These Are the Best Free Photoshop Alternatives

Let’s face it: Adobe Photoshop is the undisputed king of a very expensive castle. It’s the industry-standard tool for image manipulation, but its power comes with a steep monthly subscription via the Creative Cloud. For hobbyists, students, or small business owners, that recurring cost can be a major barrier.

The great news? The open-source community and innovative web developers have created an incredible ecosystem of free tools. Whether you need to do a professional-grade photo retouch, design a social media graphic, or paint a digital masterpiece, there is a free tool that can get the job done.

But finding the right one is key. The “best” alternative isn’t a single program—it’s the one that best fits your specific needs. Let’s break down the best free Photoshop alternatives available today.

The Desktop Heavyweights (Best for Power & Control)

These are full-featured, downloadable software applications that run on your computer. They offer the most power and are the truest, most direct competitors to Photoshop’s core features.

1. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

If you’re looking for a tool with the same depth and power as Photoshop, GIMP is your answer. It’s a cross-platform, open-source editor that has been around for decades and has a massive, dedicated community.

GIMP is a beast. It’s built for high-level photo manipulation, retouching, and graphic design. It supports a vast array of plugins (many of which replicate popular Photoshop features), and you can customize the interface to your liking. While it historically lacked features like non-destructive editing, recent versions have made huge strides. With the new 3.0.6 release, GIMP has become more powerful than ever, even integrating Darktable for robust RAW photo processing.

• Best For: Photographers, designers, and power-users who want deep control and don’t mind a learning curve.
• Key Features: Full-suite photo manipulation, plugin support, RAW editing, cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux).
• Official Website: gimp.org

2. Krita

While GIMP is a “Photoshop alternative,” Krita is more of a “Corel Painter alternative”—and it’s brilliant. While you can absolutely use it for photo editing, Krita is built from the ground up for digital painting and illustration.

Its main advantage is its phenomenal brush engine. It comes pre-loaded with over 100 professional-grade brushes for every imaginable texture and style. It also features a “wrap-around” mode for creating seamless patterns, a stabilizer for smoothing lines, and even 2D animation tools. For illustrators, Krita is arguably superior to Photoshop.

• Best For: Digital artists, illustrators, and concept artists.
• Key Features: World-class brush engines, 2D animation tools, non-destructive editing (via filter layers), vector tools.
• Official Website: krita.org

The Online Contenders (Best for Access & Ease of Use)

These tools run directly in your web browser. There’s no installation required, making them incredibly convenient for quick edits, collaboration, or working on a computer that isn’t your own.

3. Photopea

This is the one that will make you do a double-take. Open Photopea in your browser, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you just opened a slightly older version of Photoshop. The interface, a-nd keyboaa,re shortcuts are nearly identical.

Photopea’s killer feature is its full support for PSD files. You can open a layered Photoshop file, edit it, and save it back as a PSD without missing a beat. It also supports GIMP’s XCF and Sketch files. It runs locally in your browser, so your files aren’t uploaded to a server, making it fast and secure. It’s free with ads on the side, or you can subscribe for a small fee to remove them.

• Best For: Anyone who knows Photoshop and needs to edit a PSD file for free, right now.
• Key Features: Opens and saves PSD files, Photoshop-like interface, runs in-browser, supports layers and masks.
• Official Website: www.photopea.com

4. Canva

Is Canva a true Photoshop alternative? For photo manipulation, no. For graphic design (which is what many people use Photoshop for), absolutely.

Canva is a design platform built on templates. It’s a powerhouse for creating social media posts, website banners, presentations, and flyers. Its free version is incredibly generous, offering thousands of templates, fonts, and stock images. While its photo editing tools are more basic (think filters, cropping, and brightness), it has recently added AI-powered tools like background removal (on the Pro plan) that make it a one-stop shop for marketers and content creators.

• Best For: Marketers, bloggers, and beginners who need to create beautiful graphics quickly.
• Key Features: Massive template library, drag-and-drop interface, social media optimization, collaboration tools.
• Official Website: www.canva.com

5. Pixlr

Pixlr strikes a perfect balance between the power of an editor like Photopea and the simplicity of a tool like Canva. It’s another browser-based editor that offers two modes: Pixlr E (Advanced) and Pixlr X (Quick & Easy).

Pixlr E feels more like a traditional photo editor, complete with layers, filters, and selection tools. Pixlr X is more template-driven and perfect for one-click adjustments. Where Pixlr is really pulling ahead is in its AI-powered tools, which include generative fill (to remove or add objects) and AI-powered background removal, all in the free version.

• Best For: The all-around user who needs a tool that is both simple for quick edits and powerful enough for more advanced tasks.
• Key Features: Two editor modes (E and X), AI-powered tools, layer support, runs in-browser.
• Official Website: pixlr.com

How to Choose the Right Alternative for You

Still not sure which one to pick? Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you decide.

Your New Creative Toolkit

The days of Photoshop being the only option are long gone. The best free Photoshop alternatives are not just “good enough”; they are exceptional tools that, in some cases, are even better for specific tasks.

If you’re a painter, download Krita today. If you’re a photographer on a budget, GIMP is your new best friend. And for those quick graphic design jobs, Canva and Photopea have you covered. The best part is that they’re all free to try, so you can find the one that clicks with your creative workflow without spending a dime.