How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Ledgebay and Masterpiece by Numbers lead on licensed artwork from named artists.
- Winnie's Picks and Number Artist are the strongest picks for custom photo kits, with 24, 36, or 48 colors and fast US shipping.
- Canvas by Numbers has the largest catalog here, with more than 900 kits and difficulty ratings for beginners.
- MiiCreative stands out on shipping terms, with free shipping worldwide and a 30-day refund policy.
- Paint Plot and Paint On Numbers suit buyers who care how a kit is made: hand-packed kits and human-reviewed designs.
- Expect about $27 to $35 for a standard stock kit, and about $35 to $43 for a basic custom photo kit.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Ledgebay | Buyers who want licensed artwork and a canvas that ships rolled, not folded | See website | No |
 Masterpiece by Numbers | Licensed artist designs with separate US and UK stores | From $34.95 | No |
 Winnie's Picks | Custom photo kits with 3-day US shipping | From $26.95 | No |
 Canvas by Numbers | The largest catalog, with difficulty ratings for every kit | See website | No |
 MiiCreative | Custom kits with free shipping worldwide | See website | No |
 Number Artist | US-based custom kits with a buy 2 get 1 free offer | From $29.95 | No |
 Paint Plot | Hand-packed kits from an Australian family business | See website | No |
 Paint On Numbers | Linen canvas kits with human-reviewed designs | From $29.99 | No |
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The best paint by numbers companies
#1
Ledgebay
Best for: Buyers who want licensed artwork and a canvas that ships rolled, not folded
Visit ledgebay.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Ledgebay sells direct from its own website, and the catalog is small on purpose: 39 designs, all licensed from original artists including Kim Norlien, the Hautman brothers, and Judy Buswell. That licensed range is the main reason to pick Ledgebay over a marketplace seller.
Shipping is the other detail Ledgebay gets right. The canvas ships rolled in a tube rather than folded into a box, so no creases run through the middle of the image. The paints are vacuum-sealed, every kit includes an 11 by 17 inch printed reference sheet, and most designs are available pre-stretched on a frame.
Custom kits are printed in the United States from a photo you upload. The honest limits are the small stock catalog and the lack of a store to buy from in person. For a subject outside the 39 designs, you will need a custom kit or another company here.
What we like- Licensed designs from named artists
- Canvas ships rolled in a tube
- Vacuum-sealed paints
- 11 by 17 inch reference print included
- Pre-stretched framing option
- Custom kits printed in the USA
Watch out for- Only 39 stock designs
- No retail store pickup
- Prices shown only on individual product pages
Starting priceFrom $34.95
Free planNo
Masterpiece by Numbers is built around licensed art, with a catalog covering animals, flowers, scenery, and classic paintings, many credited to the artist behind them. The company runs teams in Naperville, Illinois and St. Petersburg, Florida, and operates a dedicated US store alongside the main store, which lists prices in pounds.
On the US store, the most popular stock kits start from $34.95, while custom kits start from £54.95 on the main store. Stock kits include numbered acrylic paints, brushes, and a pre-printed canvas, backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That guarantee does not cover custom kits, which is normal for a made-to-order product.
The trade-offs are stock and currency. Popular designs sell out, and the main store defaults to pounds, so US buyers should shop the US store for dollar prices. For a licensed design rather than a generic image, this catalog is one of the strongest here.
What we like- Licensed artist designs
- US store with kits from $34.95
- Teams in Naperville, Illinois and St. Petersburg, Florida
- 100% satisfaction guarantee on stock kits
- Custom kits available
Watch out for- Satisfaction guarantee excludes custom kits from refunds
- The main store shows prices in pounds
- Some popular designs sell out
Starting priceFrom $26.95
Free planNo
Winnie's Picks is best known for custom kits. You upload a photo, pick a size and a color count, and the company converts the image into a numbered canvas with 24, 36, or 48 acrylic colors. Every custom kit ships with the canvas rolled in a tube, four brushes, sealed numbered paint pots, an A3 paper chart, and printed instructions.
Stock kits start from $26.95, the lowest starting price in this guide, and custom kits start from $42.95. Sizes run from 16 by 16 inches up to 27.5 by 55 inches. Shipping within the US takes about 3 days, with more than 60,000 painters worldwide and over 1,000 five-star reviews.
The limits are photo quality and price at the top end. A low-resolution or dark photo will not convert well, and the company asks for an image with the smallest side at least 750 pixels. A large 48-color custom canvas can cost well over $100, so check the price for your exact size first.
