Quick Answer
The best free Photoshop alternative for most people is GIMP, a free, open-source desktop editor that imports and exports PSD files. Photopea is the best choice in a browser, Affinity offers professional tools free with a Canva account, Krita suits painting, and darktable or RawTherapee handle raw photos.
Key Takeaways
- Adobe offers a 7-day free trial of desktop Photoshop, and the trial converts to a paid plan unless you cancel.
- Adobe’s Photoshop mobile app is free on iPhone and Android, but Adobe says there isn’t a free version of Photoshop on the web.
- Photopea is free in a browser and opens and saves PSD files, with ads that cover 5% to 15% of the screen.
- Affinity is free for individuals on Windows, Mac and iPad, while its Canva AI tools need a paid Canva plan.
- Cracked copies of Photoshop are a documented malware route, so a free alternative is the safer choice.
A free Photoshop alternative is only as useful as its free plan’s limits. Some editors are fully free and open source, some are free but show ads, and others hold back their AI tools for paid subscribers. The differences matter more than the feature lists, because the limit you hit first decides whether the tool works for you.
This guide compares published free limits only, using each vendor’s own pages and documentation as of November 2026. Prices are US prices in USD unless noted. Where a vendor page showed euros from a Spanish connection, the price comes from a US listing or is left out, and that choice is recorded in our sources file.
Can you get Photoshop for free?
Adobe does not offer the full desktop version of Photoshop free on an ongoing basis. The Photoshop free trial page offers a 7-day trial of the full desktop app, asks for billing information at sign-up, and converts the trial to a paid membership unless you cancel. After the trial, the Photoshop plan costs US$22.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, according to the same page.
Adobe’s free options are smaller apps. The same trial page says Photoshop mobile is free on iPhone and Android, and the US App Store listing describes a free app with in-app purchases. The free mobile app covers layers, masks, the Spot Healing Brush and some generative tools, according to Adobe’s February 2025 launch announcement. Premium tools such as the Remove Tool, Content-Aware Fill and extra export formats, including PSD, need the Photoshop Mobile & Web plan at $7.99 a month or $69.99 a year on the US App Store.
Photoshop on the web is not free. Adobe’s Photoshop on the web page states that “there isn’t a free version of Photoshop on the web,” although some tools are available through guided tutorials without an account. Uploading your own photos requires a plan or a trial. Photoshop Express is a separate free Adobe app for the Apple App Store, Google Play and the Windows Store, with premium features available as an upgrade.
Is it safe to download cracked Photoshop?
No, cracked Photoshop downloads are not safe, because they are a known way to deliver malware. Bitdefender’s April 2021 research on image-editing and office software cracks described a backdoor that stole browser passwords, session cookies and cryptocurrency wallets. Adobe’s genuine software page also warns of malware in the installation files and a lack of updates. Run a full security scan and change your passwords from a clean device if you already installed a cracked copy.
Which free Photoshop alternatives are best in 2026?
The table lists 9 picks, sorted by the job each one does best.
| Tool | Best for | Free-plan catch | Platforms | PSD files | Paid upgrade (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIMP | Full desktop editing | None; free and open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Import and export | None |
| Photopea | Editing in a browser | Ads cover 5% to 15% of the screen | Web browser | Open and save | Premium; no price on public pages |
| Affinity | Professional photo and design work | Canva account needed; Canva AI tools paid | Windows, macOS, iPad | Import (export not documented) | Canva Pro, $144 a year, for AI tools |
| Krita | Digital painting | None; free and open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Load and save, with gaps | Optional store versions; prices not listed |
| Paint.NET | Simple edits on Windows | Windows only | Windows | Not documented by the vendor | Optional Microsoft Store version |
| darktable | Raw photo workflow | No official Intel Mac build | Windows, Apple silicon Mac, Linux | Not a layer editor | None |
| RawTherapee | Raw photo processing | None; free and open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Not a layer editor | None |
| Canva | Quick edits and social graphics | Background Remover is paid; limited AI | Web, desktop and mobile apps | Not covered here | Canva Pro, $144 a year |
| Photoshop mobile | Adobe tools on a phone | Remove Tool, Content-Aware Fill and PSD export paid | iPhone, Android | PSD export with premium | $7.99 a month or $69.99 a year |
1. GIMP: best overall free Photoshop alternative
GIMP is the strongest all-round free replacement for desktop Photoshop, because it is fully free, open source and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. The GIMP website lists version 3.2.8 as the current release, announced on November 2, 2026, and describes GIMP as free software whose source code you can change and share. There is no paid tier, no account and no watermark.
PSD support improved in GIMP 3.0. The GIMP 3.0 release notes say the project improved compatibility for importing and exporting PSD files and added a PSD export dialog with options for clipping paths, CMYK profiles and metadata. That said, GIMP’s interface and tool names differ from Photoshop’s, so former Photoshop users should expect a learning period rather than a direct swap.
2. Photopea: best free Photoshop alternative in a browser
Photopea is the closest free match to Photoshop that runs in a web browser, which makes it useful on school laptops, Chromebooks or any computer where you cannot install software. The Photopea home page says it “fully supports” the PSD format for both opening and saving files. Photopea’s privacy page describes logging in as optional and says the editor can be used by anyone for free.
