Though Pixelmator remains the best Photoshop alternative for Mac users it also costs $15, and Gimp is a perfectly adequate solution for anyone looking to do some quick image editing and adjustments without shelling out any money at all. Platform: Mac, Windows, iPad Price: £48.99/$49.99 (one-off payment) Serif's Affinity Photo started creating a stir in the creative community almost the moment it was released, and it's perhaps the most serious Photoshop alternative we've seen to date.
Editing your photos on your iPhone is one thing, but editing your photos on your Mac can take your photography skills to a whole 'nother level.
Many of us still keep our main libraries on our Macs because of its faster processors, larger storage, and all-around bigger computing power. The Mac is still the best device for serious photo editing, so you need some serious photo editing apps to make an impact.
The built-in Photos app on Mac offers several useful photo editing tools. You can crop, adjust lighting and color, set the white balance, add filters, remove unwanted blemishes, and a few more things. However, in all honesty? It's not really meant to be a robust editing app, so If you are looking for something to really finish your photos right, we've got a list of the best photo editors for Mac right here. Let's go! Word for mac air download.
Affinity Photo
If you're looking for a photo editing app that goes above and beyond for the pricetag, while still allowing you complete creative control over your images, then it might be worth it to take a peek at Affinity Photo.
Affinity Photo supports unlimited layers, groups, layer adjustments, filters, masking, and more: you also have access to tools like dodge, red-eye fix, burn, blemish, clone, and patch (so pretty much Photoshop without all the convoluted bells and whistles). Nondestructive auto-saving makes undoing everything you've done easy, so if you need to start from the beginning, the option is there.
Play, manipulate, edit, and get hella creative with Affinity Photo whether you're a serious graphic designer or someone who's just looking to do some basic editing. Your photography will seriously thank you.
$49.99 - Download now
Fotor Photo Editor
Searching for a super simple, straight-forward photo editing app that's there to help you edit and not confuse you to the point of ripping out your hair? Then check out Fotor Photo Editor!
With this photo editor, you can easily adjust contrast and color of more washed-out photos, add borders, tilt and shift your images, add different text, slap on a few filters, and so much more, all from the easy-to-find toolbox on the right side of the app. You can even create collages of your photography masterpieces!
The BBC once called Fotor Photo Editor 'light Photoshop', and they're kind of right! You can go above and beyond editing your images with Fotor Photo Editor without getting bogged down by more complicated editing buttons and tools.
Lightroom is great for photographers who need to manage a large image library, and who are prepared to commit to (and pay for) Adobe's cloud storage space. But it is purely a photography tool that's a little outside the regular Adobe design ecosystem. (Creative Bloq)
Pretty much anything you want to do with your photo, you can accomplish with Lightroom. You can blend and merge shadows and highlights, sharpen dull, blurry images so they look crisp and clear, add details and tint colors to make a photo stand out, and so, so much more.
While it is a bit more on the complicated side, people who use the program and know how to navigate it are hooked. Keep in mind, there are two versions of the app — there's the Classic version, which is more preferred, and the 2018 CC version.
If you're hesitant about the program and paying for it, you can download Lightroom free for 30 days as part of a trial period. After that, you can add it to your Photoshop CC subscription for $9.99 per month.
Free trial - Download now
Pixelmator
Amp up your photo editing skills with a little bit of help from Pixelmator!
This particular photo editing app allows you to combine two different photos into one (while still allowing you to edit over each layer), add shapes, gradients, filters, tints, and more, and completely change and edit your photography to make it fit perfectly to your aesthetic. You can even mask and cut off certain areas of the photo, giving you more creative control over your final image.
Similar to other photo editing apps, you can also adjust contrast, color, saturation level, definition, and so much more.
It's another great alternative to Photoshop, at least according to our managing editor Lory Gil.
$29.99 - Download now
GIMP
Love Photoshop (or the idea of Photoshop.) but don't want all the complicated components and nonsense that comes along with it? Then it might be worth it to take a peek at GIMP.
Similar to Photoshop, GIMP allows you full control over editing your photos: it's an advanced image manipulation program with detailed customization for color reproduction.
