A painter fills numbered sections of a custom portrait canvas beside the printed seaside travel photo it was made from
You come home from a trip with a few hundred photos, and the best one never leaves your camera roll. Maybe it’s a sunset from a Caribbean beach, your dog asleep on a hotel bed, or your grandmother laughing at a family table. Custom paint by number turns that single frame into a slow, hands-on project, and the finished canvas ends up on a wall rather than buried in a phone.
The catch is that the companies behind these kits aren’t equal. We compared four that turn your own photo into a numbered canvas, judging them on photo handling, color detail, guarantees and price.
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What to Look for When Choosing a Custom Portrait Kit
Start with how the photo is handled. A service where a person reviews and adjusts your image will usually produce a better face than one that runs it straight through an automated filter. Faces are unforgiving; a slightly off eye ruins hours of painting.
Next, check the color tiers. Kits typically come in 24, 36 or 48 colors, and more colors mean softer shading but also tinier numbered sections. For a simple pet portrait, 24 is often plenty. For a detailed face, go higher.
Then read the refund policy before you pay. Personalized kits can’t be resold, so some companies refuse returns on them. Finally, look at where the kit ships from, since a made-to-order kit sent from overseas can add weeks to your wait. Prices generally start around $30 and climb past $100 for large canvases, though they change often, so confirm on each site.
1. NumberArtist
NumberArtist custom kit page
NumberArtist is our top pick for paint by number portraits, mainly because an in-house artist reviews each uploaded photo before it becomes a kit. That human step helps faces keep their proportions, which is where most automated services stumble.
It suits portraits of people and pets, and it works well as a gift because you can send a photo without any design skills. One honest caveat: the quality of your result depends on the source image, so upload a sharp, well-lit photo and check the design preview carefully before you order.
2. MiiCreative
MiiCreative website
MiiCreative focuses on turning your own photos into kits and offers three detail levels, with 24, 36 or 48 colors. According to its site, shipping is free worldwide and a 30-day guarantee applies. The tiered approach is helpful if you want to match difficulty to your patience. Beginners can pick the simpler tier, while experienced painters can go for the real-like option with finer shading.
3. Canvas by Numbers
Canvas by Numbers website
Canvas by Numbers is an established retailer that says more than 200,000 people have painted with its kits. Its custom kit starts around $39.95 according to its site. The brand is a safe choice if you value a long track record and straightforward sizing and framing options over specialist photo editing.
4. Paint Me Like
Paint Me Like website
Paint Me Like has one of the lower entry prices on this list, with custom kits starting near $29.99 and a free online generator that previews your design. The tradeoff is clear: its site states that personalized kits can’t be returned. That makes it a better fit if you’re confident in your photo and want to keep costs down.
Why the Hobby Is Worth Making Room For
A finished paint by number terrier portrait in an oak frame hanging on a textured plaster living room wall beside a linen sofa
Painting by numbers has become a real market. Growth Market Reports estimated the global paint-by-numbers kit market at USD 1.67 billion in 2025, with growth of about 7.1% a year forecast through 2034. The appeal isn’t only the finished piece.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London reported in Nature Mental Health in 2025 that group arts activities, including painting, reduced depression and anxiety in older adults. That study looked at group settings, so treat it as encouraging rather than proof that kits at your kitchen table do the same. A 2025 systematic review of arts engagement in SSM Population Health found mostly positive associations, but it shows a link rather than proof of cause.
The best subjects are often memories. A photo from a relaxing Caribbean escape like Palomino becomes a far more personal wall piece once you’ve spent a few evenings painting it yourself.
Which One Should You Pick?
If your subject is a face, choose the company that reviews photos by hand; that’s why NumberArtist sits first. If budget or speed drives your decision, MiiCreative and Canvas by Numbers are the safer middle ground, while Paint Me Like is the cheapest. Whatever you choose, give the project space. A framed result looks best on a wall with some surface character, much like the layered detail we covered in texture as a 2026 design trend, and the hobby itself needs little more than a small table and a good lamp.