For many years, Photoshop has been an industry standard. But it is expensive for those who only use it occasionally. And also for those who only use it for basic photo editing. So let’s see what are the best alternative for photoshop free.
However, if you search, you can find a few free photoshop alternatives for basic and pro photo retouching and even for graphic design. Some online photo editors like photoshop offer the best of both worlds.
Photoshop is a comprehensive image editing software. It is a graphic design and photo retouching software. But it takes a lot of space. It slows down your computer. It could also be difficult for beginners to understand. And at a cost of $10 per month, Photoshop may not be the best option for many novice photographers.
If you are one among those novice photographers who are searching for a free Photoshop alternative, then you’ve come to the right place. Here I have reviewed and explained nine free softwares that fulfill the title alternative for photoshop free.
Some are great for basic photo retouching. Some could be used for graphic design. And some offer the best of both industries.
Here are the alternatives to Photoshop worth exploring, because other image editing software exists.
Top 9 Free Alternative for Photoshop Free – You Should Try
- GIMP
- Fotor
- Krita
- Sumopaint
- Pixlr Editor
- Photo Pos Pro
- Seashore
- Paint.NET
- Photoscape X
Let’s start from 9 to 1 and discuss pros and cons of each in detail.
9. Photoscape X
If you are looking for a wide variety of effects and also for filters and enhancements then
Photoscape X is the best fit for your needs.
This free Photoshop alternative features a library of over 1, 000 filters and effects.
It also has plenty of frames and handy editing tools.
It provides you with a satisfactory answer when it comes to beautifying images. And also it helps in transforming the entire look of photos instantly.
Another great feature, where it does pretty well is efficient batch editing. It works excellently for efficient batch editing when compared to other alternatives. So, if you find similar apps not living up to your expectation for editing multiple pics, then try Photoscape X.
Even many of its users are great fans of its photo collage creation. It consists of a myriad of frames. Not just that, its ability to do fun-loving GIFs adds value to the app.
All in all, Photoscape X is what you should pick as a Photoshop substitute to make photo-editing. It’s even easy-going and fun.
Pros:
- Efficient batch editing
- Handy for making fun-loving GIFs
- Excels in creating attractive collages
- Over thousands of filters and effects
Cons:
- The UI is a bit low in performance
- The basic version is little limited
File Support: Supports a myriad of file formats including TIFF, BMP, JPEG, GIF and PNG.
Platform: Windows and MAC OS
Price: Free and $39.99 for the pro version
8. Paint.NET
It is one of the best photoshop alternatives available online which supports layers with blending modes. It was originally developed to be a powerful version of MS Paint. It has a lot of the features of MS Paint.
It also has a history tool that can come in handy. It could fastly undo multiple edits in a project.
This photoshop brings a wide variety of features. And this reason makes it a viable alternative for people looking for a free Photoshop alternative.
Basically, it’s a very well rounded tool for image editing.
Pros:
- Supports plenty of file types.
- Layer support with mixing modes.
- History tool.
- Quite well rounded for basic editing.
- Supports rulers.
Cons:
- No auto-snapping.
- UI looks dated.
- Guides not supported.
- Not supports Camera RAW.
- No patch tool, slice tool, or spot healing tool.
File Support: TGA, TIFF, PDN, BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, DDS (Direct draw surface)
Platforms: Windows
Price: Free
Note: However, you could have an optional paid version. It is mainly available to support developers.
7. Seashore Project
An alternative that’s aimed solely at Mac users. It brings some important features from Photoshop.
One of the main features is its support for layers.
This app also supports pressure sensitivity. So if you are using a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet, then you can make full use of its pressure levels.
Mainly, users feel this app to be easier in terms of beginner-usability. And it’s also completely free which is amazing.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Supports pressure sensitivity.
- Supports layers.
- Completely free.
Cons:
- No effects
- Non-customizable grid.
- Outdated UI looks.
- It doesn’t support PSD files.
File Support: GIF, GIMP, JPG, PNG and TIFF.
Platforms: MAC OS
Price: Absolutely Free!!!!!
6. Photo POS Pro
Photo Pos Pro is the best free Photoshop alternative for creating impressive artwork.
It provides graphics without being entangled into the complexity of high-end tools.
This photo editing software comes with plenty of easy-to-use tools. So that you can create, edit, and manipulate your images.
You can remove the unwanted objects from an image by this app. You can also fix a poor shot or replace the background with a nice-looking background.
This app has enough enhancement tools to let you love your pics. Though Photo Pos Pro’s tools consist of less precision, it can prove to be more than handy.
It has a good collection of frames to beautify your collages. If you find the predefined editing tools not meeting your demand, then you could always fine-tune the tools to speed up your workflow.
Moreover, it has a wide range of library extension plugins and packs at its disposal. By it, you will also have the flexibility to add some wings to your creativity. Photo Pos Pro is not only a top-rated free Photoshop alternative, but also it is the best free photo editor available in the market.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use features
- Attractive photo and text effects
- Ability to remove backgrounds with ease
- A solid collection of extension plugins and packs
Cons:
- The UI doesn’t look attractive
- Some effects may not work as expected
- The exported file size is comparatively limited
File Support: Support all the major file formats. Even RAW files.
Platforms: Windows
Price: Free. But requires in-app purchases to unlock premium features.
5. Pixlr Editor
Pixlr Editor is the free Photoshop alternative available for remarkable jobs. It offers a wide variety of great and powerful tools.
