camera, instead, you can us Paintshop Pro to achieve great results that a really expensive camera would do. ### 24. Easy to use and Powerful **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Photography | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 18, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Easy to use - Powerful software for Photo editing and processing. Way less of a memory hog than Adobe products. A host of plugins and RAW support and editing is robust. Easy to install. Easy to navigate - Help links are very informative and easy to access **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** The new interface is a bit annoying - I'd rather it skip me trying to buy new templates as a Home page **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Constantly evolving in the right direction and less expensive than Adobe Elements **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Allows me to quickly and professionally edit images without sacrificing PC memory ### 25. Ease of use and automation make PSP a favorite **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Murry S. | Freelance Journalism for Screen and Paper, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 02, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I'm a really long time user, and thus have developed muscle memory skills that speed my work with photos. I most enjoy automatic adjustments, cropping and the swift ability to enhance contrast and brightness. "Quick Fix" is really powerful and almost always results in an ideal image. The Adjustment Wizard walks you through several enhancement steps, offering three image choices at each step. Or you may manually adjust virtually all aspects in an easy-to-use panel. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** There no semiautomatic method for eliminating backgrounds or outlining people so that head/shoulder photos gain a white background that can be made transparent. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Easier to master than Photoshop and offers equivalent or better image manipulation power. I think PSP is ideal for non-graphically-inclined users. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** As a content writer and curator, PSP delivers good quality photos to my writing, swiftly and dependably ### 26. An alternative **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Design | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 05, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Love this program because it is pretty much on par with Photoshop at a fraction of the cost. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Seems to be a memory hog - a lot of times, there is not enough memory to complete some tasks. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** If you use Photoshop and looking for a cheaper alternative with ease of use, Paintshop Pro is the way to go. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Not really problems, but opportunities - there is always something new to learn. ### 27. Good For Photos... Not for much else **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** John B. | Color Specialist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 04, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The photo editing abilities with this program are amazing! I do all of my photo restoration and alteration projects on this platform! No excuses! It has beautiful filters and unique tools to alter/restore almost any picture you throw at it! **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Outside the photo editing abilities, I haven't had much use or success with this program. From a graphic designer standpoint, the use of this program stops after the photo is complete. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Don't go into the program looking for a Photoshop alternative... but it has great potential in photo editing **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** My company offers photo restoration so this program is perfect for that task! ### 28. Paintshop Pro Review **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Construction | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 19, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Ease of use, cross program seamless integration. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Inability to change menu color/layout or customize **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Explore all menus for hidden features **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Using for photo touch up for renderings ### 29. Not as good as photoshop **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Christian K. | Director, Media Production, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 25, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** It's cheaper, was free when I used it as included with hardware **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Bit clunky, felt like being in a microsoft product... **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** If you've been given a license, give it a go, you might like it more than I did... **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's usually free and with some effort can be made useful. ### 30. Affordable photo editing software for pro's and amateurs! **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Brittney N. | President, Owner, Real Estate, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 10, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Great online community with lots of videos, tutorials and ways to connect with other users. Online topic/user guide that is easy to navigate and has search options to find solutions needed easier. Lots of customization options from everything to workstation color to toolbars and more. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Hard to navigate. Features are hard to find. Free downloadable content can only be used on the 32-bit format. 32-bit format doesn't work on my computer. Slow to update bugs. Hard to import new content for program such as brushes. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** If you are familiar with Photoshop or are wanting to learn how to edit photos on your own, Paintshop Pro is great and affordable with lots of easy to follow videos and tutorials! Can be frustrating to navigate at first, but does get easier with time. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Paintshop Pro is primarily used for business purposes, but is used for some personal as well. I am able to edit photos fairly easily, and the smart fix is great for abstract photos. Used for correcting color in images and logos, as well as create new logos. Great for creating marketing content that I need. ### 31. Paintshop pro **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consumer Electronics | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 12, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Easy to use interface and tools. Help system good. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Some tools don't always work consistently **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Screen capture, editing graphics ### 32. Easier than Photoshop for color fixes **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Motion Pictures and Film | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 29, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Better UI for ease of understanding. It's more intuitive than Photoshop. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Less options for text addition. Can't use mouse for precision. