19 Free Photoshop Alternatives W/ Similar Features in 2023

If you've ever tried to edit a photo with Photoshop, you know how intimidating and complicated the software can be. Many people consider Photoshop the best software to edit photos, but unless you have experience and dedicated training with this program, you will find it hard to use and cost-prohibitive. 

Content creators and photographers need easy-to-use, free Photoshop alternatives that allow them to navigate tools and features quickly to post more photos in less time. Thankfully, several excellent free alternatives to Photoshop offer similar features without the high price tag and steep learning curve. In addition, most of these offer free stock images, something even paying for a pricey Photoshop or Adobe Creative Cloud subscription won’t get you. 

This article introduces the 19 best free Photoshop alternatives and compares their features, benefits, and drawbacks.

• Snapshot of Our Top 3 Free Photoshop Alternatives
• How to Choose the Best Free Photoshop Alternative
• 19 Free Photoshop Alternatives W/ Similar Features in 2023
• Best Free Photoshop Alternatives Comparison Chart
• How to Edit a Photo With PhotoDirector
• Download the Best Alternative to Photoshop for Free
• Free Photoshop Alternative FAQ

Snapshot of Our Top 3 Free Photoshop Alternatives

How to Choose the Best Free Photoshop Alternative

With 19 excellent free Photoshop alternatives on our list, how can you choose the right software to edit photos the way you need? Read on for some key things to look for when choosing a free alternative to Photoshop.

Compatibility

The first thing you should decide is whether you want an online option or a downloadable free Photoshop alternative. If you have an older computer or don’t have much space on your hard drive, an online option could be the way to go. A browser-based free Photoshop alternative is also a good choice if you like to edit photos over multiple devices. However, if you have spotty internet, or like to edit while you travel or commute, you will need a downloadable free Photoshop alternative that doesn’t require an internet connection. 

Next, make sure the free Photoshop alternative you want will work on your device. There are options on our list for Windows, Mac, and Linux. There are some that work well on laptops, while others need a powerful desktop and plenty of available RAM. You will also need to check that the free Photoshop alternative is compatible with your camera. This information can be found in the System Requirements section of a product’s website. 

Budget

Some of the options on our list are not completely free alternatives to Photoshop but offer a free trial. If you are looking to “try before you buy,” this is a good way to make sure you like to edit photos with a product before making a monetary commitment. These options come at very different price points, so don’t even bother trying software that is clearly out of your budget. 

Some options have free-forever versions of the software, with the option to upgrade to a Premium version if you find you want more features. If you are only in the market for a completely free alternative to Photoshop, make sure the free version has all the features you need to edit photos. It’s also a good idea to compare prices of the Premium versions so if you decide to upgrade in the future, price won’t be an issue. Finally, there are some open-source options that offer all tools and features for free, however, they tend to have a higher learning curve.

Features

The free alternatives to Photoshop on our list come with a wide range of features. Some cater more towards graphic designers, others towards illustrators, and others towards photographers. If you are a photographer, look for features such as RAW image support and photo management tools. Write down a list of must-have features to make sure you have what you need to edit photos (in the version you can afford). 

Ease of Use

Many of you are probably looking for a free alternative to Photoshop because you want something more beginner-friendly. Some of the options below match Photoshop feature-to-feature but have a similar learning curve. These are good free alternatives to Photoshop for advanced users or professionals looking for a more affordable option. Some are very beginner-friendly but may lack advanced tools like layer editing. Then there are free alternatives to Photoshop that offer advanced tools but remain beginner-friendly. These are good options for beginners hoping to learn advanced techniques, or for professionals who want a quicker way to edit photos. 

19 Free Photoshop Alternatives W/ Similar Features in 2023

1. PhotoDirector Essential - Best Overall

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

TopTenReviews Rating: 5/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $3.33/month

Key Features:

1. Background/Sky Replacement: Remove and replace your background in one click without a green screen 
2. Portrait Touch-Ups: Remove wrinkles, blemishes, and shine, whiten teeth, or change the shape of your subject’s face, eyes, nose, and more
3. Photo Animation Tools: Edit photos with motion paths to animate your photos and save as a GIF or video; add animated elements such as sparkle, light hits, stickers, and overlay
4. Color Adjustments: Adjust colors automatically or manually, apply filters and LUTs, or utilize a fun effect such as Color Splash or Replace

Who It’s For

PhotoDirector Essential is the best overall free Photoshop alternative on our list because it is a user-friendly, modern photo editor with a range of powerful tools and features. It’s a good fit for first-time editors to seasoned pros and fits any budget. Anyone can create professional-level images in just a few seconds with PhotoDirector's easy-to-learn tools.

