Top 20 Free Programs like Photoshop

1.    Photo Retouching Services > Retouching Blog > Photo editing tips > Free Programs like Photoshop FREE PROGRAMS LIKE PHOTOSHOP     Stop wasting money on Adobe subscription, try these 20 free programs like Photoshop that you can use for basic photo editing and color correction. If you are looking for a free photo editing software or just don’t want to overpay for unnecessary features, this article will be useful for you. Contents: Why professionals choose Photoshop? 20 FREE photo editing softwares like Photoshop GIMP Raw Therapee Darktable Photoscape Krita Paint.Net Online

2. digiKam Photo Pos Pro Cheap photo editing softwares like Photoshop Affinity Photo Sketch Pixelmator Pro Free online photo editing software like Photosop Pixlr Polarr Ribbet Sumopaint Fotor BeFunky Adobe Photoshop Express PicMonkey PiZap Why Do Many Users Choose Photoshop? Undoubtedly, Photoshop is the best software when it comes to photo retouching, graphic design, and digital drawing. It is user-friendly, has many useful plugins, actions, overlays, there are numerous video tutorials on all languages, etc. If you have never used Photoshop but don’t want to pay for a month subscription, read more about Photoshop Trial, download it, and use Photoshop free during 7 days. But like most of the other top programs, Photoshop requires a monthly payment, you need to spend at least $19.99 every month, which is not attractive for beginning photographers. If you are looking for free programs like Photoshop, I have prepared several variants for you to choose from. Namely, these are 20 best free Photoshop alternatives, which have similar functions and capabilities. 20 Free Programs Like Photoshop

3. If you don’t want to pay for your photo editing software, I have created the list of the 20 free programs like Photoshop that can help you edit photos fast, professionally, and for FREE. 1. GIMP Website: Gimp Developer: GNOME Foundation Alternatives: Photoshop, Pixlr Platforms: Windows/Linux Price: FREE   GIMP REVIEW USE GIMP Overall Rating 65 Color Correction 0 60 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 30 100 App's Design 80 100

4. Easy Navigation 0 70 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 80 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 55 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros User-friendly interface even for beginners Many tools for photo editing like in Photoshop Friendly and professional technical support Well-developed tools for working with masks and layers Can be used on Linux Open-source • • • • • • - Cons Sometimes lags Few Gimp tutorials • •   Talking about Gimp vs Photoshop, the main advantage of this photo editing program is an open source. Gimp is the best free choice for Linux, but it is also available for Windows. Having an interface similar to Photoshop, it provides a lot of tools for photo editing and color correction, working with text, masks and layers. You may use Photoshop psd files in Gimp. To create a surreal double exposure in Photoshop or make teeth white in Photoshop for perfect portrait photos you need Photoshop or Gimp plugins. Many professional users like that an open source allows them to correct various tools, fix bugs and create new functions manually, without waiting for the next update. The most significant disadvantage is that you cannot use Gimp for Mac OS. Sometimes it operates rather slowly, so it isn’t well optimized.

5. 2. Raw Therapee Website: RawTherapee Alternatives: Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP Platforms: Windows/Mac OS Price: FREE   USE RAW THERAPEE Overall Rating 65 Color Correction 0 50 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 20 100 App's Design 80 100 Easy Navigation 0 70 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 80 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 45 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros

6. Convenient catalog Powerful color correction and image editing tools Open-source • • • - Cons Isn’t convenient for working with masks and layers •   If you are looking for a free photo editing software that combines functions of several Adobe products, RawTherapee is the best choice for you. It is open-sourced and designed for easy file cataloging. The program’s functionality is focused on working with photos in RAW format. It also includes many tools for color correction, noise reduction, rotation, exposure control, changing shadows and light, adjusting tone settings, processing EXIF data, cropping, etc. In a nutshell, RawTherapee is something in between Photoshop and Lightroom. Talking about the disadvantages of this software, I want to mention that it isn’t very convenient for working with masks and layers because these tools work with a delay. 3. Darktable

