Most people who search for photo editing software on a PC are not trying to retouch a magazine cover. They need to crop a picture, make it small enough to upload, remove a messy background from a product shot, put text over an image, and save it in a format a website accepts. Four free tools cover almost all of that on Windows: GIMP, Paint.NET, Microsoft Photos and Photopea.
This guide does not rank them on a score. It puts each one through the same four everyday jobs: crop and resize for the web, clean up a background, work in layers, and export. It uses each tool’s own documentation or official site for what it can do, and it says plainly where we could not confirm something. If you are weighing paid software as well, our wider roundup of photo editing software covers the field, and the list of AI photo editors covers tools built around automation. Here we stay with the four free ones.
The four tools in one paragraph each
GIMP
GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. Its official site describes it as a free and open source image editor, available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows and other systems, and says it provides tools for photo manipulation, original artwork and graphic design. It is installed on your PC, and it is the most capable of the four for deep editing. It is also the one with the most menus to learn.
Paint.NET
Paint.NET describes itself as image and photo editing software for PCs that run Windows. Its site lists support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects and plugins, and offers a free download. It also lists a Windows Store version that you can buy to support development. It is designed to be quick to learn, and it sits between the basic Paint app and a full editor.
Microsoft Photos
Photos is Microsoft’s own app for viewing and organising pictures. The Microsoft Store lists it as a free download for Windows. Its store description says you can view, edit and compare images, and mentions AI editing tools powered by Microsoft Designer, including Generative Erase and Background Blur. It is the fastest to open, and the least like a full editor. The store listing does not mention layers.
Photopea
Photopea is an image editor that runs in your web browser. Its site calls it a free online photo editor and says there are no uploads: it runs on your device and files do not leave it. It supports layers, masks and the PSD format, and opens a long list of formats, including PNG, JPG, GIF, WEBP, AVIF and HEIC. It needs no installation, and works on any computer with a modern browser.
The same four jobs in each tool
The table below summarises what we confirmed from official sources. Details follow.
| Job | GIMP | Paint.NET | Microsoft Photos | Photopea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crop | Crop tool | Crop to Selection | Check the Edit view in your version | Crop tool, or Image then Canvas Size |
| Resize for the web | Image, then Scale Image | Image, then Resize | Check in your version | Image, then Image Size |
| Background cleanup | Foreground Select and selection tools | Magic Wand and Erase Selection | Background Blur and Generative Erase, per the store listing | One click AI background removal, per its site |
| Layers | Yes | Yes | Not mentioned in the store listing | Yes, with masks and smart objects |
| Native project format | XCF | PDN | None listed | PSD |
| Installed or browser | Installed | Installed | Installed | Browser |
| Cost | Free | Free download on the site | Free | Free per its site |
Job one: crop and resize for the web
Nearly every web upload needs this. The goal is an image at roughly the size it will display, not a full resolution file straight from a camera or phone.
GIMP. The GIMP manual has a tutorial called Change the Size of an Image for the screen. You open the image, choose Image, then Scale Image, and enter the width you want. By default GIMP changes the other dimension proportionally, so the picture does not stretch. The manual says the unit that matters for screens is the pixel, that resolution values are for printing and have no effect on how large the image appears on a monitor, and that common screen sizes run from 600 pixels for simple phones to 1920 pixels for an HD screen. For cropping, the manual describes the Crop tool: click and drag a rectangle, adjust its corners and edges, and confirm. The tool options include a fixed aspect ratio, which helps when you need a specific shape.
Paint.NET. The program has an Image, then Resize command, and a Crop to Selection command under the Edit menu, both of which appear in its published change log. Select the area you want with the rectangle select tool, crop to it, then resize. Check the resampling option in the resize dialog if edges look soft.
Photopea. The Photopea learning pages describe Image, then Image Size for scaling, and the Crop tool or Image, then Canvas Size for cropping. They also give a shortcut for a quick resize: open the file, choose File, then Export As a JPG, enter the new size and save.
Photos. The store listing says you can edit images but does not itemise the controls. Open a picture on your PC and look at the editing options in your version to see whether crop and resize are available. If you cannot find a resize option, do that step in one of the other three.