It’s plenty of features make it one of the best online Photoshop alternative.
This software comes with support for layers and blending modes. It consists of a lot of effects and filters. It also has a history tool and the healing tool that a lot of Photoshop users love using it.
It is perfect for a quick on-the-go edit. With some advanced features, it can be used for more advanced edits as well.
As it is an online app, you can use it no matter what operating system you are using. And that’s one of the great things about online tools.
Pros:
- Healing tool,
- History tool,
- Works on every platform as it is Online,
- Supports layers and blending modes.
Cons:
- It doesn’t have a pen tool.
- Not as versatile as Photoshop.
- It does not support as many file types as Photoshop.
- No Rulers.
- No Guides.
Support for PSD, PDF, and Sketch formats is behind a paywall.
File Support: PXD, JPG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF images
Platforms: Web
Price: Free and Pro version costs at $5/month
4. Sumopaint
This is one of the best online Photoshop alternatives for projects that don’t necessarily need the level of complexity.
Sumopaint is also an online tool and can be used on any machine. It also offers plenty of great Photoshop-like features.
This software provides support for layers and blending modes. And it is very useful for projects that are more than just cropping and resizing.
Moreover, there are a lot of effects and filters present in this Sumopaint. And all these, prove enough it’s best for most photo editing needs.
However, this app doesn’t bring support for rulers and guides. And also the interface does look outdated by today’s standards.
But, luckily, you can use it for free. You have to pay only if you need the tools that are locked for pro users.
Pros:
- Enough tools in for the basic version.
- Support for layers and blending modes.
- Consists of a lot of effects and filters.
Cons:
- It locks many tools behind a paywall. Including line tool, text tool, and more.
- The interface is outdated.
- No Pen tool.
- No Camera RAW filter.
- No auto-snapping.
- Limited file support.
File Support: Supports PNG, JPG and SUMO
Platforms: Web
Price: Free and Pro-version starts at $4 per month.
3. Krita
It is a perfect free Adobe Photoshop alternative tool. It has almost all features that the remaining alternatives to photoshop softwares have.
It is also one of the best tools that are highly recommended by people online.
It is rated high for its photo editing and creative editing.
The main thing you would adore about this app is the fact that it looks very similar to Photoshop. Especially, toolbars are arranged in a very similar way as photoshop. It also consists of a dark theme by default.
By this app, you could also open multiple images in tabs. This app is completely free. There is also a paid version available for anyone who wants to support the developers.
Pros:
- Consists of a lot of effects.
- Supports Rulers and Guides.
- Consists of different types of templates for different types of projects.
- Support for drawing tablets and pens.
Cons:
- Patch tool lags on larger images
- Don’t have a history tool.
- Text tools aren’t as feature-rich as Photoshop’s.
- Camera RAW filter is absent.
File Support: TGA, GIMP, PNG, BMP, TIF, JPEG, WEBP and more
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS.
Price: Free and Pro version available to support developers
2. Fotor
Fotor is useful for a newbie, useful for the digital marketer and full-time social media influencer.
So whatever you are, Fotor can seamlessly fit into your needs. It is a super handy online alternative for photoshop available in 2020.
What makes this photo editor special is its exceptionally simple user-interface. This user-interface ensures you can make good-looking images without going through the grind.
This app gives strong competition to Photoshops when it comes to filters and effects. By this, you can get the desired flexibility to improve the whole appearance of images. And luckily without spending a lot of time.
Another worthy feature of this editing app is its ability to handle RAW files. Mainly for the people who love sharing on social networking sites, this app is more user-friendly than Photoshop. As a pro, it has a variety of college making tools.
Pros:
- Pretty good at collage making
- Handles RAW files efficiently
- Consists of a great collection of filters and effects
- Consists of Simple user-interface
Cons:
- Support document can be more proficient
- Fewer art features
File Support: RAW, PNG, TIFF and JPEG.
Platform: Online
Price: Free
1. GIMP
Finally the top best alternative for Photoshop is GIMP.
GIMP is one of the best and highly recommended alternatives to Photoshop.
The main attraction of GIMP is its GNU Image Manipulation Program.
It gives rich photo editing and creative tools that can do almost everything that Photoshop can do.
It is the best and top alternative for photoshop as it brings everything from the popular Adobe software.
But the big issue with this app is its multiple preset brushes. All these preset brushes share the same settings. And it makes us frustrated when there is a need to constantly switch between brushes.
However, most of the problems can be solved using GIMP plugins.
Besides all cons, the app is absolutely free. And it is definitely worth a look-see as the best alternative for photoshop.
Pros:
- History toolbar.
- Consists of image slicing.
- Supports Rulers and Guides.
- Comprehensive layer support with blending modes.
Cons:
- UI looks outdated.
- It takes much time to get used to UI
- The text tool is disgusting.
- It doesn’t have a camera RAW filter.
- Finding tools can be a bit difficult.
File Support: TIF, BMP, PNG, JPEG and more.
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS
Price: Free
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is GIMP as good as Photoshop?
Do professionals use GIMP?
Is Krita better than gimp?
What is the best photoshop alternative online?
To Conclude…
Photoshop is a hub of plenty of things.
Nonetheless, if you’re struggling to cope up with its price-tag, then any of the photoshop alternatives listed above should get you out of the struggle. Make sure to check the needs and your designing style. Check the compatible operating system too.
Check them out and get excited.
What other alternatives you use on a daily basis, are they any better than this list, Let me know?