- Adobe Photoshop Alternatives Windows
- Adobe Photoshop Alternative Software For Beginners
- Best Adobe Photoshop Alternatives
Adobe Photoshop is the most popular software for photo editing. It provides a host of tools, plugins and features that most other photo editing software cannot match. It is one of the best photo editing software for professionals and most popular with web and graphic designers. However, if you simply want to do minor edits to your images or graphics, there are many photo editing software options that you can try. Below is a list of 5 best alternatives to Adobe Photoshop in terms of features and usability.
Adobe Photoshop alternatives All three of the programs listed below provide effective photo-editing tools, from sizing, cropping, and retouching to noise reduction, color correction, and more. Top 10 Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop CC: List of Popular Graphic Design Software Solutions Graphic design software tools are used by graphic designers to create and organize their work. Take a look at these stats on the career prospects of graphic designers: In 2020, the demand for graphic designers will increase by 13%. Photoshop alternatives for Mac only 1. With a software company behind it known as Flying Meat, you'd think Acorn is a mediocre Photoshop clone from a crappy start-up. Think again, as Acorn has been a reliable photo editing app for a dozen years and counting.
1. Gimp:
GIMP is a powerful and flexible free Photoshop alternative. It is a very adaptable and customizable software for Photo editing. This Photoshop alternative possesses a range of excellent Photoshop features. You can use features like layers and masking, advanced level filters, color modifications, and transformation.
The best thing about GIMP is that the plugins and scripts are created by users. Most of them are already pre-installed and you can start using them right after installing the software. These plugins are the best alternatives for tools like ‘Liquify’. In addition, there is a whole pack of animation tools that allow you to make your photographs life-like with morphing and blending. If these tools are not what you are looking for, then you can always add Photoshop plugins to GIMP as well!
If you find GIMP a little bit intimidating at the start, then you have plenty of troubleshooting guides and tutorials you can use to get familiar with it. GIMP’s new interface combines palettes, menus, and toolboxes in a single window to make user navigation easier. There is a bit of learning curve with this completely free and open-source image-editor but once you have a good understanding of all the tools, you can do just about anything with this software.
2. Paint.NET
The journey of Paint.NET started as a replacement for Microsoft Paint. With the passage of time, Paint.NET has become a powerful photo editing tool. Just like other alternates of Adobe Photoshop, it offers features like automatic filters and manual editing tools. It does not offer as many features as Gimp, but it also relatively easier to learn and use.
Paint.NET provides features for masking but you have to download a plugin for layers. This software comes with in-built batch editing feature and in addition, it has clone stamp to easily erase blotches and commotions.
Family feud game software. Paint.NET is the best option to use as Adobe Photoshop’s alternative in case of working with multiple photographs. It has quick access tabs that use thumbnails and allow you to view multiple images simultaneously. The software is light-weight and works well with low configuration computers. You can save images of any size but it does lack some customization options.
3. Affinity Photo:
Affinity Photo is perfectly suitable for image editing and photo retouching and works with a large number of file formats. It is mostly used by professional photographers and designers. The creators of this software claim that it is better than Adobe Photoshop. It is certainly a lot cheaper than Adobe Photoshop.
This Photoshop alternative comes with exceptional speed, fewer reported crashes by users, and unlimited number of undoes. This software is however, resource intensive. It is best compatible with the latest quad-core technology. It is compatible with both Mac and Windows. If you are searching for the closest alternative to Adobe Photoshop at a lower price, then Affinity Photo is the right fit for you.
4. Photo Pos Pro:
Photo Pos Pro is one of the best-designed alternatives for Adobe Photoshop but it has a few limitations. This Photoshop alternative is designed intuitively and offers two types of interface for newbies and experts. The interface for newbies includes one-click filters and automatic adjustments while the interface for experts completely resembles the interface of Adobe Photoshop.
It has features like layers, masking, clone and healing brushes. You also have access to color refining tools, batch-editing, and scripts to save time. In addition, you can also import the images from a camera or scanner. It also has plugins for extra frames and templates. One limitation of this software is the limited number of saved files available. Another limitation is that while there is a free version available, advanced features are only present in the paid version.
