The Top 5 Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop (Free and Paid)

For decades, Adobe Photoshop has been the undisputed king of photo editing. Its name is so iconic, it became a verb. But its power comes with a high price tag in the form of a recurring monthly subscription, which isn’t always a good fit for students, hobbyists, or professionals on a budget.

The good news is that the market for photo editing software has never been more competitive. There is a host of incredible applications—both free and paid—that can match most, if not all, of Photoshop’s core functionality. Whether you’re looking for a powerful professional tool or a capable freebie, there’s a fantastic alternative for you.

Here are our top 5 alternatives to Adobe Photoshop in 2025.

1. The Best One-Time Purchase: Affinity Photo 2

• Price: Approx. $70 (one-time purchase, no subscription)
• Platform: Mac, Windows, iPad
• Best For: Professionals and serious hobbyists who want a true Photoshop replacement without the monthly fee.

Affinity Photo 2 is the single biggest threat to Photoshop’s dominance. It is a full-featured, professional-grade photo editor that does everything you’d expect: non-destructive layer-based editing, RAW image development, advanced selections, and complex retouching. Its performance is incredibly fast, even on older hardware, and it’s fully compatible with Photoshop’s PSD files. For a single, reasonable, one-time payment, you get a piece of software that is powerful enough for almost any professional workflow. For anyone tired of Adobe’s subscription model, Affinity Photo is the answer.

2. The Best Free Option: GIMP

• Price: Free
• Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux
• Best For: Users who need powerful, Photoshop-level features without spending a dime.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the legendary open-source champion. It has been developed and refined by a community of volunteers for decades, and it is an incredibly powerful and versatile tool. It supports layers, masks, advanced filters, and a level of customization that is unmatched. While its user interface isn’t as polished as a commercial product, you simply cannot beat its price-to-performance ratio. If you need pro-level features and are willing to watch a few tutorials to get acquainted with its layout, GIMP is a phenomenal free alternative.

3. The Best for Mac & iPad Artists: Pixelmator Pro

• Price: Approx. $50 (one-time purchase)
• Platform: Mac, iPad, iPhone
• Best For: Mac users who want a beautiful, easy-to-use, and powerful image editor that is deeply integrated with the Apple ecosystem.

Pixelmator Pro is a masterpiece of app design. It takes many of Photoshop’s powerful features and places them in a beautiful, intuitive, and user-friendly interface that feels right at home on a Mac. It leverages Apple’s own technologies, like the M-series chips and Core ML, for incredibly fast performance and smart, AI-powered features like automatic background removal and image enhancement. It also includes powerful vector design and illustration tools, making it a great all-in-one choice for Mac-based creatives.

4. The Best for Photo Retouching: Luminar Neo

• Price: Subscription or one-time purchase options available
• Platform: Mac, Windows
• Best For: Photographers who want to make their photos look amazing, fast, using powerful AI tools.

Luminar Neo isn’t trying to be a direct Photoshop clone. Instead, it focuses on using AI to make the complex process of photo editing simple and fast. Its interface is built around a series of AI-powered sliders that can dramatically improve a photo in seconds. You can instantly replace a boring sky, enhance a portrait with realistic skin smoothing and eye enhancement, or remove distracting power lines with a single click. For photographers who want to spend less time editing and more time shooting, Luminar Neo’s AI-driven workflow is a game-changer.

5. The Best for Quick Edits (and Beyond): Photopea

• Price: Free (ad-supported)
• Platform: Web browser
• Best For: Anyone who needs a powerful, Photoshop-like editor on any computer without installing any software.

Photopea is one of the most impressive web applications ever built. It is a free, ad-supported photo editor that runs entirely in your web browser, and it looks and functions almost exactly like an older version of Photoshop. It supports layers, masks, and even PSD files. While it’s not as powerful as the dedicated desktop apps for massive projects, it is an incredible tool for quick edits, and it works on any computer—Windows, Mac, Linux, even a Chromebook. It’s a lifesaver when you’re on a computer that doesn’t have your primary editing software installed.