Design & Creative · Graphic Design

PaintTool SAI

PaintTool SAI is a Windows drawing program from SYSTEMAX in Tokyo, with a 31-day trial and then a 5,500 JPY Ver.1 software license.

Our take: SYSTEMAX states the trial, price and license terms plainly on its English site, and the main catches are the yen pricing, the no-return rule and Windows-only support.

Best forWindows digital drawing

ReviewedNov 2026Free Trial

5.75 criteria · see breakdown

Try PaintTool5,500 JPY per license after 31-day trial

PaintTool SAI is not free after its 31-day trial. SYSTEMAX Software Development Inc. of Tokyo, which makes the Windows drawing and painting program, sells a Ver.1 software license for 5,500 JPY including sales tax, priced in yen, with no time limit inside Ver.1.x.x (systemax.jp, read 5 November 2026). Ver.2 is listed as a technical preview that SYSTEMAX says will be a free upgrade for Ver.1 license holders.

The bottom line

Not free after a 31-day trial; the Ver.1 license is 5,500 JPY including sales tax, for Windows only.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isA Windows drawing and painting program from SYSTEMAX Software Development Inc. of Tokyo, sold as a software license after a 31-day trial, with Ver.2 in technical preview.

Our takeSYSTEMAX states the trial, price and license terms plainly on its English site, and the main catches are the yen pricing, the no-return rule and Windows-only support.

Its pages say little about features, so the trial is the way to judge fit.

Why we rate itClear trial and license terms and a promised free Ver.2 upgrade, held back by Windows-only support, yen pricing, a no-return rule and thin English documentation of features.

The catchPriced in yen, not returnable and Windows only; Ver.2 is still a technical preview.

Best / not good for

Best for

Windows users who want to try a drawing program for 31 days first
Pen tablet users
Buyers who prefer a license to a subscription

Not good for

Mac, Android or iPad users
Anyone who needs a refund option
Buyers who want a feature list and documentation before trying

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
A 31-day trial comes first; the email with download details for the license certificate follows as soon as SYSTEMAX confirms the order and payment.
Scale breakpoint
Pricing is per software license; the pages read state no seat or team pricing.
Walled garden
Windows only, and files use the .sai format; the pages read mention no integrations.

Still a fit?

If none of these block you, try it on the official site.

Try PaintTool

PaintTool SAI price and license terms (SYSTEMAX, in JPY)

Item	What SYSTEMAX states	Where
Trial	31 days; after it expires you need to purchase a software license to keep using PaintTool SAI, and the trial cannot be extended	Home page, FAQ
License price (Ver.1)	5,500 JPY including sales tax, per software license	Purchase summary
License period	No limitation in using this major version (Ver.1.x.x); minor upgrades within Ver.1.x.x are included	Purchase summary, home page
Currency	Priced in Japanese yen; PayPal and AXES Payment convert your currency automatically and the exchange rate always changes	Purchase summary
Payment methods	Credit card (VISA, MasterCard, JCB) through AXES Payment, and PayPal; the FAQ says orders from outside Japan are accepted by PayPal only	Purchase summary, FAQ
Delivery	By email, with the information for downloading the software license certificate, as soon as the order and payment are confirmed	Purchase summary
Returns	A software license is not returnable	Purchase summary
Ver.2	Free upgrade for Ver.1 license holders; Ver.2 is listed as a technical preview	Home page

From systemax.jp/en/, read on 5 November 2026. The price is the vendor's own figure in yen and is not converted here. The FAQ and the purchase summary list different payment methods for customers outside Japan, so check the purchase page.

Dated notices and releases on SYSTEMAX's English home page

Date	What the page says	Where
27 January 2025	PaintTool SAI Ver.1.2.6 Beta 3 is released	Development Room list
2 July 2026	The stable technical preview version of SAI Ver.2 is released	Development Room list
19 October 2026	The major renovated technical preview version of SAI Ver.2 is released	Development Room list
21 October 2026	The notice says the 'php2shell' PHP vulnerabilities were disclosed on this date, and that SYSTEMAX operates its site with a reduced scope and suspends services that rely on PHP, such as license purchases, license certificate downloads and changes to registered information	Site notice
28 October 2026	Services to resume in stages, starting with license certificate downloads and reissue of license information	Site notice update
30 October 2026	The purchase procedure for Ver.1 software licenses has resumed	Site notice update

From systemax.jp/en/, read on 5 November 2026. The notice can change at any time; the list shows what the page said on that date.

Who makes PaintTool SAI

The company page names the operator as SYSTEMAX Software Development Inc., established in August 2006, with its office at FOCO 102, 1-4-23, Kichijoji Higashi-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, and Koji Komatsu as president and CEO. Support is by email at support@systemax.jp, with business hours of 10:00 to 18:00 Japan time (GMT+9), closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Japanese public holidays.

SYSTEMAX's English pages are the vendor's own: https://www.systemax.jp/en/. Conversion Gems does not link to download pages or to third-party copies of the program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PaintTool SAI free?How much does PaintTool SAI cost?Is PaintTool SAI a one-time purchase?Is there a PaintTool SAI Ver.2, and is it free?Does PaintTool SAI run on Mac, Android or iPad?Can I buy a PaintTool SAI license right now?

Is PaintTool SAI free?

No, not after the trial. SYSTEMAX says PaintTool SAI has a 31-day trial and that to keep using it afterwards you need to purchase a software license. Its FAQ says the trial cannot be extended, that expiry restricts saving and loading, and that making entire pictures with an expired trial is against the Software License Agreement. SYSTEMAX's own site is https://www.systemax.jp/en/ (checked 5 November 2026).

How much does PaintTool SAI cost?

SYSTEMAX lists the PaintTool SAI Ver.1 software license at 5,500 JPY including sales tax, per license. The price is set in Japanese yen: PayPal and AXES Payment convert your currency automatically and SYSTEMAX says the exchange rate always changes, so this page does not convert it. The purchase summary lists credit card (VISA, MasterCard, JCB) and PayPal, while the FAQ says orders from outside Japan are accepted by PayPal only (checked 5 November 2026).

Is PaintTool SAI a one-time purchase?

SYSTEMAX sells it as a software license with no time limit inside Ver.1.x.x, and the pages read describe no subscription. The license covers minor upgrades within Ver.1.x.x, and SYSTEMAX says it is not returnable. Its FAQ says you do not buy again after changing PC or reinstalling Windows, because the same license number and download password fetch a new license certificate (checked 5 November 2026).

Is there a PaintTool SAI Ver.2, and is it free?

Ver.2 is listed as a technical preview, and SYSTEMAX says it will release Ver.2 as a free upgrade for Ver.1 license holders because it has cancelled improvement of Ver.1. Its Development Room list shows a stable technical preview of Ver.2 on 2 July 2026 and a major renovated technical preview on 19 October 2026. The English pages read state no separate Ver.2 price or full-release date (checked 5 November 2026).

Does PaintTool SAI run on Mac, Android or iPad?

SYSTEMAX's FAQ says SAI only works on Windows and that there is no development plan for a Macintosh version. The English pages read do not mention an Android, iPad or Linux version.

Can I buy a PaintTool SAI license right now?

Yes for Ver.1, according to SYSTEMAX's English home page, which says the Ver.1 purchase procedure resumed on 30 October 2026. It had suspended services that rely on PHP, including license purchases, after the 'php2shell' PHP vulnerabilities disclosed on 21 October 2026, and updated the notice on 28 and 30 October. The notice can change, so check https://www.systemax.jp/en/ before you plan around it (checked 5 November 2026).