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For flat pictures and photos, use Paint. It now has layers, one-click background removal and transparent PNG files, and Microsoft still updates it. Use Paint 3D only for 3D work: 3D shapes, the 3D library, stickers on models, turntable videos and GLB or 3MF files. Paint 3D gets no more updates.
Most comparisons of paint vs paint 3d were written years ago, when Paint was a bare-bones tool. That is no longer true. We opened the same photo in both apps on Windows 11 and checked every feature below.
The big difference: one is still updated
Paint 3D has been removed from the Microsoft Store and gets no further updates. The final build even shows a banner saying so when you start a new picture. Copies that are already installed keep working.
Paint is the opposite. It comes with Windows 11, and Microsoft keeps adding tools to it. Paint 3D is not included in new Windows 11 installs, so you have to install it yourself. Our Paint 3D download page has the final build.
This one difference shapes everything else. Any gap in Paint is likely to close over time. Any gap in Paint 3D is permanent.
Side by side
| Feature | Paint | Paint 3D |
|---|---|---|
| Still updated by Microsoft | Yes | No |
| Comes with Windows 11 | Yes | No, install it yourself |
| Layers | Yes | No |
| Remove a background | Yes, one click | Yes, with Magic select |
| Transparent PNG | Yes | Yes |
| Invert colors | Yes | No |
| AI tools | Copilot and Generative erase appear in the menus | None |
| Crop, resize, rotate and flip | Yes | Yes |
| 3D shapes and models | No | Yes |
| Online 3D model library | No | Yes |
| Stickers and textures | No | Yes |
| Export an animation (video or animated GIF) | No | Yes, MP4 and GIF |
| Save 3D files | No | GLB and 3MF |
| Open 3D files | No | 3MF, FBX, OBJ, STL, PLY, GLB |
Where Paint now wins
Layers
Paint has real layers now. Click Layers at the right end of its toolbar and a panel opens on the right. You can add, show, hide, duplicate and merge layers.
Paint 3D has no layers at all. Our page on whether Paint 3D has layers explains what it offers instead.
Background removal
Paint has a Remove background button in the Image group of its toolbar. It also sits in the right-click menu. It is one click, with nothing to set up.
Paint 3D's Magic select takes more steps. In return, its Add and Remove buttons let you mark parts of the cutout by hand. Our guide on how to remove a background in Paint 3D shows it in action.
Small edits
Paint's right-click menu holds the everyday edits in one place: crop, rotate, flip, resize, and an invert command. Resize has its own shortcut, Ctrl + W. Invert has Ctrl + Shift + I.
Paint 3D cannot invert colors at all. Our guide to inverting colors in Paint 3D shows the Paint route step by step.
AI tools
On our test PC, Paint showed a Copilot button and a Generative erase option in its menu. Paint 3D has nothing like either.
Where Paint 3D still wins
Anything in 3D
This is the reason Paint 3D exists. Its 3D shapes tab draws cubes, spheres and other objects. The 3D doodle tools turn a flat outline into a puffy or sharp-edged 3D shape. Paint has no 3D tools at all.
The 3D library
Paint 3D can still load ready-made models from its online library. Animals, cars, characters and more drop straight onto the canvas. Our guide to the Paint 3D 3D library shows what is in it.
Stickers and textures
Paint 3D can cover 3D objects with wood and other surface textures, and place stickers on models. Paint has no stickers.
Video and 3D files
Paint 3D can turn a 3D scene into a short MP4 or GIF with a turntable or other motion. It saves 3D models as GLB or 3MF, and opens FBX, OBJ, STL and PLY files as well. Paint handles none of this. Our guide to Paint 3D animation walks through the video export.
Which one should you use?
Pick by the job, not by habit.
- Editing a photo or screenshot: Paint.
- Cutting out an object quickly: Paint. Paint 3D's Magic select is there if you want to mark parts by hand.
- Working with layers: Paint.
- Making a transparent PNG: either works. Paint is quicker for photos.
- Making or viewing anything 3D: Paint 3D.
- A spinning product shot or a 3D GIF: Paint 3D.
You can also keep both. Open photos in Paint and switch to Paint 3D for the 3D jobs. Both are free, and they install as separate apps.
Old comparisons are out of date
Many comparisons you will find still say Paint has no layers and cannot remove a background. Some even list the transparent canvas as a reason to choose Paint 3D. That was true years ago. It is not true now. Paint gained layers, transparency and background removal in later updates, while Paint 3D stood still.
So when a page tells you Paint 3D is the better editor for flat pictures, check when it was written.
Installing and running them
Paint needs nothing from you on Windows 11. It is already there, and Windows keeps it up to date.
Paint 3D takes a little more work now that it has left the Store. You download the app package, open it, and let Windows install it. We run it on Windows 11, and the package supports Windows 10 from Windows 10 version 1709. It relies on two small Microsoft components being on the PC. Our guide on how to install Paint 3D covers each step and what to do if it fails.
Once installed, Paint 3D runs like any other app. Our test PC ran it without trouble on Windows 11.
Saving work you want to edit later
Paint 3D can save a Paint 3D project, which keeps your 3D objects separate so you can change them later. An image file flattens everything into one picture. If you build a scene in Paint 3D, save a project before you save the final picture.
For flat work in Paint, keep your layers in mind before you save a PNG or JPEG. Those image formats store one flat picture.
What about 3D after Paint 3D?
When Microsoft retired Paint 3D, it suggested 3D Viewer for 3D content. 3D Viewer has now been removed from the Microsoft Store as well. So for 3D on Windows, Paint 3D is still the simplest free option, even without updates. Our list of Paint 3D alternatives covers apps that are still maintained. The full story is in our page on what happened to Paint 3D.
FAQ
Is Paint 3D better than Paint?
Only for 3D. For photos, layers and quick edits, Paint is now the stronger app, and it is still updated.
Does Paint have layers now?
Yes. Click Layers at the right end of Paint's toolbar to open the layers panel.
Can Paint remove a background?
Yes. Click Remove background in the Image group of Paint's toolbar.
Can Paint open 3D files?
No. For 3MF, FBX, OBJ, STL, PLY and GLB files, you need Paint 3D or another 3D app.
Can I have both apps installed?
Yes. They are separate apps, and installing one does not remove the other.
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