5. Pixlr Editor:
Pixlr Editor is a browser-based Photoshop alternative and it is more effective than some desktop applications. It is not a very popular alternative just yet. Pixlr Editor is created by Autodesk, a well-known name in CAD and three-dimensional modeling. There are different versions of Pixlr Editor, web version, desktop version, and mobile application version. However, the most effective of all the versions is the web-based version which offers the feature of layers.
There is a big ad on the right side of the screen in Pixlr Editor and it is one of the major drawbacks of this free Photoshop alternative. You will find tools like sharpening, unsharp mask, blur, noise, levels, and curves. These features are almost similar to the features of Adobe Photoshop. In addition, you get arty filters and automatic options. All features are available for free in the Pixlr Editor.
Just like GIMP, Pixlr Editor has a toolbox with fills, selection and clone stamps. You can have the advantage of both layers and masks here. One issue with this alternative is it doesn’t have the feature of batch editing but you can see all the images in tabs at a glance.
There are a lot more image editing software available than the ones mentioned here. While each software provides different features for different purposes, most of them fail to provide multiple features under one roof, except for Gimp and Affinity Photo.
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Photoshop is the first word in graphic design software and like most leading software products, it demands a fee from anyone who wants to use it. In fact, to access Photoshop, you'll need to fork out about $19.99 every month. Personally, I don't have an issue with this given how powerful Photoshop is but there are those who do.
Thankfully, there is a solution to this price problem.
Free alternatives to Photoshop do exist, and they hold their own in terms of quality, too. Here they all are. You can check here for non-free Photoshop alternatives).
Announced to the public in 1995, GIMP is one of the most popular free Photoshop alternatives on the market. It's also likely to be the most powerful graphic design tool on this list. It's free and open source, but packs a professional punch nonetheless.
There are big similarities between Photoshop and GIMP in terms of functionality and user interface, so many find migration from one to the other to be easy. GIMP is also capable of opening and working with PSD files, which are Photoshop specific.
Adobe Photoshop Alternatives Windows
GIMP has a number of high quality features which definitely hold their own against those of Photoshop. The professional features available in GIMP such as color adjustment tools, customizable brushes, gradients, and auto image enhancement tools, make it easy for users to create artwork from scratch and edit photos/images.
The in-depth tutorials cater for all users from beginners to advanced level. This makes it super accessible to everyone, including users who aren’t familiar with the open-source application
Adobe Photoshop Alternative Software For Beginners
Learn more at the GIMP website
2. Inkscape
Inkscape is a free and open source vector graphics editor. It’s perfect for creating icons for apps and websites, cartoon illustrations, and logos. Despite being free, Inkscape looks and feels incredibly advanced. Some of its many features include intelligent drawing tools, the ability to import and export multiple file types, add-ons, and multilingual support. These powerful tools and its intuitive UI make it an excellent option for beginners.
Although it’s probably a little more comparable to Illustrator, Inkscape is a great free Photoshop alternative, especially if you want to save some $$$ (since it’s free).
It's also one of the few options on the list compatible with Linux (along with GIMP that is).
Learn more at the Inkscape website.
3. Pixia
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Pixia is a raster painting program and graphics editor specifically well–suited for many forms of digital painting.
It offers a lightweight painting environment for digital painting and artwork of all types! Unlike other digital painting and editing tools, Pixia strips the bloatware features away, leaving a fast, focused environment that ensures you can paint without any distraction.
It is also freeware making it a great free Photoshop alternative.
Learn more at the Pixia website.
4. exPhoto
exPhoto is another application by the same developer that created Pixia and is more geared towards photo editing and print graphics. The advantage is that you can choose which application best suits your needs at the time.
Doing some digital painting? Load up Pixia. Looking to touch up a photo? Time for exPhoto. Sure you have to install two apps but it keeps the features geared towards the task at hand, which is smart.
exPhoto is also capable of handling and saving as PSD, just like GIMP.
Learn more at the exPhoto website.
5. Pixlr
Pixlr comes in two distinct flavours. Pixlr Express is ideal for quick fixes and simple edits, while Pixlr Editor is for power users. Both are both free, and both are browser-based web apps, so there's never any need to download the software. This makes it ideal for Chromebook users, too.
