10 Best Free Photoshop Alternatives

Adobe Photoshop is a popular photo editing software for its advanced features. Adobe Photoshop is loaded with top-notch features making image editing much easier for professionals and beginners. However, the Creative Cloud subscription in the software has made Photoshop quite expensive. If you are a beginner in the photo editing industry, it is difficult to get a creative cloud subscription for Photoshop software.

If you want to cut down on your expenses and experience the same services just like Photoshop offers, then there are a range of free alternatives to Adobe Photoshop that would run flawlessly on Windows and Mac. Listed below are some of the well-known alternatives to Photoshop that you can try out for photo editing. Here you will find some best photo editing software and online photo editing tools.

Best Free Photoshop Alternatives (PC and Mac)

Here in this section, you will find the five best free Adobe Photoshop alternatives that you can use on your Windows and Mac operating systems.

1. GIMP

GIMP is a free and open-source Image Manipulation Program available for Windows and Mac operating systems. It allows us to do almost everything we want with our photos. If you are looking for the best Photoshop alternative, then GIMP is the top choice.

It has an interface almost identical to Adobe Photoshop and offers the same photo editing tools. GIMP recognizes multiple file formats such as GIF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. You can further enhance your productivity and the functionality of GIMP by adding third-party plugins.

2. Krita

Krita is a professional free and open-source painting and photo editing program. It is made by artists who want to see affordable art tools for everyone. Krita is one of the best alternatives to Photoshop which has almost the same features as Adobe Photoshop. It is highly recommended by several photographers. 

Another important characteristic of the software is that it looks and gives the same feeling as Photoshop software. You can do lots of things with Krita, like edit your photos with a unique pop-up color palette. Even you can access frequently used colors and import brush and texture packs from other artists. Moreover, if you ever find a problem Krita forum is there to help you.

3. Paint.NET

Paint.NET is a free photo editing software developed on the .NET framework. It is an updated version of MS Paint and was developed to bring some more advanced features to its users. If you are looking for basic free photo editing software, then Paint.NET is the best Photoshop alternative. 

As it brings a lot of new features that will keep the users engaged with the photo editing service. If you are not professional with photo editing then paint.net features will surely meet your needs as it is a very well-rounded tool for photo editing.

4. Photo Pos Pro

For those looking for a free Photoshop alternative for photo editing without complex high-end tools, Photo Pos Pro appears to be one of the better options. The photo editing software comes with a ton of easy-to-use tools so that you can create, edit, and manipulate your images.

Using Photo Pos Pro you can remove unwanted objects from an image, fix a poor shot, or replace the background with a nice-looking background, it’s got enough enhancement tools to let you adorn your pics. Not just that, it’s also got a good collection of frames so that you can beautify your collages. 

Photo Pos Pro is the best free photo editor software for Windows. Currently, it is not available on Mac but you can use it using a Windows emulator. 

5. Seashore

If you are a Mac user don’t worry, we have free photo editing software for you too. Seashore is another Photoshop alternative that is solely made for Mac users. It is a beginner family user interface will all the basic photo editing tools.

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.

Best Free Online Photoshop Alternatives

If you don’t want to download any photo editing software, you can check out the best free online photo editing tools to edit your photos. Here is the list of the best free online Photoshop alternatives.

1. Pixlr Editor

If you are looking for online Photoshop alternatives then Pixlr Editor will be the first name on the list. Nevertheless, the editor performs remarkable jobs with photo editing and is loaded with great and powerful tools.

Pixlr Editor is packed with a lot of features like effects, filters, a history tool, a healing tool, etc. All these features make Photoshop users fall for it. If you are looking for a quick on-the-go photo editing tool, then there is no better choice than Pixlr Editor.

2. Photopea

Next on our list, we have Photopea. It is one of the best free and online Photoshop alternatives, created by a single developer – Ivan Kutsir. One of the best things about Photopea is its UI, it resembles the same interface as Adobe Photoshop. You won’t have to learn the online tool from scratch if you have used Photoshop.

Photopea also has clear online documentation that will help beginners to get started. Another good thing about the software is that it supports multiple file formats. Apart from working with PSD files, it also supports – .XD, .Sketch, .XCF (GIMP), RAW, and other popular file formats.

3. Sumo Paint

Another best online Photoshop alternative that is worth mentioning here is Sumo Paint. Being an online photo editing tool, it is compatible with all operating systems and is stuffed with a bunch of Photoshop features. It comes with editing tools, brushes, and layering. It also provides several effects and filters to make your photo adorable. 

Support for layers and blending modes are a couple of useful features that benefit the users with their project. Unfortunately, it does not support a ruler or guide and Photoshop’s default PSD format. However, since it is an online editor, it can be used in any system.

4. Fotor

Rich with advanced features, Fotor Photo Editor, stands out from the rest with its glittering tools. The various tools can give a stunning look to your photographs. The standard function of the editor is meant for additional effects on the images.

If you are looking for a fast online editor then Fotor Photo Editor can be a worthy deal. The editor is quite fast enough to load the photo on it, where you can choose your desired effects to give a good edit. The quick edit option also allows you to add frames, which can be done from the “Frames option”.

Even the photo editor will never disappoint you with its template collection. The variable control in the editor allows you to control the width of borders, background selection, and all. 

5. Pic Monkey

PicMonkey is an online photo editing tool designed for basic photo editing, like creating- YouTube thumbnails, Instagram and Facebook posts, and all. Besides this, you can also do some basic editing to your photo. There are also a bunch of filters and effects that you might find useful.

However, PicMonkey isn’t nearly as feature-rich as other online photo editors. The negative side of PicMonkey is that some of the features are not available for free, even to download the edited photo you have to buy a subscription plan.

Conclusion

In summary, these ten free Photoshop alternatives provide excellent options for image editing, graphic design, and digital art. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or a professional, you can discover a suitable tool from this list to fulfill your creative requirements.

Embrace these potent and easily accessible alternatives to Photoshop in 2024, and set forth on your visual storytelling journey without spending a single penny.