You can add layers to your photos, edit and tweak colors, adjust contrast, crop, adjust saturation, and so much more. If you're someone who admires Photoshop but is terrified of the price (or just thinks it's not worth it) then GIMP might be the perfect pal for you.
Free - Download now
Snapheal
Say 'bye-bye' to nasty photobombs, zits, perky distractions, and so much more in your photos thanks to Snapheal!
Snapheal is a little bit unique in the sense that it's more of a 'delete now, ask questions later' app. It's more about cleaning up a photo than it is editing it and adding a whole bunch of layers. The tools can either remove large objects or smaller imperfections depending on the mode. You can even adjust the masking tool, use a magic rope, or clone stamp your way to a new photo.
If you're someone who's a perfectionist when it comes to your photography and you just can't stand that one stupid, distracting blur in the background, then Snapheal is the guy for you.
$7.99 - Download now
Preview
I know what you're thinking: 'Preview? Really, Cella?'
To which I respond: 'Uh, yeah. Duh, my dude. You use it every day!'
Sure, you can't do a bunch of fancy things with Preview like add filters, adjust contrast, and fix saturation, but you can quickly crop a photo, adjust the color, rotate it, add shapes, texts, and a signature, export as a different format, and more.
Yes, Preview isn't perfect, but it is easy to use and fantastic for making small, fast changes to your photography.
It's already on your Mac.
How do you edit your photography?
What is your favorite photo editing app for the Mac? Why does it work the best for you? Let us know what your top picks are in the comments down below!
Updated August 2018: All the choices on this list are still the best of the best!
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HomeInternet12 Best Free Photoshop Alternatives You Should Try
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular photo editing software out there used by both professionals to create and edit masterful images, and yours truly who just need it for basic image manipulation. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, I’m sure you’ve at least tried Photoshop. However, due to Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription, Photoshop can prove to be quite expensive for people just getting into photo editing. Plus, with the plethora of tools on offer in Photoshop, it can be quite tough to use. So, if you are looking for Photoshop alternatives that are easier to use or a free Photoshop alternative for your Windows PC, Mac, Linux machine or even your Android or iOS device, well we have you covered.
Best Photoshop Alternatives: Sections
To make it easier for you to find a Photoshop alternative that best fits your needs, I’m breaking this article down into four sections, and you can click on the links below to head over to the section best suited for your needs.
Free and Open-Source Photoshop Alternatives Online Photoshop Alternatives Photoshop Alternatives for Android and iOS Paid Photoshop Alternatives
Free Photoshop Alternatives (Windows, macOS and Linux)
1. Krita
Krita is a free tool like Photoshop that is almost as feature rich in the options it offers as Photoshop is. It also happens to be one of the tools that are highly recommended by people in online forums about photo editing and creative editing. Another thing I really like about Krita is the fact that it looks and feels very similar to Photoshop — the toolbars are arranged in a very similar way, it has a dark theme by default (but you can configure that if you want some other color scheme in the app). There’s support for tools like the Slice Tool that a lot of Photoshop users swear by, and you can also open multiple images in tabs just like Photoshop. It’s completely free, however there’s a paid version available for anyone who wants to support the developers and show some love.
Pros:
Support for drawing tablets and pens.
Templates for different types of projects.
Supports Rulers and Guides.
Lot of effects.
Cons:
No history tool.
Patch tool lags on larger images (I tried 1200×1600)
Text tool isn’t as feature rich as Photoshop’s.
No Camera RAW filter.
File Support: PNG, BMP, GIMP, TIF, TGA, JPEG, WEBP and more
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Price: Free; optional paid version available to support developers
2. GIMP
One of the topmost recommendations you’d read for a tool like Photoshop is GIMP, and for good reason. GIMP, or GNU Image Manipulation Program is a very feature rich photo editing and creative tool that can do almost everything that Photoshop can, and brings in everything from the popular Adobe software to a free and open-source software. However, GIMP isn’t my top choice for a Photoshop alternative because it has a bunch of issues as well, most annoying of which is the fact that multiple preset brushes share the same settings Best moble external hard drive for mac. , which gets annoying if you’re constantly switching between brushes. Also, GIMP doesn’t have the drawing capabilities of Photoshop. It’s free though, and is definitely worth a look-see if you’re in the market for a free Photoshop alternative.
