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The Best Photo Editing Software of 2018 Whether you shoot with a smartphone camera or a DSLR, you need software to get the most out of your images. Here's what you need to know to pick the best.

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular photo editing software out there used by both professionals to create and edit masterful images, and yours truly who just need it for basic image manipulation. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, I’m sure you’ve at least tried Photoshop. However, due to Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription, Photoshop can prove to be quite expensive for people just getting into photo editing. Plus, with the plethora of tools on offer in Photoshop, it can be quite tough to use. So, if you are looking for Photoshop alternatives that are easier to use or a free Photoshop alternative for your Windows PC, Mac, Linux machine or even your Android or iOS device, well we have you covered.

Best Photoshop Alternatives: Sections

To make it easier for you to find a Photoshop alternative that best fits your needs, I’m breaking this article down into four sections, and you can click on the links below to head over to the section best suited for your needs.

Free and Open-Source Photoshop Alternatives
Online Photoshop Alternatives
Photoshop Alternatives for Android and iOS
Paid Photoshop Alternatives

Free Photoshop Alternatives (Windows, macOS and Linux)

1. Krita

Krita is a free tool like Photoshop that is almost as feature rich in the options it offers as Photoshop is. It also happens to be one of the tools that are highly recommended by people in online forums about photo editing and creative editing. Another thing I really like about Krita is the fact that it looks and feels very similar to Photoshop — the toolbars are arranged in a very similar way, it has a dark theme by default (but you can configure that if you want some other color scheme in the app). There’s support for tools like the Slice Tool that a lot of Photoshop users swear by, and you can also open multiple images in tabs just like Photoshop. It’s completely free, however there’s a paid version available for anyone who wants to support the developers and show some love.

Pros:

• Support for drawing tablets and pens.
• Templates for different types of projects.
• Supports Rulers and Guides.
• Lot of effects.

Cons:

• No history tool.
• Patch tool lags on larger images (I tried 1200×1600)
• Text tool isn’t as feature rich as Photoshop’s.
• No Camera RAW filter.

File Support: PNG, BMP, GIMP, TIF, TGA, JPEG, WEBP and more

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Price: Free; optional paid version available to support developers

2. GIMP

One of the topmost recommendations you’d read for a tool like Photoshop is GIMP, and for good reason. GIMP, or GNU Image Manipulation Program is a very feature rich photo editing and creative tool that can do almost everything that Photoshop can, and brings in everything from the popular Adobe software to a free and open-source software. However, GIMP isn’t my top choice for a Photoshop alternative because it has a bunch of issues as well, most annoying of which is the fact that multiple preset brushes share the same settings, which gets annoying if you’re constantly switching between brushes. Also, GIMP doesn’t have the drawing capabilities of Photoshop. It’s free though, and is definitely worth a look-see if you’re in the market for a free Photoshop alternative.

Pros:

• Comprehensive layer support with blending modes.
• Supports Rulers and Guides.
• Supports image slicing.
• History toolbar.

Cons:

• UI looks dated and takes getting used to.
• Text tool is weird and not intuitive at all.
• no Camera RAW filter.
• Finding tools can be difficult.

File Support: PNG, JPEG, BMP, TIF, and more.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Price: Free

3. Paint.NET

Paint.NET was originally developed to be a more powerful version of MS Paint and as such it brings a lot of the features from MS Paint. While Paint.NET is nowhere near as powerful as Photoshop, it brings a lot of features that make it a viable alternative for people looking for a free Photoshop alternative for Windows. Paint.NET supports layers with blending modes which is one of the most used features in Photoshop. It also has a history tool that can come in handy to quickly undo multiple edits in a project. Basically, it’s a very well rounded tool for image editing even though it’s not as powerful as Photoshop can be when used properly.

Pros:

• Layer support with blending modes.
• History tool.
• Pretty well rounded for basic editing.
• Supports rulers.
• Supports a ton of file types.

Cons:

• UI looks dated.
• No support for Guides.
• No Camera RAW option.
• No slice tool, patch tool, or spot healing tool.
• Doesn’t support auto-snapping.