PhotoDirector Essential is Photoshop and Lightroom rolled into one software. In addition to all of the essential importing, editing, and sharing options a photo editor needs, it includes AI photo management tools. Tag someone once, and they will automatically be tagged in all existing and future shots. Even though it has all the features of both Photoshop and Lightroom, the interface is not overly crowded. When you launch PhotoDirector, you can choose whether you want the Edit interface, or the Organize and Adjust interface, so you’ll only see the tools you need. 

Why We Picked It

In a side-by-side test, we found PhotoDirector’s tools to be far more intuitive than Photoshop’s. For instance, both programs allow you to add text to an image and change the font, size, and color. However, PhotoDirector adds a text box around the text that can be easily dragged and manipulated to make the text wider, smaller, taller, move and rotate, etc. With Photoshop, it took us a while just to move the text to where we wanted it on the image. To change all other aspects of the text, you have to use the editing toolbar and fill in numbers using trial-and-error until it looks right. 

Then there’s the matter of stock images. If you are a content creator, stock images are a must-have to create thumbnails, ads, and banners, or to use as layers with your own photos. A monthly subscription of only $3.33 gives you access to millions of premium royalty-free images with PhotoDirector. Photoshop costs $20.99 a month and doesn’t include any stock. In fact, a subscription to Adobe Stock, Photoshop’s stock image provider, costs far more than Photoshop itself. 

Bottom Line

Many beginners shy away from layer editing with Photoshop because it seems too complicated. However, this free Photoshop alternative has an easy-to-use interface that makes layer editing a breeze, allowing beginners to add images, text, shapes, and digital objects in perfect cohesion. PhotoDirector makes it easy to use layers to your advantage with express layer templates, frame template packs, and a range of simple selection tools. Achieve hair-splitting detail without learning complicated editing procedures or managing hard-to-use tools. For these reasons, we think PhotoDirector Essential is today’s best free alternative to Photoshop.

Download the best free Photoshop alternative - PhotoDirector Essential - by clicking the link below and edit photos that look studio-quality today.

2. Pixelmator Pro - Best for Mac Users

Compatibility: Mac

Capterra Rating: 4.8/5

Price: 15-day free trial, then $49.99

Key Features:

1. Vector Tools: Resolution-Independent SVG files stay sharp no matter how much you manipulate them 
2. RAW Image Support: This free Photoshop alternative supports RAW photos from over 600 popular cameras
3. Color Adjustments: Powerful, nondestructive color edits with multi-channel curves and wheel-based color balance

Who It’s For

Pixelmator Pro is the best free Photoshop alternative for Mac users to edit photos because of its complete macOS integration. Pixelmator supports Side Car, Apple Pencil, Universal Clipboard, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, macOS Handoff, Apple Script, Spotlight, Quick Look, Apple Fonts, and Apple Color Windows. Pull and share images with other Mac apps like Mail, Messages, AirDrop, Notes, and Photos. You can even pull still images from your FaceTime camera or open photos taken in Portrait mode to create masks. This free Photoshop alternative contains all the default macOS menus and shortcuts that make it quick and painless to edit photos.

Why We Picked It

If you're looking for a layer-based, free alternative to Photoshop to edit photos with graphic design functionality, Pixelmator is a good choice. Simple brushstrokes and AI tools allow you to edit specific areas of an image. Remove unwanted objects, clone parts of a photo, retouch, lighten or darken specific areas, and more. You can also create graphic designs with over 200 vector shapes.

Bottom Line

Pixelmator is not an entirely free Photoshop alternative but offers a 15-day free trial. After the trial, the program is pretty affordable. It is easier to use than Photoshop but still has a slight learning curve for new users. It also lacks some advanced features you would expect in programs of its kind. If you desire more advanced tools in a beginner-friendly package, try our #1 choice, PhotoDirector Essential.

3. Photopea - Best for Intermediate Users

Compatibility: Web Browser

Capterra Rating: 4.6/5

Price: Free

*Premium version available for $10 for 30 days, $15 for 90 days, or $50 for one year (Teams pricing is also available for teams of 5, 20, and 50)

Key Features:

1. Drawing Tools: Pen tools, path selections, and automatic rectangle tool 
2. Healing & Clone Brushes: Remove blemishes and other imperfections with this free Photoshop alternative 
3. Gradient Tool: Create a lovely ombre effect with one click 

Who It’s For

Photopea is a free Photoshop alternative found online. It has a similar, though pared-back, feature set to Photoshop and even supports PSD files. In fact, the interface and toolkit are pretty identical to Photoshop Elements, so it will be familiar to anyone who has used that program. We think this free alternative to Photoshop works best for intermediate users since it is too complex for beginners but easier than Photoshop. 

