You’ve probably heard from many a designer (or you’ve read on many a design-oriented blog) that Photoshop is the only graphics program you’ll ever need for photo editing or design projects. But while Photoshop is undeniably the industry darling, it’s definitely not the only software capable of getting the job done. But here’s the thing:. If you plan on working in design long-term, Photoshop will cost you at least $20.99/month for a single app Creative Cloud membership. But especially if you’re new to web design, graphic design, or web development, committing to a pricy Adobe membership isn’t as essential as you may have heard. That’s why we’re highlighting our favorite free alternatives to Photoshop—from the best Photoshop-style software to our favorite open source Photoshop alternative.

There are options for your iPhone and your laptop, whether you’re online or off. And the best part about these? You can try them all out before picking what suits you best. Here are SEVEN programs full of the features you need—all for zero dollars. Yep, they’re FREE.

Aug 7, 2009 - Paintbrush is a Microsoft Paint clone of sorts for Mac OS X, it's an absolute joy. Gimp is a Free Photoshop Alternative for Mac OS X, and Now No X11 Required! Isn't Microsoft Paint a knock-off of MacPaint in the first place? These are the top 5 best free Photoshop alternatives. If you are looking for a free image editor, you can't go wrong with any of these graphic design programs. This software is also good editing.

What It Is Type: Software The GNU Image Manipulation Program, or as it’s more commonly known, is open-source software you can download right to your computer. Not only is GIMP a Photoshop alternative that’s free to download, install, and use, you’ll also get all GIMP upgrades at no charge! Samsung s3 driver for mac.

The Pros Widely touted as the most advanced free image editing software, GIMP has gained quite a following since it’s original debut date in the early ‘90s. GIMP is well known for its powerful set of Photoshop-like features including layers, custom brushes, paths, and photo actions with an extensive to using them. You can also open, edit, and save Photoshop files within GIMP.

So, if you’ve been sent a Photoshop file, you can use GIMP to edit it without even having Photoshop at all. The Cons According to, Gimp “is not a basic program. It doesn’t have Photoshop’s powerful (and proprietary) transformation tools, and it does have a steep learning curve, but I have had excellent results with GIMP and its various plug-ins.” In other words: it takes some getting used to.

Who It’s Best For Web designers, graphic designers, or web developers with some previous experience working in photo editing software like Photoshop. If you’re into diving in and learning new programs, this can’t be beat. What It Is Type: Online platform + an app for editing on the go is a happy culmination of image design and photo enhancing tools in an easy to use online portal for design and photo editing.

The Pros If you’re looking for quick and fun effects to enhance your blog images and social media posts, you’ll love using the Pixlr Express Web App. And if you crave a bit more control and fancy yourself a graphic artist, the Pixlr Editor is worth a peek. While the base plan is free (and super feature rich!), for just $14.99 for the whole year, you can unlock even more cool effects. Pixlr boasts an incredibly user-friendly approach to design and image enhancement, with an online portal, downloadable program, and for design on the go. Design features range from a variety of filters, effects, and level adjustments, as well as one-click creative effects, overlays, and borders.

The Cons One of the nice things about Gimp is that, as a free software, you can work from anywhere. With Pixlr you’ll need to have a strong internet connection—and you’ll experience the occasional lag when editing if your internet slows down. Then there’s that whole “upgrade to $14.99 for more access” thing. Who It’s Best For If you’re editing images on the go (like, for instance, if you’re trying to build a social media following for ), the Pixlr app is great. It’s also an intuitive program that doesn’t require too much technical knowledge (no need to stress about elements like layers and masking), so if you’re new to web design or graphic design, this is a good starting point. What It Is Type: Online Platform With the slogan “Amazingly simple graphic design,” is a design force and quickly stealing the show in the free alternatives to Photoshop market. The program is online-based.