[ This page is in English EN version.] Aller vers la version française FR.

Paint.NET unofficial website.

FAQ

I click on the links to the official getpaint.net site/blog/forum, but it redirects to paint.net. Is that normal?

Yes.
Since the end of May 2026, the internet domain paint.net has finally become the property of dotPDN LLC, which manages the development of the Paint.NET software. And this automatic redirection was set up on the domain and the subdomains getpaint.net around the beginning of June 2026.

I would like to get a version of Paint.NET that is not offered for download on this site, but I need it for compatibility with an old plugin. Where can I find the other versions?

For the main plugin compatibility versions, any versions not offered before 3.0 won't be provided. I've already added the essentials. As for the rest, it has become impossible to find reliable executables. When in doubt, I won't put any older versions than the ones already on the site.

But for plugin compatibility from version 3.0 onwards, here are the 3 missing versions:

Paint.NET 4.0.21 [32/64 bits] Download v4.0.21 [32/64 bits] [minimums : 7 SP1 / 8 / 10]
[Obsolete] MD5: 554708DD5D9A00BEB9A26F87DE1AD6C1
[Obsolete] SHA-1: FEA0C08297E5928BB4CCBF75DB2EBC66AB46F280
SHA-256: 088A02864E8DAF807584FDD14BA3ED191979DB0AF301A318E7C1E8FC4C03DCBD
Paint.NET 4.1.6 [32/64 bits] Download v4.1.6 [32/64 bits] [minimums : 7 SP1 / 8 / 10]
[Obsolete] MD5: EDC4E3892747D80A52091BEDB17EE0F1
[Obsolete] SHA-1: CEB8114B062C6E7207B976927DDAC13131DEB810
SHA-256: D86DDC8071F67CC20121E97DB933B04182D30F64053FA4A1BCDBE71DD885A4E2
Paint.NET 4.2.16 [32/64 bits] Download v4.2.16 [32/64 bits] [minimums : 7 SP1 / 8 / 10]
[Obsolete] MD5: 5E4126E056AB7B69ABABC5141E7B671A
[Obsolete] SHA-1: 8CFE879819086F57534C6D460412E1F245588D06
SHA-256: AA4225D361B5CF28F59A6BA2E908DC16DCB9086D7849FC3489E4F0BBAF522DE1

Where can I download plugins for Paint.NET?

Not here for a long time (it's 2026 at the time of this response).
It's for two reasons:

• I haven't managed to install any myself. And even though a Plugin Manager has been planned for years, with no priority, I won't change my mind until this feature is released.
• And unlike Paint.NET, you're not automatically allowed to share Paint.NET plugins yourself. Plus, some other sites use that to sneak in viruses, so the Paint.NET developers are pretty cautious about it.

If I ever do it, it'll be under a few conditions, all of them non-negotiable for me:

• a built-in plugin manager in Paint.NET (the only thing holding it back on the list)
• put a link to the official plugin forum page for each plugin
• put the compatibilities and release date on my site's side
• Leave a permanent message saying that in case of a bug or incompatibility, you should check on the official Paint.NET forum, with the link I would have provided, to see if a plugin update is available in the meantime.

While waiting for the very unlikely arrival of plugins on this site, I already invite you to get/see them on the official Paint.NET forum:

• homepage of the plugins category in the official Paint.NET forum: https://forums.getpaint.net/forum/7-plugins-publishing-only/
• and the pinned topic who's trying to index all the Paint.NET plugins: https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/15260-plugin-index/

I'm checking the checksums, but I see that MD5 and SHA-1 are marked as obsolete. How do I check for SHA-256?

SHA-256 is available in the latest version (though no longer maintained since 2016 or 2017) of Hashtab (version 6.0.0.34). It's for Windows (and Mac OS if you look hard enough). It works very well with Windows 11. For Linux, or if you prefer software that's still maintained, there are competing programs to Hashtab.
Although Paint.NET only runs on Windows (emulations haven't been able to start the software since version 4.0), this kind of software can be useful for other downloads.

Regarding Hashtab and its closest competitors, this adds a tab in the detailed file properties, directly in the operating system interface (by right-clicking on the desired file and then Properties).

I can't install the latest version for my Windows.

There are lots of possible reasons. Here are the main ones known:

• The trickiest part is that the exact version of Windows isn't the only requirement. The hardware could also be at fault (processor, graphics card or processor graphics chipset for all versions of Paint.NET, and possibly storage technology for the recent versions of Paint.NET).
• The uninstallation of the old version went badly. You'll either need to first reinstall exactly this old version (I don't provide all the versions), or go through a portable version (I don't offer one and I don't even have one set aside).
• The installation executable file is incomplete, corrupted, or badly cracked. The control sums are there to check it, especially when it's with non-obsolete technology.