Photoshop Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to Adobe Photoshop for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative is GIMP, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Photoshop and loads of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Adobe Photoshop are Affinity Photo, Krita, Pixelmator and CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.

filter to find the best alternatives

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 Jun 4, 2025
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  1. GIMP icon
     4659 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.

    182 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. Affinity Photo icon
     543 likes
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    Real-time image editing software supporting extensive colour spaces, unlimited layers, non-destructive edits, and a streamlined workspace for complex tasks on Windows, Mac, and iPad.

    93 Affinity Photo alternatives

    License model

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Optimal performance
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  No Subscription
    2.  Non Destructive Editing
    3.  RAW Photo Editors
    4.  Open PSD files
    5.  Support for Layers
    6.  Color management
    7.  Photo effects
    8.  Regulation layers
    9.  Photoshop Plugins Support
    10.  No Coding Required
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Ad-free

    Affinity Photo VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about Affinity Photo as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Comment summary: Affinity Photo offers a polished interface with a minimal learning curve for those familiar with Photoshop, making it suitable for professionals and casual users alike. Its one-time fee model is a major advantage, often praised for its affordability compared to Photoshop's subscription. While it performs well on macOS and Windows, it lacks Linux support. Affinity is recommended for image processing, though it doesn't completely match Photoshop's range of features.
    Top Positive Comment
    mimumu
    Sep 18, 2022
    2

    Not all but very close on features, certainly all the most important. Price model absolutely better. Pay once and use it until new version.

    Most Recent Comment
    ericbright
    Positive Oct 18, 2024
    1

    Exceptional app with almost anything a professional photographer or photo-editor might ask for. It is easy to use, fast, and familiar.

    Shaz Shah
    Positive Aug 16, 2024
    1

    Affinity Photo has a very polished interface and there's not a big learning curve if you're coming from Photoshop. It is very suitable for professionals that want to process and edit images. The affordable one-time fee for a perpetual license is also a major boost. Sometimes you may even find it on offer, so can get Photo at a much lower price. Performs very well on my macOS and Windows machines. Though I'm not a professional, I just like to dabble.

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    3 of 60 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    Affinity Photo icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Affinity Photo is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • Affinity Photo is the most popular iPad alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

    • Affinity Photo is the most popular commercial alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

    • Affinity Photo is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is also Paid and Proprietary
    • Affinity Photo is LightweightAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  3. Krita icon
     1364 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.

    137 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
    33

    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
  4. Pixelmator icon
     420 likes
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    Image editing software for macOS and iOS, offering nondestructive, GPU-powered editing with machine learning features, RAW support, custom brushes, and seamless macOS integration for touch-ups, painting, and creative compositions.

    148 Pixelmator alternatives

    License model

    Country of Origin

    • LT flagLithuania
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Open PSD files
    2.  RAW Photo Editors
    3.  Retouch photos
    4.  Healing brush
    5.  Stickers
    6.  Tablet support
    7.  Multiple Font Colors
    8.  Asset Pipeline
    9.  Support for 64 bit

    Pixelmator VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about Pixelmator as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    Top Positive Comment
    Dave Cortright
    Mar 27, 2017
    3

    For the simple editing I do to get photos ready for email and web, Pixelmator is perfect. It can crop (including constrained cropping), resize, and do all the essential color/brightness/contrast/levels tweaks. And the best feature of all, it has a magical healing brush for removing blemishes.

    Most Recent Comment
    DalsPhotography
    Positive Aug 26, 2023
    0

    A great program, just got it so I am still trying it, but you have some more tools or kind of different tools than within Photoshop, as you can work with paths without going to lets say , Illustrator.

    Guest
    Positive Mar 30, 2020
    0

    Can accomplish nearly all of the functions of Photoshop, while still being cheaper, and more stable

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    3 of 5 comments
    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    Pixelmator icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Pixelmator is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • Pixelmator is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is also Paid and Proprietary
  5. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    A full suite of graphic design software that provides vector illustration, page layout, image editing, and tracing software. Designed for professional designers, it delivers precision tools, excellent file compatibility, and quality content for crafting professional results from creative ideas.

    84 CorelDRAW Graphics Suite alternatives

    License model

    Country of Origin

    • CA flagCanada

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Desktop Publishing
    2.  Pixel accuracy
    3.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
    4.  Support for Layers
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  Pressure Sensitivity
    7.  Drawing Tablet Support
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Works Offline
    10.  Custom Brushes
    11.  Non Destructive Editing

    CorelDRAW Graphics Suite VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about CorelDRAW Graphics Suite as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    tobylennon
    Positive Jan 14, 2017
    3

    Corel Photo-paint and CorelDraw work very well with Corel Painter and Paint-shop Pro. Pretty much everything is covered, there [High-end full-body textile design must be around the corner.] Everlasting licences also make CorelDraw the clear Winner.

    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    CorelDRAW Graphics Suite icon
    • Almost everyone thinks CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is also Paid and Proprietary
    • CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is CustomizableAdobe Photoshop is not according to our users
  6. MyPaint icon
     380 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.

    121 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. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    A precise vector graphic design software built for creative professionals, offering vibrant colors, high-speed performance, live gradients, customizable shapes, and unique non-destructive features for superior design flexibility.

    53 Affinity Designer alternatives

    License model

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  User friendly

    Features

    1.  No Subscription
    2.  Vector strokes
    3.  Open PSD files
    4.  Support for Layers
    5.  Snapping
    6.  Export to PDF
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Pixel Persona
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Drawing Tablet Support
    11.  Non Destructive Editing
    12.  Pressure Sensitivity

    Affinity Designer VS Adobe Photoshop

     
    Comments about Affinity Designer as an Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
    DalsPhotography
    Positive Aug 26, 2023
    2

    Affinity Designer runs as an alternative to Illustrator.

    Guest
    Negative Oct 13, 2023
    0

    It appears that Affinity Designer is more oriented toward vector graphics than photos

    Adobe Photoshop Icon
    Affinity Designer icon
    • Most users think Affinity Designer is a great Adobe Photoshop alternative.

    • Affinity Designer is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Photoshop is also Paid and Proprietary
7 of 75 Adobe Photoshop alternatives