Photoshop has virtually become synonymous with the very act of photo editing. Adobe Photoshop comes equipped with hue and saturation tools, a liquify tool, and essentially everything a professional photo editor would need.

But with an annual billing of $240 and extensive features amateur or intermediate photo editors might not use, Photoshop can be frightening. There are hundreds of different image editing desktop and mobile apps out there, fortunately. Here are ten of Photoshop’s best alternatives and competitors.

Top 10 Best Alternatives & Competitors

  1. GIMP – Most Comprehensive Alternative
  2. Pixlr – Most Intuitive Alternative
  3. Krita – Most Brush-Rich Alternative
  4. Photopea – Most Similar Alternative
  5. Pixelmator Pro – Most macOS-Friendly Alternative
  6. Snapseed – Most Mobile-Friendly Alternative
  7. Procreate – Most iPad-Friendly Alternative
  8. Affinity – Most Professional Alternative
  9. Sketch – Most UI/UX Design-Oriented Alternative
  10. Paint.NET – Most Simplified Alternative

1. GIMP – Most Comprehensive Alternative

PRICING: free

GIMP should be high on everyone’s radar for a comprehensive Photoshop alternative. A free, open-source alternative, GIMP comes with a rich array of photo editing tools like digital retouching, and the interface is highly customizable.

On the other hand, the program isn’t very intuitive, and the interface has been characterized as clunky. Figuring out how to master tools will take time, and you will probably have to watch or read a lot of online tutorials. Sometimes, GIMP is slow to load and inexplicably crashes as well.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Digital retouching
  • Inkscape
  • Alpha channel support
  • Suite of painting tools
  • Over 100 plugins

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Very customizable interface
  • Tools are almost as extensive as Photoshop’s
  • Open-source code, so it’s modifiable
  • Linux and Mac compatible

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Plugins required for advanced editing
  • Clunky interface
  • Can be slow and crash

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2. Pixlr – Most Intuitive Alternative

PRICING: starts at $4.90 per month

Pixlr is a browser-based photo editor with a surprisingly handy toolbox. It’s not as complex as Photoshop, but it’s equipped with features like background removal, a lasso cutting tool, and support for layers. Pixlr is fast-loading, highly user-friendly, and an excellent first stop for those new to photo editing.

On the downside, by virtue of being browser-based, Pixlr’s efficiency can come down to the speed of your internet, and some users have struggled using the program when switching to other tabs.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Background removal tool
  • Red-eye reduction tool
  • Multiple layers
  • Image retouching

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Mobile-friendly
  • Intuitive interface
  • Great for beginners

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Can be laggy

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3. Krita – Most Brush-Rich Alternative

PRICING: free

Krita is an open-source photo editor designed for digital painting and sketching. Krita’s claim to fame is its incredible brush selection, offering 100 different brush presets. If that’s not enough, there are hundreds of brush packs designed by users that you can download

However, if you struggle with Krita, you might find yourself out of luck, as there is a lack of tutorials on using the app, as the Krita community is comparatively small. Coupled with the frequency of updates, one could easily find oneself lost with this platform. Krita is also primarily designed for drawing, so you will find certain tools absent like certain filters and layer styles.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Over 100 brush types

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Customizable interface
  • Good for animation design
  • Simple to use
  • Diversity of brushes

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Lack of tutorials
  • Frequent updates

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4. Photopea – Most Similar Alternative

PRICING: free, premium membership is $3.33 per month

Photopea is essentially a stripped-down, browser-based version of Photoshop. The interface is starkly similar and grants you basic tools like cropping, effects, and filters. On the other hand, it’s missing tools like vector patterns.

Photopea is free, but premium membership will take away ads and allow you to undo edits an unlimited number of times. If it’s imperative that you need Photoshop’s interface without an extensive set of tools, Photopea is a good choice, but otherwise, better platforms are out there.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Vector shapes
  • Ad-free
  • Advanced brush tools
  • Smart objects

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Very similar interface to Photoshop
  • Free and cheap

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Lacking in a lot of features
  • Ads can be distracting

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5. Pixelmator PRO – Most macOS-Friendly Alternative

PRICING: $39.99

Pixelmator is a high-quality photo editor geared toward Macs. Pixelmator is capable of most of what Photoshop can do, letting you blur, sharpen, and distort images, among other things. One handy feature is “hidden interface,” which conceals your worktable while you work with your image.

While Pixelmator’s toolbox is extensive, professional editors might be disappointed that the app lacks more specific features. On the other hand, people just starting out with photo editing might find the program difficult to navigate. Pixelmator is best for users who fall in between

KEY FEATURES:

  • Multiple export options
  • Customizable interface
  • Machine learning

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Fairly intuitive interface
  • Affordable, flat-rate price
  • Nearly has everything as PhotoShop

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Only for Apple products
  • Not nuanced enough for professional editors
  • Maybe too complicated for beginners

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6. Snapseed – Most Mobile-Friendly Alternative

PRICING: free

If you’re looking for a photo editing app for your device, look no further than Snapseed. For a free mobile app, Snapseed offers a surprising amount of professional features, making it a good choice for editors working from their phones. For instance, Snapseed comes with a face pose tool that allows you to reorient portraits.