Choosing the target size
The right pixel width depends on where the image will appear. For a blog post, it is the width of your content column, or twice that if you want sharp images on high density screens. If you publish to WordPress, our guide to what size image to use on WordPress lists typical dimensions, and the guide to image formats for WordPress explains when to use JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF.
Job two: remove or tidy a background
Background work ranges from blurring a messy room to cutting a product out onto transparent. The four tools take different approaches.
GIMP: Foreground Select. The manual describes the Foreground Select tool as letting you extract the foreground from the active layer or from a selection. Once the selection is made, you can copy it onto another image, or invert it to change the background. The manual warns that the tool needs a lot of memory, so on a large photograph it can be slow. For precise edges, GIMP also offers other selection tools and layer masks.
Paint.NET: Magic Wand. The Paint.NET documentation explains how the Magic Wand works. It selects pixels of similar colour, controlled by a tolerance setting. There are two flood modes, contiguous and global. Holding Shift temporarily switches to global mode. You can add to or subtract from a selection with different selection modes. After selecting the background, Edit, then Erase Selection clears it. The change log notes that Erase Selection fills with transparent black. This works best on pictures with a plain background and clear edges, such as a product on a white sheet.
Photopea: one click AI removal. The Photopea home page lists “Remove background with one click” among its AI features, and also mentions replacing parts of an image from a text description. As with any automatic cutout, zoom in on the edges, particularly hair and glass, and tidy them with a mask.
Photos: blur and erase. The store listing mentions Background Blur and Generative Erase, which are AI tools powered by Microsoft Designer. Blurring a background and cutting one out are different jobs, so Photos may suit a portrait with a distracting backdrop but not a product cutout. Availability of AI features can depend on your device and Microsoft account, so check your own version.
Keeping the transparency
A cutout only stays transparent if you save it in a format that supports transparency. GIMP’s documentation says JPEG does not support transparency, and that when you export to JPEG the transparent areas are filled with the background colour, white by default. Save cutouts as PNG, or as WebP or AVIF where your website accepts them. If you want help from dedicated tools for this, see our list of free AI background removal tools.
A cleaner cutout, whichever tool you use
- Work on a copy of the original, never the only file.
- Zoom to 100 percent or more to check edges.
- Use a slightly soft edge rather than a razor sharp one if the cutout looks pasted on.
- Test the cutout against a dark and a light background before you export. Fringes show up on the colour you did not use.
Job three: layers
Layers are separate sheets stacked on top of each other, so you can move text, shapes and images independently without damaging the photo underneath. You need them for a banner with text, a collage, or any edit you may want to change later.
GIMP has layers and layer masks. Its manual says the native XCF format is the only one that stores everything about an image. Other formats keep some properties and lose others, so work in XCF and export a copy.
Paint.NET lists layers among its features and describes them as a stack of transparency slides. Its native format is PDN, which supports layers. Save a PDN as your master and export a PNG or JPEG copy for the web.
Photopea supports layers, masks, layer styles, smart objects and adjustment layers, according to its site. PSD is its main format. All files you open are converted to PSD while you work, and you export to other formats at the end.
Photos is not a layer based editor, and the store listing does not mention layers. If your task involves text over an image or combining pictures, use one of the other three.
Keep the master
Whatever you pick, save the layered file next to the exported one. A year from now, when you need to change the text on a banner, the layered master lets you do it in a minute. An exported JPEG does not.
Job four: export formats
A tool that edits well but cannot save the format your website needs creates extra steps.
GIMP exports through File, then Export. Its manual says it reads and writes a large variety of graphics formats, and that exporting does not change the image you are working on. The current manual includes export pages for formats such as JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, HEIF and WebP. Check your installed version’s export dialog to see exactly what it offers.
Paint.NET lists support for PNG, JPEG, JPEG XL, AVIF, HEIC, WebP, JPEG XR, BMP, GIF, TIFF, DDS, TGA and its own PDN format, and says support for more file types can be added with plugins.
Photopea opens many formats, including PSD, PNG, JPG, GIF, WEBP, AVIF, HEIC and RAW files from several camera brands. For saving, its learning pages describe File, then Export As, with options such as PNG and JPG, and mention SVG and PDF among other formats. Open the Export As menu to see whether WebP and AVIF are offered in your session.
Photos has editing and saving options that we could not confirm from an official source for this guide. Open a picture and look at what the save and export options show.
