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Although they don’t provide the same extensive functionalities as Adobe Photoshop suite, shown below you have a list of free photo editing software alike, some of which work with Mac and are open-source, that could achieve your small day-to-day tasks in a proficient manner.

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Are you on the hunt for a solution that’s just as powerful as the highly reputable Adobe Photoshop software, but without the high price tag? Great! In this post, we’ll be taking a look at the seven best of free Photoshop alternatives available.

There’s really nothing wrong with using free photo editing software like the popular Photoshop alternatives that we’re going to be taking a look at in this post.

Many of the solutions that we’re recommending in this post do not have an excessive number of built-in tools – something which Adobe Photoshop is notorious for.

This means less of a learning curve and more time for photo editing.

In addition to this, for new photographers in the industry, it might not make sense to pay for the expensive Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.

So without further ado, let’s dive right in and take a look at some of the bestfreePhotoshopalternatives.

1. GIMP

GIMP, (short for GNU Image Manipulation Program), is an excellent, open-source Photoshop alternative for those on limited budgets that still need advanced image editing capabilities. Gimp acts as an advanced raster editor similar to Photoshop.

In fact, GIMP can be used as a basic paint program, an expert photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, an image format converter, and more depending on what it is that you’re looking for.

You’ll be happy to hear that it’s available for both Mac and Windows as well as Linux, making it a versatile tool for photographers.

GIMP also recognizes most of the popular file formats that you’d expect in a paid editor like Photoshop, including GIF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. You can also find support for some PSD, though not all layers may be readable.

With an active developer community that listens to user feedback and suggestions, GIMP comes packed with what most photographers need to edit their photos before publishing them.

Notable GIMP Features Include:

• Paint features like paint tool (brush, pencil, airbrush, and clone)
• Custom brushes and patterns
• Transformation tools like rotate, scale, shear,and flip
• Editable text layers
• Color correction
• MNG support for animations
• Editing tools like layers, masks, curves, andlevels
• Huge collection of plugins to extend (some even pre-installed)

Both Gimp and Photoshop use vector methods (mathematics) for general layout and elements such as text, but are equipped to deal with raster images down to the pixel and often have special capabilities in doing so, such as brightness/contrast, and even adding “lighting” to a raster image or photograph.

2. Paint.NET

Paint.NET is another Photoshop alternative for digital photo editing that was initially designed to be a free replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that came with Windows.

Fast forward to now, and Paint.NET is one of the most powerful yet simple image and photo editing tools in the market.

One of Paint.NET’s most notable features is the fact that it uses a tabbed document interface. In other words, you can work with multiple documents or panels within one single window and use the tabs to move between them all. And to make things even simpler for you, Paint.NET displays a small thumbnail image of each tab instead of a text description.

Adding to this, the developers behind Paint.NET have worked hard to make sure the editing software is blazing fast for users. This not only speeds up editing time, but it also prevents a lot of frustration. And when it comes to performance, don’t worry about a thing. Paint.NET automatically updates and always comes with new features, improvements, and bug fixes.

Notable Paint.NET Features Include:

• 3D rotate zoom function to help with the recomposition of images
• Support for multiple layers with blending modes (one of Photoshop’s most used features)
• History tool for multiple quick undo’s (unlimited)
• Supports rulers, drawing, and gradients
• Clone stamping for copying or erasing parts of images
• Tons of formats supported like PDN, BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, TGA, and DDS

3. Pixlr x

Pixlr x is the newest version of the older (and super popular) Pixlr editor. It comes with plenty more advanced features and improvements and seeks to become one of the best free Photoshop alternatives out there.

Based on HTML5, rather than Flash, Pixlr x will work well in any modern browser (even iPads and iPhones!). This expands its usability and makes it more appealing to photographers around the world. Plus, it comes with a slick and modern interface, complete with dark and light color schemes.

