Fresh Paint
Fresh Paint: A free, approachable painting app for Windows beginners and casual creators. Ranked #37 of 46 in Digital Painting Software by our editors (6.0/10); pricing: Free plan; best for beginners seeking simple traditional-media effects.
At a glance
- Editor score6.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forBeginners seeking simple traditional-media effects
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Layer supportYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free download and installation on Windows
- Oil, watercolor, pencil, pen, and wet-brush tools
- Layers, stylus input, and photo-to-painting workflows
Where it doesn't
- Available only on Windows
- Editing depth is limited for advanced workflows
- Focused on beginners and casual creators rather than specialists
Our verdict on Fresh Paint
Fresh Paint is a free Windows digital painting app from Microsoft for beginners, students, and casual creators. It combines blank canvases with oil, watercolor, pencil, and pen styles, plus adjustable brush sizes, custom color mixing, palette creation, and touchscreen or stylus input. The app also supports layered artwork, photo-to-painting workflows, and options to save, print, or share finished pieces. Its emphasis is on approachable traditional-media effects rather than a broad professional editing environment.
Pricing is straightforward: Fresh Paint is available as a free download and installation on Windows. The published offering does not split features across paid tiers, so there is no subscription decision or upgrade path to compare. Core capabilities include multiple painting styles, brush controls, wet-brush blending, paint-drying workflow, layers, and photo transformation. That combination gives beginners room to explore different techniques without adding a software cost, while still covering common creative outputs such as saving, printing, and sharing artwork.
Platform fit is the main boundary. Fresh Paint is designed for Windows, with touchscreen and stylus support suited to users who want a more direct canvas experience. Its traditional-media focus makes it a sensible pick for learning digital painting, experimenting with color, or turning photos into painted images. Creators who need deeper editing capabilities, broader platform coverage, or a more specialized digital painting environment should choose an alternative. Fresh Paint fits best when simplicity, free access, and familiar painting styles matter more than advanced workflow depth.
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Fresh Paint pricing
Fresh Paint fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Brush customization | Not verified |
| Layer support | Yes |
| Pressure sensitivity | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Windows |
| Color management | Not verified |
| Stroke stabilization | Not verified |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | apps.microsoft.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Fresh Paint
- KritaA broad, professional-grade painting toolkit with no paid plan and wide platform coverage.9.4
- Clip Studio PaintA broad digital art workspace spanning illustration, comics, 3D, animation, and cloud tools.9.3
- ProcreateA polished iPad painting workflow with broad creative tools and limited platform coverage.9.1
See all Fresh Paint alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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