Why We Picked It

You can create graphic designs from scratch, use a template, a stock image, or your own photo. This free Photoshop alternative supports raster and vector graphics and lets you edit photos with a large selection of adjustments and filters. We were impressed with Photopea’s aspect ratio options. They are categorized by Social, Print, Photo, Screen, Mobile, Ads, and Square, with all the popular sizes listed in each category. 

Bottom Line

What we love about Photopea is that every tool is available in the free version, including a library of stock images. The premium version does not add any features, it only increases storage, removes ads, provides email support, and gives you more steps in your history. Anyone used to Photoshop or Photoshop Elements will have no trouble learning this free Photoshop alternative. However, it is not beginner-friendly, with no explanations or guides next to tools, and no previews of effects and filters. In our test, we had an issue with tool windows getting stuck and blocking our project.    

4. Capture One - Best for Color Adjustments

Image from DCFever.

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

G2 Rating: 4.5/5

Price: 30-day free trial, then $14.92/month for desktop only, or $21.58/month for desktop, iPad, and iPhone, or $299 for a Perpetual License

Key Features:

1. Skin Tone Editor: Easily create accurate skin tones with Uniformity sliders
2. Heal & Clone Brushes: Automatically finds the best source point to cover up your target for quick object removal 
3. Style Brushes: Quickly brush edits without creating a layer using this free Photoshop alternative 

Who It’s For

Capture One is an alternative to Photoshop that specializes in precise color adjustments. Experience true-to-life color processing and an advanced color editor that is on par with Adobe Photoshop and even Adobe Lightroom. It also offers photo organization and management tools akin to Lightroom, making it a great choice for anyone looking to combine Photoshop and Lightroom into one software.

Why We Picked It

With this free Photoshop alternative, you can edit specific colors in your image with 8 color ranges (the standard for photo editing software is 6). You can also apply up to 16 layers and incredibly accurate masks with the Refine Mask and Feather Mask tools. There are multi-imaging tools to merge, stitch, and create breathtaking panorama shots. 

Bottom Line

Capture One has a longer free trial than Photoshop (30 days compared to 7), but it has a similar price and learning curve. However, if you are paying for Photoshop and Lightroom, and need an all-in-one solution that delivers the same high-quality results, then Capture One is for you. If you need a beginner-friendly or completely free Photoshop alternative, however, we recommend PhotoDirector Essential.

5. Pixlr E - Best for Quick Edits

Compatibility: Web Browser

Capterra Rating: 4.5/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscriptions available for $0.75/month for Plus, $4.90/month for Premium, and $9.91/month for Teams

Key Features:

1. Dispersion Effect: Draw over part of your image and watch it burst into a thousand pieces
2. Color Effects: Color Picker, Color Replace, Sponge Color, and Fill allow you to swap colors of individual items in your photos
3. Brushes: Edit photos with painting, drawing, and pen tools in various styles

Who It’s For

Pixlr E is a free photo editor, graphic design tool, and batch editor for beginners and experienced editors in a time crunch. This free Photoshop alternative is available online, with no registration needed, just edit a photo directly on the site. The interface is streamlined and tools are easy to find. It even has options for different skill levels, so you can choose a quick, automated solution or spend time with manual adjustments. 

Why We Picked It

The program comes with some professional features like advanced cutting tools, customizable brushes, animated elements, and skin retouch tools. This free Photoshop alternative also comes with a large selection of design templates for every kind of social media post, as well as ads, invites, blogs, and even podcast covers. 

Bottom Line

Pixlr E has the same review rating as Photoscape X, but we placed it higher on our list because it is more beginner-friendly and exports to a higher quality. However, rendering was very slow, so although we think this free Photoshop alternative is great for quick edits, be prepared to do other things while you wait for your projects to export. The free version contains ads and puts limits on the number of projects you can save, however, for 75 cents a month you have access to all the non-premium features with no ads and unlimited saves.