Pixlr x is an online photo editor, meaning you can use it with any operating system. In other words, it won’t matter if you use Linux, Mac, or Windows, you’ll be able to access Pixlr x with ease. Not to mention, it comes with all the basic adjustments you might need to create well-edited images, and some extras too, like the de-hazing and curves tools.

Feeling overwhelmed by the number of modifications you can make? Pixlr x also has an Auto-Fix tool that helps prevent over-editing.

Notable Pixlr X Features Include:

• Rotate, flip, and straighten all images
• Crop using one of seven preset image ratios
• Instagram worthy filters to add to any photo you upload
• Built-in text tool, complete with stylish font sets to choose from
• Tweak vibrance, highlights, and shadows
• Extensive layer support with multiple blending modes

4. Krita

Works on Mac Also

Krita is the perfect free Photoshop alternative for photographers that need a little more flexibility when it comes to creativity.

In fact, artists looking to give everyone affordable art tools built Krita for conceptual artists, texture and matte painters, illustrators, and comic strip creators.

When it comes to coloring your photos, you can use the unique pop-up color palette. Plus, take advantage of Krita’s exclusive tagging system to swap out brushes that are being displayed. Also, access commonly used colors and configure all color settings with a few clicks.

Need something Krita doesn’t have? You can easily import brush and texture packs from other artists and expand your toolset. And if you need additional help, there’s always the Krita forum where other artists hang around to share their best work and ideas.

Notable Krita Features Include:

• Create shortcuts for commonly used tools
• Brush stabilizers to take the shakiness out
• Seemingly endless brush customizations
• Assistant tools for helping you create theperfect shape
• Open, save, edit, and author HDR andscene-referred images

5. Sumopaint

Sumopaint is one of the best free Photoshop alternatives when it comes to design and functionality. The layering, editing tools, and brush and wand types make it a viable option for anyone looking for mid-range editing features at zero cost.

This photo editing tool runs in most Flash-based browsers, though there is a Chrome Web App available for Chromebooks. It’s also cloud-based, meaning you never have to download or install anything to your computer or device.

You can open files with extensions such as GIF, JPEG, and PNG, and save projects using the same formats, as well as the native SUMO format.

Notable Sumopaint Features Include:

• Sumopaint online community
• Exclusive SUMO format for working offline
• Over 300 brushes
• Comprehensive color picker
• Selection tools with undo feature
• Clone stamping for real-time drawing
• Layers, layer effects, and layer blending modes (up to 100 layers with effects)

6. Seashore

Works with Apple – doesn’t support .psd files

Seashore is a basic photo editing solution that still competes with the top free Photoshop alternatives in the market. Though inspiration was drawn from GIMP, Seashore seeks to offer a simpler interface for Mac users.

It comes with support for TIFF, PNG, JPEG, JP2000, BMP, PICT, PDF, XBM, and GIF, making it one of the most versatile editing tools in terms of file formats. Plus, there’s support for layers so your creations can go from being okay to amazing with a few simple edits. And if you need gradients, textures, and anti-aliasing for both text and brush strokes, Seashore has you covered.

Most notable, however, is the fact that Seashore supports pressure sensitivity. So what does this mean? If you’re using a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet, you’ll be able to use all of its pressure levels to customize your photos.

Notable Seashore Features Include:

• Layers and merging effects
• Anti-aliased paint brushes
• 6 gradient effects, including transparency
• Full support for TIFF, PNG, GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, XCF and HEIC formats
• Arbitrary selections using a lasso tool

7. Photo Pos Pro

Photo Pos Pro is a complete photo editing suite rivaling the expensive Photoshop software when it comes to enhancing photos and creating stunning pieces of art.

The interface is organized in a simple and easy to understand way, unlike other free Photoshop alternatives like GIMP. And if things become a little too overwhelming for you, you can always enable the ‘novice’ layout to help you stay on track and edit what’s important.

