Pixia review
A capable free Windows painting tool with layers, pressure support, and PSD compatibility.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Pixia is free raster painting software and a graphics editor for digital artwork on Windows. It is aimed at artists who want full-color painting, pressure-sensitive tablet support, layered compositions, customizable brushes, and PSD compatibility without a paid plan. The current English edition is distributed in 32-bit and 64-bit variants, with versions listed for Windows 8 through 11. Its feature set covers both painting and image-editing workflows, including masks, alpha channels, selections, transparency tools, gradients, textures, and Bezier paths.
The strongest part of Pixia is the range of controls available within its free plan. Artists can build layered artwork with layer modes, masks, and alpha channels, then refine images with color and tone correction tools. The brush system is customizable and extendable, while built-in painting, blur, rub, dodge, burn, clone, noise, and stir tools support varied raster workflows. PSD opening and saving also gives Pixia a practical place in workflows that exchange layered files. The published plan structure is straightforward: the Free plan includes full-color painting as a Windows application.
Pixia’s main trade-off is platform coverage. The current downloadable product documentation reviewed here is for Windows, so artists seeking a painting application across other desktop or mobile platforms should choose a different tool. Pixia also has no AI features and is not open source, which may matter to buyers looking for AI-assisted workflows or software they can modify. Pick Pixia if free Windows painting, pressure support, layered artwork, and PSD file handling are the priorities; look elsewhere if cross-platform availability or AI capabilities are essential.
Pixia pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Supports pressure-sensitive tablets and layered artwork
- Opens and saves PSD files
- Offers customizable brushes, masks, filters, and correction tools
- Where it doesn't
- Available as a Windows application only
- No AI features
- Focused on a single free plan
Pixia fact sheet, pricing and score →
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