File Support: PDN, BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, TGA, DDS (directdraw surface)

Platforms: Windows

Price: Free; optional paid version available to support developers

4. Seashore

Seashore is another Photoshop alternative that’s aimed solely at Mac users. It brings some important features from Photoshop including support for layers. The app also supports pressure sensitivity, so if you’re using a pressure sensitive drawing tablet, you’ll be able to make full use of its pressure levels. Personally, I found Seashore to be more easy in terms of beginner-usability, and it’s also completely free which is awesome.

Pros:

• Supports layers.
• Completely free.
• Pressure sensitivity support.
• Easy to use.

Cons:

• UI looks very outdated.
• No effects
• Grid isn’t customisable.
• Doesn’t support PSD files.

File Support: JPG, PNG, GIMP, TIFF, GIF

Platforms: macOS

Price:Free

Check out Seashore

Online Photoshop Alternatives

5. Pixlr Editor

One of the best online Photoshop alternatives out there, Pixlr editor does a remarkable job for editing photos. It brings a bunch of great and powerful tools that make it one of the best online Photoshop like software out there. Pixlr Editor comes with support for layers and blending modes, a lot of effects and filters, a history tool and even has the healing tool that a lot of Photoshop users love using. It’s basically perfect for a quick on-the-go edit and with some of the advanced features it can be used for more advanced edits as well. Since it’s online, you can use it no matter what operating system you’re on and that’s one of the best things about online tools.

Pros:

• Online, so it works on every platform.
• Supports layers and blending modes.
• History tool.
• Healing tool.

Cons:

• No pen tool.
• Not as versatile as Photoshop.
• Doesn’t support as many file types as Photoshop.
• No Rulers and Guides.
• Support for PDF, PSD, and Sketch formats is behind a paywall.

File Support: JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, and PXD (layered pixlr image)

Platforms: Web

Price: Free; Pro version at $5/month

6. Sumopaint

Sumopaint is yet another online Photoshop alternative that you can consider using for projects that don’t necessarily need the level of complexity that Photoshop offers. Being an online tool, Sumopaint can be used on any machine you have and it does offer a bunch of great Photoshop like features. The tool brings support for layers and blending modes which is a very useful feature for projects that are more than just resizing and cropping. There are also quite a lot of effects and filters that Sumopaint brings to the table — these should prove enough for most photo editing needs. Unfortunately the app doesn’t bring support for rulers and guides, which I personally find very useful in Photoshop, and the interface does look dated by today’s standards. However, you can use it for free, and only pay if you need the tools that are locked for pro users.

Pros:

• Support for layers and blending modes.
• Quite a lot of effects and filters.
• Enough tools in for basic to slightly advanced photo editing.

Cons:

• Some tools are locked behind a paywall. Including Text tool, line tool, and more.
• Interface is dated.
• No Pen tool, Camera RAW filter, and auto-snapping.
• Limited file support.

File Support: PNG, JPG, SUMO

Platforms: Web

Price: Free; pro-version starts at $4/month

7. PicMonkey

If Pixlr and Sumo didn’t suit your needs, PicMonkey might just be what you’re looking for. The tool works completely online so it’s easy to access without worrying about OS compatibility and what not. Plus, it brings support for layers, and also has a very font-rich text tool. However, don’t expect a text tool as feature rich as Photoshop’s or you’ll be disappointed. There are also a bunch of filters and effects that you might find useful. However, PicMonkey isn’t nearly as feature rich as Photoshop is, and it tends to respond a little slow at times. That said, the biggest problem in PicMonkey is that unless you subscribe to a pro subscription, you’ll not be able to export your images.

Pros:

• Support for layers.
• Text tool has a lot of fonts.
• Bunch of filters and effects.

Cons:

• Gets slow at times.
• Can’t export images in free version.

File Support: JPG, PNG

Platform: Online, mobile app available

Price:Free; Pro version starts at $5.99/month (7 day free trial available)

Photoshop Alternatives for Android and iOS

8. Multi Layer (Android)

If you’re looking for an app that will let you edit images on the go on your Android smartphone or tablet, Multi Layer is a great app to go with. While there’s no dearth of photo editing apps on Android, Multi Layer beats them with features like support for layers and blending modes, a wide variety of features to edit photos, and even grid support. The app is available completely free to use, however, some features (like blending modes) are only available in the Pro version which you can buy as an in-app purchase for Rs. 200.

