16 Free Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop You Should Try

16 Free Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop You Should Try.
Adobe Photoshop is definitely the most popular and widely used image editing
software today, but unfortunately you’re required to pay a premium to get your hands on it. Besides, for most people, it’s quite expensive
and has many features that are too complicated to use.

Thankfully, there are plenty of free image editing programs that can fulfill
your all image editing requirements. In this post, I’ve gathered some
great Photoshop alternatives that are absolutely free and extremely easy to use. For your
convenience, I’ve divided them into four sections: online programs, for
windows, Mac-only and cross-platform.

Let’s start with free online images editors!

Free Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop You Should Try

Photoshop is a graphic design and photo editor that has been a mainstay in the
industry for over 25 years. While it’s a great program, it can be expensive
for those who don’t have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Read
more: Top 10 Clock Widgets For Android With Demo Screen Shots

But what if you could get the same level of quality from a free photo editing
software? You can! There are many alternatives to Photoshop that work just as well. In fact, some people prefer them. In this post,
we’ll explore 16 free photo editors that let you do everything you need to
create amazing images without breaking your budget or giving up quality.

What you can do with Photoshop

Once you’ve learned how to use Photoshop, you’ll undoubtedly be able to do a
lot with it. You may be able to do almost anything using it. You can edit
photos, enhance them, create digital art, add textures and give your images a
unique look or effect, and much more.

However, you probably already know all this and could just use the tools you
already have at your disposal.

Design This is the most obvious use for Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop is what
we’ve come to know as a popular design program. It’s great for making changes
to your photos or designing a website or desktop app. Many other sites use
Adobe Photoshop to create designs, including some of the most popular sites
such as Mashable, BuzzFeed, and Instructables.

What is a Graphic Design Tool?

A graphic design tool is a suite of tools that lets you draw and design your
graphics, or edit your existing photos. Photoshop is the main name for these
tools, and Photoshop Elements is the lesser-known, non-destructive and free
alternative. These are just some of the free, relatively popular options for
designing images.

When designing for UX, you should:

Consider your interactive designs’ information architecture.
Take advantage of your graphic design talents to develop work that takes
into account the overall user experience.

Free photo editing software for beginners and professionals alike

Adobe Photoshop is the one program that will always be
considered, free photo editing software, especially when it comes to graphic
design and photography. However, it is also one of the most expensive programs you can use if you want to do more advanced things such as retouching
and drawing.

There are a few other major Photoshop alternatives,
however, that are worth taking a look at. If you want to create more detailed
art and backgrounds with Photoshop, try one of
these alternatives.

Here are 16 options that you can try to keep your workflow simple and
efficient.

1. Pixlr Editor:

Pixlr Editor is the most popular and widely used web based image editor, which
is built for both beginners and experienced image editors. Actually, it is a
part of a suiteof Pixlr Apps, including the photo filter and tweaking app Pixlr-O-Matic, and mobile app Pixlr Express. It packs layers, adjustments, filters and
effects, basic features like editing, cropping, resizing and rotation, area
selection, and so on. If you’ve ever used Photoshop, you’ll find Pixlr editor
easy to use and intuitive.

Pixlr Editor is a free Photoshop alternative that works a lot like Lightroom
If you want to save some time and get your job done in one sitting, Pixlr
Editor might be a good option. You can upload your image directly from your
computer or use the image you have already on your hard drive.

2. Photoshop Express Editor:

Photoshop Express Editor, which is considered as the browser version of Photoshop, gives you easy
options for creative enhancements and quick fixes. Although this online
application has limited functions for photo editing, but it’s good for those
who wish to use Photoshop but don’t own a copy of licensed Photoshop. It
currently only supports editing of JPEG, JPG, or JPE files and doesn’t allow
you to add text to photos.

3. PicMonkey:

PicMonkey is another popular online image editor that lets you transform your
ordinary images into most eye-exploding images, using a simple and intuitive
interface. From designing a picture from scratch to creating collages for
scrapbooking, everything is a breeze with PicMonkey. Though PicMonkey is
absolutely free, but a premium version is also available to give you a lot of
extras.

