Top 10 best free Photoshop alternatives that actually have ...

1. PhotoWorks (5-day free trial) · 2. Colorcinch · 3. GIMP · 4. Pixlr x · 5. Paint.NET · 6. Krita · 7. Photopea Online Photo Editor · 8. Photo Pos Pro. Skiptocontent Areyouonthehuntforasolutionthat’sjustaspowerfulasthehighlyreputableAdobePhotoshopsoftware,butwithoutthehighpricetag?Great!Inthispost,we’llbetakingalookatthe10bestfreePhotoshopalternativesavailable,plusafewmorewithfreetrials. AdobePhotoshop,CameraRaw,andLightroomhavebeentheindustrygoldstandardphotoeditingsoftwarefordecades.Andforgoodreason—thefeature-richprogramsarepowerfultoolsforphotographers.However,astheneedforaffordablegearincreases,sodoestheneedformoreaffordablesoftware,includingqualityPhotoshopalternatives. Althoughtheydon’tprovideallthesameextensivefunctionalitiesasAdobePhotoshop,here’sourlistofthebestfreephotoeditingsoftwarefor2021,thathassimilarfeaturestoPhotoshop.SomeoftheseworkwithMacandareopen-source,soyoucaneasilyachieveyoursmallday-to-dayeditingtasksinaproficientmanner.ThesefreePhotoshopalternativesaredefinitelyagame-changer! Ontheotherhand,ifyou’readigitalartistthatpreferstouseAdobeIllustrator,youshouldcheckoutthisarticleonthebestfreeIllustratoralternativesthatyoucanstartusingrightnow. TableofContentsTopPhotoshopalternativeswithfreetrials1.PhotoWorks2.AffinityPhoto3.LuminarAI4.CaptureOne5.ON1PhotoRAWTopfreePhotoshopalternatives1.Darktable2.Gimp3.Pixlrx4.Paint.NET5.Krita6.Photopea7.PhotoPosPro8.Sumopaint9.Seashore10.Colorcinch TopPhotoshopalternativeswithfreetrials SomePhotoshopalternativeshavebecomepowerfultoolswithprofessionalfeaturesthatarethesameorbetterthantheAdobeimageeditingpackage.Youcantakeadvantageoftheirfreetrialsand,iftheysuityourneeds,youcanpayforthematalowprice. 1.PhotoWorks PhotoWorks isasmart photoeditorforPC thathitstheperfectbalancebetweenuser-friendlinessandimpressivefunctionality.Designedforbothnewbiesandpros,thissoftwareoffersalltheessentialphotoeditingfeatures,alongwithsomenichetools.  PhotoWorks PerhapsthebiggestappealofPhotoWorksisits content-awareAI thatsignificantlysimplifiestheeditingprocessofbothlandscapesandportraits.Supportingover450RAWformats,this photoeditingsoftware boastsaclear,intuitiveinterfaceandawiderangeoftools–frombasictopro-level–aimedatturningyourlacklustershotintoeyecandy.  PhotoWorksisrefreshinglyundemandingwhenitcomestohardware,operatingsmoothlyevenonlow-speccomputers.Itoffers non-destructiveediting,anarrayofone-clickeffects,butdoesnotshyawayfromold-schoolmanualadjustmentsaswell. OneofthebrightestfeaturesofPhotoWorksisitsportraitretouching.ThankstoPhotoWorks’advancedface-recognitiontechnologyand alibraryofbeautifyingpresets,thisphotoeditorturnsatediousretouchingroutineintoaone-clickthing—withoutsacrificingthequalityoftheendresult.  TheFaceSculptfeature isyetanothertoolthattakesportraitretouchingtothenextlevel,asitallowstotweakthemodel’sfacialfeaturesiftheyhavebeenwarpedbybadlightingoraweirdshootingangle.  NotablePhotoWorksFeaturesInclude: AI-drivenauto-correctionbasedonthephoto’sgenrePortraitautoretouchandfacesculptingtoolEasybackgroundchange,removal,orblurring180+artisticfilters:HDR,vintage,Colorsplash,etc.Colorgradingtoolsandalibraryof3DLUTpresetsOddobjectsremovalinafewbrushstrokesSmartcropping,perspective,andlensdistortioncorrection PROSCONSUndemandinghardware-wiseOnlyforWindowsRequireslittletimetomasterSubparlayertoolsSupports450+RAWformatsDoesnotsupportPSDformatAI-driveneditingandretouchingNowdrawingtoolsPro-leveltoolslikeCurves,RadialfilterSometoolslikeAdjustmentbrushcanbeslowAnabundanceoftutorialavailableonline⚠️Freetrialdoesnotallowyoutosaveordownloadyourwork. GetstartedwithPhotoWorks 2.AffinityPhoto AffinityPhotoisapowerfulPhotoshopalternativethat’sagreatchoiceforphotographerswhowanttocreateHDRimages,createpanoramas,ordofocusstacking. AffinityPhoto AffinityPhotoispartofatrioofappsbySerifthatincludesAffinityDesigner(anIllustratoralternative)andAffinityPublisher(theiranswertoInDesign).UserswhoarefamiliarwithPhotoshopwillfindAffinityPhoto’slayouttofeellikesecondnature.Theylookandfeelverysimilar— andthesoftwareisthemostsimilarintermsofusabilityandfeatures,too. OnethingthatAffinityPhotohasthatyouwon’tfindinPhotoshopisadedicatedfrequencyseparationfilter—aprettyneatfeatureforthosewhodoalotofthistypeofediting.AffinityPhotoisalsothefirstpro-levelphotoeditingapptoworkacrossWindows,Mac,andiPad,soyoucaneditthesamefileacrossallofyourdevices.PhotoshopfinallyreleasedaniPadversionin2019,butwithlimitedfeatures. JustlikePhotoshop,AffinityPhotosupportslayers,soyoucandonon-destructiveediting.Thisisamajoradvantageoversomeoftheotheroptionsonthemarket.However,itlacksinsomeoftheadvancededitingtoolsthatitsmajorcompetitorboasts. Theotherdownsideisthatthere’snobuilt-infilemanagementsystemlikeyougetwithLightroom. NotableAffinityPhotoFeaturesInclude: SupportsRAWfilesToolsforHDR,panoramastitching,andfocusstackingBatchprocessingImportPSDfilesLayer-based,non-destructiveeditingSingle-price,nomonthlysubscriptionSupportsvariousfiletypesonimportandexport PROSCONSSimilarinlook&feeltoPhotoshopNotasmanyadvancedfeaturesasPsOnetimecost,freelifetimeupdatesNoimagefilemanagementsystemManyretouchingtoolsandfiltersCanbeslowwithverylargefilesBuilt-inlenscorrectionsHugebrushlibraryPowerfultexttools GetstartedwithAffinityPhoto 3.LuminarAI LuminarAIisarevolutionarynewtypeofphotoeditingsoftwarethatusesartificialintelligencetospeeduptheeditingprocess.Itisgearedtowardlandscapeandportraitphotographers. LuminarAI LuminarAIisunlikeanyoftheotherPhotoshopalternativesthatmadeitontoourlist.ThedevelopersatSkylum,Luminar’sparentcompany,tookanon-conventionalapproachtophoto-editingwiththisversionofLuminar—it’sfullypoweredbyartificialintelligence.Whatthatmeans,isLuminarcanautomaticallydetectandmaskpartsoftheimage(likethesky,hair,skin,oreyes)thatyouwouldnormallyhavetodomanually. AttheheartofLuminarAI’stechnologyareTemplates.Theyarebasicallylikepresetsorfilters,butthesoftwarechoosesthembasedonyourphoto.Artificialintelligencestudiesyourimageandsuggeststhebesttemplatesthatwouldworkwiththatimage.Ofcourse,youcanaltereachtemplatetosuityourtaste. LuminarAIexcelsatskyreplacements,bodyslimming,eyeenhancements,addingfogtolandscapes,andmore.Honestly,someofthethingsitcandoarejaw-dropping! However,asastandaloneapp,Luminardoesfallshortinotherareas.Forexample,thereisnolayer-basedediting.Youcan’tcompareimagessidebyside,andthere’snobatchediting.Forthisreason,manyphotographersusethepluginversionofLuminarAIalongwithPhotoshop. NotableLuminarAIFeaturesInclude: MakesadvancededitseasyenoughforbeginnersAIautomaticallydetectsandmaskspartsoftheimageJaw-droppingskyreplacementsFantasticportraiteditingtoolsSupportsRAWfilesAvailableforWindowsorMacStandaloneapporpluginforPhotoshop PROSCONSUser-friendly,easytouseNolayer-basededitingOnetimecost,freeupdatesHighsystemrequirementsExcellentforlandscapesandportraitsMissingmanyadvancedfeaturesofPsTime-saving GetstartedwithLuminarAI 4.CaptureOne CaptureOneisasophisticatedprogramthatisLightroom’sbiggestrival.IfyoudomostofyoureditinginLightroomandarelookingtobreakawayfromAdobe,thisjustmightbetheanswer. CaptureOne CaptureOneiswidelyregardedasthebestalternativetoLightroom,withouttheheftymonthlysubscriptionpayment.It’sacomprehensiveimagemanagementsoftwareandphotoeditorfromPhaseOne,manufacturersofhigh-endcameras. CaptureOneisn’tasbeginner-friendlyassomeoftheotherprogramsonourlist.Newusersmayfindtheinterfacechallengingtouseatfirst.However,itcanbecustomizedtosuityourneeds.And,thereareplentyoffreetutorialstohelpgetyoustarted. CaptureOne,atitscore,isallaboutimagemanagement—andthat’swhereitexcels.However,thislistisaboutPhotoshopalternatives,sowe’llfocusonthevarietyofimageeditingtoolsthesoftwareincludes. ThesoftwaredoesallowforeditingRAWfiles,itofferslayers-basedediting,lenscorrection,levelsandcurvesadjustments,spotremovalandcloning,andcolorgrading.TheprogramisavailableforWindowsPCormacOS. NotableCaptureOneFeaturesInclude: EfficientfilemanagementsystemRendersFujiandSonyRAWfilesbetterthanLightroomBestLightroomalternativeCreateyourownkeyboardshortcutsfortoolsCustomizetheinterfacetosuityourownneeds PROSCONSNosubscriptionrequiredInterfaceisdifficultfornewusersDiscountforFujiandSonyusersNoadvancedretouchingtoolsExcellentRAWrenderingNopanorama,HDRSupportslayers-basededitingNolayerblendmodesAdvancedcolorgrading GetstartedCaptureOne 5.ON1PhotoRAW ON1PhotoRAWisastrongcompetitorforaLightroom/Photoshopalternative.It’sgotsomeexcellentpresetsandevenallowsfortheuseofsomePhotoshopplugins. ON1PhotoRAW