The Best Free Photoshop AlternativesTop Digital Painting Tools & Image Editors like Photoshop

The best free alternative to Adobe Photoshop is GIMP, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Photoshop and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Adobe Photoshop are Krita, Paint.NET, Photopea and Pixlr.

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Adobe Photoshop alternatives are mainly Image Editors, but if you're looking for Photo Editors or Digital Painting Tools you can filter on that. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Adobe Photoshop.
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Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe for Windows and macOS. It was originally created in 1987 by Thomas and John Knoll. Since then, the software has become the most used tool for...

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Adobe Photoshop alternatives page was last updated Apr 28, 2025
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  1. GIMP icon
     4649 likes
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    GIMP delivers powerful functionalities for photo retouching, image composition, and format conversion. As a versatile tool, it serves as both a simple paint program and a high-end retouching suite, and offers batch processing for mass image tasks in an accessible open-source platform.

    184 GIMP alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • AmigaOS

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Support for Layers
    2.  Photo effects
    3.  DRM Free
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    6.  High-resolution images
    7.  Retouch photos
    8.  Open PSD files
    9.  Image Processing
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Color to Alpha
    12.  Works Offline

    GIMP VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about GIMP as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Comment summary: GIMP is praised for being a free, open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop with many features and community support. However, users find its interface unintuitive and criticize its limitation in handling PSD files and advanced Photoshop features. It is considered a less comparable alternative mainly for simpler editing tasks, with suggestions for plugins like PhotoGIMP to bridge some gaps.
    Top Positive Comment
    Conner Vieira
    Jul 19, 2021
    4

    If you're used to Photoshop, GIMP will feel very unusual, since it has very different ways of doing things. That being said, its more than capable of keeping up with Photoshop on a technical level, and well exceeds Photoshop's abilities (if at the cost of intuitiveness) in my opinion

    Top Negative Comment
    Marek
    Dec 25, 2022
    21

    Irritating, totally unintuitive, completely unthought-out interface. It may have a lot of possibilities, but a lifetime is not enough to discover them and understand the twisted logic of this program.

    Most Recent Comment
    Richard
    Positive Apr 28, 2025
    2

    The newest version of GIMP is a huge improvement and make it more look like PS

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    3 of 107 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    GIMP icon
    • Almost everyone thinks GIMP is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • GIMP is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

    • GIMP is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

    • GIMP is Free and Open SourceAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • GIMP is CustomizableAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  2. Krita icon
     1359 likes
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    Free, open-source painting software designed by artists for artists. Offers customizable UI, 9 brush engines, color management, tablet support, non-destructive editing, and privacy features. Portable and available on major platforms, supporting seamless texture creation.

    140 Krita alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • NL flagNetherlands
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android Tablet
    • Epic Games Store
    • PortableApps.com
    • Steam

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Digital Drawing
    2.  Blending brushes
    3.  Keyframe Animation
    4.  Drawing 2D
    5.  Advanced brush settings
    6.  Drawing Tablet Support
    7.  Digital-painting focused
    8.  Sketching
    9.  Color blending
    10.  Support for Layers
    11.  Texture painting
    12.  Custom Brushes

    Krita VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about Krita as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Comment summary: Krita, praised for its open-source nature and ease of use, is a strong alternative for those focusing on digital art and animation. While not as robust for photo editing, many users find it complements freeware like Photopea for certain projects. Its intuitive interface and almost complete feature set for drawing resonate with artists, although it lacks some newer features available in Photoshop.
    Top Positive Comment
    Atoshi
    Dec 21, 2016
    18

    It's kinda more intuitive to use than GIMP (which is a briliant PS alternative too) interface-wise, and supports CMYK out of the box if one needs it. As of version 3.1 it has pretty advanced support for animation, including opacity curves (GIMP fails completely in that field, animathing anything is a major PITA in it)

    Top Negative Comment
    Soul Rain
    May 11, 2019
    34

    photoshop is a photo editing software; krita is a painting and sketching app

    Most Recent Comment
    JT42JT42
    Positive Sep 21, 2024
    1

    krita in my opinion is great but it doesnt cover everything for many newer features of ps i recommend using photopea both krita and photpea in bundle are the ultimate solution for indie game devs, art makers, and much more i see krita very positive and everyone should have treid it once its learning curve is not as steep as gimps wich is a big plus krita and photopea can animate things easily even pixelart is possible wich gimp to this time sadly does not support.

    JT42JT42

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    3 of 45 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    Krita icon
    • Most users think Krita is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • Krita is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

    • Krita is Free and Open SourceAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Krita is LightweightAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  3. Paint.NET icon
     1635 likes
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    Free Windows image editor with support for layers, plugins, and special effects. Offers intuitive interface, works offline, ad-free, and portable, consuming fewer resources.

    162 Paint.NET alternatives

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • .NET Framework

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  User friendly
    3.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Support for Layers
    2.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    3.  Dark Mode
    4.  Support for image plugins
    5.  Export to PNG
    6.  Community-based
    7.  Transparency
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Portable
    10.  Built-in Color Picker
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  No registration required

    Paint.NET VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about Paint.NET as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Comment summary: Paint.NET is appreciated for being lightweight and easy to use, offering better PSD compatibility than GIMP. However, it cannot fully replace Photoshop due to its minimal features and lack of object support. Users note that while Paint.NET is free and useful for small edits, Photoshop remains superior yet slower for more advanced tasks.
    Top Positive Comment
    Thatstinkyguy
    Mar 28, 2022
    1

    While it doesn't beat GIMP in terms of features, open-source, or cross-platform accessibility, it's still a solid program that's lightweight, fairly easy to use, and with a plugin (among many other ones), it seems to have better compatibility with PSD files than GIMP.

