Top 8 Best Free Photoshop Alternatives

Although they don’t provide the same extensive functionalities as Adobe Photoshop suite, shown below you have a list of free photo editing software alike, some of which work with Mac and are open-source, that could achieve your small day-to-day tasks in a proficient manner.

Gimp – Works with macOS 10.9 Mavericks or later, Linux & Windows
Paint.NET – Only for Windows
Pixlr x – Web-version available
Krita – works with Apple. Linux & Windows
Sumopaint – Works with Apple, Linux & Windows
Seashore – Works with Apple
Photo Pos Pro
Photopea

Are you on the hunt for a solution that’s just as powerful as the highly reputable Adobe Photoshop software, but without the high price tag? Great! In this post, we’ll be taking a look at the seven best of free Photoshop alternatives available.

There’s really nothing wrong with using free photo editing software like the popular Photoshop alternatives that we’re going to be taking a look at in this post.

Many of the solutions that we’re recommending in this post do not have an excessive number of built-in tools – something which Adobe Photoshop is notorious for.

This means less of a learning curve and more time for photo editing.

In addition to this, for new photographers in the industry, it might not make sense to pay for the expensive Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.

So without further ado, let’s dive right in and take a look at some of the best free Photoshop alternatives.

1. GIMP

GIMP, (short for GNU Image Manipulation Program), is an excellent, open-source Photoshop alternative for those on limited budgets that still need advanced image editing capabilities. Gimp acts as an advanced raster editor similar to Photoshop.

In fact, GIMP can be used as a basic paint program, an expert photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, an image format converter, and more depending on what it is that you’re looking for.

You’ll be happy to hear that it’s available for both Mac and Windows as well as Linux, making it a versatile tool for photographers.

GIMP also recognizes most of the popular file formats that you’d expect in a paid editor like Photoshop, including GIF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. You can also find support for some PSD, though not all layers may be readable.

With an active developer community that listens to user feedback and suggestions, GIMP comes packed with what most photographers need to edit their photos before publishing them.

Notable GIMP Features Include:

Paint features like paint tool (brush, pencil, airbrush, and clone)
Custom brushes and patterns
Transformation tools like rotate, scale, shear, and flip
Editable text layers
Color correction
MNG support for animations
Editing tools like layers, masks, curves, and levels
Huge collection of plugins to extend (some even pre-installed)

Pros

Tons of advanced editing options
No ad displays or limitations
Comprehensive layer support with blending modes
History toolbar
Support for image slicing

Cons

A steep learning curve, proving difficult for beginners
Cluttered and outdated UI
Preset brushes share the same settings
No drawing capabilities
No Camera RAW filter

Both Gimp and Photoshop use vector methods (mathematics) for general layout and elements such as text, but are equipped to deal with raster images down to the pixel and often have special capabilities in doing so, such as brightness/contrast, and even adding “lighting” to a raster image or photograph.

2. Paint.NET

Paint.NET is another Photoshop alternative for digital photo editing that was initially designed to be a free replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that came with Windows.

Fast forward to now, and Paint.NET is one of the most powerful yet simple images and photo editing tools in the market.

One of Paint.NET’s most notable features is the fact that it uses a tabbed document interface. In other words, you can work with multiple documents or panels within one single window and use the tabs to move between them all. And to make things even simpler for you, Paint.NET displays a small thumbnail image of each tab instead of a text description.

Adding to this, the developers behind Paint.NET have worked hard to make sure the editing software is blazing fast for users. This not only speeds up editing time, but it also prevents a lot of frustration. And when it comes to performance, don’t worry about a thing. Paint.NET automatically updates and always comes with new features, improvements, and bug fixes.

