Photoshop VS Paintshop Pro

I recently was asked what the difference was between Photoshop and Paintshop Pro was. Here is the answer I gave the lady that asked me.

The Difference Between Photoshop and Paintshop Pro


I've used PaintShop Pro and Photoshop and have developed courses for both, so I think I can give you a good answer to your question.

The difference between them is similar to comparing a Toyota Corolla to a Rolls Royce. Both are excellent cars, but one is very high end and the other will definitely suit your needs and get the job done.

But to make it even simpler, I'll break each one down so you can see the good, the bad and the ugly of both products.

If I were a seasoned professional working in an industry that needed high-end graphics done on a consistent basis, I would use Photoshop. Photoshop is the Rolls Royce of the graphics industry, hands down.

If I were working for a top advertising agency, or a top online magazine, of course I'd want the best program I could get, which is Photoshop.

Photoshop is so good, it's scary.

However, the price for using it can be scary too. If you buy it at the store, it's $700. If you use the Adobe Cloud, it's over $1000 over the course of a year. Not a cheap piece of software, but if you are a pro, it is well worth it.

So, if you are just a hobbyist you may be spending way too much money.

The Downside to Photoshop

The downside to using Photoshop is that you have to have skills. I once knew a lady that taught Photoshop for years and she said her knowledge base couldn't even scratch the surface of what you can do with it.

There is so much to the program, you could easily get overwhelmed. Also, every year you have to keep up with all the new updates the software gets. However, if you have to do similar tasks with it every day, you could learn exactly the skillset that you need to use the program.

How PaintShop Pro Compares

PaintShop Pro would be the Toyota in my car/graphics analogy.

Even though PaintShop Pro is a great graphics program, it isn't Photoshop. But, if you learn how to use it, you can still create some incredible graphics and photo editing with it.
First of all, PaintShop is much cheaper than Photoshop.

I got the latest version of it on Amazon for about $40 during a Christmas sale. Usually, it runs for around $70.

In my opinion, if you are running a small business, or are a student without a lot of money, I would highly recommend PaintShop.

The average Joe or Joleen does not need a Program that is super advanced. I have been able to use PaintShop for all the graphics on my blog, and I'll bet very few people can tell the difference between and image rendered in Photoshop and PaintShop on my site.

Even though you need to spend a little bit of time learning PaintShop, the curve is not nearly as steep as with Photoshop.

I've Taught PaintShop and It's Much Easier than Learning Photoshop.

I've been a technology teacher at a private school and I've taught 7th graders how to make fantastic images with PaintShop Pro. Because the program is so user friendly, the students can master it easily in a few weeks. (Of course, we only met an hour a day.)

We've created aliens, zombies, robots, space ships and a load of other projects that were pure fun. But serious business people and hobbyists can create great graphics with it as well.

So, there you have it. If you're a serious professional graphic artist that needs Photoshop, then go for it. However, if you are someone that is on budget or likes to do photo editing for fun, PaintShop Pro is the way to go.

God Bless!

Elmo