6. Photoscape X - Best for Batch Editing

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4.5/5

Price: Free
*Pro version available for $39.99

Key Features:

1. Cut Out: Remove images or backgrounds using Magic Eraser, Brush Tool, or Lasso Tool
2. Collage or Combine: Place multiple photos in a collage grid, or merge side-by-side to create one image from many
3. Creative Assets: Edit photos with borders, frames, stickers, and text

Who It’s For

Photoscape X is a free Photoshop alternative for users who need to edit multiple photos at once. It has several tabs dedicated to batch editing, such as Batch Resize, Batch Rename, and Batch Format Change. We liked that you can convert multiple images into a different format with one click. 

Why We Picked It

This free Photoshop alternative also has an abundance of color tools, similar to what you would find in Photoshop. Point Color will highlight one color and make the rest of the image black and white (similar to PhotoDirector’s Color Splash tool), Selective Color changes the vibrancy of each color you choose, and Replace Color replaces one color with another throughout your photo. There’s also a gradient map to edit photos with precise color changes.

Bottom Line

We found Photoscape X to have a confusing layout which differs greatly from other free Photoshop alternatives, so it may take time to get used to if you are familiar with another program. However, it remains beginner-friendly once you figure out where things are. We found it is lacking in format support, and noticed a big dip in quality when saving files. Also, while the free version is available for Mac and Windows users, the Pro version is Windows-only.

7. Canva - Best for Marketing

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Web Browser

PCMag Rating: 4.5/5

Price: Free
*Pro version available for $119.99/year or $149.90 for Teams

Key Features:

1. Background Remover: Remove image backgrounds in one click 
2. Magic Edit: Brush over an area, then type in what you want to generate and watch it magically appear 
3. Bulk Edit: Edit up to 10 photos at once for consistent product photos

Who It’s For

Canva is a free Photoshop alternative for all your marketing and branding needs. It’s a perfect solution for small businesses with no experience in graphic design because it is simple enough for anyone to use. Canva has over 250,000 free templates to help jump-start your designs, or you can start with a blank slate. Create a logo for your brand, or upload your own logos, brand colors, and fonts into the program. 

Why We Picked It

This free alternative to Photoshop also comes with excellent team features, where you can invite members, collaborate, and comment on projects in real-time. Upload your own photos to turn into invites, business cards, ads, social media posts, and many more, or choose from over 100,000 free photos and graphics. 

Bottom Line

While we love Canva for graphic design and marketing, it doesn’t really compare to Photoshop in terms of tools to edit photos. For this reason, we placed it below the other 4.5-rated programs, Capture One, Pixlr E, and Photoscape X because they are more feature-rich in the editing department. We recommend PhotoDirector as a better alternative because it is a photo editing software that also has fun design assets and creative tools for social media.

8. Krita - Best for Digital Painting

Image from The Web Factor.

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

G2 Rating: 4.4/5

Price: Free

Key Features:

1. Brush Stabilizer: Correct a shaky hand 
2. Mirror Tools: Draw on one side of the mirror-line and automatically copy the results on the other side 
3. Layer Management: Create layer groups and assign colors to groups or individual layers

Who It’s For

Krita is our choice as the best free Photoshop alternative for digital painters, comic book illustrators, and animators because it has over 100 different brush types, and the open-source community is constantly adding more. There are also nine brush engines, a brush stabilizer, and various brush smoothing tools. Krita has erasers for removing an entire character, smoothing thin lines, or fading in or out of a drawing. It comes with drawing assistants and drawing aids to help with specific shapes, and grids to help with perspective.   

Why We Picked It

This free Photoshop alternative is used in various ways such as digital painting, pixel art, 3D texturing, and comic inking. It has built-in vector tools to create comic panels and word bubble templates so that you can give those comics a voice. In addition, there’s a Wrap-Around Mode for creating seamless textures and patterns and a full Animation Studio with onion skinning and an export-to-video option.

Bottom Line

Krita is open-source and completely free. It has a user interface similar to Photoshop but is also entirely customizable, with features such as light and dark themes. While this is an excellent free Photoshop alternative for animators, Krita lacks simple tools to edit photos. If you are looking for a free Photoshop alternative to manipulate photos, try PhotoDirector Essential.

9. Fotor - Best for Collages

Compatibility: Web Browser

Capterra Rating: 4.3/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $3.33/month for Pro and $7.49/month for Pro+

Key Features:

1. Circle Crop: Crop photos into circles for profile pictures using a free Photoshop alternative
2. AI Photo Enhancer: Increase image resolution automatically
3. Photo Eraser: Remove objects from images in one click 

Who It’s For

Fotor is an easy-to-use, free Photoshop alternative for anyone who likes to make photo collages. When you first enter the site, you’ll be given a choice to either Edit a Photo, Create a Design, or Make a Collage. With this free alternative to Photoshop, it’s easy to make a beautiful collage. Simply click on the number of photos, choose a layout, then add backgrounds, colors, text, and elements as needed. If you are in a hurry and prefer not to work from scratch, there are hundreds of pre-made collage templates in a variety of themes. 

