PaintShop Pro vs CorelDRAW: Which Corel Product to Gift?
Both are made by Corel, but they solve completely different problems. One edits photos, the other creates vector designs. Here is how to pick the right one.
PaintShop Pro Ultimate
Photo Editing
Choose PaintShop Pro when: You're gifting to a photographer, photo enthusiast, or anyone who edits raster images (photos, digital paintings). Best for RAW editing, retouching, and photo enhancement at a one-time price.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Vector Design
Choose CorelDRAW when: You're gifting to a graphic designer, logo creator, or marketing professional. Best for vector illustrations, logos, branding, print layout, and typography work.
Wait -- What Is the Difference Between Photos and Vectors?
Raster/Photo Editing (PaintShop Pro)
Works with pixels -- the tiny dots that make up photos and digital images. When you zoom in far enough, you see individual squares. Best for photography, retouching, and image enhancement.
Vector Design (CorelDRAW)
Works with mathematical shapes -- lines, curves, and fills that scale to any size without losing quality. A logo made in CorelDRAW looks crisp on a business card and a billboard. Best for logos, branding, and print design.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | PaintShop Pro | CorelDRAW |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 one-time ✓ | $249/yr or $549 perpetual |
| Primary Use | Photo editing & retouching | Vector graphics & design |
| Best For | Photographers, photo hobbyists | Graphic designers, branding |
| RAW Photo Editing | ✓ (Full support) ✓ | — |
| AI Photo Enhancement | ✓ (Denoise, upscale, remove) ✓ | Basic via PHOTO-PAINT |
| HDR Support | ✓ ✓ | — |
| Layer-Based Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vector Design | Basic shapes only | Industry-leading ✓ |
| Logo Design | — (Not suited) | Excellent ✓ |
| Typography | Basic text tools | Advanced (variable fonts, path text) ✓ |
| Multi-Page Layout | — | ✓ (Master pages) ✓ |
| Print Preparation | Basic | Professional (CMYK, Pantone) ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | — | ✓ ✓ |
| Included Apps | PaintShop Pro + bonus plugins | CorelDRAW + PHOTO-PAINT + PowerTRACE + Font Manager |
| Learning Curve | Moderate ✓ | Steeper |
| Gift Delivery | Instant (license key) | Instant (download link) |
*Data verified February 2026 from official websites (paintshoppro.com, coreldraw.com) and user reviews.
PaintShop Pro Ultimate: The Photoshop Alternative
PaintShop Pro is Corel's answer to Adobe Photoshop -- a full-featured raster image editor at a fraction of the cost. It handles everything from basic photo corrections to advanced compositing, with AI-powered tools that automate complex tasks.
What Sets PaintShop Pro Apart
- One-time purchase pricing: $79.99 once versus Photoshop's $22.99/month ($275/year). After 3.5 months, PaintShop Pro has already paid for itself compared to Photoshop.
- AI-powered tools: AI Background Replacement removes and replaces backgrounds in seconds. AI Denoise cleans up high-ISO images. AI Artifact Removal fixes JPEG compression artifacts. AI Upsampling enlarges images without blur.
- RAW editing: Full Camera RAW lab with support for hundreds of camera models from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and others.
- HDR photography: Merge multiple exposures into stunning HDR images with tone mapping and ghost removal.
- Batch processing: Apply edits to hundreds of photos at once -- essential for event photographers and product shooters.
- Graphic design tools: Create social media graphics, web banners, and marketing images with text, shapes, and templates.
PaintShop Pro Considerations
- Windows only: No Mac version. Mac users need to look elsewhere.
- Not for vector work: Basic shape tools exist, but PaintShop Pro is not a vector design tool. Logos created here will not scale cleanly to billboard size.
- Plugin ecosystem: Smaller than Photoshop's. While PaintShop Pro supports many Photoshop plugins, not all are compatible.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite: The Design Professional
CorelDRAW is a complete design suite built around vector graphics -- the scalable, resolution-independent format used for logos, branding, signage, and print materials. It includes multiple applications covering vector design, photo editing, font management, and bitmap-to-vector tracing.
What Sets CorelDRAW Apart
- Vector design excellence: Create logos, icons, and illustrations that scale from a favicon to a billboard without losing quality. Pen tool, node editing, and bezier curves offer precise control.
- Complete suite: Includes CorelDRAW (vector), PHOTO-PAINT (raster editing), PowerTRACE (auto-vectorize bitmaps), and Font Manager Pro. One purchase covers most design needs.
- Professional typography: Variable font support, OpenType features, text on path, artistic text, and paragraph text with full formatting control.
- Print production: Full CMYK workflow, Pantone color matching, PDF/X-4 export, bleed marks, and color separations for professional print output.
