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Microsoft Paint vs Microsoft Photos

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

Microsoft Paint icon
Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Photos icon
Microsoft Photos

Microsoft Paint vs Microsoft Photos: The Verdict

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature Microsoft Paint Microsoft Photos
Sugggest Score
Category Photos & Graphics Photos & Graphics

Product Overview

Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Paint

Description: Microsoft Paint is a simple raster graphics editor that comes pre-installed with Microsoft Windows. It allows users to draw simple images, crop and resize images, and apply basic edits like rotating images and changing color palettes. Common uses are making simple diagrams, editing screenshots, and basic image manipulation.

Type: software

Microsoft Photos
Microsoft Photos

Description: Microsoft Photos is a free image viewing and basic editing app included with Windows 10. It allows users to view, organize, edit, print, and share photos and videos. Key features include automatic tagging using AI, basic fixes and enhancements, video editing tools, creative projects, printing, and integration with OneDrive.

Type: software

Key Features Comparison

Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Paint Features
  • Basic drawing tools (brush, pencil, eraser, etc)
  • Basic shape tools (rectangle, ellipse, etc)
  • Simple image editing tools (crop, resize, rotate, flip, etc)
  • Basic text insertion
  • Basic color palette editing
  • Saving images in common formats like JPEG, PNG, GIF
  • Opening and editing image files
  • Copy and paste images or parts of images
Microsoft Photos
Microsoft Photos Features
  • View photos and videos
  • Organize photos and videos into albums
  • Basic editing tools like cropping, rotating, red-eye removal
  • Automatic tagging of photos using AI
  • Creative projects like photo books, calendars, collages
  • Share photos via email, social media, OneDrive
  • Print photos
  • Video editing tools like trimming, adding music, text
  • Integrated with OneDrive for cloud storage and syncing

Pros & Cons Analysis

Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Paint
Pros
  • Simple and easy to use
  • Comes pre-installed on Windows
  • Good for basic image editing and drawing
  • Intuitive interface
  • Lightweight and fast
Cons
  • Very limited features compared to advanced editors
  • Lack of layers makes complex image editing difficult
  • Few advanced image manipulation tools
  • Can only edit flat images, no 3D or vector graphics
  • Saving can degrade image quality compared to source formats
Microsoft Photos
Microsoft Photos
Pros
  • Free with Windows 10
  • Intuitive and easy to use interface
  • Decent basic editing tools
  • AI-powered automatic tagging
  • Creative projects
  • OneDrive integration
  • Video editing capabilities
Cons
  • Limited advanced editing capabilities
  • Lacks manual tagging
  • No facial recognition
  • No geo-tagging
  • Limited sharing options
  • No third-party cloud storage integration

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