Why We Picked It

Beginners can edit photos with a range of effects and polishes with no experience necessary. Denoise, invert colors, and remove backgrounds with simple, one-click solutions and adjustment sliders. This free alternative to Photoshop also comes with AI art effects and a wide selection of beautification tools. 

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a beginner-friendly free Photoshop alternative, Fotor is a viable option. It is much easier to use and has some fun tools you won’t find in Photoshop, like emojis, stickers, and collage templates. It is similar to our #1 free alternative to Photoshop, PhotoDirector, however, Fotor lacks layer editing. Current Photoshop users looking for a cheaper option will prefer PhotoDirector. 

10. PhotoPad - Best for Image Upscaling

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

G2 Rating: 4.2/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $4.44/month, or Lifetime Licenses available for $99 for Home and $129 for Pro

Key Features:

1. Super Color Tool: Automatically colorize black-and-white images
2. Creative Assets: A selection of clipart, fonts, drawing tools, borders, and collage grids
3. Unique Effects & Filters: Convert your images into cross-stitch patterns, paint-by-numbers, or oil paintings

Who It’s For

PhotoPad is a beginner-friendly, free alternative to Photoshop, and an excellent choice if you need to resize images without loss of quality. Change aspect ratios with no distortion using Liquid Resize, or upscale images losslessly with Super Resolution. There are also image sharpening and noise reduction tools to further enhance your photos and make them ready to share, post, or print. 

Why We Picked It

PhotoPad is a non-destructive image editor that supports RAW images, multi-exposure HDR photos, and layer editing. It has more tools than you’d expect in a free Photoshop alternative, including general and regional adjustments, graphic design tools, portrait retouching, and background/object removal. 

Bottom Line

This free Photoshop alternative is easy to use right out of the box, however, it also has loads of beginner support via user forums, video tutorials, an online help manual, and technical support reps. PhotoPad has a wide range of functions, however, it only offers a basic toolset in each category. We don’t recommend it for advanced users or professional photographers, but beginners who need an easy tool to make Photoshop-like edits should give it a try. 

11. Ashampoo Photo Optimizer - Best for Beginners

Compatibility: Windows

CNET Rating: 4.1/5

Price: Free
*Premium version available for $15

Key Features:

1. Photo Effects: This free Photoshop alternative comes with multiple effects such as waves, swirls, implosion, and explosion
2. Tonal Curve Adjustments: Adjust the color temperature and enhance shadows, mid-tones, and highlights
3. Portrait Enhancements: Fix red eyes, whiten teeth, fix minor glitches, and remove stains or blemishes

Who It’s For

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer is a quick and easy-to-use free alternative to Photoshop for beginners who need to fix and enhance their photos. The user interface is straightforward, and there is no learning curve. No tool is more than 2 clicks away, yet the limited feature set keeps the UI from looking cluttered. There’s also a customizable Favorites menu that grants you even more accessibility by bundling your most used tools in one location. 

Why We Picked It

This free Photoshop alternative still has all the tools a beginner could want. As its name suggests, Ashampoo Photo Optimizer will instantly optimize your photos and fix exposure, colors, and contrasts. You can also manually adjust the color temperature. We liked using this program to fix perspective distortions and straighten horizons, which it achieved in only a few clicks. 

Bottom Line

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer is the easiest of all the free Photoshop alternatives on our list. It also has a completely free version, and the premium version is very affordable. However, it’s also the least like Photoshop of any of the other options. This is a great tool for beginners or anyone who needs to fix colors and perspective in a hurry, but it doesn’t go beyond that. If you are looking for a free alternative to Photoshop that is easy to use, but desire more advanced features such as layer editing, try our top pick PhotoDirector. 

12. Paintshop Pro - Best for Graphic Design

Compatibility: Windows

PCMag Rating: 4/5

Price: 30-day free trial, then $79.99

Key Features:

1. Image Restoration Tools: Use the Scratch Remover, Noise Remover, and Fade Correction to repair old photos 
2. Lens Corrections: Fix distortions, vignetting, and chromatic aberrations in your images
3. HDR Image Support: Combine photos of different exposures to create one stunning HDR photo 

Who It’s For

We found Paintshop Pro to be the best free Photoshop alternative for graphic designers because of features such as layers and masks, brushes, intuitive text tools, textures, patterns, drawing, painting, and fill tools. In addition, Paintshop has built-in templates for collages, greeting cards, social media images, web banners, brochures, business cards, etc. It also includes hundreds of effects, preset filters, and a frame tool to place raster objects into shapes quickly. 