Notable Paint.NET Features Include:

3D rotate zoom function to help with the recomposition of images
Support for multiple layers with blending modes (one of Photoshop’s most used features)
History tool for multiple quick undo’s (unlimited)
Supports rulers, drawing, and gradients
Clone stamping for copying or erasing parts of images
Tons of formats supported like PDN, BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, TGA, and DDS

Pros

Easy to use interface, even for beginners
Great support – forum, tutorials, and plugins to extend the software
Free to use for business and commercial use with no restrictions
Doesn’t support auto-snapping
Very lightweight and never sacrifices speed and performance

Cons

Only works for Windows operating systems
Does not natively support PSD
UI lacks a way to manage plugins
No text correction after applying other effects

3. Pixlr x

Pixlr x is the newest version of the older (and super popular) Pixlr editor. It comes with plenty more advanced features and improvements and seeks to become one of the best free Photoshop alternatives out there.

Based on HTML5, rather than Flash, Pixlr x will work well in any modern browser (even iPads and iPhones!). This expands its usability and makes it more appealing to photographers around the world. Plus, it comes with a slick and modern interface, complete with dark and light color schemes.

Pixlr x is an online photo editor, meaning you can use it with any operating system. In other words, it won’t matter if you use Linux, Mac, or Windows, you’ll be able to access Pixlr x with ease. Not to mention, it comes with all the basic adjustments you might need to create well-edited images, and some extras too, like the de-hazing and curves tools.

Feeling overwhelmed by the number of modifications you can make? Pixlr x also has an Auto-Fix tool that helps prevent over-editing.

Notable Pixlr X Features Include:

Rotate, flip, and straighten all images
Crop using one of seven preset image ratios
Instagram worthy filters to add to any photo you upload
Built-in text tool, complete with stylish font sets to choose from
Tweak vibrance, highlights, and shadows
Extensive layer support with multiple blending modes

Pros

Accessible on any platform, including mobile devices
History tools
Uses HTML5 rather than Flash
Opens images from desktopor URLs

Cons

Must have an internet connection to access
Since it’s new, some tools are still in beta
Some tools, such as the healing brush are slow (even Pixlr developers admit so)
Not as easy to install additional font sets as it is with Adobe Photoshop

4. Krita

Works on Mac Also

Krita is the perfect free Photoshop alternative for photographers that need a little more flexibility when it comes to creativity.

In fact, artists looking to give everyone affordable art tools built Krita for conceptual artists, texture and matte painters, illustrators, and comic strip creators.

When it comes to coloring your photos, you can use the unique pop-up color palette. Plus, take advantage of Krita’s exclusive tagging system to swap out brushes that are being displayed. Also, access commonly used colors and configure all color settings with a few clicks.

Need something Krita doesn’t have? You can easily import brush and texture packs from other artists and expand your toolset. And if you need additional help, there’s always the Krita forum where other artists hang around to share their best work and ideas.

Notable Krita Features Include:

Create shortcuts for commonly used tools
Brush stabilizers to take the shakiness out
Seemingly endless brush customizations
Assistant tools for helping you create the perfect shape
Open, save, edit, and author HDR and scene-referred images

Pros

Very similar look and feel to Photoshop
Customizable interface
Supports most PSD
Includes advanced layer management system
Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
Poor touch controls

Cons

No RAW filter
No history toolbar
Can be slow at times
Very few updates released
Outdated documentation
Poor touch controls

5. Sumopaint

Sumopaint is one of the best free Photoshop alternatives when it comes to design and functionality. The layering, editing tools, and brush and wand types make it a viable option for anyone looking for mid-range editing features at zero cost.

This photo editing tool runs in most Flash-based browsers, though there is a Chrome Web App available for Chromebooks. It’s also cloud-based, meaning you never have to download or install anything to your computer or device.

You can open files with extensions such as GIF, JPEG, and PNG, and save projects using the same formats, as well as the native SUMO format.