For websites, JPEG, PNG and WebP cover most needs. See the guide to image formats for WordPress for which to choose.
What each tool is like to use
Features are only half of it. How a tool feels determines whether you finish the job.
| Question | GIMP | Paint.NET | Microsoft Photos | Photopea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How fast to learn? | Slowest. Many tools and menus | Fast | Fastest | Medium |
| Install needed? | Yes | Yes | Comes from the Microsoft Store | No |
| Works on other systems? | Yes: Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows only | Windows only | Any system with a browser |
| Best at | Deep retouching and selections | Quick edits with layers | Light touch ups and organising | Layered work without installing |
| Trade off | Interface can overwhelm a new user | Fewer advanced features | No layers listed | Needs a browser |
Privacy and where your files go
GIMP, Paint.NET and Photos run on your machine. Photopea runs in the browser, and its site says images are processed on your device and not uploaded. If your pictures contain anything sensitive, read the site’s privacy policy yourself and decide whether that is enough for you.
Cost
GIMP is free software. Paint.NET offers a free download, with an optional paid Windows Store listing that supports the developer. Photos is listed as free. Photopea describes itself as free. Free status and plans can change, so check each official page when you choose. If a tool shows adverts or offers a paid plan that you want, you will see it on the site.
Which one to pick
| If you want | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| To crop, resize and move on | Photopea, or Paint.NET | Both are quick, and neither needs a long setup |
| To retouch carefully or cut out difficult edges | GIMP | Selection tools and layer masks give the most control |
| To add text and shapes over a photo | Paint.NET or Photopea | Layers, with a gentler learning curve than GIMP |
| To tidy a holiday photo or blur a backdrop | Microsoft Photos | Already on the PC, with simple controls |
| To work on a borrowed or locked down PC | Photopea | Runs in a browser without installing |
| To open a PSD from a designer | Photopea | PSD is its main format |
| To produce WebP or AVIF files directly | Check each tool’s export list | Support differs by tool and version |
A sensible combination
Many people end up using two. Photos for quick fixes, because it is already there. Paint.NET or Photopea for layered work. GIMP when the job needs fine selections. You do not have to commit to one.
A workflow for website images
- Copy the original into a folder called originals, and never edit it.
- Crop to the shape you need, using a fixed aspect ratio if your design has one.
- Resize to the display width, or twice that for sharper images on high density screens.
- Clean the background if needed, on a separate layer or a copy.
- Add text or shapes on their own layers.
- Save the layered master in the tool’s native format.
- Export as JPEG for photographs, PNG for graphics and cutouts, or WebP where your site supports it.
- Name the file with words that describe it, such as blue-ceramic-mug.jpg, and write alt text when you upload.
- Check the file size and the look of the image on a phone before publishing.
Where free tools stop
All four are good for everyday work. You may outgrow them if you need heavy batch processing, colour managed print workflows, or tight integration with a team’s shared assets. In that case, look at the paid options in the software roundup linked at the top. Until then, free tools do the jobs above without a subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Which free photo editor for Windows is best for beginners?
Microsoft Photos is the simplest, because it comes from the Microsoft Store and has the least to learn, but it lacks layers according to its store listing. Paint.NET is a good next step: it is quick to learn and has layers. Photopea is also approachable and needs no installation.
Is GIMP really free?
Yes. The GIMP site describes it as free software that you can change and share under its licence. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. The time cost is learning it, because it has more tools than the others.
Can Paint.NET remove a background?
Yes, with manual tools. The Magic Wand selects areas of similar colour, and Erase Selection clears them. It works best on plain backgrounds. We did not find a one click background remover in Paint.NET’s official pages.
Is Photopea safe to use with my own photos?
Photopea’s site says the editor runs on your device, that there are no uploads, and that files never leave it. That is the developer’s statement, not something we tested. If your images are sensitive, read its privacy policy and decide for yourself.
Which tool exports WebP?
Paint.NET lists WebP among its supported formats, and GIMP’s manual includes a WebP export page. Photopea opens WebP files, and its Export As menu shows what you can save. Because support depends on your version, open the export options and check.
Do I need layers for simple edits?
Not for cropping, resizing or brightening a photo. You need layers when you add text, combine images, or want to change something later without redoing the whole edit. If you expect to revisit a design, work in layers and keep the master file.