15 Best FREE Photoshop Alternatives in 2021

Photoshop is a graphics editing tool developed by Adobe. It has many image editing features for pixel-based images and vector graphics.

However, Photoshop has some limitations, like some of the tools, do not show progress bars. It has a lack of providing input using touch or stylus pen. Moreover, this tool may be difficult to learn for new users.

Here is a curated list of Top tools and programs like photoshop that are capable of replacing Photoshop. The list contains both open source(free) and commercial(paid) software.

Best Alternatives to Photoshop: Free (Open Source) and Paid

1) Canva

Canva is image editing software that helps you to create designs with your team. This tool contains numerous photos, illustrations, and icons. You can use it to add stickers to your picture.

Features:

• It allows you to crop any photos.
• You can add text to any image.
• This tool helps you to add a transparency effect to any photo.
• It has a photo enhancer that helps you to increase the brightness.
• You can blur the image.
• It has a tool for vintage-looking effect.
• Canva offers numerous free icons.
• It helps you to build a better badge.

2) PhotoDirector

PhotoDirector is a software that enables you to edit images without any hassle. It enables you to split and combine layers of color with Glitch Art effect. This tool allows you to distort and rearrange particles of your image.

Features:

• You can add a sparkle effect in a photo.
• Allows you to enrich your image with light rays.
• You can blend photos together.
• Enables you to filter layers with ease.

3) Luminar

Luminar is a photo editing software that contains tools to create a unique image in landscape, travel, portrait, and other genres of photography. This application can be used without learning anything.

Features:

• This tool provides realistic results on any portraits.
• You can easily insert new objects in pictures.
• It enables you to add a source of sunlight with sunrays tool.
• Luminar can be used to add smart contrast to make image texture more realistic.
• You can erase unwanted objects in just one mouse click.

Link: https://www.photopea.com/

4) Photopea

It is an online photo editor that supports numerous file formats, including PSD, XCF, CDR, etc. It is one of the best photoshop alternatives that works for both vectors as well as raster graphics. You can use it to resize image, create illustrations, processing photographs, design webpages, etc.

Features:

• It provides two types of brush shapes like circular and pattern.
• This free photoshop alternative tool offers numerous ways to manipulate layers.
• You can write text on a curve shape.
• It enables you to fill a shape with specific stroked with a thick line, or color.
• Photopea has a grid that helps you to align image elements.
• You can create animated GIF images using different layers of the document.

Link: https://www.photopea.com/

5) Pixlr

Pixlr is online photo editor. This app has a range of easy to navigate photo editing tools. It is an open source photoshop alternative that helps you to resize, crop, and remove background from images.

Features:

• This free photoshop alternative tool enables you to draw anything on the picture.
• You can fix blemish, duplicate parts of a photo, or remove spots.
• It allows you to add effects like clarity, glamor, bloom, and mosaic.
• You can use borders, overlays, shapes, or icons for your image.
• Pixlr provides modes to lighten or darken images.
• You can access your files and images from Google or Facebook.

Link: https://pixlr.com/editor/

6) Corel PHOTO-PAINT

Corel Photo paint is a strong Photoshop competitor. This tool supports more than 300 types of cameras. It is one of the best photoshop alternatives that allows you to balance color, adjust the temperature, saturation, and tint.

Features:

• You can create a complex composition using non-destructive layers.
• You can add special effects in text like bokeh (Soft out background) and sepia (reddish-brown) color tone to your images.
• Corel PHOTO-PAINT helps you to crop, straighten, as well as stitch your images.
• You can use this application to remove unwanted areas from your photos.
• This software has a mask tool that helps you to select parts of your images.

Link: https://www.coreldraw.com/en/pages/photo-paint/

7) Photolemur

Photolemur is an adobe photoshop alternative application that automatically improves photos by using AI (Artificial Intelligence). It allows you to improve more than one photo once. You can use this tool to smoothen your skin, enhances eyes, and remove imperfections.

Features:

• It helps you to enhance any photo in just one click.
• This tool has numerous styles that allow you to personalize images with ease.
• Photolemur enables you to drag and drop pictures to the working area.

Link: https://photolemur.com/

8) SUMO Paint

Sumo paint is a simple online flash-based image editing software. It is an open source photoshop alternative which has numerous tools that help you to manipulate images faster. This tool contains more than 300 high-quality brushes.

Features:

• You can create different shapes with shape tools hassle-free.
• It is a free photoshop alternative which allows you to work offline.
• You can create a realistic ink impression.
• It automatically checks updates and fixes bugs.
• You can fill any bitmap with brush libraries.
• Sumopaint helps you to create waves with a 3D effect.
• You can create spiral gradient shapes with few mouse clicks.
• This application helps you to make a wave effect in image.