For those with a little more experience, the ‘expert’ layout offers users access to editing tools for fine-tuning works, such as manual curve and level adjustments.

And it doesn’t matter if you use a Mac or prefer Windows, Photo Pos Pro works on both.

Features in Photo Pos Pro include:

• Magic eraser tool (remove, erase, and replace backgrounds)
• Add frames and collages
• Tons of pre-designed extension packs
• 24-hour customer support
• Plenty of layers and masks
• Healing and clone brushes
• Filter creation and saving to use later

8. Photopea Online Photo Editor

Photopea Online Photo Editor is a web-based alternative for Photoshop that aims to solve the problem of having to download and install another program onto your computer.

It also aims to speed up the editing time, especially when it comes to simple tasks such as resizing a photo; instead of having to wait on Photoshop to load.

Since this is a web-based editor, it’s compatible with all platforms and it comes with native support for PSD, XCF, Sketch, XD, and CDR formats. You can also export your work as PSD, JPG, PNG or SVG file.

Features in Photopea Online include:

• Powerful pen and brush tool
• The ability to work with layers and apply layer masks
• Blend modes similar to Photoshop
• Various procedural adjustments such as changing brightness, sharpness, adding blur, and more
• Decent selection of premade templates to start from

Summary – Photoshop Alternatives

And there you have it!

We hope you found this post in which we took a close look at the best free Photoshop alternatives available helpful.

Ready to add the photos you edited with any one of these 8 photo editing applications we looked at to your website?
Then check out this article on how to add an image gallery to WordPress and start showcasing your best work. Might be worth looking into our drone photography guide while you’re at it too.

Adobe Photoshop is a software application for image editing and photo retouching for use on Windows or MacOS computers. Photoshop offers users the ability to create, enhance, or otherwise edit images, artwork, and illustrations. Changing backgrounds, simulating a real-life painting, or creating an alternative view of the universe are all possible with Adobe Photoshop. It is the most widely used software tool for photo editing, image manipulation, and retouching for numerous image and video file formats. The tools within Photoshop make it possible to edit both individual images as well as large batches of photos.

There are several versions of Photoshop, including Photoshop CC, Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop Lightroom. Adobe Photoshop is available on its own as a subscription that includes Photoshop Lightroom, and as part of the larger Creative Cloud subscription. How is Photoshop Used?Adobe Photoshop is a critical tool for designers, web developers, graphic artists, photographers, and creative professionals. It is widely used for image editing, retouching, creating image compositions, website mockups, and adding affects. Digital or scanned images can be edited for use online or in-print.

Website layouts can be created within Photoshop; their designs can be finalized before developers move on to the coding stage. Stand-alone graphics can be created and exported for use within other programs. What is Photoshop CC?Adobe Photoshop CC is the Creative Cloud version of Photoshop, available by subscription. It is considered to be the professional-level version of the Photoshop family of products. Photoshop CC is available together with Photoshop Lightroom, or as part of a larger Creative Cloud subscription.

Photoshop CC is an advanced imaging software used by designers, web professionals, video editors, and photographers to alter or manipulate digital images. Photoshop is primarily used to edit 2D images, although it does offer some 3D image editing functionality. Photoshop includes image analysis functionality, and can be used to prepare images for use online or in-print. What is Photoshop Elements?Adobe Photoshop Elements is the consumer-level version of the Photoshop family of products.

Photoshop Elements contains many of the professional capabilities that are found in Adobe Photoshop CC, yet they are provided with more simplistic options designed with an entry-level user in mind. More specifically, it is designed for amateur photographers and digital photography hobbyists. Photoshop Elements is built using the same core digital imaging technology as Photoshop CC. Commonly used capabilities of Photoshop Elements include:. Manipulating the color of an image.

Cropping images. Repairing flaws, such as dust on the lens or red eyes. Drawing on an image with a pen or pencil. Adding text to images. Removing people or objects within an image. Organizing photos for quick access. Publishing images online or send via email.What is Photoshop Lightroom?Photoshop Lightroom is part of the Photoshop family of products and is primarily used by photographers for batch processing of large volumes of images.