4. Canva:

Canva is a powerful web based image editor that empowers you to easily turn
your ideas into stunning designs. The aim of Canva is to “make design simple
for anyone”. This great app is stuffed with thousands of fantastic design
elements – like fonts, layouts, and stock images – which you can use in your
designs. Using Canva, you can create business cards, blog graphics,
presentations, invitations, posters, flyers, Facebook covers, and so much more
in seconds.

Interface and Tools of Design Free Design Software, Create beautiful photo
books with easy drag-and-drop features.

Canva offers simple in-app design tools, a variety of full-color templates,
unlimited books in your library, and tons of inspirational and motivational
quotes for you to add to your pictures.

The customizable templates and photo frames will help you share your message.
Photo Frames for Instagram Great for Instagrammers Allows you to customize
your photos to highlight their story It’s easy to add text, customizes frames
with different fonts, and even has filters Templates Create professional
layouts and effects The most advanced and comprehensive on this list.

5. sumo:

sumo (free
edition) is a lightweight and highly capable online image editor used by many
professional designers. The user interface of sumo is very similar to
Photoshop with plenty of the same features like gradients, shapes, brushes,
pencils, cloning etc. It works great in all modern web browsers, and requires
Adobe Flash plug-in to use.

6. Photoraster:

Photoraster, written in JavaScript, is an advanced online photo editor that has built-in
tools for image adjustments, layer editing, photo retouching, nondestructive
editing, digital painting, and filters. It is powered by WebGL technology
which provides performance never seen before in browser-based applications.

7. Pixia:

Pixia, created by a Japanese guy Isao Maruoka, is one of the most capable and
professional alternatives to Photoshop. It is available in 9 languages, and
supports transparency effects, standard file formats, multiple layers,
numerous RGB file formats such as .psd, and some basic Photoshop tools.

Read also: Top 10 Best Video Editing Softwares : Reviews & Expert Opinions

8. Serif PhotoPlus:

Serif PhotoPlus (free edition) is a simple and user-friendly image editor, especially
designed for those who are looking for a simple yet effective way to fix and
enhance their photos. Though it doesn’t have advanced features like Photoshop,
but even it offers professional photo editing tools for adjusting brightness
and colors, removing red-eye and blemishes, and creating stunning web
animations.

9. Photo Pos Pro:

Photo Pos Pro is an advanced yet extremely easy to use image editing software that
can be a major boon for those who are completely new to image editing. Using
Photo Pos Pro, you can create stunning graphics, business cards, greeting
cards, beautiful collages, and much more in just a few minutes. The best thing
about Photo Pos Pro is that it offers helpful “pop-up tips” for those who are
just starting out.

10. Seashore

Seashore, inspired by GIMP, is an open source image editing software that works only
with Mac OS X’s Cocoa framework. It uses the same native file format as GIMP,
has MAC OS X like UI and supports alpha channel editing and multiple layers.
Although this image editor is not as powerful as Photoshop, but is quite
useful for producing beautiful images with less efforts.

11. LiveQuartz:

LiveQuartz is another simple image editor for Mac, offering non-destructive
filters, multi-touch support along with some essential drawing tools. Combined
with retina display support and full screen presentation, LiveQuartz makes
your image creation easy by letting you make the most of every pixel available
on your screen.

12. GIMP:

GIMP,
stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is one of the best free Photoshop
alternatives. The user interface of GIMP is somewhat different from Photoshop
, but a version of GIMP called GimpShop is available that mimics the look and feel of PhotoShop. In addition,
GIMP has a huge repository of add-ons that you can use to extend its
functionality. If you’re familiar with Photoshop, getting start with GIMP can
be quite easy for you. It currently supports Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Sun
OpenSolaris, and FreeBSD platforms.

GIMP (Graphics Manipulation Program) is a free, powerful image editor. It can
take your pictures from simple and basic to highly intricate work. Not only
does it give you the freedom to create your art, but it can also be used to
edit and manipulate pictures that you have taken. With a wide range of
plugins, you can enhance your Photoshop skills.

13. Inkscape:

Inkscape is a free professional vector graphics editor for Linux, Windows and
Mac OS X. It is very similar to Adobe Illustrator, Xara X, Corel Draw, or
Freehand. If you are new to vector graphics creation process, you can take
advantage of many learning resources offered. Inkscape could be a great option for those who want to learn
vector illustration at absolutely zero cost.