- Multi-page documents: Create brochures, catalogs, and booklets with master pages, page numbering, and table of contents.
- Cross-platform: Available on Windows, Mac, iPad, and web. More versatile than PaintShop Pro's Windows-only limitation.
CorelDRAW Considerations
- Significantly more expensive: $249/year or $549 perpetual -- 3-7x the cost of PaintShop Pro.
- Not a dedicated photo editor: While PHOTO-PAINT is included, it is not as comprehensive as PaintShop Pro for RAW editing, HDR, or AI-powered photo enhancement.
- Steeper learning curve: The breadth of features can be overwhelming for beginners. It takes real time investment to become proficient.
The Key Question: Photos or Designs?
Gift PaintShop Pro to:
- Photographers -- RAW editing, retouching, and enhancement
- Photo hobbyists -- AI tools make complex edits simple
- Budget-conscious editors -- $79.99 one-time, no subscription
- Social media creators -- Quick edits and basic graphic design
- Anyone leaving Photoshop -- Similar workflow at 70% lower cost
Gift CorelDRAW to:
- Graphic designers -- Professional vector and layout tools
- Logo and branding specialists -- Scalable vector design
- Print professionals -- CMYK, Pantone, prepress tools
- Small business owners -- Create marketing materials in-house
- Design students -- Industry-standard tool for portfolios
Price Comparison
PaintShop Pro Ultimate:
- $79.99 one-time purchase (own forever, no subscription)
- Equivalent to about 3.5 months of Adobe Photoshop
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite:
- Subscription: $249/year
- Perpetual license: $549 one-time (updates for one year)
PaintShop Pro wins on price by a wide margin. At $79.99, it is a low-risk gift that anyone can appreciate. CorelDRAW's higher price ($249-549) reflects its broader professional capabilities, but it is a bigger commitment. For casual or hobbyist recipients, PaintShop Pro is the safer choice. For design professionals, CorelDRAW's investment is justified.
Can They Do Each Other's Job?
There is some overlap, but not enough to substitute one for the other:
- PaintShop Pro for design? It can create simple social media graphics and add text to images, but it cannot produce scalable logos, multi-page brochures, or professional print files. For design work, it is a workaround, not a solution.
- CorelDRAW for photos? PHOTO-PAINT (included in the suite) handles basic photo editing, but it lacks PaintShop Pro's AI tools, RAW processing depth, and HDR capabilities. For serious photo editing, it is a stopgap, not a replacement.
The bottom line: these tools are designed for different workflows. If you are unsure which the recipient needs, ask yourself: do they take photos (PaintShop Pro) or create designs (CorelDRAW)?
Our Final Recommendation
If they edit photos: Go with PaintShop Pro Ultimate. At $79.99 one-time, it is an incredible value for professional-grade photo editing. The AI tools make it accessible to beginners while offering enough depth for experienced photographers. It is the best gift for anyone with a camera.
If they create designs: Go with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. It is the industry standard for vector graphics, logos, and print design. The higher price reflects professional-grade capabilities that will serve a designer for years. If budget is a concern, the $249/year subscription avoids the larger $549 upfront cost.
If they do both: Start with PaintShop Pro ($79.99) and add CorelDRAW later. PaintShop Pro handles the most common need (photo editing) at a much lower price. If they discover they need vector design capabilities, CorelDRAW can be added to their toolkit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are PaintShop Pro and CorelDRAW made by the same company?
Yes, both are made by Corel Corporation. PaintShop Pro is their photo editing software (competing with Photoshop), while CorelDRAW is their vector design suite (competing with Adobe Illustrator). They serve different purposes and different user types.
Can PaintShop Pro create logos?
Technically, you can create simple graphics in PaintShop Pro, but it is not designed for logo design. Logos need to be vector-based to scale cleanly at any size. PaintShop Pro works with pixels (raster images), so logos will become blurry when enlarged. For proper logo design, use CorelDRAW.
Does CorelDRAW include photo editing?
Yes, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite includes PHOTO-PAINT, a raster image editor. However, PHOTO-PAINT is less capable than PaintShop Pro for dedicated photo work. It handles basic retouching and corrections, but lacks PaintShop Pro's AI tools, advanced RAW processing, and HDR capabilities.
Which one works on Mac?
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite works on both Windows and Mac. PaintShop Pro is Windows-only. If the recipient uses a Mac, CorelDRAW is the only option of the two. For Mac photo editing specifically, consider alternatives like Pixelmator Pro or Affinity Photo.
Can I buy both together for a discount?
Corel does not typically bundle PaintShop Pro and CorelDRAW at a discount. However, since CorelDRAW includes PHOTO-PAINT (a photo editor), purchasing CorelDRAW alone gives you both vector design and basic photo editing capabilities in one package.