Lightroom does have the ability to create and save image presets that can be applied to a large batch of photos at one time. It also features non-destructive imaging tools; so that the original files remain intact. Lightroom has the ability to edit RAW files.

The light balance and white exposure can be manipulated or adjusted within a RAW file. However, Photoshop Lightroom does not have many of the operating features or functions of Adobe Photoshop CC or Adobe Photoshop Elements, and uses a different interface. How much does Photoshop cost?The cost of Adobe Photoshop varies for each specific Photoshop product. Photoshop Elements costs $100 and can be used forever after purchasing it. Digital signature pad. This software is considered to have a perpetual license. The cost of the other Photoshop products ranges from $10 per month to $60 per month depending upon the type of subscription and the length of the subscription.

The lower cost options include the Photoshop-only apps, while the higher cost options include Photoshop along with other Creative Cloud tools. Discounted plans are also available for students, teachers, and organizations looking to purchase licenses for groups of 10 or more employees. How to learn PhotoshopThere are several ways to learn Adobe Photoshop.

Popular methods include taking in-person, live, learning via online,. Classes are designed to help students benefit from both group learning activities and one-on-one instruction. Classroom learning also has the advantage of helping students overcome challenges or obstacles through guided instruction. These learning opportunities are particularly helpful when new features or tools are released.

American Graphics Institute offers, as well as and also.Adobe Photoshop training with an online instructor is the ideal solution for students with busy schedules who are not able to travel to a classroom. Online classes offer a hands-on approach to learning that can be particularly beneficial to beginners. They can help first time users navigate all of the features and tools of Adobe Photoshop. From learning how to create paths to understanding which file format should be selected, online instructors can help beginners quickly become Photoshop experts.Finally, online tutorials, such as those found in videos, digital texts, guided experiences, or FAQ pages, can be used to learn Adobe Photoshop at a personal pace. Learning Adobe Photoshop via online tutorials and self-guided experiences are the ideal choice for students who enjoy overcoming challenges through their own intuition.

These tools are especially helpful for students who want to learn through trial and error, as well as those individuals who learn best through a hands-on approach.Organizations, groups, and individuals with specific needs can also benefit from private Photoshop training which can occur on-site or off-site. Such private training can focus on learning specific aspects of Photoshop. Photoshop Mac vs. Windows DifferencesThere are very few differences between Photoshop on MacOS vs Windows computers. Menus, options, panels, and tools are found in the same location on both Mac and Windows versions of Photoshop. There is no functionality difference between Adobe Photoshop on a Mac or Windows computers. Before Adobe Photoshop can be used on either Mac or Windows computers, the computer itself must meet the following minimum requirements.

Computer Requirements for PhotoshopThe following are the minimum requirements for using Photoshop on Windows or Mac OS computers. Is a user experience designer, Photoshop expert, educator and author based in Boston.

She is the author of more than 20 books on design tools and processes, including Adobe Creative Cloud for Dummies, Adobe Creative Cloud Digital Classroom, and Photoshop Digital Classroom. She has been awarded a Microsoft MVP three times for her work with user experience design in creating apps for touch, desktop, and mobile devices.Jennifer delivers and for large Fortune 100 companies, small start-ups, and independent software vendors. She has been hired by Adobe and Microsoft to deliver training workshops to their staff, and has traveled to Asia, Europe, India, the Middle East, and across the U.S. to deliver courses and assist on UX design projects.

She has extensive knowledge of modern Windows UX Design, having worked closely with the Windows team to create educational material and deliver UX workshops to key partners globally on behalf of Microsoft. Jennifer works with a wide range of prototyping tools including Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, Blend for Visual Studio, XD, and Balsamiq. She also works extensively in the fields of presentation design and visual design.