Link: https://www.sumopaint.com/

9) Affinity Photo

Affinity photo is an adobe photoshop alternative developed by Serif. You can use it for Windows, macOS, and iOS platforms. It enables you to merge HDR (High Dynamic Range) photos.

Features:

• It supports panorama, a wide-angle view of scene stitching.
• You can work with more than one image simultaneously.
• It allows for 360-degree image editing.
• You can paint a photo digitally.
• Affinity has a range of tools like Dodge, clone, burn, and patch.
• This tool enables you to erase any area of the image.
• You can adjust exposure, white balance, blackpoint, etc.
• You can view and edit EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) information.

Link: https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/

10) Sketch

Sketch is a vector graphics editor. You can use this application for mobile, web, icon, and UI design. It contains essential tools that help you to edit any image with ease.

Features:

• It enables the user to design vector images.
• You can update and share your design components with others.
• This software product allows you to add faces, places, and names to your design in just a few clicks.
• It offers 200 plugins for designing your sketch.

Link: https://www.sketch.com/

11) Pixelmator

Pixelmator Pro is a graphics editor to develop a professional image. This application has a collection of tools that can be used for editing and retouching photos.

Features:

• It is compatible with macOS Catalina, and new Mac Pro.
• This tool supports multi GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).
• You can remove unwanted colors from a photo.
• It allows you to customize any symbol from templates.
• Pixelmator has a collection of handcrafted brushes.
• You can mix and combine any special effects or artistic.
• It allows you to retouch any photo.

Link: https://www.pixelmator.com/pro/

12) PicMonkey

PicMonkey is a tool that helps you to create photos, social media graphics, Facebook covers, and more. This tool has a versatile text tool, effects, vector graphics, etc.

Features:

• This application has more than a hundred templates for media posts, cards, flyers, etc.
• You can easily add graphics and text to your photos.
• It has more than 6000 textures and graphics.
• Picmonkey contains 100 fonts.
• You can load blank collage layouts to assemble different images.

Link: https://www.picmonkey.com/

13) Fotor

Fotor is an application that is designed to edit any photo of your photography. You can use this tool online or download it as free. It has various stickers, icons, signs, and clip arts that suites your themes.

Features:

• You can retouch any portrait.
• It provides large selection of filters for photos.
• Fotor enables you to adjust light, color, size, etc.
• This tool has a wide range of templates.
• It provides more than 100 photo frames.

Link: https://www.fotor.com/

14) GIMP

GIMP is image editor that is available for Windows, Linux, etc. You can use this free and open-source tool that supports programming languages like C++, C, Python, Scheme, and C.

Features:

• It is one of the best alternative to photoshop that provides a color management facility for digital and printed media.
• Gimp is a free photoshop alternative tool that supports a range of customization options and 3^rd party plugins.
• You can use this tool to produce graphical design elements and icons.
• It allows you to integrate with the Perl and Python programming language.

Link: https://www.gimp.org/

15) Krita

Krita is a free photoshop alternative and open-source graphics editor. This tool makes sketching and painting easier. It is one of the best alternative to photoshop which helps you to combine, flatten, or order layers to organize your artwork.

Features:

• It is one of the best photoshop alternatives which allows you to customize brushes.
• This tool enables you to create comic panels using built-in vector drawing tools.
• You can highlight the drawing portion.
• Krita helps you to incorporate drawing into your current color management pipeline.
• It allows you to import texture and brush packs from other artists.

Link: https://krita.org/en/features/highlights/

16) Acorn

Acorn is a raster graphics editing program developed by Flying Meat company. It is one of the alternatives to Photoshop which enables you to combine images, remove backgrounds, perform color correction. You can also use this tool to place text on a circle to create logos.

Features:

• You can add a drop shadow to the photo.
• It contains many vector images like stars, arrows, curves, etc.
• This tool allows you to transform, rotate, and resize any layer.
• It helps you to put emoji on a path.
• You can clone across layers and images.
• Flyingmeat supports PNG, GIF, BMP, PDF, SVG, etc. file format.
• It enables you to create custom brushes or make changes in the existing one.

Link: https://flyingmeat.com/acorn/

17) PhotoLine

Photoline is an app developed by pl32 company. This tool allows you to blend colors with ICC (International Color Consortium). You can use it to create HTML galleries. You can import PDF files.

Features:

• You can retouch and correct any photo.
• It is one of the best alternatives to photoshop that enables you to create GIF and flash animation.
• This tool helps you to print multipage labels, documents, as well as flyers.
• It supports the USB stick.
• You can rotate images in any direction.
• Pl32 allows you to create a calendar.
• You can edit images in batch.

Link: https://www.pl32.com/

FAQ

❓ What is Photoshop?

💻 What is an alternative to Adobe Photoshop?

⚡ Which factors should you consider while selecting Photoshop Alternatives?

You should consider the following factors before selecting Photoshop Alternatives