PaintShop Pro vs Photopea (2026): Pricing, Features & Which to Choose

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

Lower starting price
Not comparable
Not comparable: PaintShop Pro does not list a price
Free plan
Photopea
Only Photopea has one
Higher rating
Photopea
3.6 against 4.2
Same job?
Yes
Both are Design tools

Side by side

Compared on	PaintShop Pro	Photopea
Our rating	3.6	4.2Better
Starts at	Not listed	Free
Free plan	No	YesBetter
Category	Design	Design
Plans	See pricing	Free
Key features	AI Background Replacement and Portrait Mode AI Denoise, Artifact Removal and Upsampling AI Style Transfer and AI HDR Studio Full manual editing with layers, masks and brushes Broad import and export format support including AI, EPS and PSD	One-click AI background removal AI replacement of any part of an image from a text description Layers, masks, blending, curves, filters, liquify and puppet warp Opens PSD, PNG, JPG, RAW, SVG and 40+ other formats Runs in the browser with images processed on the device
Pros	A licence you own rather than a subscription AI tools handle the tedious work without removing the manual ones Free trial before buying	Free to use with no download Opens Photoshop PSD files and dozens of other formats AI cutouts and replacements sit beside full layer-based editing
Cons	No new version since PaintShop Pro 2023 Windows only, with no browser access or collaboration No pricing shown on the product page	Plan, price and AI usage limits could not be confirmed beyond a free claim Browser-based, so performance depends on the device AI features are described only briefly on the homepage
Company	Corel Corporation	Photopea

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20261006. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is PaintShop Pro better than Photopea?

In our reviews PaintShop Pro scores 3.6 and Photopea scores 4.2. The better pick depends on the job. PaintShop Pro: Corel's desktop photo editor, with seven AI tools and no subscription. Photopea: Free browser-based photo editor that works with PSD, RAW, SVG and 40+ other formats, with AI for one-click background removal and for replacing any part of an image from a text description.

Which is cheaper, PaintShop Pro or Photopea?

PaintShop Pro: see pricing. Photopea: free.

Do PaintShop Pro and Photopea have free plans?

Only Photopea has a free plan.

More comparisons

PaintShop Pro compared with

All PaintShop Pro alternatives

Photopea compared with

All Photopea alternatives