Paintstar is a great free program that lets the user process photographs and edit them their liking. This image editing software looks similar to others in that it has many tools to use in order to change an image in a funky and fun way or to make the image look nicer with various editing effects. The program's look is a little flawed however, it looks very outdated compared to other photo and image software out there. Despite its updates, it does not change the interface, which is a base gray and blue color with solid icons.

Some of its vast editing options include gradient changes, cutting tools, a pencil and marker tool that allows you to draw on the image, and a mixture of different patterns. Most of these options are extremely useful, especially if you're a professional image editor that is looking for a solid freeware program. Not only can you retouch personal photographs, but you can also take screen captures and morph images. Paintstar also has an airbrush tool that lets you smooth over your images to keep them looking flawless.

The only issues with this extensive program is that it doesn't have the best looking layout and appears clunky. Many of the tools can also be found in other photo editing software and some of the patterns used are quite outdated. Despite these minor nitpicks, Paintstar works wonderfully well for being free and it supports layers, paths, and alpha. This useful software will also not overrun your computer and is light and easy to use even for beginners.