Art

Tux Paint

Free, open-source drawing software designed for children ages 3 to 12 with an easy interface and creative tools.

Overview

Tux Paint is a free drawing program for children ages 3 to 12, featuring a simple interface, sound effects, and a cartoon mascot guiding users. It supports multiple platforms and offers numerous drawing and special effect tools to encourage creativity.

Updated Oct 22, 2026

10 things

What Tux Paint has

Apps

iOS
Android
Windows
macOS
Linux
NetBSD
OpenBSD

For developers

Source code is publicly available for anyone to inspect, modify, or self-host.

Extras

Pre-built starting points you can edit to fit your own needs.
An educational resource that explains a topic and helps readers build their knowledge.

10 features

Key Features

Computer literacy activity
Tux Paint is used in schools around the world as a computer literacy drawing activity.
Easy-to-use interface
It combines an easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who guides children as they use the program.
Drawing canvas
The drawing canvas is a fixed size, so the user doesn't need to worry about 'pixels' or 'inches' when making a new picture.
Screen display
The entire program fits on a screen as small as 640x480, and can be displayed full-screen, to hide the computer's underlying 'desktop' interface.
Image library
Loading and saving of images is done using thumbnails, so no knowledge of the underlying operating system's filesystem structure is needed. Even filenames are unnecessary.
Image export
Images can be exported from Tux Paint (e.g., to your "Pictures" folder).
Tux tips
A cartoon version of Tux, the Linux penguin, appears at the bottom to give tips, hints and information.
Translation
Parts of Tux Paint have currently been translated into the following languages: (129)
Custom content
Stamps, starters and brushes are stored using popular open formats (PNG, SVG, Ogg Vorbis, etc.) allowing parents and teachers to create their own content for use at home or in the classroom - even using completely free tools.
Save location
The directories/folders where Tux Paint saves and/or exports files may be changed. This can allow saving pictures in a student's home directory on a network drive or shared drive, rather than locally on one particular workstation.

Pros and cons

Pros

Completely free and open-source with no advertisements.
Designed specifically for young children with an intuitive interface.
Supports a wide range of platforms including desktop and mobile.
Includes a large variety of creative tools and special effects.
Parental and teacher controls allow customization for educational settings.

Cons

Canvas size is fixed, limiting flexibility for advanced users.
Interface and features are geared towards children, less suitable for professional use.
No explicit pricing plans or commercial support available.
Limited advanced image editing features compared to professional software.
Some features may require learning or configuration by adults for best use.

You?

Be the first to rate Tux Paint

Your review helps others make better decisions. No account needed. Takes about 10 seconds.

Featured Video

See Tux Paint at work before you try it.

Watch on YouTube

0 questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Community reviews

Write a review

No written reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.

Community reviews

Write a review

No written reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.

10 things

What Tux Paint has

Apps

iOS
Android
Windows
macOS
Linux
NetBSD
OpenBSD

For developers

Source code is publicly available for anyone to inspect, modify, or self-host.

Extras

Pre-built starting points you can edit to fit your own needs.
An educational resource that explains a topic and helps readers build their knowledge.

10 features

Key Features

Computer literacy activity
Tux Paint is used in schools around the world as a computer literacy drawing activity.
Easy-to-use interface
It combines an easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who guides children as they use the program.
Drawing canvas
The drawing canvas is a fixed size, so the user doesn't need to worry about 'pixels' or 'inches' when making a new picture.
Screen display
The entire program fits on a screen as small as 640x480, and can be displayed full-screen, to hide the computer's underlying 'desktop' interface.
Image library
Loading and saving of images is done using thumbnails, so no knowledge of the underlying operating system's filesystem structure is needed. Even filenames are unnecessary.
Image export
Images can be exported from Tux Paint (e.g., to your "Pictures" folder).
Tux tips
A cartoon version of Tux, the Linux penguin, appears at the bottom to give tips, hints and information.
Translation
Parts of Tux Paint have currently been translated into the following languages: (129)
Custom content
Stamps, starters and brushes are stored using popular open formats (PNG, SVG, Ogg Vorbis, etc.) allowing parents and teachers to create their own content for use at home or in the classroom - even using completely free tools.
Save location
The directories/folders where Tux Paint saves and/or exports files may be changed. This can allow saving pictures in a student's home directory on a network drive or shared drive, rather than locally on one particular workstation.

Pros and cons

Pros

Completely free and open-source with no advertisements.
Designed specifically for young children with an intuitive interface.
Supports a wide range of platforms including desktop and mobile.
Includes a large variety of creative tools and special effects.
Parental and teacher controls allow customization for educational settings.

Cons

Canvas size is fixed, limiting flexibility for advanced users.
Interface and features are geared towards children, less suitable for professional use.
No explicit pricing plans or commercial support available.
Limited advanced image editing features compared to professional software.
Some features may require learning or configuration by adults for best use.

You?

Be the first to rate Tux Paint

Your review helps others make better decisions. No account needed. Takes about 10 seconds.

Featured Video

See Tux Paint at work before you try it.

Watch on YouTube

0 questions

Tux Paint

Overview

What Tux Paint has

Apps

For developers

Extras

Key Features

Computer literacy activity

Easy-to-use interface

Drawing canvas

Screen display

Image library

Image export

Tux tips

Translation

Custom content

Save location

Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Be the first to rate Tux Paint

Featured Video

Frequently Asked Questions

What Tux Paint has

Apps

For developers

Extras

Key Features

Computer literacy activity

Easy-to-use interface

Drawing canvas

Screen display

Image library

Image export

Tux tips

Translation

Custom content

Save location

Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Be the first to rate Tux Paint

Featured Video

Frequently Asked Questions

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