ON1PhotoRAWissimilartoLightroomClassic.YougetanimagemanagementsystemwithapowerfulRAWprocessorandaDevelopmodulethatgivesyouaccesstoallthetypicalphotoadjustments,likeexposure,luminance,andsharpening.UserswhoareusedtoLightroomwillhaveaneasytimemakingtheswitch,astheinterfacesaresimilar. Ontheotherhand,ifyou’remorefamiliarwithPhotoshop,you’lllikethelayers-basededitingyougetwithON1.It’sevengottheabilitytoaddtext!UnlikePhotoshop,however,alleditswithON1arenon-destructive. LikeLuminarAI,ON1alsoincorporatesanumberofartificialintelligenceoptions,includingAIAutoToneandAIMatch,althoughtheydon’tseemtoworkaswellasthecompetition. ON1PhotoRAWsupportsRAWfilesand,infact,itsRAWphotorenderingisconsideredbysometobeevenbetterthanLightroom!But,whatON1isreallyknownforisitsfiltersandeffects.Besidesthestandardcurvesandvignette,italsohasothers,likeGrungeandSunshine,tobroadenyourcreativeedits. NotableON1PhotoRAWFeaturesInclude: ProprietaryphotoenlargementtoolON1ResizeisworththepricealoneBasicallydoesthejobofLightroomandPhotoshopinoneArtificialIntelligencefeaturesforportraitandlandscapesWorkswithsomePhotoshoppluginsIncludesHDR,focusstacking,andpanoramastitching PROSCONSSinglepurchaseoptionCatalogingnotverysophisticatedNon-destructiveeditingSyncoptionrequiressubscriptionRAWrenderingevenbetterthanAdobeTiesupbandwidthoncomputerSupportslayers-basededitingDoesn’tworkwitholdermacOSLotsofcreativefiltersandeffects GetstartedON1PhotoRAW TopfreePhotoshopalternatives There’sreallynothingwrongwithusingfreephotoeditingsoftwarelikethepopularPhotoshopalternativesthatwe’regoingtobetakingalookatinthispost. Manyofthesolutionsthatwe’rerecommendinginthispostdonothaveanexcessivenumberofbuilt-intools–somethingwhichAdobePhotoshopisnotoriousfor. Thismeanslessofalearningcurveandmoretimeforphotoediting. Inadditiontothis,fornewphotographersintheindustry,itmightnotmakesensetopayfortheexpensiveAdobeCreativeCloudsubscription. Sowithoutfurtherado,let’sdiverightinandtakealookatsomeofthebestfreePhotoshopalternatives. 1.Darktable Darktableisanopen-sourceimageeditorthatofferstheabilitytoprocessRAWfiles,non-destructiveediting,tetheredshooting,andadvancedcolormanagement.ThesoftwareisoftenmarketedasaLightroomalternativebecausetheinterfaceissosimilar. Darktable Darktableboaststhatitwascreatedforphotographersbyphotographers.ItislimitedinfunctionalitycomparedtoPhotoshopbutdoeshavesomebasicphotoenhancementtoolsandaninterfacesimilartoLightroomthatallowsyoutoapplyeditstomultipleimagesatonce.SomeofitskeyfeaturesincludeRAWnon-destructiveediting,theabilitytocreateandsaveyourownpresets,andcolorcorrection. DarktablealsoallowsforexportinginawidevarietyoffileformatsfromlowresJPGandPNGto16-bitTIFFandhighdynamicrangeEXRimages.TheprogramworkswithMac,Windows,andLinux. Wherethesoftwarelacks,isinup-closedetailediting,likespotremovalandretouchingtools.Usersalsocomplainthattheprogramcanbeslowand“buggy”andoftencrasheswhenworkingonlargefiles. NotableDarktableFeaturesInclude: Non-destructiveeditingAbilitytoeditRAWfilesTetheredshootingsupportformanycamerabrandsDarktablecurrentlyavailablein21differentlanguages61imageoperationmodulesforadjustingimagecolor,tone,balance,sharpness,contrast,andartisticeffects PROSCONSSimpleinterfacenearlyidenticaltoLightroomNotenoughtoolsfordetaileditingorretouchingWorksonApple,Windows,andLinuxdevicesBuggyandcrashesCaneditRAWfilesNon-destructiveeditingPowerfulexportingoptions GetstartedwithDarktable 2.GIMP GIMP(shortforGNUImageManipulationProgram)isanexcellent,open-sourcePhotoshopalternativeforthoseonlimitedbudgetsthatstillneedadvancedimageeditingcapabilities.ThisprogramisanadvancedrastereditorsimilartoPhotoshop. GIMPasafreephotoshopalternative Infact,GNUImageManipulationProgramcanbeusedasabasicpaintprogram,anexpertphotoretouchingprogram,anonlinebatchprocessingsystem,animageformatconverter,andmoredependingonwhatitisthatyou’relookingfor. You’llbehappytohearthatit’savailableforbothMacandWindowsaswellasLinux,makingitaversatiletoolforphotographers. Thisprogramasafreephotoshopalternativealsorecognizesmostofthepopularfileformatsthatyou’dexpectinapaideditorlikePhotoshop,includingGIF,JPEG,PNG,andTIFF.YoucanalsofindsupportforsomePSD,thoughnotalllayersmaybereadable. Withanactivedevelopercommunitythatlistenstouserfeedbackandsuggestions,thisprogramcomespackedwithwhatmostphotographersneedtoedittheirphotosbeforepublishingthem. NotableGIMPFeaturesInclude: Paintfeatureslikepainttool(brush,pencil,airbrush,andclone)CustombrushesandpatternsTransformationtoolslikerotate,scale,shear, andflipEditabletextlayersColorcorrectionMNGsupportforanimationsEditingtoolslikelayers,masks,curves,and