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PaintShop Pro

Corel's desktop photo editor, with seven AI tools and no subscription.

3.6 Design
3.6 Good 3.6

Bottom line: PaintShop Pro is a capable design tool, best known for AI Background Replacement and Portrait Mode.

A licence you own rather than a subscription No new version since PaintShop Pro 2023
Reviewed by Challenging Voice Editorial · Updated Aug 2026 How we rate
PricingFree Trial
Free planNo
CompanyCorel Corporation
PlatformsWindows
Best forDesign
Visits5
Last reviewedAug 2026
UpdatedAug 2026
Ask AI about PaintShop Pro ChatGPT Claude Perplexity

Overview

PaintShop Pro is Corel’s photo editing and graphic design suite, a desktop application rather than a browser tool. The Ultimate edition names seven AI features: Background Replacement, Portrait Mode, Style Transfer, Denoise, Artifact Removal, Upsampling and HDR Studio, sitting inside a full manual toolset with layers, masks, brushes and a wide import and export format list.

Buying it outright is the distinguishing feature now. Almost every competitor has moved to a subscription, and PaintShop Pro is still a licence you own, which for a hobbyist editing a few hundred photos a year is a materially different proposition from paying monthly forever. The AI tools handle the tedious end of the job – noise, compression artefacts, cutting a subject out of its background – while the manual tools remain there for the work that needs judgement.

It runs on Windows only. The current release is PaintShop Pro 2023 and Corel has not shipped a new version since, so the AI features reflect what was competitive three years ago rather than today. No pricing appears on the product page, only a free trial download, and a desktop-only editor means no browser access and no collaboration.

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

Screenshots & demo

PaintShop Pro screenshot 1

Pricing

Visit the PaintShop Pro website for current plans and pricing.

  • Pricing modelFree Trial
  • Starting priceCustom
  • Free planNo
Visit PaintShop Pro

Pricing is provided as a guide. Check the official site for the latest plans.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • A licence you own rather than a subscription
  • AI tools handle the tedious work without removing the manual ones
  • Free trial before buying

Cons

  • No new version since PaintShop Pro 2023
  • Windows only, with no browser access or collaboration
  • No pricing shown on the product page

How it compares

ToolRatingFreeFromBest known for
PaintShop Pro (this tool)3.6NoAI Background Replacement and Portrait Mode
Canva4.7Yes$15/moMagic Studio suite of AI design tools
Relume4.7Yes$26/moAI-generated wireframes and page structure from a prompt
Durable4.7Yes$25/moWebsite generation marketed at roughly 30 seconds

Alternatives to PaintShop Pro

4 tools our editors picked as direct alternatives to PaintShop Pro.

Our verdict

3.6 / 5 3.6

PaintShop Pro is a solid design tool, best known for AI Background Replacement and Portrait Mode.

What makes it different: PaintShop Pro stands out for AI Background Replacement and Portrait Mode.

How we score it
Overall 3.6
Value for money 4.2
Feature depth 4.9
Popularity 3.7
Best for ProfessionalsTeamsCreatorsCurious learners

Frequently asked questions

What is PaintShop Pro?
PaintShop Pro is a design tool listed in the Challenging Voice directory. Corel's desktop photo editor, with seven AI tools and no subscription.
Is PaintShop Pro free?
PaintShop Pro does not offer a free plan.
What are the best PaintShop Pro alternatives?
Popular alternatives to PaintShop Pro include ColorMagic, OutdoorBrite, and Phygital+. Browse them all in the Design category.
Is PaintShop Pro any good?
PaintShop Pro scores 3.6 out of 5 based on our editorial review.

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