GIMP is a free, open-source image editor offering photo retouching, illustration, and image manipulation. Powerful alternative to Photoshop for those with smaller budgets. Extensive plugin ecosystem and community support.
Why we recommend it
GIMP is the best free photo editor available. If your budget is zero and you need professional photo editing, GIMP delivers impressive results with a learning curve.
Strengths
- Free and open source
- Highly extensible with scripts and plugins
- Runs on modest hardware
Keep in mind
- Interface is unintuitive coming from Photoshop
- Weaker at non-destructive editing
GIMP alternatives and related tools
Adobe Firefly
Adobe Firefly is Adobe's generative AI integrated across Creative Cloud apps. Generate images, remove or expand objects, and…
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Adobe Lightroom
Photo editing and management — Lightroom Classic + CC with raw processing, presets, cloud sync and AI masking.
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Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop's dominance in photo editing and raster art is unmatched — the industry standard for retouching and compositing.
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