Why We Picked It

AI photo enhancement, lens correction tools, a straightening tool for crooked horizons, and perspective correction are all features offered in this free alternative to Photoshop. There are also essential tools to edit photos like crop and resize. We found it easy to crop with composition guides (including the golden ratio and rule of thirds) and we were able to resize images in several ways (by pixels, percentage, or print size). 

Bottom Line

Paintshop Pro is a great free Photoshop alternative for graphic design projects, but it lacks some advanced features such as facial recognition that professionals will need to edit photos. And even though its interface is user-friendly, it feels a little crowded, especially if you're new to the program. 

13. Affinity Photo - Best for Layer Editing

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Digital Camera World Rating: 4/5

Price: 30-day free trial, then $69.99

Key Features:

1. Focus Merge: Increase depth-of-field by merging images with different levels of focus 
2. Compound Masks: Nondestructively combine multiple mask layers
3. Powerful Brush Engine: Import brushes, create custom brushes, or choose from an extensive built-in library

Who It’s For

Affinity Photo is aimed at professional photographers and designers, but has a lower learning curve and price than Photoshop. Affinity Photo has mask and clipping layers, live blend modes, and unlimited layers, which is why we reviewed it as the best free Photoshop alternative for layer editing. It has non-destructive live filters that can be applied to a single layer or the whole stack, then erased, masked, or reordered after they are applied. 

Why We Picked It

This free alternative to Photoshop is faster, with fewer crashes than its Adobe counterpart. Affinity has a few digital painting options with an extensive library of brushes and Magic Wand, Marquee, or Lasso tools to make ultra-precise selections. You can also edit photos with Portrait retouching tools like skin retouch and blemish removal.  

Bottom Line

Affinity Photo offers fewer tools to edit photos than Photoshop, but the ones it does have work better. Its user interface looks almost identical to Photoshop, making it a nice free alternative to Photoshop for users wanting a lower price tag. However, it lacks the photo organization tools found in other software such as PhotoDirector and Capture One.  

14. DxO PhotoLab - Best for Photo Processing

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

PCMag Rating: 4/5

Price: 30-day free trial, then $139 for Essential and $219 for Elite

Key Features:

1. ReTouch Tool: Set your own Clone and Repair sources
2. Style Toning: Apply B&W, sepia, or classic analog film renderings to photos
3. ClearView Plus Adjustment: Reduce haze and enhance contrast 

Who It’s For

DxO PhotoLab is another solid free Photoshop alternative because of its superb RAW Photo Processing features. PhotoLab uses a deep learning AI technology called DxO DeepPRIME to demosaic and denoise images at top-notch quality. It’s a great fit for anyone who has old photos thought to be unusable. 

Why We Picked It

Automatic lens corrections are another way DxO PhotoLab is a fantastic free Photoshop alternative. The software compensates for every lens fault imaginable, fixing sharpness, distortion, chromatic aberrations, vignetting, etc. PhotoLab also offers precise handling of control points with adjustable sensitivity levels and local adjustment options.

Bottom Line

DxO PhotoLab is not a truly free Photoshop alternative, and after the 30-day free trial, it is pretty expensive (although it is just a one-time fee and not a subscription model like Photoshop). We like that it recently added more photo management features to help select, search, and filter images. And while it has fantastic denoise and auto repair tools, it lacks other tools to edit photos such as multi-photo features like HDR, panorama, and focus stacking. 

15. ON1 Photo Raw - Best for Filters

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

DP Review Rating: 4/5

Price: 14-day free trial, then $6.37/month, for ON1 Everything, $12.75/month for ON1 Everything Plus, or $99.99 for a Lifetime License

Key Features:

1. Sky Replacement: Choose from 231 replacement skies or import your own
2. Content-Aware Crop: Fill the edges of your image with realistic detail 
3. Multi-Photo Tools: Focus stacking, HDR images, and panorama stitching are all possible with this free Photoshop alternative

Who It’s For

ON1 Photo RAW is an excellent free alternative to Photoshop if you like to apply filters to your photos. Filters are easy to find and use on the software and can be applied to only a specific area of your image using a brush tool. ON1 has curated hundreds of the most popular styles of filters, textures, and borders that can be combined, blended, and customized to your liking. 