Notable Sumopaint Features Include:

Sumopaint online community
Exclusive SUMO format for working offline
Over 300 brushes
Comprehensive color picker
Selection tools with undo feature
Clone stamping for real-time drawing
Layers, layer effects, and layer blending modes (up to 100 layers with effects)

Pros

Very similar to the Photoshop interface
Always updated every time you open the application
Symmetry tools with symmetry points, gravity, and modes to help
Gradient editor with a collection of preset gradients

Cons

Requires Flash and runs on-page ads
Limited file support with no support for Photoshop’s default PSD format
No support for rulers or guides
Lacking pen tool, Camera RAW filter, and auto-snapping

6. Seashore

Works with Apple – doesn’t support .psd files
Seashore is a basic photo editing solution that still competes with the top free Photoshop alternatives in the market. Though inspiration was drawn from GIMP, Seashore seeks to offer a simpler interface for Mac users.

It comes with support for TIFF, PNG, JPEG, JP2000, BMP, PICT, PDF, XBM, and GIF, making it one of the most versatile editing tools in terms of file formats. Plus, there’s support for layers so your creations can go from being okay to amazing with a few simple edits. And if you need gradients, textures, and anti-aliasing for both text and brush strokes, Seashore has you covered.

Most notable, however, is the fact that Seashore supports pressure sensitivity. So what does this mean? If you’re using a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet, you’ll be able to use all of its pressure levels to customize your photos.

Notable Seashore Features Include:

Layers and merging effects
Anti-aliased paint brushes
6 gradient effects, including transparency
Full support for TIFF, PNG, GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, XCF and HEIC formats
Arbitrary selections using a lasso tool

Pros

Very user-friendly and suitable for beginners
Menu layout mimics Photoshop interface
Stripped down version of advanced GIMP solution

Cons

Only available in the Apple App Store
No built-in effects
UI looks outdated
Doesn’t support any PSD files

7. Photo Pos Pro

Photo Pos Pro is a complete photo editing suite rivaling the expensive Photoshop software when it comes to enhancing photos and creating stunning pieces of art.

The interface is organized in a simple and easy to understand way, unlike other free Photoshop alternatives like GIMP. And if things become a little too overwhelming for you, you can always enable the ‘novice’ layout to help you stay on track and edit what’s important.

For those with a little more experience, the ‘expert’ layout offers users access to editing tools for fine-tuning works, such as manual curve and level adjustments.

And it doesn’t matter if you use a Mac or prefer Windows, Photo Pos Pro works on both.

Features in Photo Pos Pro include:

Magic eraser tool (remove, erase, and replace backgrounds)
Add frames and collages
Tons of pre-designed extension packs
24-hour customer support
Plenty of layers and masks
Healing and clone brushes
Filter creation and saving to use later

Pros

Beginner and advanced modes to meet your needs
Lots of help tutorials
Balance of one-click and manual editing tools
Support for RAW files

Cons

The ‘expert’ layout can be haphazard and have a steep learning curve
Can run slow at times
The exported file size is limited

8. Photopea Online Photo Editor

Photopea Online Photo Editor is a web-based alternative for Photoshop that aims to solve the problem of having to download and install another program onto your computer.

It also aims to speed up the editing time, especially when it comes to simple tasks such as resizing a photo; instead of having to wait on Photoshop to load.

Since this is a web-based editor, it’s compatible with all platforms and it comes with native support for PSD, XCF, Sketch, XD, and CDR formats. You can also export your work as PSD, JPG, PNG, or SVG file.

Features in Photopea Online include:

Powerful pen and brush tool
The ability to work with layers and apply layer masks
Blend modes similar to Photoshop
Various procedural adjustments such as changing brightness, sharpness, adding blur, and more
Decent selection of premade templates to start from

Pros

Photopea Online Photo editor comes with support for PSD and other popular file formats
Can export to SVG format as well as PSD format
Has a free plan which is good for basic use
Doesn’t require a special browser plugin to work

Cons

Free version display ads in the sidebar which can be distracting

Summary – Photoshop Alternatives

And there you have it!

We hope you found this post in which we took a close look at the best free Photoshop alternatives available helpful.