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Last checked October 15, 2026

Best Free Alternatives to Photoshop (2026)

Photoshop is the standard for layered photo compositing, retouching, and print production. Adobe sells it as a single-app subscription or inside broader Creative Cloud plans.

DesignersIndividualsStudentsPrice unverified

What Photoshop costs

A 2026 roundup lists the Photoshop single-app plan at $22.99/month on annual billing. Confirm the live price on Adobe's site before you budget.

We did not get a clean figure from Adobe's own checkout during this check, so the dollar amount is unverified. Photography bundles and regional pricing change the bill.

Photoshop website·Pricing source

Ranked by Drop-in score

How we rank

#1 is the highest-scoring alternative that is not sponsored. A featured listing, when one is sold, is labeled and sits after #1.

  1. 79
    #1Free, closed source

    Affinity

    Canva's professional photo, vector, and layout suite, free for individuals.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · Proprietary

    MacWindows
    Cost and detailsMigration guideWebsite
  2. 76
    #2Open source

    GIMP

    The long-running open-source photo and raster editor.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · GPL-3.0

    MacWindowsLinux
    Cost and detailsWebsite
  3. 64
    #3Free, closed source

    Photopea

    A Photoshop-like editor that runs in the browser.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · Proprietary

    Web
    Cost and detailsWebsite
  4. 60
    #4Open source

    Krita

    An open-source painting and illustration app.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · GPL-3.0

    MacWindowsLinuxAndroid
    Cost and detailsWebsite
  5. 32
    #5Open source

    darktable

    An open-source RAW developer, not a compositor.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · GPL-3.0

    MacWindowsLinux
    Cost and detailsWebsite

Feature by feature

Full is the whole job. Partial is a real version with a gap. Missing means it does not do this. Not checked counts as zero in the score.

FeatureAffinity#1 · 79GIMP#2 · 76Photopea#3 · 64Krita#4 · 60darktable#5 · 32
Layers, masks, and blend modesWeight 10FullFullFullFullMissing
PSD open and saveWeight 10PartialPSD opens and exports with the usual losses on smart objects, 3D, and some effects.PartialPSD import and export work for many files and fail on smart objects, advanced adjustment layers, and 3D.PartialPSD round-trip is Photopea's strength and still loses smart objects, 3D, and some effects.PartialMissing
Non-destructive editsWeight 8FullPartialGEGL filters can be non-destructive. Photoshop's adjustment-layer habits do not all map.PartialAdjustment layers and smart filters are partial, not a complete Photoshop match.PartialFilter layers and masks cover some non-destructive work.FullIts own RAW history stack is non-destructive. That does not mean Photoshop adjustment layers.
Selections and maskingWeight 8FullFullFullFullPartialMasks and drawn shapes, not Photoshop selections.
TypographyWeight 6FullFullFullPartialMissing
Filters and retouchingWeight 6FullFullPartialPartialBrush engines are the product. Photo filters are secondary.PartialA different set of photographic modules.
CMYK and print prepWeight 6FullPartialCMYK is not a native first-class mode. Print workflows often need a separate conversion step.PartialPartialMissing
Vector and pen toolsWeight 5PartialThe vector studio is strong. It is not Illustrator-plus-Photoshop in one file the way some teams expect.PartialPaths exist. It is not a vector illustration app.PartialPartialVector layers exist for shapes and text, not for logo suites.Missing
Batch processingWeight 4PartialPartialScript-Fu, Python, and batch tools cover this if you are willing to script.PartialMissingFull
Third-party plugin ecosystemWeight 5MissingFullMissingPartialPython plugins exist. Photoshop plugins do not run.Partial

Real cost

Affinity

Free tier
The full photo, vector, and layout apps are free for individuals. Canva AI tools inside Affinity are part of Canva premium.
Hosted plan
No hosted price recorded.
Self-hosting
Not a self-hosted product. Desktop apps only. There is nothing to host.

GIMP

Free tier
The whole application is free. There is no paid tier.
Hosted plan
No hosted price recorded.
Self-hosting
Not a self-hosted product. Desktop application. Nothing to host.

Photopea

Free tier
Free in the browser with ads. Premium removes advertising.
Hosted plan
Premium is a paid subscription. The public price was not captured in this check. Unverified.
Self-hosting
Not a self-hosted product. A paid offline/self-hosted license exists. It is not a free self-host option, and the price was not confirmed here.

Krita

Free tier
The application is free.
Hosted plan
No hosted price recorded.
Self-hosting
Not a self-hosted product. Desktop and Android app. Nothing to host.

darktable

Free tier
The application is free.
Hosted plan
No hosted price recorded.
Self-hosting
Not a self-hosted product. Desktop application.

Top pair

Migrate from Photoshop to Affinity

Open the PSD in Affinity. Keep exporting PSD until you trust the round trip, and do not expect Photoshop plugins or Adobe Fonts to come with you.

Read the migration guide

Questions