Paint.NET was originally developed to be a more powerful version of MS Paint and as such it brings a lot of the features from MS Paint. While Paint.NET is nowhere near as powerful as Photoshop, it brings a lot of features that make it a viable alternative for people looking for a free Photoshop alternative for Windows. Paint.NET supports layers with blending modes which is one of the most used features in Photoshop. It also has a history tool that can come in handy to quickly undo multiple edits in a project. Basically, it’s a very well rounded tool for image editing even though it’s not as powerful as Photoshop can be when used properly.
Seashore is another Photoshop alternative that’s aimed solely at Mac users. It brings some important features from Photoshop including support for layers. The app also supports pressure sensitivity, so if you’re using a pressure sensitive drawing tablet, you’ll be able to make full use of its pressure levels. Personally, I found Seashore to be more easy in terms of beginner-usability, and it’s also completely free which is awesome.
One of the best online Photoshop alternatives out there, Pixlr editor does a remarkable job for editing photos. It brings a bunch of great and powerful tools that make it one of the best online Photoshop like software out there. Pixlr Editor comes with support for layers and blending modes, a lot of effects and filters, a history tool and even has the healing tool that a lot of Photoshop users love using. It’s basically perfect for a quick on-the-go edit and with some of the advanced features it can be used for more advanced edits as well. Since it’s online, you can use it no matter what operating system you’re on and that’s one of the best things about online tools.
Pros:
Online, so it works on every platform.
Supports layers and blending modes.
History tool.
Healing tool.
Cons:
No pen tool.
Not as versatile as Photoshop.
Doesn’t support as many file types as Photoshop.
No Rulers and Guides.
Support for PDF, PSD, and Sketch formats is behind a paywall.
Sumopaint is yet another online Photoshop alternative that you can consider using for projects that don’t necessarily need the level of complexity that Photoshop offers. Being an online tool, Sumopaint can be used on any machine you have and it does offer a bunch of great Photoshop like features. The tool brings support for layers and blending modes which is a very useful feature for projects that are more than just resizing and cropping. There are also quite a lot of effects and filters that Sumopaint brings to the table — these should prove enough for most photo editing needs. Unfortunately the app doesn’t bring support for rulers and guides, which I personally find very useful in Photoshop, and the interface does look dated by today’s standards. However, you can use it for free, and only pay if you need the tools that are locked for pro users.
Enough tools in for basic to slightly advanced photo editing.
Cons:
Some tools are locked behind a paywall. Including Text tool, line tool, and more.
Interface is dated.
No Pen tool, Camera RAW filter, and auto-snapping.
Limited file support.
File Support: PNG, JPG, SUMO
Platforms: Web
Price: Free; pro-version starts at $4/month
7. PicMonkey
If Pixlr and Sumo didn’t suit your needs, PicMonkey might just be what you’re looking for. The tool works completely online so it’s easy to access without worrying about OS compatibility and what not. Plus, it brings support for layers, and also has a very font-rich text tool. However, don’t expect a text tool as feature rich as Photoshop’s or you’ll be disappointed. There are also a bunch of filters and effects that you might find useful. However, PicMonkey isn’t nearly as feature rich as Photoshop is, and it tends to respond a little slow at times. That said, the biggest problem in PicMonkey is that unless you subscribe to a pro subscription, you’ll not be able to export your images.
Pros:
Support for layers.
Text tool has a lot of fonts.
Bunch of filters and effects.
Cons:
Gets slow at times.
Can’t export images in free version.
File Support: JPG, PNG
Platform: Online, mobile app available
Price:Free; Pro version starts at $5.99/month (7 day free trial available)
Photoshop Alternatives for Android and iOS
8. Multi Layer (Android)
If you’re looking for an app that will let you edit images on the go on your Android smartphone or tablet, Multi Layer is a great app to go with. While there’s no dearth of photo editing apps on Android, Multi Layer beats them with features like support for layers and blending modes, a wide variety of features to edit photos, and even grid support. The app is available completely free to use, however, some features (like blending modes) are only available in the Pro version which you can buy as an in-app purchase for Rs. 200.
