10 Best Free Photoshop Alternatives for Designers and Creators (2025)

You’ve completed the market study, picked the best design for your brand, and formulated plans to be the hottest brand in the world! Then you realise that to design banners, product images, and other promotional materials to promote and expand your business, you’ll need editing software.

If you’ve heard about Photoshop, you’ve probably realized that it’s an investment. But don’t fret, there are numerous free alternatives to Photoshop. With Printful’s graphic design team, we’ve created several options that work for both new and experienced Photoshop users.

Top 10 Free Alternatives to Photoshop

10 Best Free Photoshop Alternatives in 2025? Discover top tools like Photopea, GIMP, Canva, and Sumo Paint for editing photos, creating graphics, and designing like a pro—without spending a dime.

1. Photopea

• Recommended for: DTG printing, illustrations, photo editing, and graphics design, web design
• Platforms: Online browser, Windows, macOS

Photopea is a web-based Free Photoshop Alternative that supports PSD files and offers advanced editing features right in your browser — no download required. Photopea provides pre-designed dimensions and designs for posters and images for social media. In the end, it’s the ideal software for users who are skilled Photoshop users and graphic design novices.

Pros:

• Runs entirely in your browser (no installation)
• Supports PSD and Adobe file formats
• Similar interface to Photoshop

Cons:

• Ads in free version
• Performance may lag with large files

Also read: Top 10 Graphic Design Apps

2. Gimp

• Recommended for: DTG printing, photo retouching, image editing, graphic design
• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

A list of free Photoshop alternatives could be incomplete with out Gimp. The program has established an impressive presence in the graphic editing field and has developed a loyal group of users. It’s the ideal software to edit small files and make simple designs.

Pros:

• Open-source and completely free
• Highly customizable with plugins
• Advanced editing tools

Cons:

• Steep learning curve
• Interface not beginner-friendly

3. Krita

• Recommended for: DTG printing, all-over print posters and canvas designs, sublimation, UV printing, and photo editing.
• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Krita is an innovative raster graphics program ideal for designing seamless all-over print patterns and performing basic photo editing tasks. Although taking some time to get used to its interface may take, its many tools make Krita one of the top Free Photoshop Alternatives for digital artists such as illustrators and comic creators.

Pros:

• Excellent for digital painting and illustration
• Free and open-source
• Powerful brush engine

Cons:

• Not ideal for photo editing
• Limited text and design tools

4. InkScape

• Recommended for: DTG Printing all-over, embroidery, canvas, and poster printing, Sublimation UV printing
• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

If you’re looking to take your design beyond the limits, consider using the vector editing software. Inkscape is an outstanding vector program that can create prints of any size. Vectors consist of objects (lines and curves) and polygons. which means that designs made using vector editors can be altered in size without affecting their quality. InkScape’s Measure tools make it an ideal program to create embroidery designs. Like several other items listed here, InkScape has a learning curve.

Pros:

• Best for vector design (SVG, logos, icons)
• Completely free and open-source
• Great for scalable artwork

Cons:

• Not suited for raster/photo editing
• The interface can feel outdated

5. Canva

• Recommended for: Graphics design, social media graphics, presentations and posters
• Platforms: Online Browser, iOS and Android

Canva is an intuitive Free Photoshop Alternative that enables beginners to effortlessly design beautiful social media graphics, posters, and presentations using drag-and-drop ease. Their free toolkit includes everything needed for designing stunning content, while premium plans enable even further editing options and sharing directly on social media. Plus, Canva Pro’s Brand Kit feature makes ensuring consistent branding across graphics simple!

Pros:

• Super easy to use for beginners
• Thousands of free templates
• Great for social media and marketing design

Cons:

• Limited advanced photo editing tools
• Many features require Pro plan

6. Desygner

• Recommended for:  Presentations, print designs, social media graphics, and creating visual content
• Platforms: Online Browser, iOS and Android

Desygner is an online software that is perfect for creating posters and social media graphics. You can share your designs directly on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. There is a desktop app and mobile app (iOS and Android) to meet more specific design requirements. Desygner premium version comes with features like the Brand Kit feature, which can be a useful tool to establish a consistent design style for every graphic created.

Pros:

• Cloud-based and beginner-friendly
• Access to templates and a drag-and-drop editor
• Ideal for branding and small business use

Cons:

• Fewer advanced editing options
• Some premium features are locked

7. PIXLR

• Recommended for: Social media and marketing content, editing photos
• Platforms: Online Browser, iOS and Android

PIXLR is a fast, lightweight Free Photoshop Alternative with AI tools and layer-based editing, great for quick edits and creative projects. Photo editing tools offer users various capabilities for altering images. It allows you to engage in deep editing of photos or easily add basic filters and stickers to enhance your images. Find more opportunities using PIXLR by designing advertising banners, posters, or greeting cards for business partners.

Pros:

• Fast online editing with AI tools
• Layer support + modern interface
• Mobile and desktop accessible

Cons:

• Limited export options in free plan
• Ads can be intrusive

8. Fotor

• Recommended for: Object removal, photo editing, graphic design, creating photo collages
• Platforms: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Web

Fotor is a beginner-focused Free Photoshop Alternative that combines photo editing, design templates, and HDR effects into one easy-to-use platform. Fotor’s AI objects removal feature, known as Magic Eraser, left me particularly amazed. You just need to brush it over the thing you’d like to get rid of (I placed my tripod in view in the image above ) and voila! It’s completely gone. It’s not even necessary to be precise about it: a single massive swoop over the item will result in a flawless removal.

Pros:

• One-click photo enhancements
• User-friendly with templates
• Built-in collage and design tools

Cons:

• Lacks professional-grade features
• Limited customization options

Also read: Best Lightroom Alternative: Powerful Editing Tools for Photographers

9. MyEdit

• Recommended for:  background removal, photo editing, graphic design,
• Platforms: Web

MyEdit offers quick, AI-powered editing tools, making it a convenient Free Photoshop Alternative for those who want fast results without complexity. You can create designs using your images and then add text and graphics, or design customized social media templates using AI Text prompts. However, the best use of MyEdit, based on my experience, is to use AI features such as fill and generative expansion with text, image-to-text generation, upscaling backgrounds, background removal, and the creation of a photo scene for products.

Pros:

• AI-powered tools for quick edits
• Perfect for touch-ups and background removal
• No sign-up required

Cons:

• Very basic compared to Photoshop
• Not suitable for complex projects

10. Sumo Paint

• Recommended for:  digital painting and image editing, canvas printing
• Platforms: Online browser

Sumo Paint is a feature-rich browser-based Free Photoshop Alternative, ideal for artists and designers looking to create and share digital artwork online. Ideal for all who want to improve and strengthen their skills as an artist and draw themselves designs. It’s essentially a place to share artwork and find those who are interested in art.

Pros:

• Great for drawing and creative design
• Browser-based and easy to use
• Community for sharing artwork

Cons:

• Fewer photo editing tools than Photoshop
• Some tools behind a paywall

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right Free Photoshop Alternative

If you’re a professional designer or artist, student, or just a casual user, there’s a free Photoshop alternative that will meet your needs. From sophisticated tools such as GIMP and Photopea and easy-to-use platforms such as Canva with these options, they allow you to modify designs, create, and edit without the cost for Adobe Photoshop.

Explore your workflow, skills level, and project type to select the right tool. Then start creating with no limits.

FAQs – Free Photoshop Alternatives