14. Microsoft After Effects

Microsoft After Effects As its name implies, this program allows you to create
visual effects in addition to manipulating images and putting them to good
use. It’s great for adding effects and transitions to your photos or adding
complex menus and animations to websites.

There are many options and extensions you can download, but the free trial
gives you a taste of what you’re missing out on. Photoshop’s biggest
competitors are the free programs, so it makes sense to give them a try before
spending any money on any other software. Creative Cloud This is one of the
easiest free Photoshop alternatives out there. It has all the tools that you
would expect to find in Adobe Photoshop, but it is a lot easier to use than
the original.

15. Paint.NET:

If you’re on Windows and looking for a good alternative to Photoshop, you
should definitely give Paint a try. This powerful yet simple image editor features an intuitive user
interface with support for special effects, unlimited undo, layers, and a wide
range of handy tools. It was originally created as a free replacement for the
Paint editor, an image editor that comes with all versions of Microsoft
Windows, and is currently being maintained by some of the people who
originally developed it.

Paint: is a great program for folks who want to create things with layers or
geometric shapes. It offers tons of artistic tools for drawing and painting as
well as brushes and markers. It’s a great alternative to Photoshop for many
graphic designers, illustrators, and digital artists. Batch create image
changes in Photoshop with Brushes in GIMP. Paint.NET also comes with some
creative filters and some other editing tools.

16. Picasa:

Picasa,
originally created by Lifescape in 2002 and acquired by Google in July 2004,
is a free image viewer, organizer, and editor. Though it might not as capable
as Photoshop, but it is a superb option for making last-minute edits. The
batch editing, photo-management tools and easy sharing on Google platforms are
just a plus. Currently, it is available for Windows and Mac OS X.

What Makes These Programs Unique?

Each of these free Photoshop alternatives has its unique features. For
example, one of the products, GIMP, is used by graphic artists to create
photos and graphics for use in magazines and newspapers. By the same token,
anyone can use InDesign to create their print design.

The popular word processing program can do just about anything you need. And
the list goes on from there. What Is Included in Each Product? One of the
biggest things that set each of these products apart is that they are easy to
learn and use.

Since they’re not encumbered by a big sticker price, you won’t have to spend
much time learning how to use them.

Graphics Interchange Format

Mac: Graphics Interchange Format Graphics Interchange Format is a document
type that allows you to make slideshows on your desktop. It’s similar to the
GIMP but is much simpler to use. The interface is basic, but it can be used to
do some pretty impressive things.

Photoshop: Advanced Adobe Photoshop is one of the best-selling programs
ever, so it’s no wonder why so many designers prefer it. However, many are
skeptical that it is worth the price or the learning curve. Graphics
Interchange Format makes it dead simple to create a slideshow and add text, so
you don’t need to fear losing a sale when people get a look at your design
before they even see the real content.

Conclusion:

So, what are the best alternatives to Adobe Photoshop? Well, to find the best
Photoshop alternatives for your use, you’ll want to first determine what type
of software you want to use for your particular needs.

If you’re looking for something basic, you’re not going to want to spend a ton
of time learning something. In that case, a more comprehensive alternative
might be better. If you’re looking for a more advanced alternative to Adobe
Photoshop, or you’re just looking to upgrade your basic image editing program,
the Adobe Photoshop alternatives should meet your needs.

All of the software above is great tool for all different kinds of
photographers. If you are looking to do nothing more than run simple edits on
your photos, one of these programs will work.

If you want to design websites or photos or anything else, check out the ones
below. Most of them are open source or are free to download.

Then there’s Dreamweaver, which allows you to create websites that resemble
actual websites in an actual browser. If you want to learn web design, you
might want to start with Drupal, a free and open-source content management
system. Even if you want to create more complicated websites, using Google’s
graphic design tool for web design, WebFX, is a great way to learn.

Which software do you use for photo editing? Which software are you currently
using?.

Have I missed your favorite Photoshop alternative? If so, let us know in the
comment section given below!