5 Free Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop in 2026
Discover 5 free photo editing alternatives to Adobe Photoshop, which costs $22.99 a month as of October 2026, ranging from browser tools to desktop apps.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Adobe Photoshop costs US$22.99 a month on an annual plan in October 2026.
- Photopea and Pixlr run directly in web browsers with no installation.
- GIMP and Krita serve as powerful open-source desktop editors.
- ToolsOfWeb handles quick tasks like resizing and compressing images instantly.
Photoshop remains the industry standard for photo editing, but it comes with a price tag of US$22.99 a month for a single-app plan as of October 2026. For occasional editors who only need to resize, retouch, or export images, these five free alternatives get the job done without requiring a paid subscription.
The options include Photopea as the closest browser replacement, GIMP as the most capable open-source desktop editor, Krita tailored for digital artists, Pixlr for rapid browser edits, and ToolsOfWeb for everyday tasks like compression and format conversion without any setup.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Photopea operates entirely within a browser, supporting PSD files, layers, and familiar editing tools, though large files may run slower in a tab. Meanwhile, GIMP provides a robust desktop software experience for Windows, Mac, and Linux supporting RAW files and community plug-ins, though it features a steeper learning curve.
"Photopea runs entirely in your browser — nothing to install — and it opens PSD files, which matters if you receive Photoshop files from clients or collaborators."
Dev.to
For illustrators and digital painters, Krita offers a specialized brush engine and animation timeline at zero cost. