Photoshop is one of the most popular photo editing software that is used by creators. It has been an industry standard for decades now. It is the ultimate post-processing tool for amateur as well as professional photographers and designers. It comes with loads of features that make the experience seamless and engaging. The only issue with Adobe Photoshop is its price tag which is around 20 USD/month, which makes it unaffordable for some.
However, not to worry as various alternatives to Photoshop have the same tools and AI-assisted features, so you can do all that you do with Photoshop, that too for a lesser price. Here are some good alternatives to Adobe Photoshop.
1. Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo is the closest thing to Photoshop in terms of interface and features. It aims at professional photographers and designers and is compatible with Photoshop and other file formats. This one is more affordable than Photoshop since it requires a one-time payment. It is less demanding in terms of hardware than Photoshop and comes with Personas- customized tools for different jobs that might come in handy.
Affinity Photo is available on Mac, Windows, iPads, and iOS 12+ devices. There is a free trial available but no version so you will have to purchase it to use it. It is not available on Android devices.
Click here to get Affinity Photo
2. Canva
Canva is a new app and it goes beyond simple image editing. Canva claims that it can make design simple for anyone. The app is loaded with 1000s of wonderful design elements, including stock photographs, layouts, and fonts. Many of these features are free while for others, you will have to pay a minimal fee. You can use your images. Canva helps you design birthday cards, business cards, or blog images in seconds.
A friend who is using Canva can provide you with an invitation so that you can start using Canva.
3. Procreate
Procreate is a good Photoshop alternative for digital painting on iPad. It started as a basic drawing app in 2010 and has now become a professional tool. The app received Apple Design Awards as well and comes with an easy-to-use layout packed with features artists will love. These include true-to-life pencils ink advanced layer compositing and unique digital tools. It has a library of brushes and comes with palm support as well.
It supports iPads and iPhones and doesn’t have a free trial or a free version. The comes with full support for both first- and second-generation Apple Pencils, depending on the iPad model. In November, the 5.2 update comes with some new fantastic tools, including 3D model painting, stroke stabilization, page assist, and the ability to view 3D models in AR. There is a free handbook on the Procreate website featuring an overview of the app’s features and tools, to help you get started.
4. GIMP
GIMP is perhaps the most well-known free software to edit photos. GIMP has been around for a long time and is one of the programs that come to mind when many people think of “free Photoshop for PC”. It is an open-source program available for Windows, Mac, and Linux and the official website offers a lot of helpful tutorials. GIMP allows you to work with all popular file formats without any hitches.
It has advanced features like layer masks and filters. There are downloadable add-ons to fit your needs and the software is suitable for photographers and graphic designers alike. It supports plug-ins downloaded from the internet. The program can run on even the most outdated PCs as it has low system requirements.
5. Photopea
Photopea is the best Photoshop alternative that works in your browser. It is designed to be an advanced editor with pro tools and bears a strong resemblance to Photoshop featuring most of the tools you will need for everyday editing. The tool can open most standard file formats like JPG, PNG, and RAW and it will accept sketch, GIMP, and even Photoshop PSD files.
The editor supports layers, and layer masks, lets you use blend modes, and features a stack of selection tools, from standard marquees through to a magnetic lasso and a quick selection tool. It comes with ads and you need to pay for the premium version to get rid of them. It also gives you 60 levels of undo instead of 30.
There is not a free trial but a free version with limited features available.
6. Pixlr
Pixlr is a suite of 3 tools that work in your browser and via iOS and Android apps. These tools are Pixlr X, Pixlr E, and Pixlr BG. Pixlr X is a photo editing tool that is great for giving your work a quick boost with one-click edits and artistic effects. Pixlr E is a more substantial image editing app with a collection of useful editing tools. Pixlr BG is an AI-powered tool focused on one thing- removing background from photos. All 3 Pixlrs are free to use, with premium versions available to unlock advanced features.
These are simple to use but come with limited features. The software doesn’t work with TIFFs and although there is a free version available, there’s no free trial.
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7. Sketch
Sketch is a good alternative for UI and UX design. It is a professional vector graphics app for creatives that has created a huge buzz within the design community, and among web designers in particular, since its launch in 2010. The tool is very flexible, supporting infinite zooming and vector shapes for multiple resolutions. One can build a new graphic from primitive shapes, or start a new one with the Vector or Pencil tool.
Sketch has a simple UI and many features are similar to Photoshop and Illustrator, including layers, gradients, color pickers, and style presets. In 2021 a flurry of new features was added to Sketch which include real-time collaboration, developers being able to view, inspect, and measure designs, and document permissions allowing designers to limit who can edit specific designs.
It supports Mac and there is a free trial as well as a free version available.
8. ArtRage
ArtRage is a good option for those looking for a digital painting that can pass for the real thing. It offers realistic oils, pencils, watercolor, canvas textures, and other tools, many of which are customizable thus allowing you to recreate an old-school art studio in a digital form. 2021 saw the release of a new version for Windows and macOS and the highlights include sketching with pencils and shade with the edge of the tip, being able to smear and blend thick oils to create natural color gradients, creating delicate watercolor strokes that react to canvas structure and more.
ArtRage is good for beginners and is available for iOS and Android devices. There is a demo version but no free version is available so you will have to pay to use it in the long term. The latest version is called Vitae and the mobile app is sold separately.
9. PicMonkey
PicMonkey hides its power behind a simple and intuitive interface. It can be used for creating collages for scrapbooking enhancing glamor photos or creating images for blogs. To start editing, just drag an image onto the home page of the app. Creating collages is very simple, just upload your images and drag them into place. You can start with a blank slate and design you choose too.
PicMonkey has a free version as well but a small monthly charge for the premium version gives you lots of extra features.
10. Fotor Photo Editor
Fotor is a great all-around photo editor, but it is the curve control that draws you in. You can resize, crop, apply color edits, and more for up to 50 photos at once- perfect for resizing photos for different social media apps. The ‘Beauty’ section of the app has an extensive list of portrait retouching tools, and the effects work well. Some features aren’t free but most common ones are.
It is available for the Web, iOS, Android, Windows & Mac.
11. Polarr
Polarr is a simple photo editing program that aims to enhance images with filters. There are loads of filters to choose from and the users can even create their filters and save them if they purchase the Pro version. It is available on iOS and Android both and makes editing photos quick and easy. If you want all the features you will have to pay a monthly fee of 2.50 USD.
12. Apple Photos
Apple Photos comes installed on every Mac computer and offers simple editing tools to improve your clicks. It is a good place to store your images, allowing you to organize photos by date or arrange them into folders. Basic adjustments like color correction, brightness, saturation, and contrast can be made at the click of a button. It is simple to use and the tools are the same on desktop and iOS apps. It is only available for Mac and iOS users and has very limited tools.
Click here to get Apple Photos
13. Krita
Krita is a program geared towards illustrators and graphic designers that offers many of the same tools as Adobe Illustrator. It supports PSD files so it is apt for designers who often turn to Photoshop. The interface is similar to Photoshop and you can even work on multiple projects at the same time. There are different effects to choose from and it also supports drawing tablets, making It ideal for digital painting and sketching. The program doesn’t support RAW files.
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