Pros:

• Supports layers and blending modes.
• Feature rich.
• Supports grids.

Cons:

• UI can be confusing.
• Only supports JPG and PNG files.
• Contains ads in free version.

File Support: JPG, PNG

Platforms: Android

Price: Free; Pro version for Rs. 200

Download Multi Layer from the Play Store (Free)

9. PhotoWizard (iOS)

If you’re using an iOS device, PhotoWizard is definitely one of the most powerful free apps you can use to edit photos. The app doesn’t come with support for layers, but it brings a lot of powerful features you probably won’t find on other Photoshop alternatives for iOS. There’s historgram, motion blur, gaussian blur, curve editing, masking and a lot more. The app is definitely a pretty powerful app for iOS devices, plus the masking feature works really well.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Supports curve editing and histogram
• Feature packed

Cons:

• UI looks dated
• No layer support

File Support: All iPhone supported formats.

Platforms: iOS

Price: Free

Download PhotoWizard from the App Store (Free)

Paid Photoshop Alternatives

10. Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo is a very popular image editing application that’s every bit as powerful as Photoshop is and is definitely one of the best paid Photoshop alternatives out there. The app brings a ton of cool and useful features including tools like the Pen tool, rulers, guides, and grids. It also has the healing tool, the clone tool, and most other tools you’d find in Photoshop. It also has support for layers with blending modes and a lot more. However, the app isn’t cheap and you’ll have to pay a one-time price of Rs. 3,999 to get it.

Pros:

• Powerful Photoshop substitute.
• Pen tool, healing tool, clone tool and more.
• Supports layers and blending modes.
• Supports rulers and grids.

Cons:

• UI can be a little confusing at first.
• Not as many file types are supported as Photoshop.
• No Camera RAW tool

File Support: PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PSD, PDF, SVG, EPS and more.

Platforms: Windows, macOS

Price: Rs. 3,999

11. Pixelmator

Pixelmator is a macOS only photo editing tool that brings with it a ton of Photoshop like features and tools, and it also supports some of the latest features that Apple has brought to macOS such as editing and exporting images stored in the High Efficiency Image File format. There are the usual features like support for layers and blending modes, a plethora of tools to use for editing the images, support for live previews and SVG files. I also love the interface of Pixelmator and find it to be quite a lot better than Photoshop’s UI. However, it’s a very Mac-oriented interface so you might not like it as much as I do.

Pros:

• Feature packed.
• Supports layers and blending modes.
• Supports slice tool.
• Excellent UI in line with Apple’s guidelines.

Cons:

• Hugely different UI as compared to most photo editors.
• Might not seem intuitive to Photoshop users.
• Not for beginners.

File Support: HEIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, Pixelmator Pro, PSD, PDF, GIF, and more.

Platforms: macOS

Price: 30 day free trial available; $60

12. PhotoLine

PhotoLine is an image editing software that brings quite a bit of great features to Windows and macOS systems. The overall UI of the software is decent but not great, however, it brings support for layers and blending modes, rulers and guides, along with a bunch of great effects and filters. The app also supports drawing vector images so if that’s something you need, this is definitely the app for you. PhotoLine is available to try for free for 30 days, however, you’ll have to pay to continue using it past that time.

Pros:

• Support for layers and blending modes.
• Support for rulers and guides
• Supports vector drawing

Cons:

• No pen tool, slice tool, or patch tool.
• Toolbox looks confusing.

File Support: PDF, SVG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, JPG, PNG, and more.

Platforms: Windows, macOS

Price: 30 day free trial; ~$67 after that

SEE ALSO: 10 Best TeamViewer Alternatives

Check Out these Photoshop Alternatives

So those were the 12 best free (and paid) Photoshop alternatives that you can try out if you’re looking to ditch Photoshop, or are unwilling to pay a subscription pricing for a image editing software. I’ve included software that are free, paid, mobile apps, and even dedicated Windows and macOS software with varying degrees of advanced features, so no matter what you’re looking for in your Photoshop alternative, I think you’ll find it here. That said, if you think I missed out on a great Photoshop alternative that deserves to be on this list, let me know in the comments down below.