7. Website: Darktable Alternatives: Lightroom, Photoshop, Gimp Platforms: Windows/Mac OS/Linux Price: FREE   USE DARKTABLE Overall Rating 50 Color Correction 0 40 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 30 100 App's Design 60 100 Easy Navigation 0 70 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 65 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 45 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros Well organized catalog Powerful RAW converter Open-source The possibility to work with multiple photos at the same time • • • • - Cons Low optimized Not suitable for a full Photoshop replacement Poorly developed brushes • • •   Darktable is a free, open-source program for editing and cataloging RAW images. This is the best choice for event and wedding shooters who make basic picture editing, color correction and work with batch editing. If you’re an average user, this program is helpful

8. just to crop a picture. Poorly developed brushes and lack of optimization for weak configurations are its noticeable drawbacks. 4. PhotoScape Website: PhotoScape Developer: MOOII Tech Alternatives: Polarr, Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop Platforms: Windows/Mac OS Price: FREE or $39.99/month   HOTOPSCAPE REVIEW USE PHOTOSCAPE Overall Rating 60 Color Correction 0 50 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 40 100 App's Design 80 100

9. Easy Navigation 0 70 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 80 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 55 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros A wide range of options Professional color correction tools Support of RAW format Low system requirements • • • • - Cons A large number of functions are limited for free •   PhotoScape is a powerful alternative to Photoshop, which is available both in a free and in a paid version. This software is quite popular because it can be used by professional or amateur photographers, designers and Instagram fans. The program is equipped with several separate services for photo editing, cataloging, working with GIF and video, converting RAW files. Want professional photo editing like in Photoshop? Send your photos to FixThePhoto and get high-quality Photoshop services from $5 per photo. VIEW MORE Each of the tabs has a user-friendly interface and quite powerful tools. You can design logos and banners. The image editor is supported not only by Windows and Mac OS platforms but is also suitable for Linux. Unfortunately, some functions of PhotoScape are limited in free access.

10. 5. Krita Website: Krita Alternatives: Gimp, Paint.NET, Photoshop Platforms: Windows/Mac OS/Linux Price: FREE   USE KRITA Overall Rating 50 Color Correction 0 30 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 30 100 App's Design 60 100 Easy Navigation 0 70 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 50 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 55 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros

11. The high quality of brushes Many useful tools for drawing Convenient, user-friendly interface Fine technical support • • • • - Cons Poorly developed image editing tools •   Users that need a photo editor like Photoshop often pay their attention to Krita. It is a free open-source software that combines a nice interface and features similar to GIMP and Paint.Net. First of all, Krita is designed for professional digital drawing. However, you can also take advantage of basic picture edit tools: apply a filter, effect, expand, display, remove minor flaws, such as pimples and so on. The perfectly developed brushes make this photo editor similar to Photoshop. Besides, lots of additional settings are integrated. 6. Paint.Net Website: Paint.Net Developer: dotPDN LLC

12. Alternatives: Photoshop, Gimp Platforms: Windows Price: FREE   PAINT.NET REVIEW USE PAINT.NET Overall Rating 50 Color Correction 0 20 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 30 100 App's Design 40 100 Easy Navigation 0 50 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 60 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 45 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros Easy to use even for inexperienced photographers or designers Suitable for basic color correction A large number of tools for drawing • • • - Cons Not supported on Linux and Mac OS •   Paint.Net is a good option for beginners who want to find a free photo editing software like Photoshop. This is a high-quality and easy-to-use program. Its main advantages are a very simple interface and well-thought-out tools. You do not need a powerful PC configuration. Keep in mind that Paint and Paint.Net are completely different programs that have different tools and functions. The weak side of this app is the opportunity to

13. install it only on Windows OS. In addition, the interface looks a bit outdated and doesn’t fully meet modern standards. 7. DigiKam Website: DigiKam Alternatives: Lightroom, Photoshop, RawTherapee Platforms: Windows/Mac OS/Linux Price: FREE   USE DIGIKAM Overall Rating 50 Color Correction 0 30 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 30 100 App's Design 60 100 Easy Navigation 0 60 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 50 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 45 100 Advertising 0

14. 100   + Pros Powerful photo manager works perfectly for organizing files Tools for basic picture editing The app is available for all platforms Open-source • • • • - Cons Too limited functionality for professional photo edit needs •   DigiKam is a powerful photo editor, organizer and manager created for Linux. It is also available for Windows and Mac. Using this perfect managing tool, you can import images in various ways, organize them into albums, browse and search in your collection by location, time, tags and people. The open-source program allows to experiment with different tools and professionally adjust various effects, filters, work with brushes, etc. At the same time, it isn’t completely suitable for people who need a free photo editor like Photoshop. The thing is that most of the tools for image editing work poorly. DigiKam isn’t optimized for weak PCs, therefore, you may experience long delays. 8. Photo Pos Pro