What we like- Stock kits from $26.95
- Custom kits from $42.95
- 3-day US shipping
- Sizes up to 27.5 by 55 inches
- 24, 36, or 48 color options
- Sealed paint pots
- A3 paper chart included
Watch out for- Large custom sizes cost much more than the starting price
- Custom photos must be high resolution, with the smallest side at least 750 pixels
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Canvas by Numbers has the biggest catalog in this guide, with more than 900 kits across themes from animals and flowers to famous paintings and seasonal designs. Every kit carries a difficulty rating of beginner, intermediate, or advanced, which helps first-time buyers avoid tiny sections and 48 colors on day one. Beginner kits use larger sections and fewer colors.
Each kit includes a pre-printed colored canvas, numbered acrylic paints, brushes, a reference sheet, and instructions. You can order the canvas rolled, pre-stretched on a wooden frame, or mounted on canvas board, in sizes from 16 by 20 inches up to 24 by 30 inches. Orders ship from California or Texas in 3 to 7 business days, with free shipping insurance and 30-day returns.
The main drawback is pricing transparency. The homepage lists no single starting price, so you must open a product page to see what a kit costs in your size. Custom kits are also a separate line, so a buyer who wants both a stock kit and a photo kit goes through two different flows.
What we like- More than 900 kits
- Difficulty ratings for beginner, intermediate, and advanced painters
- Ships from California or Texas in 3 to 7 business days
- Framed or board-mounted options
- 30-day free returns
- Licensed artwork
Watch out for- Prices vary by kit and size and are shown only on product pages
- Custom kits are a separate line from stock kits
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
MiiCreative is a custom-first company with a wide stock catalog behind it, covering animals, anime, flowers, galaxies, mandalas, meditation themes, kids designs, and movie themes, plus bundles and a custom art line. Each kit includes a pre-numbered canvas, acrylic paints, and three brushes in large, medium, and small sizes, with a color card and a reference sheet.
The shipping terms are the strongest in this guide. MiiCreative offers free shipping worldwide on every purchase, and custom kits take 5 to 7 days to produce, faster than the 1 to 2 weeks many custom sellers quote. The refund policy is clear: a full refund within 30 days if you change your mind, and a full refund if shipping exceeds 65 days.
The trade-off is delivery time outside the main shipping lanes. Free worldwide shipping does not mean fast shipping, and an international order can still take weeks in transit. Prices appear only on product pages. For buyers who want a custom kit shipped anywhere with no shipping fee, MiiCreative is hard to beat.
What we like- Free shipping worldwide
- 30-day refund policy
- 24-color acrylic set with 3 brushes
- Custom kits from your own photo
- 5 to 7 day production for custom kits
- Themed collections including kids, mandalas, and meditation
Watch out for- Prices shown only on product pages
- International delivery can take weeks even with free shipping
Starting priceFrom $29.95
Free planNo
Number Artist is a US company based in Covina, California, selling custom and stock paint by numbers kits. Each kit includes a numbered linen canvas, numbered paint pots, six brushes, a reference sheet, a numbered guide, and a color card, with framed and unframed options. Framed kits arrive ready to paint and hang, and the company says its framing costs roughly 40% less than local framing.
Pricing starts from $29.95, and a buy 2 get 1 free offer applies automatically at checkout, no code needed. New designs arrive regularly across animals, scenery, modern art, and seasonal themes. The 24-color option suits beginners, while 36 and 48 colors give more detail.
The honest drawback is review quality. Many buyers praise the rolled canvas, paint quality, and fast delivery, but others report that custom kits do not match photo colors well, and some report slow replies from support. Custom colors are computer generated, so a custom kit is a stylized version of your photo, not an exact copy.
What we like- US company based in Covina, California
- Kits from $29.95
- Buy 2 get 1 free with the discount applied automatically
- 24, 36, or 48 color options
- Six brushes per kit
- Linen canvas ships rolled
- Framed or unframed options
Watch out for- Mixed customer reviews on custom color matching
- Some buyers report slow communication and long waits
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Paint Plot is a family business run by Michael and Tova, with Michael's sister Beck also involved, and the company manufactures its own kits from a private facility. The team buys rights to artwork or commissions original pieces from artists, photographers, designers, and illustrators worldwide, then prints and packs each kit by hand one at a time.
The how-to guidance on the site is practical: start with the smallest areas, paint one color fully before moving on, let paint dry between colors, and photograph the blank canvas to recover areas painted over by mistake. Diamond painting kits are also available.
