When comparing VSCO vs Paint.NET, the Slant community recommends VSCO for most people. In the question“What are the best photo editing apps” VSCO is ranked 2nd while Paint.NET is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose VSCO is:
You can set up exposure, aperture, focus, warmth, brilliance, shutter speed, etc. before taking the shot. In other words, while there are great photo editing tools and filters available with maximum customization for creating great pictures, this is one camera app that is actually more of a camera app than a filter app.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro In-camera professional photography tools
You can set up exposure, aperture, focus, warmth, brilliance, shutter speed, etc. before taking the shot.
In other words, while there are great photo editing tools and filters available with maximum customization for creating great pictures, this is one camera app that is actually more of a camera app than a filter app.
Pro 15 in app tools
This app has many of the tools users expect and more. These include exposure, temperature, contrast, saturation, sharpening, and more.
Pro Option to tap any part of the screen to take a photo
With VSCO cam, a mode can be selected where a photo can be taken by touching anywhere on the screen, not just one specific button.
Pro In-app camera roll
The VSCO camera roll can be kept separate from the primary one, or combined.
Pro Adjustable filter intensity
Any filter can be applied on a scale of 1-12 and filters can be applied in layers over each other.
Pro Very clean feeling interface
The VSCO cam has a minimalistic approach to the interface. The color scheme is mostly black and grey, and many buttons don't have labels.
Pro Optional social network
VSCO Cam has an in-app sharing platform, but it doesn't force users to join. For those who opt in, the experience is much like Instagram but without spammy likes or ads.
Pro Social media integration
VSCO Cam integrates with Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and G+ for quick sharing.
Pro Easy to learn and use
Unlike most photo editing software, Paint.NET is simple to learn and easy to use. This means less time is spent learning the in's and out's of Paint.NET and more time on photo editing. For those who only edit photos sporadically and don't have time to invest in learning complicated tools for editing, Paint.Net will suit your needs.
Pro Free software
There is no charge for this software; but donations are welcomed.
Pro Lightweight
Paint.net provides a streamlined but effective core tool set. Support for advanced and niche features is provided through modular plugins, allowing the user to install only what's needed.
Pro Actively developed
The project is active and being continually expanded and refined.
Pro Active and friendly community
The forums are filled with tutorials, as well as people who are friendly and eager to help.
Pro Plugins allow extra functionality
Plugins can be made by anyone in the community, and are offered for download on the forum. They extend the capabilities of Paint.NET to cover most tasks.
Pro HiDPI support
Paint.NET supports fully HiDPI displays, with no scaling problems.
Cons
Con Lack of direction
Instead of doing a great job at one thing, this app spreads the focus over a number of mediocre features. Overall, everything is good, but this app doesn't stand out.
Con Only available on Windows
Paint.NET is only available on Windows.
Con No project-based interface
You can only edit a single image at a time in Paint.NET. For example, in other tools you can open 5 or a 100 images at the same time, and stack those windows in all directions.
Furthermore, when you are editing in Paint.NET you can only "view" a single image at a time, even though you can have multiple images open. This limits your zooming ability, as the image will go fullscreen quite quickly, and hide parts of it behind the floating toolbars which can not be embedded anywhere on the screen.