Many look to the industry standard program, Adobe Photoshop, when they need to edit, manipulate, or enhance their image. However, in some instances using this powerful program may be overkill. While Photoshop is an excellent program, some may not be able to afford the subscription cost, or maybe they don’t need all the extra features and are just looking for a free image editing program. Luckily, Photoshop is not the only image editor available on the market. In fact, many Photoshop alternatives have popped up over the past few years, especially after Adobe’s move to the Creative Cloud.
While Photoshop is a fantastic program, you don’t have to have it to edit images like a pro. Nowadays, there are many alternatives available right at your fingertips, and many are free! If you are looking for a substitute for Adobe Photoshop, check out some of the best free Photoshop alternatives currently available.
GIMP (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
If you are looking for a free, open source image editing/photo manipulation program that is solid, you should try GIMP. Since this image editor is open source, you can change its source code and issue your changes. You can’t get that with Photoshop. For a free image editing program, GIMP is very sophisticated as they give you the freedom of customization options, as well as access to third-party plugins.
PicMonkey (Web, Browser-Based)
Not looking to download and install a program? If that’s the case, you have to check out PicMonkey on your internet browser. PicMonkey has a very clean and straightforward interface that is very user-friendly. With this website, it is easy to enhance or alter an image, create an image, and make a collage! PicMonkey has a free option, as well as a premium version, which is not free. Luckily, if you decide to stick with the free choice, you still have access to tons of features.
Paint.NET (Windows)
Paint.NET is a free replacement for Microsoft Paint that has become a simple, yet powerful image editor. An easy to learn, intuitive program, Paint.NET supports layers, special effects, plugins, and has a wide range of powerful tools available. If you are looking for something less complicated than GIMP, but powerful enough to give you the results you are looking for, you may want to try out this superb program.
Krita (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
Krita is a regularly updated program made by artists who believe that art tools should be affordable for everyone. Krita is excellent for comics, illustrations, concept art, textures, painting, as well as editing. Another free, open-source application, Krita gives artists the tools they need to grow with its endless brush customizations, layer support, PSD support, and its well-designed palette. Also, if you have been looking to manipulate and author HDR images, Krita has you covered.
Adobe Photoshop Express (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8 and above)
Looking for a simple way to edit photos and create collages on your portable device? Well, it’s easy and free to do with Adobe’s Photoshop Express. An alternative to paying for the Adobe subscription, Adobe Photoshop Express is a highly-capable application that allows you to tweak and enhance your images quickly and easily. Best of all, if you are looking for a fun and creative way to share your pictures on social media, Photoshop Express allows you apply some pretty unique effects as well as incorporate borders and frames on your images.
