Freedom251 › Digital Painting Software
Paintbrush
What Paintbrush is
Paintbrush is a free paint program for macOS, made for quickly creating and editing simple images. It can open and save BMP, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and GIF files, with transparency supported for PNG and GIF. Its example tasks include cropping photos, adding text to images, and doodling. You can also paste images copied from common Mac applications, including Microsoft Office and Apple iWork. Paintbrush is open source, and its maker invites contributors to submit patches. The maker describes it as a straightforward tool rather than a replacement for Adobe Photoshop or other high-end image editors. The listed Paintbrush plan costs nothing. The downloads page lists version 2.6 for OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or higher, plus versions 2.1.2 for Mac OS X 10.5 or higher and 1.2 for Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. Donations are voluntary, and the site provides a Contact Us link.
Who it suits
Paintbrush suits Mac users who need a free tool for simple image edits such as cropping, adding text, or doodling. It is not intended as a replacement for high-end image editors.
What it does well
- Opens and saves five listed image formats
- Supports transparency in PNG and GIF
- Pastes images from common Mac applications
- Completely open source
- Free plan listed as free
What to know first
- Requires macOS
- Not intended to replace high-end image editors
- Latest listed download requires OS X 10.10 or higher
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Paintbrush | Completely open source · macOS app | Free |
As paintbrush.sourceforge.io lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Paintbrush website
- Open the downloads page
- Choose Paintbrush 2.6 for OS X 10.10 or higher
- Choose an older listed version if using Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.4
- Download the macOS application
Verdict
Paintbrush covers basic image tasks on macOS, including cropping, text, doodling, and handling several common formats. Its stated scope is simple image work, rather than high-end editing.
Questions
How much does Paintbrush cost?
The Paintbrush plan costs nothing, and the app is free.
Which platforms does Paintbrush support?
Paintbrush supports macOS.
Is Paintbrush open source?
Yes. The maker describes it as completely open source and invites contributors to submit patches.
What image formats does it support?
It opens and saves BMP, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and GIF files. PNG and GIF support alpha-channel transparency.
What is the latest listed version?
The downloads page lists Paintbrush 2.6, requiring OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or higher.
Can users donate or request support?
Voluntary donations can start on the website or from Paintbrush’s Donate menu. The official site also provides a Contact Us link.
Facts from Paintbrush's own pages
- Clipboard
- It can paste images copied from common Mac applications, including Microsoft Office and Apple iWork. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Donations
- The maker says donations are voluntary and appreciated, and can be initiated from the website or from Paintbrush's Donate menu. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Editing tasks
- The maker describes cropping photos, adding text to images, and doodling as example uses. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2007 · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 28 Sept 2026
- Image formats
- It can open and save BMP, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and GIF images. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Latest listed download
- The downloads page lists Paintbrush 2.6 and says it requires OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or higher. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Older versions
- The downloads page lists version 2.1.2 for Mac OS X 10.5 or higher and version 1.2 for Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Open source
- The maker says Paintbrush has always been and will always be completely open source, and invites contributors to submit patches. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Positioning
- The maker says the app is not intended to replace Adobe Photoshop or other high-end image editors. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Paintbrush is a simple paint program for macOS intended for quickly making simple images. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Support channel
- The official site provides a Contact Us link in its footer. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Transparency
- It supports transparency in alpha channel formats, currently PNG and GIF. · paintbrush.sourceforge.io, 11 Oct 2026
Where Paintbrush stands on Freedom251
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