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There are dozens of free photo editors out there, so we've hand-picked the very best so you can make your pictures look amazing without paying a penny.

We've spent hours putting a huge range of photo editors to the test, and picked out the best ones for any level of skill and experience. From powerful software packed with features that give Photoshop a run for its money to simple tools that give your pictures a whole new look with a couple of clicks, there's something for everyone.

Many free photo editors only offer a very limited selection of tools unless you pay for a subscription, or place a watermark on exported images, but none of the tools here carry any such restrictions. Whichever one you choose, you can be sure that there are no hidden tricks to catch you out.

1. GIMP

The best free photo editor for advanced image editing

GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the best free photo editor around. It's packed with the kind of image-enhancing tools you'd find in premium software, and more are being added every day.

The photo editing toolkit is breathtaking, and features layers, masks, curves, and levels. You can eliminate flaws easily with the excellent clone stamp and healing tools, create custom brushes, apply perspective changes, and apply changes to isolated areas with smart selection tools.

GIMP is an open source free photo editor, and its community of users and developers have created a huge collection of plugins to extend its utility even further. Many of these come pre-installed, and you can download more from the official glossary. If that's not enough, you can even install Photoshop plugins.

2. Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019

Fuss-free photo editing with automatic optimization tools

If you've got a lot of photos that you need to edit in a hurry, Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019 could be the tool for you. Its interface is clean and uncluttered, and utterly devoid of ads (although you'll need to submit an email address before you can start using it).

Importing pictures is a breeze, and once they've been added to the pool, you can select several at once to rotate or mirror, saving you valuable time. You can also choose individual photos to enhance with the software's one-click optimization tool. In our tests this worked particularly well on landscapes, but wasn't always great for other subjects.

If you want to make manual color and exposure corrections, there are half a dozen sliders to let you do exactly that. It's a shame you can't also apply the same color changes to a whole set of pictures at once, but this is otherwise a brilliant free photo editor for making quick corrections.

For more advanced editing, check out Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 7 – the premium version of the software with enhanced optimization tools.

3. Canva

Professional-level photo editing and templates in your browser

Canva is a photo editor that runs in your web browser, and is ideal for turning your favorite snaps into cards, posters, invitations and social media posts. If you're interested in maintaining a polished online presence, it's the perfect tool for you.

Canva has two tiers, free and paid, but the free level is perfect for home users. Just sign up with your email address and you'll get 1GB free cloud storage for your snaps and designs, 8,000 templates to use and edit, and two folders to keep your work organized.

You won't find advanced tools like clone brushes and smart selectors here, but there's a set of handy sliders for applying tints, vignette effects, sharpening, adjusting brightness, saturation and contrast, and much more. The text editing tools are intuitive, and there's a great selection of backgrounds and other graphics to complete your designs.

Best Photo Editing Apps For Mac

4. Fotor

One-click enhancements to make your photos shine in seconds

Fotor is a free photo editor that's ideal for giving your pictures a boost quickly. If there's specific area of retouching you need doing with, say, the clone brush or healing tool, you're out of luck. However, if your needs are simple, its stack of high-end filters really shine.

There's a foolproof tilt-shift tool, for example, and a raft of vintage and vibrant colour tweaks, all easily accessed through Fotor's clever menu system. You can manually alter your own curves and levels, too, but without the complexity of high-end tools.

Fotor's standout function, and one that's sorely lacking in many free photo editors, is its batch processing tool – feed it a pile of pics and it'll filter the lot of them in one go, perfect if you have a memory card full of holiday snaps and need to cover up the results of a dodgy camera or shaky hand.

5. Photo Pos Pro

Advanced photo editing tools packaged in a simple interface

Photo Pos Pro isn't as well known as Paint.net and GIMP, but it's another top-quality free photo editor that's packed with advanced image-enhancing tools.