Why We Picked It

This free alternative to Photoshop offers AI tools like NoNoise, Sky Swap, and Retouching. It is also a RAW image processor, with automatic lens correction and AI Match which will match your photos to the way they looked on your camera’s display. 

Bottom Line

ON1 Photo RAW is a professional and high-quality free alternative to Photoshop, with adjustments and organizational features that make it a great alternative to Lightroom as well. However, it is just as difficult to use as the Adobe counterparts, and it takes up significant space on your hard drive, which can cause it to run slowly. If you need a free alternative to Photoshop and Lightroom that takes up less space, try PhotoDirector. 

16. Photo Pos Pro - Best for Text

Compatibility: Windows

TechRadar Rating: 4/5

Price: Free
*Premium version available for $49.90

Key Features:

1. Background/Object Remover: Use chroma key to remove and replace backgrounds or objects; Magic Eraser can erase a partial background  
2. Smart Select: Smart magnetic selection and smart select brush help you choose items and create masks
3. Zoom Out Lens Effect: Instantly change your photo’s depth for a cool new look 

Who It’s For

Photo Pos Pro is a great free Photoshop alternative, especially if you need to add text to images or create graphic designs. It has a wide selection of font styles, brushes, and effects, including textured pens like gel, chrome, and metal, plus text-over-path effects. It’s great for both beginners and pros because it offers 2 modes - Novice and Expert. 

Why We Picked It

This free alternative to Photoshop has some unique photo effects such as “pop-out of picture,” pencil sketch, dispersion, and various motion effects. Photo Pos Pro supports RAW files and has a wide range of uses, from creating graphic design projects from scratch to retouching portraits. 

Bottom Line

Photo Pos Pro’s Novice mode has easy one-click solutions for beginners, while the Expert mode offers manual editing tools. While we like that this free Photoshop alternative is good for any skill level, it is difficult to switch between the two modes as they have vastly different layouts. Also, the Novice mode won’t let you work with layers, and Expert has a high learning curve. We prefer PhotoDirector, which has automatic and manual options available for every tool, so you can choose on the spot if you want more control. 

17. Darktable - Best Lightroom Alternative

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

TrustedBay Rating: 4/5

Price: Free

Key Features:

1. OpenCL Support: GPU accelerated image processing for lightning-fast image operations
2. Perspective Correction: Apply lens corrections to straighten horizons and fix horizontal and vertical perspectives
3. Liquify Tool: Similar to the tool found in Photoshop, you can fix distortions or create cool effects 

Who It’s For

Darktable is an open-source, free alternative to Photoshop. However, we think it is one of the best Lightroom alternatives for photographers on a budget. The interface closely resembles that of Lightroom, and it has photo management features to sort, tag, and organize your images. You can also find images quickly by searching tags, star ratings, color labels, and metadata. Some of its image adjustment tools even offer finer control than the Lightroom versions.   

Why We Picked It

You can also edit photos with this free alternative to Photoshop and Lightroom. It offers masking and blending tools, as well as advanced color tools, hot pixel fixes, and noise removal. The program offers many learning tools such as user forums and video tutorials, and supports 21 languages. Darktable supports tethered shooting and RAW image processing for over 400 cameras - both of which are rare in open-source software.

Bottom Line

If you are wondering why every photographer hasn’t jumped the Adobe ship to this free alternative to Photoshop and Lightroom, there are a few drawbacks, especially for pros. Darktable won’t support more than 10,000 photos, and cataloging is minimal. Also, the adjustment sliders are overly sensitive and there isn’t an option to manually enter a value, so getting exact results can be tricky. We placed it behind the similarly-rated Photo Pos Pro because it is a better free Photoshop alternative, while Darktable is a better alternative for Lightroom. However, if you are looking for a one-stop-shop photo editor and image management tool, try PhotoDirector. It’s a better free alternative to Photoshop and Lightroom for both beginners and professionals. 

18. GIMP - Best for Linux Users

Image from Davies Media Design on Youtube.

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

PCMag Rating: 3.5/5

Price: Free

Key Features:

1. Customizable Brushes: Create your own brushes for a variety of unique looks 
2. Clone/Healing Tools: Get rid of unneeded details and perform minor touch-ups 
3. Auto Image Enhancement: Automatically enhance color, equalize, white balance, and stretch contrast 

Who It’s For

GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, and was created first and foremost for GNU/Linux users. It is one of the most compatible options on our list, and can also be used on OpenBSD, NetBSD, FreeBSD, Solaris, SunOS, AIX, HP-UX, Tru64, Digital UNIX, OSF/1, IRIX, OS/2, and BeOS. It is also available to Windows and Mac users, including Apple Silicon and Windows 11. 