The trade-off is advertising. Photopea’s page on how it displays ads says ads cover between 5% and 15% of the screen, placed on the right side on regular and large screens and at the bottom on phones. Photopea sells a Premium account as a one-time payment for a set period, such as 90 days, but its public pages do not list the price, so confirm the current cost in the app before you pay.
3. Affinity: best free option for professional work
Affinity, now owned by Canva, became free for individuals in late 2025 and is the most professional-grade editor on this list. The Get Affinity page says individuals can use every tool in the Pixel, Vector and Layout studios on Windows, macOS and iPadOS. You must sign in with a Canva account, which can be created for free, and be online to download and activate the license.
Affinity’s free status has two limits. First, the Canva AI tools inside Affinity require a premium Canva plan, and Canva’s US pricing page lists Canva Pro at US$144 a year. Second, Affinity documents PSD import with layers and structure preserved, but its pages do not confirm PSD export, so plan to deliver work in other formats if a client needs a PSD back.
4. Krita: best free alternative for digital painting
Krita is the best free choice when your Photoshop work is mostly drawing and painting rather than photo retouching. The Krita website calls it a professional free and open-source painting program, licensed under the GNU GPL, with brushes, layers, stabilizers and animation tools. The Krita download page covers Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, and it states that iPads and iPhones are not supported.
Krita’s manual says the app can load and save PSD raster layers, blend modes, layer groups and layer styles, but it lists gaps such as transform masks. Krita also sells versions through the Microsoft Store, Steam, Epic Games Store and Mac App Store to fund development. The download page does not list their prices, and those versions are optional rather than required.
5. Paint.NET: best for simple edits on Windows
Paint.NET is a lightweight free editor for Windows that suits cropping, resizing, layers and basic adjustments. The Paint.NET website lists version 5.1.12, released on March 8, 2026, as a free download, with optional donations and an optional Microsoft Store purchase to support the project. Paint.NET’s own site does not document PSD support, so it is a better fit for everyday images than for Photoshop project files. Our guide to converting HEIC photos to JPG on Windows covers a common step before editing iPhone photos on a PC.
6. darktable and RawTherapee: best for raw photos
darktable and RawTherapee replace the raw-processing part of Adobe’s photo workflow rather than Photoshop’s layer editing. darktable describes itself as an open-source lighttable and darkroom for raw photo processing and asset management, released under GPL 3.0. The darktable install page lists version 5.6.2 for Windows, Apple silicon Macs and Linux, and it says there are no official releases for Intel Macs.
RawTherapee is a free, open-source raw processor under GPLv3 for Linux, macOS and Windows, and its website lists version 5.13, released on July 26, 2026. Neither tool charges for any feature. The practical approach is to develop raw files in one of these tools and then finish layered edits in GIMP, Photopea or Affinity.
7. Canva: best for quick edits and social graphics
Canva is the simplest choice when the goal is a social post, a thumbnail or a lightly edited photo rather than detailed retouching. Canva’s pricing page lists Canva Free at US$0 with more than 1.6 million templates, limited access to Standard and Premium AI tools, and access to Affinity. Canva Pro costs US$144 a year for one person.
The main photo-editing limit is the background remover. Canva’s help center says Background Remover is included with paid plans, so Canva Free users who mainly need cutouts should look at the options in our guide to free AI photo editors.
Which free Photoshop alternative should you use?
Match the tool to the work you do most often:
- General photo editing on a desktop: GIMP.
- Opening a client’s PSD on any computer: Photopea.
- Professional photo, vector and layout work: Affinity.
- Illustration and painting: Krita.
- Quick fixes on a Windows PC: Paint.NET.
- Raw files from a camera: darktable or RawTherapee.
- Social graphics and templates: Canva.
- Generating new images rather than editing photos: our list of the best free AI image generators.
How do you move from Photoshop to a free editor?
Plan the switch before you depend on the new tool:
- Open a copy of an important PSD in the new editor and check layers, text and masks. Text and some masks may not transfer exactly.
- Keep your original PSD files unchanged, and save edited versions under new names.
- Export finished work to a common format such as PNG, JPG or TIFF when you share it with others.
- Download editors only from the vendor’s own website or an official app store, and avoid third-party download mirrors.
Contact the vendor’s support or community forum if a PSD opens incorrectly, because PSD compatibility varies by file and feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free version of Photoshop?
Adobe offers no permanently free desktop Photoshop, only a 7-day free trial that converts to a paid plan unless you cancel. The Photoshop mobile app is free on iPhone and Android, with premium tools available through a paid plan.
What is the closest free alternative to Photoshop?
GIMP is the closest free desktop alternative to Photoshop for most people, because it is free, open source and imports and exports PSD files. Photopea is the closest match in a web browser.
Can free Photoshop alternatives open PSD files?
Photopea, GIMP, Affinity and Krita can all open PSD files, according to their documentation. Photopea and GIMP can also save PSD files, while Affinity documents PSD import only.
Is Affinity really free now?
Affinity is free for individuals on Windows, macOS and iPad, with a free Canva account required to download it. The Canva AI tools inside Affinity require a paid Canva plan.
Is Photopea safe to use?
Photopea runs in a web browser without an install, and its privacy page says logging in is optional. The free version shows ads that cover 5% to 15% of the screen, which is the main trade-off.