Pixlr is feature-packed but has a clean UI that makes it easy to navigate these features without seeming “cluttered” or overwhelming the users with the number of options available.
One super useful benefit to Pixlr is that it runs free Android and iOS apps that allow you to edit right from your smartphone.
Learn more at the Pixlr website.
6. Krita
Krita was created by artists with the aim of making art tools affordable to everyone. This is an open source digital sketching and painting studio that is geared towards concept artists. illustrators, and designers who want to sketch from scratch. So, if you want to edit existing imagery, this one isn't for you. Krita also offers training material to kickstart your illustration career (or hobby), and can open PSD files, too.
There is a bit of a learning curve to software and the UI isn’t too user-friendly, so its best suited to users with some experience. But once you get the hang of it this is an excellent Photoshop alternative that’s full of great features for painting and design.
Learn more at the Krita website.
7. Canva
Canva is a browser-based web app that provides everything a graphic designer needs. For those who like to work on their phones or tablets, there are apps for iOS and Android as well.
Used by over 10 million people, Canva serves up millions of stock images, hundreds of fonts, and a wide range of filters, icons, and shapes. With their resources to hand, you can drag and drop images into place before editing them. The simplicity of Canva makes sophisticated design accessible to everyone with a diverse range of templates available, and even the most amateur of users will get decent design outcomes with the help of this app.
Seasoned graphic designers may find Canva to be a little lightweight, but it’s a useful app to have on hand when you need to take a few shortcuts and don’t want to sacrifice quality in the process. This is a freemium app and more experienced designers will definitely want the paid version, but pricing is nowhere near Photoshop territory. Check out our Canva Review to learn more.
Learn more at the Canva website.
8. Paint.NET
Thanks to its image based tabs system which makes it easy to work on multiple projects at once, Paint.Net is a great free alternative to Photoshop. Also, the inclusion of layers – a feature normally reserved for expensive professional software – makes Paint.Net tough to beat. The UI will feel familiar to Photoshop users but it’s also very easy to pick up for newbies.
I see it as a halfway house between Microsoft Paint and Photoshop, making it easy for graphic design newbies to grasp. And it's for that reason – among others – that I've personally been using Paint.NET for all my image editing needs over the last few years. It’s simplicity combined with the advanced features available makes it a tough one to beat and also a great option for users that have difficulty with software that’s geared more towards experienced users. Features include a number of special effects that can sharpen, blur, emboss, distort, and eliminate red-eye from photos in a few clicks.
It's bad news for Mac users though, as Paint.NET is available only for Windows.
Learn more at the Paint.NET website.
9. Seashore
If you're a dedicated Mac user, Seashore may be for you. Available only for Mac OS X's Cocoa framework, Seashore takes inspiration from GIMP (number one on this list) by serving up similar functionality and using the same native file format.
However, unlike the GIMP, Seashore is aimed at a broader audience who just want to do some basic image editing. It’s ideal for new users who with little experience in this area, although the UI is pretty basic and definitely leaves room for improvement.
If you’re an amateur photographer or just need to perform some basic image editing, Seashore will do the trick.
Learn more at the Seashore website.
10. SumoPaint
SumoPaint's slogan is, ‘Photoshopping in your browser' – which is pretty self-explanatory. It's an incredibly powerful web app with an answer to most if not all of Photoshop's best features.
It’s also super fast to navigate and the interface is definitely pleasing to the eye. Diary app windows. All of the standard features are accessible for free, such as gradient fill, blur, smudge, line tools, and other features you’d expect to find in Photoshop.
You can use it through your browser and tolerate the ads, or upgrade to SumoPaint Pro to use it without ads and utilize more features.users to access all the basic image manipulation features for free. SumoPaint Pro also allows you to download the software so you can use it offline.
Best Adobe Photoshop Alternatives
Learn more at the SumoPaint website.
Free Graphic Design Software That Doesn't Suck
Photoshop is a powerhouse, but if you're struggling to justify its rather heavy price-tag, then the eight Photoshop alternatives listed above should tide you over.
If you are curious as to what options exist with a price tag, check out our list of Paid Photoshop Alternatives.
Do you know of any other free Photoshop alternatives? Share them with us in the comments section below!