Best Free Photoshop Alternatives in 2026: Desktop Apps and Browser Editors

The best free Photoshop alternatives depend on where you work. GIMP is the free, open-source desktop editor for photo retouching and compositing. Photopea is the browser editor that opens and saves PSD files. Affinity is free for individuals and combines photo, vector and layout tools in one app.

This guide splits the options into desktop apps and browser editors, flags the gaps to check before you switch (CMYK, plug-ins, file compatibility), and ends with three paid options that are not Adobe subscriptions, for readers who would rather pay for software than rely on a free tool.

Why people look for Photoshop alternatives

Photoshop is the default for photo retouching, compositing and digital painting, and the reasons people leave it are usually practical.

• Subscription access. Enlisted's data shows Photoshop sold through Adobe plans for individuals, businesses, and students and teachers, with a free trial but no free plan. If you edit a few times a month, that is a recurring cost for occasional use.
• Closed source. Photoshop is proprietary software. You cannot inspect its code or host it yourself.
• More tool than the job needs. Cropping, colour correction, removing a blemish or cutting out a background is a small slice of what Photoshop does. Many readers only need layers, masks and a few filters.
• Files that arrive as PSD. Clients and collaborators send Photoshop files, and you may need to open them without owning the app. Several of the editors below read PSD directly.

How we picked these free Photoshop alternatives

Each pick does the same core job as Photoshop, or a clear part of it: layered raster editing, retouching, compositing or digital painting. For open-source tools, Enlisted checks that the GitHub project is still receiving commits, and it records the licence exactly as the project states it. For hosted products, it records whether there is a free plan and whether the product can be self-hosted (none of the browser editors here can).

"Free" in this guide means one of three things: open source, free for individuals, or a usable free plan. Facts are taken from Enlisted's catalogue and the vendors' own sites, and the editors are not benchmarked. How Enlisted ranks tools sets out the method.

Desktop apps or browser editors: which do you need?

A desktop app is the better home for large files, long sessions and work you want to keep entirely on your own machine. GIMP, Krita and Affinity are installed programs, and the two open-source ones run on Windows, macOS and Linux.

A browser editor needs no install and works on any computer with a modern browser, which suits one-off jobs and borrowed machines. Photopea and Pixlr both run this way. The trade-off is that they are hosted products, closed source and not self-hostable. Photopea states that it does not upload your files and keeps working offline once loaded, while Pixlr says its generative features run on third-party AI models.

1. GIMP: best free desktop replacement for photo retouching and compositing

GIMP is a free, open-source raster image editor for photo retouching, image composition and image authoring, developed within the GNOME project. It is the closest widely used free equivalent to Photoshop's core job, with layers, retouching tools and a plug-in and scripting system. Enlisted's listing notes the code is released under the GPL v3 or later.

GIMP 3.0 made filters easier to revise: most now stay editable on the layer after you apply them, instead of being merged immediately, so you can adjust or switch them off later. The GIMP 3.0 release notes also describe improved PSD import and export, and the current stable builds run on Windows, macOS and Linux. Open the GIMP page on Enlisted for its live development activity.

• Best for: photographers and hobbyists who want a full-featured desktop editor with no subscription and no account.
• Watch out for: CMYK. The 3.0 release notes describe the new colour-management work as groundwork for future CMYK and LAB image modes, so confirm your print workflow before switching. The move to standard Python 3 scripting also means older third-party plug-ins need porting.

2. Photopea: best browser editor for opening and editing PSD files

Photopea is a free browser-based image editor built to feel like a professional desktop editor, with layers, masks, layer styles, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels, paths, filters and adjustments such as levels and curves. Its standout feature is file support: it opens and saves PSD files and can open dozens of other formats, including AI, Sketch, Figma, PDF, TIFF, HEIC and common camera RAW files.

According to Photopea's own introduction, it does not upload your files and keeps working if you disconnect from the internet after loading it. It also has one-click AI background removal and text-prompted image replacement. If a client sends you a PSD and you do not own Photoshop, this is a quick way to open it. See the Photopea listing on Enlisted or browse all Photopea alternatives.

• Best for: anyone who gets PSD files and needs layered edits without installing anything.
• Watch out for: it is closed source with no self-hosted version, and Enlisted lists it as freemium, so check what the paid tier changes before relying on the free one. Being browser-based, it runs on your device's own CPU and GPU, so performance depends on your hardware.

3. Affinity: best free all-in-one for designers who also edit photos

Affinity is a design suite that combines vector illustration, photo editing and page layout in one application, and it is free for individuals according to the Affinity site. It is closed source and available for Windows and macOS. Optional AI tools inside it are tied to Canva's premium plans.

That makes it less a pure Photoshop clone and more a replacement for the habit of opening Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign in turn. If your work is as much logos and layouts as retouching, one app covering all three is the appeal. Read the Affinity entry on Enlisted or see Affinity alternatives for comparable suites.

• Best for: freelancers, students and small-business owners who move between photo edits, vector work and layouts.
• Watch out for: the free offer is for individuals; the Affinity site tells enterprise and education customers to contact Canva separately. Because it is a design suite first, confirm on the vendor site that the specific photo tools you rely on are included.