This free photo editor's interface is smarter and more accessible than GIMP's array of menus and toolbars, with everything arranged in a logical and consistent way. If it's still too intimidating, there's also an optional 'novice' layout that resembles Fotor's filter-based approach. The choice is yours.

The 'expert' layout offers both layers and layer masks for sophisticated editing, as well as tools for adjusting curves and levels manually. You can still access the one-click filters via the main menu, but the focus is much more on fine editing.

6. Paint.NET

Looking a little dated, but still a dependable all-rounder

More is not, believe it or not, always better. Paint.NET's simplicity is one of its main selling points; it's a quick, easy to operate free photo editor that's ideal for trivial tasks that don't necessarily justify the sheer power of tools like GIMP.

Don't let the name fool you, though. This isn't just a cheap copy of Microsoft's ultra-basic Paint – even if it was originally meant to replace it. It's a proper photo editor, just one that lands on the basic side of the curve.

Paint.NET’s interface will remind you of its namesake, but over the years, they’ve added advanced editing tools like layers, an undo history, a ton of filters, myriad community-created plugins, and a brilliant 3D rotate/zoom function that's handy for recomposing images.

7. PhotoScape

Raw image conversion, batch processing and much more

PhotoScape might look like a rather simple free photo editor, but take a look at its main menu and you'll find a wealth of features: raw conversion, photo splitting and merging, animated GIF creation, and even a rather odd (but useful) function with which you can print lined, graph or sheet music paper.

The meat, of course, is in the photo editing. PhotoScape's interface is among the most esoteric of all the apps we've looked at here, with tools grouped into pages in odd configurations. It certainly doesn't attempt to ape Photoshop, and includes fewer features.

We'd definitely point this towards the beginner, but that doesn't mean you can't get some solid results. PhotoScape's filters are pretty advanced, so it's if good choice if you need to quickly level, sharpen or add mild filtering to pictures in a snap.

8. Pixlr X

A comprehensive browser-based photo editor for quick results

Pixlr X is the successor to Pixlr Editor, which was one of our favorite free online photo editors for many years.

Pixlr X makes several improvements on its predecessor. For starters, it's based on HTML5 rather than Flash, which means it can run in any modern browser. It's also slick and well designed, with an interface that's reminiscent of Photoshop Express, and a choice of dark or light color schemes.

With Pixlr X, you can make fine changes to colors and saturation, sharpen and blur images, apply vignette effects and frames, and combine multiple images. There's also support for layers, which you won't find in many free online photo editors, and an array of tools for painting and drawing. A great choice for even advanced tasks.

9. Adobe Photoshop Express Editor

A convenient way to correct lighting and exposure problems

As its name suggests, Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is a trimmed-down, browser-based version of the company's world-leading photo editing software. Perhaps surprisingly, it features a more extensive toolkit than the downloadable Photoshop Express app, but it only supports images in JPG format that are below 16MB.

Again, this is a Flash-based tool, but Adobe provides handy mobile apps for all platforms so you won’t miss out if you’re using a smartphone or tablet.

This free online photo editor has all the panache you’d expect from Adobe, and although it doesn’t boast quite as many tools as some of its rivals, everything that’s there is polished to perfection. Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is a pleasure to use. Its only drawbacks are the limits on uploaded file size and types, and lack of support for layers.

10. PiZap

A fun photo editor for preparing your pictures for social media

Free online photo editor PiZap is available in both HTML5 and Flash editions, making it suitable for any device. You can choose to work with a photo from your hard drive, Facebook, Google Photos, Google Drive, Google Search, or a catalog of stock images. This is an impressive choice, though some of the stock images are only available to premium subscribers, and you'll need to watch out for copyright issues if you use a pic straight from Google Images.

piZap’s editing interface has a dark, modern design that makes heavy use of sliders for quick adjustments – a system that works much better than tricky icons and drop-down menus if you’re using a touchscreen device.

When you’re done, you can share your creation on all the biggest social media networks, as well as piZap’s own servers, Dropbox and Google Drive. Alternatively, you can save it to your hard drive, send it via email, or grab an embed code. You can only export your work in high quality if you’ve opened your wallet for the premium editor, but for silly social sharing that’s unlikely to be a problem.

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