levelsHugecollectionofpluginstoextend(someevenpre-installed) PROSCONSTonsofadvancededitingoptionsAsteeplearningcurve,provingdifficultforbeginnersNoaddisplaysorlimitationsClutteredandoutdatedUIComprehensivelayersupportwithblendingmodesPresetbrushessharethesamesettingsHistorytoolbarNodrawingcapabilitiesSupportforimageslicingNoCameraRAWfilter BothGimpandPhotoshopusevectormethods(mathematics)forgenerallayoutandelementssuchastext,butareequippedtodealwithrasterimagesdowntothepixelandoftenhavespecialcapabilitiesindoingso,suchasbrightness/contrast,andevenadding“lighting”toarasterimageorphotograph. GetstartedwithGIMP 3.Pixlrx PixlrXisthenewestversionoftheolder(andsuperpopular)Pixlreditor.TheoldPixlreditorcomeswithplentymoreadvancedfeaturesandimprovementsandseekstobecomeoneofthebestfreePhotoshopalternativesoutthere. Pixlr-xasanalternativetoPhotoshop BasedonHTML5,ratherthanFlash,thisprogramwillworkwellinanymodernbrowser(eveniPadsandiPhones!).Thisexpandsitsusabilityandmakesitmoreappealingtophotographersaroundtheworld.Plus,itcomeswithaslickandmoderninterface,completewithdarkandlightcolorschemes. PixlrXisanonlinephotoeditor,meaningyoucanuseitwithanyoperatingsystem.Inotherwords,itwon’tmatterifyouuseLinux,Mac,orWindows,you’llbeabletoaccessthisprogramwithease.Nottomention,itcomeswithallthebasicadjustmentsyoumightneedtocreatewell-editedimages,andsomeextrastoo,likethede-hazingandcurvestools. Feelingoverwhelmedbythenumberofmodificationsyoucanmake?PixlrxalsohasanAuto-Fixtoolthathelpspreventover-editing. NotablePixlrXFeaturesInclude: Rotate,flip,andstraightenallimagesCropusingoneofsevenpresetimageratiosInstagramworthyfilterstoaddtoanyphotoyouuploadBuilt-intexttool,completewithstylishfontsetstochoosefromTweakvibrance,highlights,andshadowsExtensivelayersupportwithmultipleblendingmodes PROSCONSAccessibleonanyplatform,includingmobiledevicesMusthaveaninternetconnectiontoaccessHistorytoolsSinceit’snew,sometoolsarestillinbetaUsesHTML5ratherthanFlashSometools,suchasthehealingbrushareslow(evenPixlrdevelopersadmitso)OpensimagesfromdesktoporURLsNotaseasytoinstalladditionalfontsetsasitiswithAdobePhotoshop GetstartedwithPixlrX 4.Paint.NET Paint.NETisanotherPhotoshopalternativefordigitalphotoeditingthatwasinitiallydesignedtobeafreereplacementfortheMicrosoftPaintsoftwarethatcamewithWindows. Paint.netagoodphotoshopalternative Fastforwardtonow,andPaint.NETisoneofthemostpowerfulyetsimpleimageandphotoeditingtoolsinthemarket. OneofPaint.NET’smostnotablefeaturesisthefactthatitusesatabbeddocumentinterface.Inotherwords,youcanworkwithmultipledocumentsorpanelswithinonesinglewindowandusethetabstomovebetweenthemall.Andtomakethingsevensimplerforyou,Paint.NETdisplaysasmallthumbnailimageofeachtabinsteadofatextdescription. Addingtothis,thedevelopersbehindPaint.NEThaveworkedhardtomakesuretheeditingsoftwareisblazingfastforusers.Thisnotonlyspeedsupeditingtime,butitalsopreventsalotoffrustration.Andwhenitcomestoperformance,don’tworryaboutathing.Paint.NETautomaticallyupdatesandalwayscomeswithnewfeatures,improvements,andbugfixes. NotablePaint.NETFeaturesInclude: 3DrotatezoomfunctiontohelpwiththerecompositionofimagesSupportformultiplelayerswithblendingmodes(oneofPhotoshop’smostusedfeatures)Historytoolformultiplequickundo’s(unlimited)Supportsrulers,drawing,andgradientsClonestampingforcopyingorerasingpartsofimagesTonsofformatssupportedlikePDN,BMP,GIF,JPG,PNG,TIFF,TGA,andDDS PROSCONSEasytouseinterface,evenforbeginnersOnlyworksforWindowsoperatingsystemsGreatsupport–forum,tutorials,andpluginstoextendthesoftwareDoesnotnativelysupportPSDFreetouseforbusinessandcommercialusewithnorestrictionsUIlacksawaytomanagepluginsDoesn’tsupportauto-snappingNotextcorrectionafterapplyingothereffectsVerylightweightandneversacrificesspeedandperformance GetstartedwithPaint.NET 5.Krita WorksonMacAlso KritaistheperfectfreePhotoshopalternativeforphotographersthatneedalittlemoreflexibilitywhenitcomestocreativity. KritaisanupandcomingfreePhotoshopalternative Infact,artistslookingtogiveeveryoneaffordablearttoolsbuiltKritaforconceptualartists,textureandmattepainters,illustrators,andcomicstripcreators. Whenitcomestocoloringyourphotos,youcanusetheuniquepop-upcolorpalette.Plus,takeadvantageofKrita’sexclusivetaggingsystemtoswapoutbrushesthatarebeingdisplayed.Also,accesscommonlyusedcolorsandconfigureallcolorsettingswithafewclicks. NeedsomethingKritadoesn’thave?Youcaneasilyimportbrushandtexturepacksfromotherartistsandexpandyourtoolset.Andifyouneedadditionalhelp,there’salwaystheKritaforumwhereotherartistshangaroundtosharetheirbestworkandideas. NotableKritaFeaturesInclude: CreateshortcutsforcommonlyusedtoolsBrushstabilizerstotaketheshakinessoutSeeminglyendlessbrushcustomizationsAssistanttoolsforhelpingyoucreatethe perfectshapeOpen,save,edit,andauthorHDRand scene-referredimages PROSCONSVerysimilarlookandfeeltoPhotoshopNoRAWfilterCustomizableinterfaceNohistorytoolbarSupportsmostPSDCanbeslowattimesIncludesadvancedlayermanagementsystemVeryfewupdatesreleasedAvailableforLinux,Mac,andWindowsOutdateddocumentationPoortouchcontrols GetstartedwithKrita 6.PhotopeaOnlinePhotoEditor Forstarters,PhotopeaOnlinePhotoEditorisagoodweb-basedalternativeforPhotoshopthataimstosolvetheproblemofhavingtodownloadandinstallanotherprogramontoyourcomputer.  PhotopeaPhotoshopAlternativeOnlinePhotoEditor Italsoaimstospeeduptheeditingtime,especiallywhenitcomestosimpletaskssuchasresizingaphoto;insteadofhavingtowaitonPhotoshoptoload.  Sincethisisaweb-basededitor,it’scompatiblewithallplatformsanditcomeswithnativesupportforPSD,XCF,Sketch,XD,andCDRformats.YoucanalsoexportyourworkasPSD,JPG,PNGorSVGfile.  FeaturesinPhotopeaOnlineinclude: PowerfulpenandbrushtoolTheabilitytoworkwithlayersandapplylayermasksBlendmodessimilartoPhotoshop Variousproceduraladjustmentssuchaschangingbrightness,sharpness,addingblur,andmoreDecentselectionofpremadetemplatestostartfrom  PROSCONSPhotopeaOnlinePhotoeditorcomeswithsupportforPSDandotherpopularfileformatsFreeversiondisplayadsinthesidebarwhichcanbedistractingCanexporttoSVGformataswellasPSDformatHasafreeplanwhichisgoodforbasicuseDoesn’trequireaspecialbrowserplugintowork GetstartedwithPhotopeaOnline 7.PhotoPosPro PhotoPosProisacompleteimageeditingsuiterivalingtheexpensivePhotoshopsoftwarewhenitcomestoenhancingphotosandcreatingstunningpiecesofart. Theinterfaceisorganizedinasimpleandeasytounderstandway,unlikeotherfreePhotoshopalternativeslikeGIMP.Andifthingsbecomealittletoooverwhelmingforyou,youcanalwaysenablethe‘novice’layouttohelpyoustayontrackandeditwhat’simportant. Forthosewithalittlemoreexperience,the‘expert’layoutoffersusersaccesstoeditingtoolsforfine-tuningworks,suchasmanualcurvesandlevelsadjustments. Anditdoesn’tmatterifyouuseaMacorpreferWindows,PhotoPosProworksonboth. FeaturesinPhotoPosProinclude: Magicerasertool(remove,erase,andreplacebackgrounds)AddframesandcollagesTonsofpre-designedextensionpacks24-hourcustomersupportPlentyoflayersandmasksHealingandclonebrushesFiltercreationandsavingtouselater PROSCONSBeginnerandadvancedmodestomeetyourneedsThe‘expert’layoutcanbehaphazardandhaveasteeplearningcurveLotsofhelptutorialsCanrunslowattimesBalanceofone-clickandmanualeditingtoolsTheexportedfilesizeislimitedSupportforRAWfiles GetstartedwithPhotoPosPro 8.Sumopaint SumopaintisoneofthebestfreePhotoshopalternativeswhenitcomestodesignandfunctionality.Thelayering,editingtools,andbrushandwandtypesmakeitaviableoptionforanyonelookingformid-rangeeditingfeaturesatzerocost. SumopaintalternativetoPhotoshop ThisphotoeditingtoolrunsinmostFlash-basedbrowsers,thoughthereisaChromeWebAppavailableforChromebooks.It’salsocloud-based,meaningyouneverhavetodownloadorinstallanythingtoyourcomputerordevice. YoucanopenfileswithextensionssuchasGIF,JPEG,andPNG,andsaveprojectsusingthesameformats,aswellasthenativeSUMOformat. NotableSumopaintFeaturesInclude: SumopaintonlinecommunityExclusiveSUMOformatforworkingofflineOver300brushesComprehensivecolorpickerSelectiontoolswithundofeatureClonestampingforreal-timedrawingLayers,layereffects,andlayerblendingmodes(upto100layerswitheffects) PROSCONSVerysimilartothePhotoshopinterfaceRequiresFlashandrunson-pageadsAlwaysupdatedeverytimeyouopentheapplicationLimitedfilesupportwithnosupportforPhotoshop’sdefaultPSDformatSymmetrytoolswithsymmetrypoints,gravity,andmodestohelpNosupportforrulersorguidesGradienteditorwithacollectionofpresetgradientsLackingpentool,CameraRAWfilter,andauto-snapping GetstartedwithSumopaint 9.Seashore WorkswithApple–doesn’tsupport.psdfiles SeashoreisabasicimageeditingsolutionthatstillcompeteswiththetopfreePhotoshopalternativesinthemarket.ThoughinspirationwasdrawnfromGIMP,SeashoreseekstoofferasimplerinterfaceforMacusers. SeashoreinspiredbyGIMPPhotoshopalternative ItcomeswithsupportforTIFF,PNG,JPEG,JP2000,BMP,PICT,PDF,XBM,andGIF,makingitoneofthemostversatileeditingtoolsintermsoffileformats.Plus,there’ssupportforlayerssoyourcreationscangofrombeingokaytoamazingwithafewsimpleedits.Andifyouneedgradients,textures,andanti-aliasingforbothtextandbrushstrokes,Seashorehasyoucovered. Mostnotable,however,isthefactthatSeashoresupportspressuresensitivity.Sowhatdoesthismean?Ifyou’reusingapressure-sensitivedrawingtablet,you’llbeabletouseallofitspressurelevelstocustomizeyourphotos. NotableSeashoreFeaturesInclude: LayersandmergingeffectsAnti-aliasedpaintbrushes6gradienteffects,includingtransparencyFullsupportforTIFF,PNG,GIF,JPEG,JPEG2000,XCFandHEICformatsArbitraryselectionsusingalassotool PROSCONSVeryuser-friendlyandsuitableforbeginnersOnlyavailableintheAppleAppStoreMenulayoutmimicsPhotoshopinterfaceNobuilt-ineffectsStrippeddownversionofadvancedGIMPsolutionUIlooksoutdatedDoesn’tsupportanyPSDfiles GetstartedwithSeashore 10.Colorcinch Colorcinchisaveryuser-friendlyweb-basededitorandagreatalternativetoPhotoshop.Ithasanextensivecollectionofpresets,graphics,andothercreativeassets. Colorcinch OneofthebiggeststrengthsofColorcinchisthefactthatitfeaturesahandfulofAI-poweredspecialtyeffects.TheCartoonizerisoneofthemanditcanneatlytransformimagesintocartoons,sketchesandpaintings. Thisphotoeditorisawebplatform,soyoudon’thavetodownloadandinstallanythinginordertouseit.ItworksonMac,WindowsPC,andLinux,aslongasyouhaveareliableinternetconnection. Colorcinchgivesyouaccesstoover1.5millionhigh-resolutionstockphotosforbothpersonalandcommercialuse.Therearealsohundredsofartisticbordersandmasktochoosefrom,aswellastensofthousandsofvectorgraphics&icons. ColorcinchallowsyoutoexportyourworkinPNG,JPG,orPDFformat.Theavailablequalitygoesupto300DPI. NotableColorcinchFeaturesInclude: AI-poweredfiltersthatcanturnphotosintocartoons,sketches,andpaintingsAmoderntexttoolandhundredsofoverlays,frames,andmasksAcollectionofnon-genericartisticeffectsandfiltersThousandsofvectoriconsandgraphicstoaddextradetailsToolstocrop,resize,straighten,androtatepicturesBuilt-inoptionsforenhancingyourphoto’slook(vibrance,exposure,color,brightness,contrast,etc.) PROSCONSIntuitive,clean,anduser-friendlyinterfaceDoesn’tworkoffline,youneedaccesstoagoodinternetconnectioninordertousethephotoeditorItisweb-basedandworksonApple,Windows,andLinuxdevicesItfeaturessomegreatAI-poweredfiltersthatcantransformyourphotosintocartoons,sketches,andpaintingsNoregistrationneeded,youcaneditforfree50,000+vectorgraphics&iconstochoosefrom GetstartedwithColorcinch LastWords PhotoshopandLightroomaretheindustrystandardforgoodreason—theyarepackedwithfeaturesthatgetthejobdone.But,whenAdobechangedtoasubscriptionmodel,manyusersstartedjumpingship,lookingforamoreaffordableoption.Whypayhundredsofdollarsayearforfeaturesyoudon’tuse? Ifyou’relookingforthebestPhotoshopalternative,forwhateverreason,you’renotalone.Whetheryougoforoneofthefreeoptionsoryouchoosetoeditwithoneofthepaidoptions,wehopeyoufoundinthisposttheperfectPhotoshopalternativetofityourneeds! Ifyou’rejuststartingoutandyouwanttodiscoverwhichtoolssuityoubest,checkthisarticleonthebestphotoeditingsoftwareforbeginners! CristianRaiber Self-taughtentrepreneurwithadeeppassionforlearning,understandinghumannatureandwhatdrivesbusinessesforward.Ourproductsarebeingusedbyover500,000users,daily. 53thoughtson“ThebestfreePhotoshopalternativesfor2021thatactuallyhavesimilarfeatures” Greatarticle!Thankyouverymuch.ThePhotopeaonlineeditorshouldworktoo. Noanyoftheseissuitableforaseriousslicingjob! Reply Accordingtowell-knownvideographersinLondon,therearemanyalternativesoftwareforPhotoshopavailableonline,butonlyfewofthemareonparwithPhotoshopatsomepoint.Butstillwecansaythattheyareusefultosomeextentandcanbeusedtodoyourproject. Reply Beingavideographerandbeingwell-knownarenotanykindofqualificationforevaluatingPhotoshop🙂 Reply PixlrXiswickedgoodforcreatingeye-catchingthumbnailsforyourYouTubevideos.IhaveevenusedittocreatephotoeffectsforalabelIuseononeofmycommercialproducts(AwesomeHotSaucelabelforGratefulFedfeaturingmywifeonthedesign)Iamalwaysinsearchofalessclumsymorerefinedmethodofcuttingandpastingelementsfromoneimagefiletooverlayonanother.PixlrXisprettygoodforthat,butifyou’rejustmovingamouseandnotadrawpadtoeliminatebackgroundfromtheoutlineofanobject,itcouldbealittlepainstaking. Ihaven’tusedtheothers,butthepointisIhaven’thadtoseekoutanalternativebecausePixlrXissogood. Reply Thankyouverymuchforyourwellexplainedandobviouslywell-researchedinformation. YouareaMensch. PShasbeenpepperingmewithinterruptionsbecauseofmyusinga3rdpartyappresource. PSissuchaninstitutionallysacredapplicationthatImightjustpaythe$10/mofeeinhomageofitssuperbcapabilities,inspiteofmybeingpoorandalsobeing87yearsold. Iamnotaphotographer.Iamfilmeditorandwriter.Iuseonly5%ofitscapabilities,toenhancemyblack&whitepencilhanddrawingsformoredensityintheblacks,forbackgroundcleaningorreplacing,sharpening–fundamentals,andup‘ndownsizingresolutioninvariouscodecs. GIMPorSEASHOREwillbemychoiceifIcanletgoofa20yearoldfriendPS. Reply YoushouldtryPixlrProitisanexactreplicaofAdobePhotoshopexceptthereisnosymmetrytoolandlessbrushpresets Reply Ihopeit’sgood Reply 1.TheprogramIprobablylikedbestwasSumopaint.Ilikeditbecausewhenitcomestodesignandfunctionality.Thelayering,editingtools,andbrushandwandtypesmakeitaviableoptionforanyonelookingformid-rangeeditingfeaturesatzerocost. 