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There is no single app that replaces everything Paint 3D did. Pick by job. For quick picture edits, use Paint, which is already on Windows 11. For blur and background swaps, use Photos. For bigger 2D work, try paint.net, GIMP or Krita. For simple 3D, use Tinkercad in your browser. For serious 3D, use Blender. All of these are free.
Paint 3D mixed three things in one app: a simple photo editor, a drawing tool and a beginner 3D modeler. That is why most lists of Paint 3D alternatives feel wrong. They name one app that is great at one of those things and poor at the rest. We split it by job instead.
Quick picks
| What you used Paint 3D for | Best free replacement | Runs on |
|---|---|---|
| Crop, resize, text, quick fixes | Paint | Windows 11 |
| Removing a background | Paint | Windows 11 |
| Blurring a background | Photos | Windows 11 |
| Layers and heavier photo edits | paint.net or GIMP | paint.net: Windows. GIMP: Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Drawing and painting | Krita | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android |
| Photo edits without installing | Photopea | Any browser |
| Simple 3D shapes | Tinkercad | Any browser |
| Rooms, furniture, ready-made models | SketchUp Free | Any browser |
| Serious 3D, animation, rendering | Blender | Windows, Mac, Linux |
The apps, one by one
Paint (already on Windows 11)
The first place to look is the app you already have. Classic Paint has grown a lot. It now has layers, a one-click Remove background button, transparent PNG files, and an invert command. On our test PC it also showed a Copilot button and a Generative erase option.
For most flat picture jobs, Paint now does what Paint 3D did, and it still gets updates. Our comparison of Paint vs Paint 3D goes feature by feature.
Best for: everyday edits, cutouts, simple layered work. Not for: anything 3D.
Photos (already on Windows 11)
The Photos app has a Background tab with Blur, Remove and Replace. Paint 3D never had a blur at all. Photos also has crop, adjustments, filters, markup and an erase tool.
Best for: background blur, quick photo fixes. Not for: drawing or 3D.
paint.net
paint.net is a free image editor for Windows. It has layers, unlimited undo and a wide set of effects. It sits between Paint and a full pro editor. There is an optional paid version in the Microsoft Store, which supports the developer, but the free download is the full app.
Best for: Windows users who want more than Paint without a steep learning curve. Not for: Mac users, or 3D.
GIMP
GIMP is a free, open-source image editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. It is powerful, with layers, masks, selections and filters for serious photo work. It takes longer to learn than Paint or paint.net.
Best for: detailed photo editing on any computer, including Linux. Not for: quick jobs, or 3D.
Krita
Krita is a free, open-source painting app for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. It is built for drawing and painting, with a large set of brushes and full layer support.
Best for: people who used Paint 3D's brushes for art and coloring. Not for: photo cutouts or 3D models.
Photopea
Photopea is a photo editor that runs in a browser tab. It is free, paid for by ads, with an optional plan that removes them. It has layers and masks, and opens Photoshop PSD files.
Best for: school or work computers where you cannot install apps, and Chromebooks. Not for: 3D.
Tinkercad
Tinkercad is a free 3D design tool from Autodesk that runs in a browser. You build objects from simple shapes, much like Paint 3D's 3D shapes tab. It exports STL and OBJ files, which Paint 3D can also open.
Best for: beginner 3D and simple 3D printing projects. Not for: painting or photo editing.
SketchUp Free
SketchUp Free is the free browser edition of SketchUp. It is aimed at rooms, furniture and buildings. It connects to 3D Warehouse, a large library of ready-made models, which is the nearest thing to Paint 3D's old community model site. It exports SKP, PNG and STL files.
Best for: room layouts, furniture and building models. Not for: cartoon-style models or 2D work.
Blender
Blender is the most capable free 3D app there is. It is open source, free for any use, and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. It models, sculpts, paints, animates and renders. Paint 3D's turntable video is a few clicks in Paint 3D and a full project in Blender, but Blender can go much further.
Best for: anyone ready to learn real 3D. Not for: a five-minute job.
Matching Paint 3D's main features
| Paint 3D feature | Where to find it now |
|---|---|
| Magic select | Remove background in Paint, Remove in Photos |
| Transparent canvas and PNG | Paint, paint.net, GIMP, Krita, Photopea |
| Stickers and textures | Krita brushes for 2D. Blender materials for 3D |
| 3D doodle | Tinkercad for simple shapes. Blender for sculpting |
| 3D library | 3D Warehouse in SketchUp Free |
| Animation export (MP4, GIF) | Blender |
| 3D file export | Blender exports GLB. Tinkercad and SketchUp Free export STL |
Two apps that are no longer options
3D Viewer. When Microsoft retired Paint 3D, it named 3D Viewer as the place for 3D content. 3D Viewer has since been removed from the Microsoft Store as well.
3D Builder. Microsoft's 3D printing app is no longer supported and was removed from the Microsoft Store too.
Both may still run on PCs that already have them. Neither can be recommended to someone starting fresh.
By computer
- Windows 11: start with Paint and Photos. Add Blender for 3D.
- Windows 10: Paint and Photos exist here too, but some newer Paint tools may be missing. paint.net and Blender fill the gaps.
- Mac: Preview for quick edits, Krita for painting, Blender for 3D. Our page on Paint 3D for Mac has more.
- Chromebook or locked-down PC: Photopea and Tinkercad in the browser. See Paint 3D online.
- Linux: GIMP, Krita and Blender all run on Linux.
Each app sets its own minimum system. Check its download page for your version of Windows or macOS.
Or keep using Paint 3D
If Paint 3D does what you need, you do not have to switch. The final build still installs and runs on Windows 11. It will not get updates, but for simple 3D work few free tools are as quick to learn. Get it from our Paint 3D download page.
FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Paint 3D?
It depends on the job. For flat pictures, Paint on Windows 11. For 3D, Tinkercad to start and Blender to go further.
Is there a Paint 3D alternative with Magic select?
Yes. Paint on Windows 11 has Remove background, and Photos has Remove in its Background tab.
What replaced Paint 3D on Windows 11?
Microsoft pointed people to Paint and Photos for 2D and 3D Viewer for 3D. 3D Viewer has since left the Store too.
Is there a Paint 3D alternative for Linux?
Yes. GIMP, Krita and Blender all run on Linux, and Tinkercad works in any Linux browser.
What app is most like Paint 3D?
For 3D, Tinkercad feels closest, because you build from simple shapes. For 2D, Paint on Windows 11.
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