15. Website: Photo Pos Pro Alternatives: Photoshop, Paint.NET Platforms: Windows Price: FREE or $19.90/month   POS PRO REVIEW USE PHOTO POS PRO Overall Rating 45 Color Correction 0 30 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 20 100 App's Design 60 100 Easy Navigation 0 50 100 User-friendly Interface 0 40 0 50 100 Additional Functions 100 Response Speed 0 35 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros Lots of features for image editing and drawing Optimized for weak PC configuration • • - Cons

16. Inconvenient interface •   Photo Pos Pro is one more free Photoshop alternative that has a simple interface with many icons. This is quite confusing when you first use the program. But the number of tools and functions is impressive. Aside from photo editing, you can create new graphic compositions, logos, banners and websites from scratch. The program allows working with layers, masks, gradients and textures. It is also compatible with a wide range of scanners and digital cameras. What is more, you can open and edit several photos at the same time. The main disadvantage of Photo Pos Pro is its interface, which is overloaded with tools located in separate tabs. 9. Affinity Photo Website: Affinity Photo Developer: Serif Alternatives: Gimp, Photoshop Platforms: Mac OS/Windows Price: FREE Trial or $49.99   USE AFFINITY PHOTO Overall Rating 75

17. Color Correction 0 50 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 60 100 App's Design 80 100 Easy Navigation 0 70 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 80 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 55 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros Understandable interface Many drawing tools Is suitable for professional image editing • • • - Cons Isn’t optimized for weak PC configuration •   Fully compatible with Photoshop and other file formats, it is specifically designed for professional photographers and designers. Although Affinity Photo is much cheaper than Photoshop (without a subscription), its creators claim that this software is actually better, promising higher speed, fewer lags and an unlimited number of undoes. Frankly speaking, the improved performance greatly depends on the laptop/desktop you use. 10. Sketch

18. Website: Sketch Developer: Bohemian Coding Alternatives: Photoshop, Pixlr Platforms: Windows/Mac Os Price: FREE Trial or $99/year   USE SKETCH Overall Rating 70 Color Correction 0 35 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 70 100 App's Design 80 100 Easy Navigation 0 70 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 80 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 55 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros Lots of tools to work with graphics Professional photo editing • • - Cons Few video tutorials •

19.   Sketch is a professional vector graphics application for creative users. In recent years, Sketch has become very popular among designers, in particular, web designers, who are looking for Photoshop replacement. Thanks to its simple, user-friendly interface, Sketch has many features similar to Photoshop and Illustrator, including the work with layers, gradients, color palettes, and styles. It is also in such high demand because of the many Sketch plugin-ins created by the community, which are really helpful if you want to extend the functionality of the program. The development team made Sketch as flexible as possible, as it supports endless scaling and vector shapes that are ideal for diverse projects. You can create a new drawing from primitive shapes or adjuct another one using the Vector or Pencil tool. 11. Pixelmator Pro Website: Pixelmator Pro Developer: Pixelmator Team Ltd Alternatives: Photoshop, Pixlr Platforms: Mac OS Price: FREE Trial or $39.99   USE PIXELMATOR PRO Overall Rating 65

20. Color Correction 0 30 100 Photo Retouching 0 0 60 100 App's Design 80 100 Easy Navigation 0 70 100 User-friendly Interface 0 0 80 100 Additional Functions 50 100 Response Speed 0 55 100 Advertising 0 60 100   + Pros Convenient graphics interface Many tools for digital drawing and image editing • • - Cons Rather for designers not for photographers •   Pixelmator app has been known for some time, but just recently the team has released Pixelmator Pro. While the previous program used drop-down windows, the Pro version has a more convenient single-window interface and offers non-destructive image editing. The interface became smaller, thus it will be easier to find the necessary function. Developers added an “Hidden Interface” option that you can activate if you just want to see your image without being distracted by other windows. Pixelmator is specifically designed for Mac users and supports such features as tabs, full screen and split view. 12. Pixlr