4. Krita: best free app for digital painting and illustration

Krita is a free, open-source painting application for illustrators, concept artists, comic creators and texture and matte painters, built on the KDE and Qt frameworks and available across platforms. Of Photoshop's three jobs (retouching, compositing, painting), Krita goes deepest on painting.

Krita's features page lists painting, vector, filter, group and file layers, an animation timeline, drawing assistants and ICC colour management, and says you can load and save PSD files to move artwork between programs. Check the Krita page for its licence and recent activity.

• Best for: illustrators and concept artists who use Photoshop mainly as a paint program.
• Watch out for: Krita describes itself around digital painting rather than photo correction, so for retouching photographs pair it with GIMP or Photopea.

5. Pixlr: best for quick, AI-assisted edits in the browser

Pixlr is a browser and mobile photo editor with two main editors: Pixlr Express for quick edits and templates, and Pixlr Editor for more detailed layer-based work. Where Photopea is built to feel like a professional desktop editor, Pixlr leans on speed and a long list of AI tools, including generative fill, an instruct-style editor, background and object removal, an upscaler and a skin enhancer.

The vendor says generation is powered by third-party AI models. Pixlr has a free plan, and its paid plans add ad-free use and monthly AI credits. See the Pixlr listing or Pixlr alternatives for other quick editors.

• Best for: social and product images, background removal and anyone who wants AI tools without learning a layer-heavy editor.
• Watch out for: it is closed source and hosted only, and it is a lighter replacement than GIMP or Photopea for detailed compositing. The free plan is the entry point, and ad-free use and AI credits come with paid plans.

6. Graphite: best open-source editor to watch

Graphite is a community-built, open-source 2D editor, currently in alpha, that combines vector and raster graphics with a node-based procedural engine. It is written in Rust and released under Apache-2.0. The project describes a nondestructive workflow in which layer-based compositing meets node-based generative design.

Photo editing is on the roadmap, not in the box today, so treat it as a tool to follow and try rather than a Photoshop replacement for photographs. If you like node-based workflows or want to see where open-source graphics tools are heading, the Graphite page shows how active the project is, and the project site has more detail.

• Best for: designers and developers who like procedural, node-based work, and contributors who want to shape a new editor.
• Watch out for: alpha software. Expect missing features and changes between releases.

7. Pixelmator Pro: best Mac-native alternative if you will pay

Pixelmator Pro is an image editor for Mac and iPad with layers, nondestructive editing, vector tools and AI features built on Apple Intelligence. Apple's product page says it opens PSD files and supports RAW photos, including adding RAW photos as layers.

It is not free, but it is not an Adobe subscription either. Apple sells Pixelmator Pro for Mac as a one-time App Store purchase and also includes it in the Apple Creator Studio subscription, which has a free trial for new subscribers. See Pixelmator Pro alternatives for similar paid editors.

• Best for: Mac users who want a native editor with PSD support and a one-time purchase option.
• Watch out for: it is Apple-only and closed source.

8. Corel PaintShop Pro: best paid Windows editor

Corel PaintShop Pro is photo editing and graphic design software for Windows, offering layers, retouching and creative effects. Corel's site offers a trial download, so you can judge it before paying. Compare it with others on its PaintShop Pro alternatives page.

• Best for: Windows users who prefer a traditional paid desktop editor over a subscription-first or browser-based tool.
• Watch out for: it is Windows software and closed source, so it will not suit Mac or Linux users.

9. Procreate: best paid option for iPad painting

Procreate is a digital illustration and painting app for iPad, sold as a one-time purchase, with companion animation and iPhone apps. It sits closer to Krita than to GIMP: a place to sketch and paint rather than retouch photographs.

• Best for: illustrators who draw on an iPad and want a one-time purchase instead of a subscription. See Procreate alternatives.
• Watch out for: it is iPad-first and closed source, and it is not a photo-correction tool.

What to check before you switch from Photoshop

A free editor can handle most daily work, but a few gaps are worth checking against your own files.

• Print and CMYK. If you deliver files for professional printing, check whether your editor supports the colour mode your printer wants. GIMP's release notes are explicit that CMYK image modes are future work.
• Plug-ins and actions. These are specific to each editor. GIMP has its own plug-in and scripting system, which moved to Python 3 in version 3.0, and Krita offers Python scripting too. Do not assume a Photoshop plug-in has an equivalent.
• PSD fidelity. Photopea, GIMP, Krita and Pixelmator Pro all say they work with PSD files. Format support is a compatibility claim, not a promise that every layer style and smart object renders identically, so open a real file from your workflow before you commit.
• Raw photo development. If your workflow starts with raw files, a dedicated raw developer handles that stage. Open-source options such as darktable and RawTherapee do this, and the free photo editing software guide covers them alongside beginner-friendly editors.

Which free Photoshop alternative should you choose?

Pick by the job you actually do in Photoshop.

If you are unsure, start with Photopea for a quick test of your PSD files, then install GIMP if you want a full desktop editor. You can see every option on the Photoshop alternatives page, browse the photos and design categories, or read about free photo editing software for beginners if your needs are simpler than Photoshop's.