    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive Aug 27, 2022
    0

    Well, it as the first image editor I have used other than... paint, So I might be a little biased. But its great, I love it, it has stuff, and its good.

    Guest
    Positive Mar 6, 2022
    1

    I was able to use it from day one and get better over time the more I worked in it.

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    3 of 21 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    Paint.NET icon
    • Most users think Paint.NET is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • Paint.NET is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Paint.NET is Lightweight and MinimalisticAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  4. Photopea icon
     310 likes
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    Browser-based image editing supports PSD, XCF, Sketch formats, advanced layers, vector tools, RAW photo support, and exports in 40+ formats. Fully client-side with AI background removal, content-aware tools, and privacy as files never leave your device.

    104 Photopea alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • CZ flagCzechia
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)

    Top Photopea Features

    1.  Web-Based
    2.  Open PSD files
    3.  Support for Layers
    4.  Vectorize raster images
    5.  Photoshop-like
    6.  Sketch to PSD
    7.  RAW Photo Editors
    8.  Text tool
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  Colorize Photo
    12.  No registration required

    Photopea VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about Photopea as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Comment summary: Photopea is frequently regarded as an excellent, free alternative to Adobe Photoshop, especially praised for its online accessibility without the need for installation. Though it parallels Photoshop with similar interfaces and features, like PSD support and smart objects, some users note it lacks certain tools and artificial intelligence capabilities, and requires an internet connection to operate.
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    Oct 30, 2019
    16

    Fully supports PSD format with adjustment layers, layer effects, paths, layer masks etc.

    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive Mar 20, 2025
    0

    For me, who can't afford to pay for every subscription but still wants to use the tools, Photopea is the best alternative to Photoshop. Especially the free version. The structure, functions, and even the keyboard shortcuts are the same. Plus, you can work entirely with PSD files, and vectors are also supported.

    Kris Regina
    Positive Dec 13, 2024
    0

    An actual free alternative to Photoshop.

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    3 of 31 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    Photopea icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Photopea is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • Photopea is the most popular Web-based & SaaS alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

    • Photopea is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Pixlr icon
     385 likes
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    Explore this platform for free, web-based photo editing; it provides tools like overlays, double exposure, and color splash for detailed modifications plus Pro features like Influence Masks and advanced blending.

    215 Pixlr alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Web-Based
    2.  Retouch photos
    3.  Support for Layers
    4.  Gradients
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  Correct Red Eyes
    7.  Photo effects
    8.  Multiple languages
    9.  Open PSD files
    10.  Custom overlays
    11.  AI-Powered

    Pixlr VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about Pixlr as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    Nov 3, 2017
    9

    The fact that Pixlr is browser based is cool at places like school where you can't just install GIMP.

    Most Recent Comment
    Ilgazcl
    Positive Feb 16, 2025
    0

    It was acquired by Apple so you should make sure multi-platform and even Web support continues. Apple doesn't have a good history of maintaining other platforms compatibility.

    Ömer Emin Onaran
    Positive May 27, 2020
    3

    You do not need to download a program, you enter from the web.

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    3 of 10 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    Pixlr icon
    • Most users think Pixlr is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • Pixlr is the most popular Android & iPhone alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

    • Pixlr is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Pixlr is LightweightAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  6. MyPaint icon
     379 likes
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    MyPaint is a fast, distraction-free, and easy painting tool for digital artists. It supports graphics tablets made by Wacom, and many similar devices.

    122 MyPaint alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • CH flagSwitzerland

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free

    Features

    1.  Sketching
    2.  Support for Layers
    3.  Infinite canvas
    4.  Portable
    5.  Drawing Tablet Support
    6.  Fullscreen support
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  No registration required
    9.  Custom Brushes
    10.  Color blending

    MyPaint VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about MyPaint as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Top Positive Comment
    uhada
    Jan 19, 2021
    2

    If you're looking for a painting app, MyPaint may be a good alternative to Photoshop. It has infinite canvas, good, natural brushes and overall good tools.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    Jul 4, 2015
    20

    MyPaint is only a drawing program, but it can't edit images. Adobe Photoshop can do both.

    Most Recent Comment
    sedeti
    Negative Nov 16, 2021
    0

    My paint is not a image editor

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    3 of 5 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    MyPaint icon
    • Most users think MyPaint is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • MyPaint is Free and Open SourceAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
  7. Photoscape icon
     260 likes
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    PhotoScape is a fun and easy photo editing software that enables you to fix and enhance photos.

    196 Photoscape alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • KR flagSouth Korea

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Collage
    2.  Image Combining
    3.  RAW Photo Editors
    4.  Color correction
    5.  Batch Editing
    6.  Live Preview
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Image Morphing
    9.  Merge photos
    10.  Custom Backgrounds
    11.  Lossless quality
    12.  Batch processing

    Photoscape VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about Photoscape as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Most Recent Comment
    DalsPhotography
    Positive Aug 26, 2023
    0

    It's a bit outdated for Mac, but nevertheless it's useful, light weight, and with some funny tools that you can use for daily tasks.

    Guest
    Positive Sep 28, 2019
    1

    I like it because you can merge multiple photos easily.

    Guest
    Positive Aug 11, 2017
    0

    Simple, no layers, but brushes are available. Cheap, light weighted and goes easy on your machine resources. Even as professional I do use Photoscape for a first review of my photos.

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    3 of 4 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    Photoscape icon
    • Most users think Photoscape is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • Photoscape is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Photoscape is LightweightAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
7 of 133 Adobe Photoshop alternatives