GIMP is a wonderful free Photoshop alternative for graphic designers, photographers, or illustrators.     

Why We Picked It

This free alternative to Photoshop offers high-quality image manipulation with retouching and restoring tools. Other features include cropping, noise reduction, gradients, color adjustment tools, and filters. Professionals will enjoy the more advanced features like bezier curves, layer masks, and animation tools. 

Bottom Line

GIMP is an entirely free Photoshop alternative that is packed with advanced tools. The program’s interface is cluttered but fully customizable. There is a learning curve similar to Photoshop, which is why we moved it from #7 to #18 on our updated list. Beginners should try an easier-to-use option like PhotoDirector or Pixlr E. 

19. Exposure X7 - Best for Photo Effects

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

PCMag Rating: 3.5/5

Price: 30-day free trial, then $129

Key Features:

1. Overlays: Borders, textures, and light effects, plus overlay blend modes
2. Noise Reduction: Profile-guided noise reduction based on camera sensor; you can even add back fine-texture noise for more natural results  
3. Nondestructive Local Adjustments: Apply effects and presets to a specific area

Who It’s For

Exposure X7 is a beginner-friendly Photoshop effects plug-in that is also a sufficient stand-alone photo editor. Apply effects to only a portion of your image using radial, planar, or half-planar gradients and adjust the opacity. Effects like film grain, bokeh, light hits, vignettes, and overlays can be blended together in a number of ways using this free Photoshop alternative.  

Why We Picked It

We liked the program’s composition guides including golden ratio, golden spiral, golden triangle, and diagonal, which helped with image cropping. This free alternative to Photoshop also includes excellent selection tools, including a polygonal selection tool and various brush tools. 

Bottom Line

Exposure X7 has some fun effects features that Photoshop lacks, however, the quality is not as good. Many of Exposure X7’s essential features are patchy. If you are looking to edit photos with high-quality results worthy of a free alternative to Photoshop, try PhotoDirector, DxO PhotoLab, or Capture One. 

Best Free Photoshop Alternatives Comparison Chart

How to Edit a Photo With PhotoDirector

Here is a step-by-step guide for how to edit a photo using the best free Photoshop alternative, PhotoDirector.

Download by clicking the link below and follow along:

How to Crop a Photo

1. Open PhotoDirector, then click Organize and Adjust. Under the Library tab, click either Import or Stock Photos and choose your image. 
2. Click Adjust from the top menu.
3. Click on the Crop icon, the first icon under Regional Adjustment Tools.

4. Choose an aspect ratio from the drop-down menu or enter a custom one.

You can also crop using the box around your image in the preview box.

How to Rotate a Photo

1. Launch PhotoDirector and choose either the Edit or Organize and Adjust interfaces. Import an image, then click Photo from the top menu of your browser.
2. Click Rotate Left or Rotate Right. Continue clicking until the preferred result is achieved.

How to Add Filters to a Photo

1. Launch PhotoDirector and open the Organize and Adjust interface. Import your photo.
2. Click Adjust, then Presets.
3. Click on a category and view the thumbnails of your photo with different filters. Click the one you like to apply it to the photo.

How to Adjust Colors in a Photo

1. Launch PhotoDirector and open the Organize and Adjust interface. Import your photo.
2. Click Adjust, then Manual.
3. Scroll through the Global Adjustment tools.

4. Make your color adjustments.

5. When you are done, continue editing or click the blue Export button.

For more information on how to edit photos with PhotoDirector, click here.

Download the Best Alternative to Photoshop for Free

Many people mistakenly believe that Photoshop is the only decent software to edit photos. Some may even be surprised to learn how many high-quality free alternatives to Photoshop exist that outperform Photoshop on several fronts.

If you’re looking for a free Photoshop alternative, we recommend PhotoDirector Essential. It is an all-around incredible editing program with a wide range of features and a user-friendly interface. PhotoDirector Essential allows you to create clean, high-quality, professional-level photos at the touch of a button, making it the best free Photoshop alternative on the market. PhotoDirector has the added bonus of being a superb Lightroom alternative as well, with AI-powered photo management and powerful local and global adjustments. It’s a one-stop shop for photographers who need a user-friendly, free alternative to Photoshop and Lightroom.  

Click the link below and download PhotoDirector Essential - the best free Photoshop alternative - and experience how easy professional photo editing can be.