Corel PaintShop Pro

Corel PaintShop Pro is a Windows desktop application for photo editing, graphic design, image organization and screenshot annotation. The official product pages describe PaintShop Pro 2023 as a subscription-free product with standard and Ultimate editions.

Its workflow includes separate Manage, Adjust and Edit capabilities, plus customizable workspaces. The software supports layers, masks, vector drawing, RAW files, batch processing, scripts, HDR composition and content-aware editing.

Corel Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. The company acquired Jasc Software in 2004, bringing PaintShop Pro into the Corel product portfolio.

PaintShop Pro includes conventional photo adjustments for exposure, contrast, color, sharpening, noise reduction, white balance, curves and tonal levels. It also provides retouching, lens correction, scratch removal and perspective correction tools.

AI-assisted functions include AI Upsampling, AI Denoise, AI Artifact Removal, AI Style Transfer, AI Background Replacement and AI Portrait Mode. Availability can vary by product version and hardware configuration.

The application supports layers, masks, text, vector shapes, brushes, templates, filters, effects and photo compositing. Its 2023 feature set added Focus Stacking, an enhanced Frame Tool, AfterShot Lab, real-time blend-mode previews and Snap to Objects.

For workflow automation, PaintShop Pro provides scripts and batch processing. Users can apply repeated edits, resizing, framing or watermarking operations across multiple images.

PaintShop Pro supports PSD files, Adobe Photoshop brushes and 64-bit third-party plugins. The official product page specifically references compatibility with plugins from Adobe, Topaz Labs and Nik Collection by DxO.

PaintShop Pro uses a one-time purchase model rather than a recurring subscription. The official individual product pages currently document PaintShop Pro 2023 and PaintShop Pro 2023 Ultimate, but do not expose a standard US retail price in the publicly indexed page content.

Corel’s business licensing page lists PaintShop Pro from $63.99 USD per unit for organizations purchasing one to 24 licenses. Larger purchases can receive volume discounts.

A 30-day free trial is available. The trial download requires installation and an internet connection for authentication and online features.

Pros:

• One-time licensing avoids a mandatory recurring subscription.
• Combines photo editing, graphic design and image organization tools.
• Includes RAW, HDR, batch-processing, scripting and content-aware workflows.
• Supports PSD files, Photoshop brushes and third-party plugins.
• Offers AI-assisted enhancement and background-editing features.

Cons:

• Officially documented support is limited to Windows.
• The current publicly indexed product pages still center on the 2023 release.
• Some independent reviewers report slower performance with large files.
• Its interface and feature breadth can require more learning than simpler photo editors.
• No public developer API was identified in the official product or help documentation reviewed.

Adobe Photoshop is a broader professional image-editing alternative with Windows, macOS and web access, extensive ecosystem support and subscription licensing.

Affinity Photo is a desktop photo editor aimed at users seeking advanced raster editing without Adobe’s subscription model.

GIMP is a free, open-source image editor available for Windows, macOS and Linux. It provides strong customization but has a less guided workflow.

CyberLink PhotoDirector combines photo organization, editing, retouching and AI-assisted tools for consumer and enthusiast workflows.

Does PaintShop Pro run on macOS?
Official system requirements list Windows 10 and Windows 11, 64-bit editions. A native macOS version was not identified.

Is PaintShop Pro subscription-based?
No. Corel presents PaintShop Pro as subscription-free and licenses it through a one-time purchase.

Is there a free version?
Corel provides a 30-day free trial. The official pages do not identify a permanently free edition of PaintShop Pro.

Does PaintShop Pro support RAW files?
Yes. Corel states that the documented 2023 version supports RAW files from more than 800 camera models.

Does PaintShop Pro have an API?
No public API was identified in the official product pages, help materials or deployment documentation reviewed. The software does provide scripting and batch-processing features.

What integrations does it support?
Documented interoperability includes PSD import and export, Adobe Photoshop brushes, 64-bit third-party plugins, and plugins from vendors including Topaz Labs and Nik Collection by DxO.