The limits are geography and catalog size. Paint Plot is based in Australia, so a US buyer should expect longer delivery than from the California or Texas shippers here. The catalog is also smaller than the 900-kit range at Canvas by Numbers. For buyers who value a family-run shop with direct control over quality, that trade-off is fair.
What we like- Manufactures its own kits
- Exclusive artwork from artists and photographers worldwide
- Kits printed and packed by hand one at a time
- Personal customer service from a family business
- Diamond painting kits also available
Watch out for- Based in Australia, so US delivery takes longer than domestic sellers
- Smaller stock catalog than the large US stores
- Prices shown on product pages only
Starting priceFrom $29.99
Free planNo
Paint On Numbers puts its kit materials front and center. Every kit uses a 100% pure linen canvas at 320 gsm, double-primed with archival gesso, plus ASTM D-4236 compliant acrylic paints and three professional brushes: a fine-detail round, a versatile filbert, and a broad flat brush, all with no-shed bristles and wooden handles.
Design quality is the second selling point. Every design is created by a human artist and manually reviewed for composition, clarity, and detail, never automated. Custom kits start at $34.99 and are reviewed by the company's artists before printing. Standard kits start from $29.99, shipping is free on orders over $75, and a buy 2 get 1 free offer applies.
The drawback is speed. Orders take 2 to 3 business days to process, and delivery then takes 7 to 10 business days across the US, so the total wait can reach two weeks. For a gift on a tight deadline, order early or pick a faster shipper here.
What we like- Standard kits from $29.99
- Custom kits from $34.99
- 100% pure linen canvas double-primed with archival gesso
- 3 professional brushes with no-shed bristles
- Every design reviewed by a human artist, never automated
- Free shipping on orders over $75
- Buy 2 get 1 free
Watch out for- Delivery takes 7 to 10 business days after processing
- Orders take 2 to 3 business days to process before shipping
How we chose
We started with companies that sell paint by numbers kits direct to US buyers and confirmed each one by opening its own website. A company made the list only if its homepage loaded, belonged to that company, and showed real kits. We checked kit contents, canvas material, color counts, sizes, framing options, prices, and shipping terms on the vendor's own pages. Where a price was not shown, we wrote "See website" rather than guessing.
How to pick the right paint by numbers company
Start with the subject, not the brand. For a licensed painting from a named artist, Ledgebay and Masterpiece by Numbers have the strongest catalogs. For your own photo, Winnie's Picks, MiiCreative, Number Artist, and Paint On Numbers all run custom lines, and color count matters more than brand: 24 colors is easier and faster, while 48 colors gives more detail and takes much longer.
Next, check how the canvas ships. A canvas rolled in a tube arrives flat and ready to stretch or frame, while a canvas folded into a small box arrives with creases that never fully come out. Ledgebay, Winnie's Picks, and Number Artist all ship rolled.
Then match the size to your patience. A 16 by 20 inch kit is a good first project, finished in a few relaxed sessions. A 24 by 30 inch kit or larger is a multi-week project with far more small sections. Beginners should look for difficulty ratings, which Canvas by Numbers publishes for every kit.
Finally, check shipping time against your deadline. Winnie's Picks ships within the US in about 3 days, Canvas by Numbers in 3 to 7 business days, and Paint On Numbers in 7 to 10 business days after processing. MiiCreative ships free worldwide but takes longer in transit, and Paint Plot ships from Australia. Order early for gifts, and close each pot fully between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What comes in a typical paint by numbers kit?
A standard kit includes a pre-printed canvas with numbered sections, numbered acrylic paint pots, brushes, a reference sheet, and instructions. Some kits add a color card, a hanging kit, or a paper chart. Framed kits add a wooden frame or a pre-stretched canvas.
How long does a paint by numbers kit take to finish?
A small beginner kit can be finished in 5 to 10 hours across a few sessions. A large 48-color kit can take weeks of evening sessions. Color count, canvas size, and section size matter more than the brand name.
Can I turn my own photo into a paint by numbers kit?
Yes. Winnie's Picks, MiiCreative, Number Artist, Paint On Numbers, Ledgebay, and Canvas by Numbers all offer custom kits from an uploaded photo. Use a high-resolution, well-lit photo with a simple background, and expect a stylized painting rather than an exact copy.
What size canvas should a beginner choose?
A 16 by 20 inch canvas is a good first size: large enough to show detail but small enough to finish without losing interest. Save sizes above 20 by 24 inches for a second or third project.
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Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.