Photoshop Alternatives

Adobe Photoshop serves as a professional raster graphics editor for Windows and macOS, handling advanced image editing, retouching, and digital art. Users praise its extensive feature set for graphics and design, though many complain about high pricing compared to other editors.

GIMP tops the rankings as the leading Photoshop alternative, offering broad image-editing and retouching tools completely free and open-source. Many users switch to GIMP specifically to escape Photoshop's cloud licensing and subscription model. Affinity Photo ranks second with its polished interface and one-time purchase model, repeatedly highlighted as a cost advantage over subscription pricing. Luminar Neo brings AI tools like GenErase and GenExpand plus focus stacking and HDR merging for photographer-centric workflows.

Krita ranks third, focusing on digital painting with advanced brush control and animation support for artists. The alternatives landscape splits between pro photo editors and art-first painting apps, with Photopea standing out as a free, install-free option with PSD support and a familiar interface.

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For open source transparency, GIMP and Krita lead with community-driven development and no proprietary licensing restrictions. Linux users have native options in GIMP, Krita, and MyPaint without relying on Windows or macOS-only tools. Windows-only picks include Paint.NET and Corel PaintShop Pro for desktop editing with layers, effects, and selection tools.

Web-based editors like Photopea, Pixlr, and Sumo Paint work in browsers when you can't install software on school or locked-down computers. Users avoiding subscriptions can choose Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer for predictable one-time licensing. For PSD workflows, Photopea, Affinity Photo, and Pixelmator open Photoshop-format documents to maintain collaboration compatibility. iPad workflows benefit from Affinity Photo, Pixelmator, and Pixlr for editing on tablets rather than desktop-only setups.

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Alternatives list

  1. PicMonkey icon
     50 likes

    PicMonkey is a feature-rich online photo editor that works right in your browser; no downloads necessary. Touch-up tools like Teeth Whiten, Blemish Fix, Weight Loss. Effects like Orton, Cross Process, Color Boost, with drag and drop ease.

    131 PicMonkey alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
     
  2. Comprehensive tool for image editing, retouching, bitmap creation, digital painting, and RAW editing. Streamlined web exporting makes it ideal for professionals seeking to enhance visual elements efficiently.

    17 Corel Photo-Paint alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  3. Rebelle icon
     18 likes

    Emulates realistic watercolor, acrylic, and dry media with physical paint diffusion, drying control, textured canvas, custom brushes, tilt and pressure support, color blending, masking tools, paint granulation, backruns, stencils, rulers, and high-res export.

    40 Rebelle alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
     
  4. PicsArt  icon
     88 likes

    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 global community and external networks. Multi-language support.

    141 PicsArt alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Kindle Fire
     
  5. Sumo Paint icon
     74 likes

    Sumo Paint is a powerful image editor with a long-standing history as a fully capable Photoshop clone in the browser. Being designed for the browser, it's accessible on practically any system and loads much faster than most comparable desktop tools while still providing core...

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
     
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    1
    Sumo Paint vs Adobe Photoshop Comments
    Rato GBM
    Positive
    -1

    Photopea > and == PixilR, the one time I properly used it, it was a bit buggy. There a are better alternatives.

    • Sumo Paint is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is Paid and Proprietary
  6. GPS (aka Gimp Paint Studio) is a collection of brushes, patterns, color gradients, accompanying tool presets and dynamics. Tool presets are a simply saved tool options, highly useful feature of the GIMP.

    76 Gimp Paint Studio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • GIMP
     
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