The Best Free Photoshop AlternativesTop Image Editors & Digital Painting Tools 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. Other popular filters include Open Source, Mac, Online, Windows, Free, Linux and Windows + Free. 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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Alternatives list

  1. GIMP icon

    GIMP

     4737 likes

    Free open-source suite offering advanced photo retouching, image composition, original artwork creation, batch processing, plugin support, custom scripting, mass image format conversion, and integration with free publishing tools for comprehensive editing solutions.

    187 GIMP alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • AmigaOS
    • AppImage
    GIMP screenshot 1
     
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    112
    GIMP vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Conner Vieira
    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
    25

    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.

    Rex2111
    Negative
    1

    Gimp is a great open source alternative for less complex tasks but it is FAR from a true photoshop alternative.

    3 of 112 comments
    • GIMP is Free and Open SourceAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • GIMP is Customizable, Privacy focused and LightweightAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  2. Krita icon

    Krita

     1417 likes

    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.

    143 Krita alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android Tablet
    • KDE Plasma
    • Epic Games Store
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Steam
    • AppImage
    Main Window
     
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    46
    Krita vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Atoshi
    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
    37

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

    Tomás Barão
    Positive
    0

    I often use complex layer layouts. From my experience, Krita offers ways of combining and compositing layers much more powerful than Photoshop. Some things Krita can do non-destructively that Photoshop can't.

    Krita is often branded with an anime and cartoons focus, but I use it in my professional work for raster processing in general.

    3 of 46 comments
    • Krita is Free and Open SourceAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Krita is Lightweight, Customizable and Privacy focusedAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  4. Paint.NET icon

    Paint.NET

     1653 likes

    Free Windows image editor with support for layers, plugins, and special effects. Offers intuitive interface, works offline, ad-free, and portable, consuming fewer resources.

    163 Paint.NET alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • .NET Framework
    Paint.NET screenshot 1
     
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    21
    Paint.NET vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Thatstinkyguy
    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.

    Guest
    Positive
    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 21 comments
    • Paint.NET is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Paint.NET is Lightweight and MinimalisticAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    PicsArt icon
    PicsArt

    Offers photo filters, magic effects, drawing tools, stickers, and customizable text. Includes collage layouts, color adjustments, and cropping. Features a built-in camera, live effects, drawing layers, and direct sharing to a glo...

    https://picsart.com
    Learn More
  6. Photopea icon

    Photopea

     337 likes

    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.

    110 Photopea alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Photopea screenshot 1
     
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    31
    Photopea vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    16

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Kris Regina
    Positive
    0

    An actual free alternative to Photoshop.

    3 of 31 comments
    • Photopea is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
  7. Pixlr icon

    Pixlr

     390 likes

    Web-based editor with AI image generation, quick fixes, overlays, intricate lighting and texture adjustments, customizable templates, advanced filters, support for layers, high-res export, and ad-free premium features for accessible image and design editing.

    229 Pixlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Pixlr screenshot 1
     
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    10
    Pixlr vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    9

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Ilgazcl
    Positive
    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
    3

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

    3 of 10 comments
    • Pixlr is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Pixlr is LightweightAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  8. Affinity icon

    Affinity

     62 likes

    Unified design solution merging advanced photo, vector, and layout tools for seamless workflow, non-destructive editing, RAW support, batch processing, AI enhancements, GPU acceleration, file compatibility, cloud asset integration, and tailored workspace options.

    67 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Affinity screenshot 1
     
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    3
    Affinity vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    OMGparticles
    Positive
    0

    Affinity has most of Photoshop's features without the predatory subscription scheme. It includes many of the full Adobe suite's features, combining vector and rasterized graphics editing. The UI is clean, familiar, and easy to understand and customize.

    ctrl
    Positive
    0

    It have so many feature and excellent interface. And it's FREE.

    Rex2111
    Positive
    0

    The only true alternative to photoshop right now. Sucks that canva owns it but it is the best option to avoid adobe. Open source alternatives just are not up to par yet.

    • Affinity is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
  10. MyPaint icon

    MyPaint

     388 likes

    MyPaint is a fast, distraction-free, and easy painting tool for digital artists. It supports graphics tablets made by Wacom, and many similar devices.

    128 MyPaint alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    MyPaint screenshot 1
     
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    5
    MyPaint vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    uhada
    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
    21

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    sedeti
    Negative
    0

    My paint is not a image editor

    3 of 5 comments
    • MyPaint is Free and Open SourceAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • MyPaint is LightweightAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  11. Photoscape icon

    Photoscape

     262 likes

    PhotoScape is a fun and easy photo editing software that enables you to fix and enhance photos.

    192 Photoscape alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Photoscape screenshot 1
     
    |
    4
    Photoscape vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    DalsPhotography
    Positive
    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
    1

    I like it because you can merge multiple photos easily.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    • Photoscape is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Photoscape is LightweightAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  12. PhotoFiltre icon

    PhotoFiltre

     109 likes

    PhotoFiltre 7 is a complete image retouching program. It allows you to do simple or advanced adjustments to an image and apply a vast range of filters on it. It is simple and intuitive to use, and has an easy learning curve.

    123 PhotoFiltre alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    PhotoFiltre screenshot 1
     
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    2
    PhotoFiltre vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    In my opinion it provides most intuitive way to edit photos.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Very fast & lightweight but still powerful with great features. Doesn't take forever to load for quick edits

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • PhotoFiltre is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
  13. QuickEdit icon

    QuickEdit

     21 likes

    Lightweight tool offering cropping, drawing, text editing with formatting options, GPUImage filters, smooth Jetpack Compose-based animations, quick saving, and direct sharing to social media apps, designed for fast, simple photo enhancements on any device.

    51 QuickEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    QuickEdit screenshot 1
     
  14. PixiEditor icon

    PixiEditor

     19 likes

    Create pixel-perfect sprites, raster paintings, and scalable vector graphics with a unified open-source editor featuring frame-by-frame animation, a node-based workflow, custom shaders, procedural art tools, anti-aliased brushes, and versatile export options.

    38 PixiEditor alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Steam
    • Flatpak
    PixiEditor screenshot 1
     
  15. Polarr icon

    Polarr

     119 likes

    Offers advanced filters, high-precision color and light tools, clarity, dehaze, batch export, watermarking, custom filter creation, touch and mouse access, infinite undo, HSL/RGB curves, blending, and workspace customization for versatile editing needs.

    139 Polarr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Polarr screenshot 1
     
    |
    3
    Polarr vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    kreela
    Positive
    0

    I couldn't find an option for layers.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    This more like a photo editor, doesn't come close

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Free version is the most capable offline editor available in Chromebook. Excellent masking tools in paid version.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Polarr is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
12 of 142 Adobe Photoshop alternatives