GIMP photo editor main window with toolbox, canvas, and layers dock visible while editing a photo.
GIMP photo editor window with toolbox, canvas, and layers dock during a retouch session. GIMP UI · The GIMP Team / gimp.org / GNOME/gimp · GPL-3.0 (official screenshots from gimp.org).

By Photo editor editorial team · Last verified [date] · Current release [tag]

Install with winget

A photo editor on this path is GIMP, a local Windows raster editor. Package id in Windows Package Manager is GIMP.GIMP.

winget install -e --id GIMP.GIMP

That identifier sits in microsoft/winget-pkgs. InstallerType inno. InstallerUrl points at the current gimp-*-setup.exe family on recent manifests for x64. Related: how to install winget, winget guide, for this computer.

Install with the official setup.exe

Download the current gimp-*-setup.exe from official downloads. Run the installer. Releases map: releases.

After install

Open GIMP, open a short photo, and export once. First hour: installed. First run: photo-editor-first-run. Safety: is-photo-editor-safe.

Quiet checklist

Confirm App Installer or plan the official setup.exe door first. Keep one sample export in a folder you control. Prefer the same update door later so shortcuts stay honest. Skip Softonic-style wrappers that rename the setup before the official file arrives.

Editorial stamps inject the live release tag from the build feed when present. Body copy still says the current release rather than freezing a screenshot number. Licence text stays on gimp.org COPYING for GIMP.

Licence and update habits

Upstream licence text is GPL-3.0 family on the official site. Winget locale language matches that free software story for the desktop Windows build. Prefer one install door per PC so Start Menu shortcuts stay honest after upgrades.

When App Installer is missing, install it from Microsoft, reopen Terminal, and retry the documented command. When fleet policy wants a manual setup.exe, take it from the same official downloads line winget already wraps.

Stop if a page asks you to disable SmartScreen for an unknown publisher before the official package arrives. Return to gimp.org/downloads or the documented winget identifier instead of stacking repair utilities.

Sample then deepen

Keep the first photo editor pass short. Open a disposable JPEG, crop once, and Export As. Change layers only when the sample needs a second pass you can undo. Large composites can wait until one export looks right.

Related cluster pages cover releases, GitHub source overview, download-safe habits, for-this-computer mapping, vs Picsart, image editor wording, and AI photo editor prompts. Home keeps the Windows install command with a Copy control.

When something fails

If GIMP is missing from Start, confirm the setup finished and avoid downloading a second renamed installer. If export looks wrong, reopen the project file rather than stacking JPEG on JPEG. Safety and first-run guides deepen those checks without inventing competitor prices.

Frequently asked questions

How do I install on Windows?

Run winget install -e --id GIMP.GIMP or run the current setup.exe. Related: winget howto . Prefer winget id GIMP.GIMP or the current gimp-*-setup.exe from gimp.org/downloads. Confirm App Installer when winget is missing, then retry the same command on Windows. Skip Softonic-style wrappers that rename the setup.

setup.exe or winget?

Both deliver the same Windows setup.exe family. chooser . Prefer winget id GIMP.GIMP or the current gimp-*-setup.exe from gimp.org/downloads. Confirm App Installer when winget is missing, then retry the same command on Windows. Skip Softonic-style wrappers that rename the setup.

Do I need an account?

No. The free open-source desktop path does not require an account. Prefer winget id GIMP.GIMP or the current gimp-*-setup.exe from gimp.org/downloads. Confirm App Installer when winget is missing, then retry the same command on Windows. Skip Softonic-style wrappers that rename the setup.