2.I’mratingSumopaint5starsandgivingit10outof10scoresinmyopinion. 3.Iwouldrecommendthisprogramforsomeoneelsetousebecauseitcouldbeusefulformanystudentsinourschoolsomeday,infactthisisveryinterestingandusefulforourschoolmostly. Reply ILikedSumopaintthemostbecauseitupdateseverytimeyouopenitandithasover300brushesalongwithitssymmetrytoolswhichisgreatforartists.It’sjustthatgreatforphotoeditingbutisgoodforpeoplestartingout Reply ilikePhotopeaOnlinePhotoEditorbecauseitaimstosolvetheproblemofhavingtodownloadandinstallprograms. Reply Verygoodarticle!IusuallyuseMockoFun😎asaPhotoshopalternative.It’sanonlinetoolwithtexteffectsandphotofilterssimilartoPhotoshop Reply HowstrangethatthereisnomentionofAffinityPhoto,THEalternativetoPhotoshop. AlsoyouoverstateGIMPasanalternative,whichhasnorealcmyksupport(exportonlywithadd-on)andisterribletoworkwith. Reply Afteralittleresearch,IfoundthatAffinityPhotoisthebestalternativetophotoshop.Ithasfreetrialsowhynottryforyourself. Reply thxthisreallyhelpformyYTchannle Reply callumsame. Reply thankyouihavebeenlookingforhours Reply Thankyouforyourarticle,it’shelpful.IuseGIMPforallofmyphotoeditingduties,primarilytododustremoval(lotsofhealingandcloning)onscansoffilm.IuseaXP-PenStar06wirelessdrawingtablet,withthemostrecentversionofGIMP2.10forthisediting. Reply Thankyousomuchforthis.I’mtryingpixlrxfornow(asinjustnow)andamquitepleased. Reply There’satrialperiodonAffinityPhoto,butitisnotfree. Reply Thankyousomuchforyourinformation. Reply Iamdealinginrealestatesegmentasconsultant.Forpramotionalflyer,brochureect.Whichphotoshopisrecommended.Plsguideme Reply Hi!Iwouldliketoknowifthereisariskofourpicturesbeing“stolen”orpublishedwithoutourconsentwithonlineeditingsoftwaressuchasPixlrx?Justwanttomakesuremycopyrightsaresafe!Thanksinadvancefortheinfo! Reply IhonestlyfindAdobe’spricingtobecompletelygoodasaprofessionalphotoeditor,Althoughitisacauseforconcernfornewcomers!Butincomparisonwithotherrastertools,Photoshopis,withoutadoubt,enjoyableinpriceandfeatures. Reply Photoworksisnotfree,soI’mnotsurewhyit’sevenonthislist.Thereisa5-daytrial,butthat’sit. Reply @Eric–I’veupdatedthearticletoreflectthis.Thanksforlettingusknow. Reply Yesbutwhyisitstillonthelist?Ithinkyoushouldhaveremovedit. Reply Idon’tbelieveitshouldberemoved.However,it’sbeenmoveddownthelist. Reply Photoworkswon’tletyousaveordownloadonafreetrial.Howisthisfree?Isthisanadforthem? Reply Iknow,right?Ihadthesamethought. Reply Thankyouverymuchforyourhelp. Reply @Patrick–that’soneofthelimitationsoftheirfreetrialversion.Itsayssointheconstableatthestartofthearticle. Reply Okay,soIdon’tknowhowtodoANYTHING.Iamnotagraphicdesigneroranything.I’mjustthekindofpersonwhoisverypickyaboutthingsandwhocan’tfindexactlywhattheywantexistinginreality,soIcreatealotofrandomthingsthatIwantmyselfsothattheyareexactlyhowIlikethem.TheproblemisthatIamnotanexpertatanythingandthelasttimeIusedanysoftwarelikethiswasatleast7yearsago,foraboutaweekwhenIhadaphotoshopfreetrial.Iprettymuchjustlearnedhowtolayerimagesandadjustthetransparencyandsuch.Idon’tremembermuchifanything.SoIwaslookingforaprogramthatwouldbeeasyforsomeonelikemetofigureout.FromthisarticleitlookedasifPhotopeaandKritawouldbebestsuitedforwhatIwantedtodo.IstartedwithPhotopeabutcouldn’tevenfigureouthowtoresizejusttheimageinmytoplayer,orfillcolor,oranythingthatshouldbereallysimple(andprobablyisforsomeonefamiliarwiththeseprograms).Insteadofbeingstubborn(myusualgo-tobehavior–spendhourstryingtofigureouthowtodosomethingsupposedlysimple)withPhotopeaIdidsomethingcompletelycrazy(probablyactuallythesanethingtodobutIknownothingaboutsanity)–IdownloadedKritaandstartedover.TheinterfaceslooksimilarbutKritaismuchmorestraightforwardandintuitiveinmyopinionandIfiguredouthowtodowhatIneededtodoinaboutfiveminutes.So,ifyoudon’tknowwhatyouaredoing,tryKrita.Thanksforthearticle.SUPERhelpful. Reply