Snapseed doesn’t quite have everything; some users are disappointed by the lack of the Grunge filter, for instance. Snapseed also does not have autosave, so you will need to be sure you’re periodically saving your photos.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Brightness
  • Contrast
  • Localized adjustments
  • Face pose tool

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Very navigable interface
  • Excellent features for a mobile app
  • Great for on-the-go editing

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Lack of autosave

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7. Procreate – Most iPad-Friendly Alternative

PRICING: $9.99

Procreate is a graphic design software specifically for the iPad used by artists like DC publisher Jim Lee. Most professional users praise the interface for being not only beautiful but easy to use. Even if your struggle with the program, there is no shortage of tutorials available online.

Some users expressed disappointment that the number of layers you may add depends on the capacity of your iPad. As the platform only works on iPads, you would be unable to use it on your Mac or PC. People unfamiliar with photo editing will also find Procreate to be highly complex.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Alpha lock
  • Customized brushes
  • QuickShape

REASONS TO BUY:

  • High sensitivity editing
  • Good assortment of brushes
  • Very intuitive interface
  • Customizable interface
  • Affordable price

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Limits to amount of layers
  • Only for iPad

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8. Affinity – Most Professional Alternative

PRICING: $49.99

Affinity Photo is a very competent photo editing software that gives Photoshop a run for its money. Most users of both Photoshop and Affinity note the two share basically the same features, but Affinity has the advantage of being cheaper.

While not as costly as Photoshop, Affinity is still on the expensive side, though granted, it’s at a flat rate. Affinity also lacks an image organizing tool, so editors with a large gallery may struggle to juggle their pictures.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Over 1,000,000% zoom
  • Unlimited layers
  • Undo or redo up to 8,000 steps
  • RAW file editing

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Runs quickly
  • Rich set of features
  • Windows, Mac, and iPad compatible
  • Flat-rate cost

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • No image organizing tool

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9. Sketch – Most UI/UX Design-Oriented Alternative

PRICING: $9 per editor per month

Sketch is a vector editor for Mac users that is best for UI/UX design. Fittingly, Sketch is praised for its sleek and navigable interface.

Unfortunately, most users report Sketch struggles to handle large file sizes and multiple documents. There also is a steep learning curve, though once you get the hang of it, the interface is plenty workable. Users also note sketch is better for refining images than designing them from the ground up.

KEY FEATURES:

  • CAD tools
  • Collaborative
  • Template design
  • Vector design

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Excellent for UI/UX design
  • Easy to use for professionals
  • Multiple premade templates

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Struggles to load large files
  • Can be slow and crash
  • Steeping learning curve

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10. Paint.NET – Most Simplified Alternative

PRICING: free

Paint.NET is a fluffed-up, more advanced version of MS Paint that lacks the technicalities of Photoshop. You can adjust brightness and hue, for instance, but the toolkit isn’t sufficient for advanced editing.

Given its origin, the layout is much closer to MS Paint than Photoshop, and it looks rather dated. Professional artists might find the program lacking, though artists brand new to the scene will find the interface familiar and non-intimidating. As such, Paint.NET is great for beginners or intermediate artists, but it’s nothing professionals could rely on.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Layered editing
  • Supports plugins
  • Brightness and contrast
  • Hue and saturation

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Very easy to use
  • Free
  • Straightforward interface

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Dated interface
  • Not advanced enough for professionals

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References and Links

  • https://www.gimp.org/
  • https://www.techradar.com/reviews/gimp
  • https://www.creativebloq.com/reviews/gimp
  • https://pixlr.com/
  • https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pixlr-x
  • https://krita.org/en/
  • https://www.g2.com/products/krita/reviews
  • https://magazine.renderosity.com/article/5308/review-should-you-switch-to-krita-the-free-digital-painting-app
  • https://www.photopea.com/
  • https://www.makeuseof.com/photopea-pros-and-cons/
  • https://www.pixelmator.com/pro/
  • https://www.provideocoalition.com/review-pixelmator-pro-2-3-4-abracadabra/
  • https://nofilmschool.com/pixelmator-pro-review
  • https://snapseed.online/
  • https://www.cnet.com/reviews/snapseed-review/
  • https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/snapseed-for-iphone
  • https://www.tomsguide.com/us/snapseed,review-4400.html
  • https://procreate.art/
  • https://www.cnet.com/reviews/procreate-review/
  • https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/
  • https://www.creativebloq.com/reviews/affinity-photo
  • https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/serif-affinity-photo
  • https://www.sketch.com/home/
  • https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/sketch
  • https://www.getapp.com/development-tools-software/a/sketch/reviews/
  • https://www.getpaint.net/
  • https://fixthephoto.com/paint-net-review.html
  • https://www.techradar.com/reviews/paintnet