Pros:
Supports layers and blending modes.
Feature rich.
Supports grids.
Best Photoshop App For Mac
Cons:
UI can be confusing.
Only supports JPG and PNG files.
Contains ads in free version.
File Support: JPG, PNG
Platforms: Android
Price: Free; Pro version for Rs. 200
Download Multi Layer from the Play Store (Free)
9. PhotoWizard (iOS)
If you’re using an iOS device, PhotoWizard is definitely one of the most powerful free apps you can use to edit photos. The app doesn’t come with support for layers, but it brings a lot of powerful features you probably won’t find on other Photoshop alternatives for iOS. There’s historgram, motion blur, gaussian blur, curve editing, masking and a lot more. The app is definitely a pretty powerful app for iOS devices, plus the masking feature works really well.
Pros:
Easy to use
Supports curve editing and histogram
Feature packed
Cons:
UI looks dated
No layer support
File Support: All iPhone supported formats.
Platforms: iOS
Price: Free
Download PhotoWizard from the App Store (Free)
Paid Photoshop Alternatives
10. Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo is a very popular image editing application that’s every bit as powerful as Photoshop is and is definitely one of the best paid Photoshop alternatives out there. The app brings a ton of cool and useful features including tools like the Pen tool, rulers, guides, and grids. It also has the healing tool, the clone tool, and most other tools you’d find in Photoshop. It also has support for layers with blending modes and a lot more. However, the app isn’t cheap and you’ll have to pay a one-time price of Rs. 3,999 to get it.
Not as many file types are supported as Photoshop.
No Camera RAW tool
File Support: PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PSD, PDF, SVG, EPS and more.
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Photoshop Alternative
Price: Rs. 3,999
11. Pixelmator
Pixelmator is a macOS only photo editing tool that brings with it a ton of Photoshop like features and tools, and it also supports some of the latest features that Apple has brought to macOS such as editing and exporting images stored in the High Efficiency Image File format. There are the usual features like support for layers and blending modes, a plethora of tools to use for editing the images, support for live previews and SVG files. I also love the interface of Pixelmator and find it to be quite a lot better than Photoshop’s UI. However, it’s a very Mac-oriented interface so you might not like it as much as I do.
Pros:
Feature packed.
Supports layers and blending modes.
Supports slice tool.
Excellent UI in line with Apple’s guidelines.
Cons:
Free Photoshop Replacement
Hugely different UI as compared to most photo editors.
Might not seem intuitive to Photoshop users.
Not for beginners.
File Support: HEIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, Pixelmator Pro, PSD, PDF, GIF, and more.
Platforms: macOS
Price: 30 day free trial available; $60
12. PhotoLine
PhotoLine is an image editing software that brings quite a bit of great features to Windows and macOS systems. The overall UI of the software is decent but not great, however, it brings support for layers and blending modes, rulers and guides, along with a bunch of great effects and filters. The app also supports drawing vector images so if that’s something you need, this is definitely the app for you. PhotoLine is available to try for free for 30 days, however, you’ll have to pay to continue using it past that time.
Pros:
Support for layers and blending modes.
Support for rulers and guides
Supports vector drawing
Cons:
No pen tool, slice tool, or patch tool.
Toolbox looks confusing.
File Support: PDF, SVG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, JPG, PNG, and more.
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Price: 30 day free trial; ~$67 after that View nx2 nikon download mac.
SEE ALSO: 10 Best TeamViewer Alternatives
Check Out these Photoshop Alternatives
So those were the 12 best free (and paid) Photoshop alternatives that you can try out if you’re looking to ditch Photoshop, or are unwilling to pay a subscription pricing for a image editing software. I’ve included software that are free, paid, mobile apps, and even dedicated Windows and macOS software with varying degrees of advanced features, so no matter what you’re looking for in your Photoshop alternative, I think you’ll find it here. That said, if you think I missed out on a great Photoshop alternative that deserves to be on this list, let me know in the comments down below.
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