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's a lot easier to do just images for JUST images and effects. But I need more flexibility w/ text. ### 33. Relatively simple **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Lynn K. | Owner / Consultant, Management Consulting, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 08, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** This application is easier to use than Photoshop. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Still not intuitive enough to have non users edit **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Able to create graphics from scratch ### 34. Photocroping and enhancing **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Industrial Automation | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 13, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Ease of use. Easy to use, intuitive. Lot of choices to edit with **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Can be cumbersome. A few things not obvious right away. Mainly not used to software **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Good software **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Trying to enhance picture and eliminating background stuff to have a nice canvas ### 35. Great alternative to Adobe Photoshop **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Paulla F. | Independent Tutor, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 28, 2016 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Having used PSP since the Jasic days, I'm familiar with the tools. I find it easier to use than Adobe Photoshop because you don't have to deal with layers, various color schemes, backgrounds, etc. Not that PSP doesn't let you do all of these things! Mainly, I use PSP to resize and save images that require certain specifications in order to be featured on a customer's website. Another plus... for one of my client's websites, I HAVE to save my images with PSP. Even if I created/modified them using Photoshop! Something in the way Photoshop saves .jpg files... this client's website does't read them correctly! **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** These days, it's easier for me to resize images using Photoshop. PSP also has a much smaller work area within the program than Photoshop does. Many of the functions are fortunately similar - but PSP makes it more difficult to do more detailed tasks. And unlike Photoshop, my version of PSP doesn't have the toolbar readily available when i open the program. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Ease of use, quick to access, ability to move around without having to go through "hoops" (such as backgrounds, levels, etc). Miss having a quick reference toolbar in PSP though like I have with Photoshop. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Part of my job requires me to submit images for various customer websites. Each of these customers has a different set of requirements for these images. Using both Photoshop and PSP, I am able to resize the images, create required backgrounds, expand the canvas, and change the .dpi to each customer's specifications. The greatest benefit of PSP for me is that however it saves the images - one of my customer's website's recognizes the coding. In fact, I HAVE to save this customer's images using PSP because their website doesn't recognize the coding when I save images on Photoshop! ### 36. Paintshop Pro **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Military | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 28, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** ease of use and flow which helps my overall workflow **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** less than updated features which make it hard to keep up with adobe products **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** getting work done timely ### 37. Decent Substitute for Photoshop **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mckenzie S. | Freelance Photographer & Graphic Designer, Graphic Design, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 30, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The lasso tool is pretty intuitive. Its fairly cheap. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** The program as a whole isn't as "smart" as Photoshop. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** It is a good option if you're looking for an alternate to Photoshop. Its better than GIMP but not as great as Photoshop. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Editing photos, removing backgrounds ### 38. Not a bad program **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Photography | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 30, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** My favorite thing about paint shop pro is that it’s less expensive than photoshop. I also like the face recognition feature it has. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Mostly that it’s not photoshop because that’s what I am familiar with....it also seems to run a little slow. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** I’m still up in the air on this. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Quick editing. ### 39. Does a few small things that I find useful **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consumer Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 14, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I don’t always have to go right to photoshop **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Not enough tools in this on, program seems simplistic **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Less time using Adobe Photoshop ### 40. Diverse Tools, But Not Specialized Enough **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Apparel & Fashion | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 28, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** This program was great for diversity. I could use it to create graphic art, edit photos, manipulate photos, create advertisements and book covers. It has the tools to do a lot of different things and it served me well when I was first getting started. It is fairly easy to pick up and use for the basics. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** While there is a lot of diversity in the tools, nothing is over specialized. It is difficult to edit a photo well and unnoticably without a lot of practice and tweaking. To really do anything that is going to look professional, it is a very step learning curve with not many great tutorials in-program. It is certainly not as fast as other programs currently available. Graphic art is easier, but doesn't have a lot of the options that other program has to make it fast. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** If you want something very versatile for simple things, this is great. If you are looking for fast, professional, and specific, perhaps look for something else. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** It was great when there was a lot of time, but it did not make for fast editing or creation when I was crunched for time. Perhaps I didn't get to know the program well enough, but using more programs that were specific made things much, much quicker. However, it was great to get me started and not have to invest in a lot of programs, not knowing which ones I would need ### 41. Paintshop Pro Review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Notiemwonmwan A. | Student Nurse Extern, Hospital & Health Care, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 28, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** So many features and tools, user freindly **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** I would like a more detailed tutorial feature when first using **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Making flyers ### 42. Adequate **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Writing and Editing | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 08, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Ease of use: the tools provided are easy to find and use. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** I might have liked to see more tools, with more customized options **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Using this product allows for in-house solutions without needing intense specialized talent ### 43. Paintshop Pro--a highly underrated tool; and the core of my business **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Marty J. | ICC Certified Building Plans Examiner and Structural Inspector, Public Safety, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 15, 2016 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Nearly all of my illustrations are created or modified by Paintshop Pro; you can view my portfolio at http://mjarts.com/portfolio.html The feature I like best is that Paintshop Pro works with psd files--Photoshop files. The greatest feature of the Photoshop file is that it allows one to work with layered transparent backgrounds. With a layered transparent background, one can create illustrations in the same manner as the early Disney animations--paintings on transparent backgrounds, that when stacked, become a symphony of images. In that sense Paintshop Pro is very similar to GIMP. Both programs allow one to work with any type of image, and have very intuitive controls. I have Photoshop on my computer, and use some of that programs filters; but Photoshop, for me, is a very non-intuitive program. To use Photoshop effectively one needs to use keystroke combinations that aren't in my brain, and don't make much sense.. Most of my work is done with a mouse, and while I use a few of Paintshop's keystrokes for altering contrast, hue, saturation and lightness, for the most part I use a mouse. I use very old versions of Paintshop Pro--versions created by JASC back in the nineties, when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Paintshop Pro 6 and 8 both work in a W10-64 bit environment; I use version 8 for most of my work; I use version 6 for drafting. Version 6 is less of a memory hog, but it has limitations when using deformations. I also use Paintshop Pro 8 for photo enhancement. I also use Lightroom for certain features; and need to use Photoshop to work with some aspects of RAW images. Most of my photo enhancement work is done using Paintshop Pro 8's built-in features. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** The ONLY feature found in Photoshop that I can't find in my old Paintshop Pro versions in a 32-bit environment, is the retention of transparent backgrounds for png files created in Photoshop. In a 64-bit environment, this problem seems to have disappeared. The old versions of Paintshop Pro, in a 32-bit environment, will automatically flatten a png image created with a transparent background. I'm a 'if it ain't broke...' kind of guy; I don't need to buy the latest software in order to do my work, when the software I use still works. I have CS5 installed in my Graphics computer that I use for video production; and there are tons of features available that I rarely explore. I don't like Adobe any more than I like Microsoft. I would probably have the same problems with Apple. I don't like computer manufacturers telling me what I have to do in order to use their product; I come from a pre-computer business world; and learned my skills while computer were new, and far more flexible. Before the companies became Galactic Empires... **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Since I don't use the Corel products, I can't advise people on their capabilities. My assumption is that the Corel products are further improved from my antique versions. If the Corel products aren't satisfactory, try GIMP. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I don't think of my projects in terms of 'business problems that I need to solve'--I think in terms of what needs to be done to accomplish the task I've been given. I've been self-employed for the last 18 years; providing graphic arts, digital imaging, photo retouching and manipulation services; as well as video editing services. I use Adobe Creative Suite Production CS5; I'm PC based, using Adobe Creative Suite Production CS5- and AfterEffects. I have no employees; although there are many of my business tasks that I could have an employee do. The reality is that employees are expensive; a reality I was well aware of when working as a General Contractor in the construction industry. Since I can honestly say that I use Paintshop Pro for nearly all of my graphic work, nearly all of the benefits I've received from 18 years of self-employment as a graphic artist are based on Paintshop Pro's capabilities. ### 44. Excellent results with limited training! **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Dr.Tim D. | Beta Tester, Computer Software, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 25, 2016 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The ease of use and the excellent professional results. The interface is easy to use and the menus are pretty much straight forward. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Sometimes you have to look through a few menus to find what your looking for. This does get better once you have become adjusted to the menus. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** If your looking for a tool with Professional Results for your images then this is it! Simple to use and easy to understand. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** The quality of images is amazing with this tool! ### 45. PaintShop Pro: Great Product but a bit touchy **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 18, 2016 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** I actually did not seek out this product. I was creating a brochure for a nonprofit company and needed to change the background color of the main image. I did not have enough time to fully learn PhotoShop, so my peer suggested this product and it was great. Somewhat easy to use (after a few tries) and I was able to easily covert the background color to be exactly what I needed. Additionally, I liked how I could change specific images to be transparent if needed. This is a versatile tool that someone with a little Paint experience can use, and does not require hours of training like PhotoShop. Although it is not as robust as it's counterpart, I definitely benefited from this product. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** The only thing I really disliked about this product was the lack of instructions. The old fashioned Paint product is very easy to use, and you can still do a decent amount with it. I began using PaintShop Pro with the belief the product was just as simple. The knowledge base does not compare to it's competitor, but to accomplish any tasks, you really need to have some idea of what you're doing with graphic/image software. I also didn't like how the buttons were not intuitive. Just by looking at a button, I could not tell what it's functionality was, and I had to do a little digging to get my answers. This product would be much better if it offered a high level overview or tutorial. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** Make sure you have an idea of how to use editing software. This is not TOO in-depth, but you need some base prior to using PaintShop Pro. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I was able to easily edit and adjust multiple brochures and marketing material for a small nonprofit company. The budget was very tight, so I didn't have the ability to spend to much time learning PhotoShop or hiring outside agencies. I was able to easily and quickly complete the edits, and the results were great! PaintShop Pro is fairly easy to use, a free online download (big positive), and can be used to achieve in-depth tasks. Overall, a great buy! ### 46. Corel Paintshop Pro **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Facilities Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 28, 2016 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** Its fun to work on projects, and my daughter can use it too! It's can create most craftsy sort of projects and make changes easily. I appreciate the tutorials! It has everything I need and more! I love the way I can create the artist feeling through editing my photos with Corel Paintshop Pro **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Nothing much, except that there seem to be so many editing options that I can't seem to locate them as easily as I would like. But I am learning. I just got the product and am using the free trial. Had it for close to a month. It's not expensive. I do love editing with it. It has the HDR, which I needed and the way I have repaired photos has been exceptional quality. I am able to produce the photo as I recall seeing it, and how it made me feel! **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** It's worth purchasing after the free trial. It's an excellent product. Producing wonder photographs. Be sure to watch the tutorials, as it offers many options for editing. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am trying to create a more profitable art and photography business. The quality makes me feel that my photos are ready to promote. ### 47. Easy to use **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Melissa N. | Photographer/Owner, Photography, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 16, 2016 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** As a lot of photography programs this one was easy to use. This program really is for the beginner. I loved starting out and working with this program. Paintshop Pro has the basics that is needed when it comes to working with different images. I will say that the simple to use aspect is the main thing that I loved about it. As I moved on with my work I can say that I outgrew the program. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** There was nothing that I did not dislike. It was something that was easy to use and learn photo manipulation on. I did move on and out grew the program, I wish it was something that would grow with you adding in different things about the program. However it is not and a downer. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** The only thing that I can really recommend with this platform is just to try it and see if it works for you. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Currently I have no real business problems to be solving. I as a professional photographer and owner of my business have found that I really have to keep up with the different programs and find what is best for me. It is something that is a little difficult to figure out when it comes with photography. ### 48. My Favourite Graphics Editing Software **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Internet | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 09, 2016 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** It's the interface. Lots of graphics editing programs have the same features but PSP has the interface that makes it easy and quick for me to accomplish the things that I need to do. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** The feature-set is very rich but some of the functionality can be a little overwhelming if you're just trying to quickly edit a photo for a web site. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use PSP primarily for web development and it's an ideal tool to allow me to quickly and easily create and edit the graphics that I need. ### 49. Paintshop Pro is great for Photos **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Government Administration | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 11, 2017 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** There are so many things you can do with Paintshop Pro with your photos that is so easy. It's like having Photoshop and Illustrator all in one program. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Nothing. I use the product at work and love it. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** I can make additions to my photos that I cannot do in Photoshop with Paintshop Pro ### 50. Easy and user friendly **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Erin D. | Design Consultant, Retail, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 18, 2016 **What do you like best about Paintshop Pro?** The ability to maneuver objects, making design the main focus. **What do you dislike about Paintshop Pro?** Wish the help desk was more informative. **Recommendations to others considering Paintshop Pro:** It's amazing. **What problems is Paintshop Pro solving and how is that benefiting you?** Room designs, has led me to focus on decorating rather than design. ## Paintshop Pro Discussions - [Will this program ever get a Mac version?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/will-this-program-ever-get-a-mac-version) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [What is Paintshop Pro used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-paintshop-pro-used-for) - 1 comment - [Is Corel PaintShop Pro free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-corel-paintshop-pro-free) - 2 comments - [Is PaintShop Pro as good as Photoshop?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-paintshop-pro-as-good-as-photoshop) - 1 comment - [Is PaintShop pro a subscription?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-paintshop-pro-a-subscription) - 1 comment - [View Paintshop Pro pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/paintshop-pro/reviews?page=4§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-09+12%3A35%3A13+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=a2cb0bba-0a49-45fc-a882-c957a9873282&secure%5Btoken%5D=ba49197dee9de4d3cabee62f7b3be99bde31fc633b064db46e30e9d57d267db4&format=llm_user) ## Paintshop Pro Features **Generative AI** - AI Text-to-Image - AI Text-to-3D - Photos/Images - Generative AI **Agentic AI - Photo Editing** - Cross-system Integration **Additional Functionality** - File Conversion - Image Editing - Real Time Editing - Social Sharing - File Management - Animations & Transitions - Watermarking - User Management - Presentation Tools - AI Copilot - File Sharing - Multiple Output Formats - File Storage - Customizable Templates - Task Management - Image Library - Collaboration Tools - Batch Processing - Project Management - API - Content Sharing - Content Import/Export - Drag & Drop - Pre-built Templates - Preview Functionality - Search/Filter - Image Protection - Media Management - Alerts/Notifications - Activity Dashboard ## Top Paintshop Pro Alternatives - [Adobe Photoshop Lightroom](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop-lightroom/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (3,241 reviews) - [GIMP](https://www.g2.com/products/gimp/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (1,438 reviews) - [Photoshop Elements](https://www.g2.com/products/photoshop-elements/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (789 reviews)