Iamanindependentauthorandwanttodesignmybookcoverstosavesomemoneybutdon’twantthemtolooklikecrap.Ineedtobeabletoblenddifferentimagestogetherandaddfilterssotheyalllooklikeonecohesiveimage.TheIneedtoaddtext.Whichprogramdoyourecommendforabeginnerthat’smildlytechsavvy? Reply HaveyoutriedusingGIMP?It’s#2onourlist🙂Veryversatile. Andnottomention–100%free. Here’salinktoaYouTubetutorialonhowtocreateabookcoverwithGIMP2.10:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw_gE6Ged0s Reply ItriedGIMP… ItisSLOWtolaunch… Savefileaction:cantakesminutes(!)beforethedialogboxpopsup?! AndIwouldnotcallituserfriendly,butratheruser-hostile. It’seasytogarbleuptheinterface,butnotsoeasytocorrectit… Reply dudeit’sforlinux.linuxusersareusedtogimp. andyourcomputerisveryslow.veryveryslow. user-hostile?gimpisforproffesionals!thinkwithyourbrainnotmouth. Reply thisisawesome.Thanksforputtingthislisttogether.Photoshopisgoodbuttheirstrangleholdonthemarketisabitconcerning.#longliveOpenSource Reply Hello: thanksverymuchforastraightforwardanddetailedarticle. Ihaveasimilarquestiononeofthepostsabove,whichhasnotbeenanswered. Whathappenswithallthesefreesoftware,intermsofcopyrights?Couldtheybeusedto‘harvest”images?YearsagoIfoundapictureItookoftheEiffelTowerfromanunusualanglethatIhadneverseenbefore.Theoutstandingpartwasthebackgroundofclouds.Ieditedthatpictureforcontrastandsaturationinafreeapplication.Tomyshock,thepicturewaslaterbeingofferedforsaleinastockphotowebsite.SAMEANGLE,SAMECLOUDS! Doyouknowanythingabouttheguaranteestheseopen-sourceandfreeapplicationsoffer? Thanks! Reply WellElle,youcouldgetyourrightsactually,thereareinstitutesforthis,withgoogleimageyoucanfindyourimagesbackandifyoucanprovewiththeoriginalfilethatitisyours,youcouldgetyourpartofthemoneytheyearnedonit.Yes,thisispossible,maybeyouneedaninstitutebehindyouforthefirsttime,meaningotpaythemalittletosavethisworkofyours.Butthosewhodiditcouldbefinedandyouthensavealotforallcreatorsonthelongrun.Curiousifyouattemptit.Goodluckwithit!Foranothertimeyoucanmputyourdataandcopyrightinfointothefileinfowhenprocessing.InPSforsure,.notsureifanyofthesefreesoftwaresofferthisstep.Worthtolookintoit. Reply PhotopeawasperfecttouseandnearlyidenticaltoPS.IwasabletocompletesomeartworkwhileIwasonadifferentcomputerinahotelroom.Savedouraccount.Kudos! Reply DoallthefreeorcheapalternativestoPShavelassocapabilities? Reply Thanksforaniceroundup,Cristian.IwentwithColorcinchtho.Surprisedthey’renotonyourlist.They’rebestimo. Reply AreallyadvancedalternativeisPhotoline.It’squiteoftenupdatedandhaslotsofpro-orientedfeatures,canworkinCMYKandsoon. Reply OMG..justdownloadedKritabecauseGIMPwasvery,very,veryslowonMacOsBigSur.Didnotsolvetheproblem..Kritaisalsovery,very,veryslow..movingyourpointerandthecursormovingasecondlater..impossibletoworkwith.ActuallyconsideringtobuytheCreativeCloudafteryearsofusingGimp..sad. Reply HelloOsman,ifallthesearesoslow,Iwonderifitisnotyourpc/laptopthatneedssomesortofupgradeeitherwiththememoryorthegraphcardoralike? Reply HelloBarbara,iamdevelopingavideogameusingUnrealwiththisPCbutihavethesameissue. Reply kritadoesnotseemtorecognizethe.epsfiletype.Isthiscorrect? Reply Iwantphotosshoptforfreeforevernotfor7daysonly-_-plz Reply Using(NCHPhotoPadImageEditor)&free(JetaLogoDesigner),butneverusedanyoftheseprogramsall!Musttrythesesoonerorlater…….. Reply Benificialarticle,I’gunnadependonittochosetheproperprogramforme. Thanksalot. (FromLebanon) Reply Hi.Thankyouforaninformativearticle.IamlookingforanalternativetophotoshopthatrecognisesNikonRaw,notnecessarilyfree,butwithnomorethanonepaymentperyear.Frustratingthatitisassumedpeoplecan/willgoonlineregularlyand/orwantamonthlyoutgoing. Reply ILikediPixrPhotoEditorthemostbecauseitupdateseverytimeyouopenitandithasover300brushesalongwithitssymmetrytoolswhichisgreatforartists.It’sjustthatgreatforphotoeditingbutisgoodforpeoplestartingout Reply Massivelyhelpful.Cannotaffordphotoshoppricesatthemoment.MaynotneedtointhefutureifIcanfindagoodalternativefromthisselection.Thanksagain,greatarticle. Reply LeaveaCommentCancelreplyCommentName Email Δ Lookingforhelp? BrowseourDocumentationorcontactSupporttogetyourquestionsanswered.Toreportabug,pleaseposttoourGitHubIssueTracker.Forinformationonwhenandwhywecollectpersonaldata,pleasereadourPrivacyPolicy.SeeourTerms&Conditionsforlicensingandrefunddetails. 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