Professional design software like Photoshop is common, and yet it’s also expensive (and subscription based). What do you do if you're a designer on a tight budget? There are quite of few free or open source alternatives, so it's helpful to try each one out and compare each to what your specific needs are. Any time you change tooling, there's some adjustment you have to make, so jump right in but don't panic when you have to re-learn tasks that you thought could be done only one way in the past.
The Leading Open Source and Free Options
The most well-known alternative to Photoshop is the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). It is also the most feature-rich free program, allowing you flexibility that is closer to the more expensive options. Photoshop, of course, sets the standard for cutting-edge photo-editing features, but fortunately almost everything that can be done in Photoshop can be done in the GIMP. The GIMP is also a cross-platform program supported by a huge online community.
Krita is great for those who want to sketch or paint, and has one of the best (if not the best) brush emulators in the business. If you are creating cartoons, textures, concept art, anime, digital paintings, Krita supports almost all graphics tablets from the moment of installation. It also comes with a fair number of useful features, and is geared toward paint emulation over photo manipulation. It is robust enough to do photo editing, although if you're used to Photoshop or GIMP, you'll have to change your workflow in some major ways. That can be a useful change of paradigm, though, so if you're curious about what exciting things you can do to images with a new set of tools, Krita might open up some exciting ideas.
Pinta is ostensibly a simplified paint program but a closer looks reveals that it's got many advanced features suitable to graphic design and photo editing. It has layers and history, adjustments for levels, hue, saturation, a curve editor, and many standard effects. As an added bonus, it has a pixel grid view for artists working in a retro 8-bit style (especially useful for video game art). It also features an add-in manager so you can download and install new plugins right from the Pinta interface.
Darktable is dedicated to enhancing photos using the same workflow you'd use when developing and processing film. For users new to dark room concepts, this can be a shift in how specific looks or effects are achieved. However, once you get used to dynamic adjustment filters and presets, Darktable will make it shockingly easy (and fun!) for you to sort through hundreds of photos to find and enhance the best of the best.
Shotwell is admittedly a lot less like Photoshop than, say, Google Picasa. It's a simple desktop app by the creators of the GNOME desktop for Linux, and it doesn't pretend to be anything more than that. But sometimes that's all you need. Shotwell has only the most basic adjustment settings to enhance good photos and images, and excels at organization.
Other Notable Alternatives Often Mentioned
There are many more excellent open source design tools, but this short list is a good start if you're new. When testing out the best alternatives to Photoshop, what I like to see are professional tools and effects that compare well with Adobe's premiere photo editing suite. And whether you're into professional photography or lightly touching up blemishes on photos, these are the top alternatives I recommend.
There's no denying that Adobe Photoshop reigns supreme, setting the industry-standard when it comes to the best photo editors around. And for my money, Serif Affinity Photo is as close as you can get in terms of features and workflow. In our tests, we found this a highly capable app that easily matches almost everything you can do in Photoshop. Better yet, it's available on Windows, macOS, and iPad for a one-off cost. So, if you're looking to avoid subscriptions, it's a stellar choice. You can check out the full review below, alongside some other alternatives for photographers and designers at every skill-level.
Affinity Photo, from Serif, is positively packed with professional tools that make it a genuine rival to Photoshop for both Windows and macOS. There’s also a tablet version if you're looking for one of the best Photoshop alternatives on iPad. During our testing, we found an impressively clean interface (although the UI can be occasionally glitchy). There’s also no shortage of useful tools, including PSD file support, RAW Support, masking, layering, retouching, curving, and a full set of 16-bit filters. In fact, the amount of tools available is impressively large, capably rivalling the professional feature-set of Photoshop. Just don't let yourself get too overwhelmed with the power on offer. Best of all, there are no endless subscriptions, just a one-off cost, making it ideal when working to a budget - one of the main reasons why we like this software so much. The app is available as a standalone download.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a professional, open-source photography powerhouse that works on Linux, Windows, and macOS. So, it's both the best Adobe Photoshop alternative overall, and an excellent free alternative, too. In our review, we championed the fact that Gimp comes with an absolutely huge range of pro-grade tools for editing images, drawing and more. If you desire a specific feature, there’s probably an add-on for it. The interface is highly customizable, so you can pare things back or leverage multiple windows and toolbars as needed.
Web-Based and Lightweight Options
Pixlr is one of the best free Photoshop alternatives online - but what makes this a good pick is that it's available as a web app. During our review of the HTML 5 photo editing software, we found it to be impressively feature-rich compared to downloadable software. Quite often, I find myself using this tool and Pixlr Editor for those quick image edits and compositions when there's no need to crack open Photoshop. The interface is more spartan than either Photoshop or GIMP, but that’s not a bad thing. The workflow is streamlined and intuitive: you can drag-and-drop a photo from your computer or add a URL, and then get to work adjusting images with familiar one-click filters and sliders. Given that it’s a web app, Pixlr has surprisingly robust layer support - one of the reasons why it's considered one of the best Photoshop alternatives. However, important features are still missing. Great if you're not quite a beginner, not yet a pro.
Canva has been a long-time popular Photoshop alternative for graphics and content creation. It provides a large library of templates and easy-to-use AI features for all kinds of content, including social media graphics, videos, and documents. In 2026, Canva acquired Affinity and transformed it into a free app that integrates with Canva. The pricing remains competitive, and Canva supports collaboration and Brand Kit features for teams. For many users, Canva offers a practical middle ground between dedicated photo editors and full graphic design suites.
Choosing the Right Tool for You
When deciding which alternative to Photoshop is best for you, first consider how much of your relevant image file you need to edit and change. If you’re just trying to make simple edits to an existing image file, you may find a free software program will suit you fine. If you plan to develop a file from scratch and/or plan to make a series of complicated edits using advanced photo-editing tools and filters, it may be better to aim for one of the higher range and more expensive programs on our list. You should also check your current computer specs. Photo editors tend to have low minimum requirements, but for more seamless workflows, you may need a higher-power device.
How we tested the best alternatives to Adobe Photoshop involved setting up accounts, testing with a variety of images, and evaluating workflow fidelity, ease of use, and non-destructive editing capabilities. Our tests emphasized professional tools and effects that compare well with Adobe's suite, across both photography-focused and design-focused use cases.
Practical Recommendations by Use Case
- For photographers seeking a robust, no-subscription option: Affinity Photo (one-off cost) or GIMP (free, highly extensible).
- For illustrators and concept artists: Krita's brush engine and painting-centric workflow shine.
- For lightweight editing and quick web-based work: Pixlr or Canva offer strong online workflows and collaboration.
- For teams needing brand consistency and templates: Fluer (Desygner) and Canva provide branding tools and scalable templates.
tags: #open #source #alternative #to #photoshop