HomeInternet12 Best Free Photoshop Alternatives You Should Try

Adobe Illustrator CC is a superb vector editing tool that's ideal for print work, web mockups and logo design. But it's also quite expensive and has a steep learning curve for novice users. But it's also quite expensive and has a steep learning curve for novice users. As Photoshop graphics sit on a pixel based bitmap it would seem like the only choice for designing on screen media. However, when designing user interfaces, Illustrator can provide many advantages that Photoshop cannot.

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular photo editing software out there used by both professionals to create and edit masterful images, and yours truly who just need it for basic image manipulation. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, I’m sure you’ve at least tried Photoshop. However, due to Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription, Photoshop can prove to be quite expensive for people just getting into photo editing. Plus, with the plethora of tools on offer in Photoshop, it can be quite tough to use. So, if you are looking for Photoshop alternatives that are easier to use or a free Photoshop alternative for your Windows PC, Mac, Linux machine or even your Android or iOS device, well we have you covered.

Best Photoshop Alternatives: Sections

To make it easier for you to find a Photoshop alternative that best fits your needs, I’m breaking this article down into four sections, and you can click on the links below to head over to the section best suited for your needs.

Free and Open-Source Photoshop Alternatives
Online Photoshop Alternatives
Photoshop Alternatives for Android and iOS
Paid Photoshop Alternatives

Free Photoshop Alternatives (Windows, macOS and Linux)

1. Krita

Krita is a free tool like Photoshop that is almost as feature rich in the options it offers as Photoshop is. It also happens to be one of the tools that are highly recommended by people in online forums about photo editing and creative editing. Another thing I really like about Krita is the fact that it looks and feels very similar to Photoshop — the toolbars are arranged in a very similar way, it has a dark theme by default (but you can configure that if you want some other color scheme in the app). There’s support for tools like the Slice Tool that a lot of Photoshop users swear by, and you can also open multiple images in tabs just like Photoshop. It’s completely free, however there’s a paid version available for anyone who wants to support the developers and show some love.

Pros:

Support for drawing tablets and pens.
Templates for different types of projects.
Supports Rulers and Guides.
Lot of effects.

Cons:

No history tool.
Patch tool lags on larger images (I tried 1200×1600)
Text tool isn’t as feature rich as Photoshop’s.
No Camera RAW filter.

File Support: PNG, BMP, GIMP, TIF, TGA, JPEG, WEBP and more

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Price: Free; optional paid version available to support developers

2. GIMP

One of the topmost recommendations you’d read for a tool like Photoshop is GIMP, and for good reason. GIMP, or GNU Image Manipulation Program is a very feature rich photo editing and creative tool that can do almost everything that Photoshop can, and brings in everything from the popular Adobe software to a free and open-source software. However, GIMP isn’t my top choice for a Photoshop alternative because it has a bunch of issues as well, most annoying of which is the fact that multiple preset brushes share the same settings, which gets annoying if you’re constantly switching between brushes. Also, GIMP doesn’t have the drawing capabilities of Photoshop. It’s free though, and is definitely worth a look-see if you’re in the market for a free Photoshop alternative.

Pros:

Comprehensive layer support with blending modes.
Supports Rulers and Guides.
Supports image slicing.
History toolbar.

Cons:

UI looks dated and takes getting used to.
Text tool is weird and not intuitive at all.
no Camera RAW filter.
Finding tools can be difficult.

File Support: PNG, JPEG, BMP, TIF, and more.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Price: Free

3. Paint.NET

Paint.NET was originally developed to be a more powerful version of MS Paint and as such it brings a lot of the features from MS Paint. While Paint.NET is nowhere near as powerful as Photoshop, it brings a lot of features that make it a viable alternative for people looking for a free Photoshop alternative for Windows. Paint.NET supports layers with blending modes which is one of the most used features in Photoshop. It also has a history tool that can come in handy to quickly undo multiple edits in a project. Basically, it’s a very well rounded tool for image editing even though it’s not as powerful as Photoshop can be when used properly.

Pros:

Layer support with blending modes.
History tool.
Pretty well rounded for basic editing.
Supports rulers.
Supports a ton of file types.

Cons:

UI looks dated.
No support for Guides.
No Camera RAW option.
No slice tool, patch tool, or spot healing tool.
Doesn’t support auto-snapping.

File Support: PDN, BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, TGA, DDS (directdraw surface)

Platforms: Windows

Price: Free; optional paid version available to support developers

4. Seashore

Seashore is another Photoshop alternative that’s aimed solely at Mac users. It brings some important features from Photoshop including support for layers. The app also supports pressure sensitivity, so if you’re using a pressure sensitive drawing tablet, you’ll be able to make full use of its pressure levels. Personally, I found Seashore to be more easy in terms of beginner-usability, and it’s also completely free which is awesome.

Pros:

Supports layers.
Completely free.
Pressure sensitivity support.
Easy to use.

Cons:

UI looks very outdated.
No effects
Grid isn’t customisable.
Doesn’t support PSD files.

File Support: JPG, PNG, GIMP, TIFF, GIF

Platforms: macOS

Price:Free

Check out Seashore

Online Photoshop Alternatives

5. Pixlr Editor

One of the best online Photoshop alternatives out there, Pixlr editor does a remarkable job for editing photos. It brings a bunch of great and powerful tools that make it one of the best online Photoshop like software out there. Pixlr Editor comes with support for layers and blending modes, a lot of effects and filters, a history tool and even has the healing tool that a lot of Photoshop users love using. It’s basically perfect for a quick on-the-go edit and with some of the advanced features it can be used for more advanced edits as well. Since it’s online, you can use it no matter what operating system you’re on and that’s one of the best things about online tools.

Pros:

Online, so it works on every platform.
Supports layers and blending modes.
History tool.
Healing tool.

Cons:

No pen tool.
Not as versatile as Photoshop.
Doesn’t support as many file types as Photoshop.
No Rulers and Guides.
Support for PDF, PSD, and Sketch formats is behind a paywall.

File Support: JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, and PXD (layered pixlr image)

Platforms: Web

Price: Free; Pro version at $5/month

6. Sumopaint

Sumopaint is yet another online Photoshop alternative that you can consider using for projects that don’t necessarily need the level of complexity that Photoshop offers. Being an online tool, Sumopaint can be used on any machine you have and it does offer a bunch of great Photoshop like features. The tool brings support for layers and blending modes which is a very useful feature

Photoshop Illustrator Like App For Mac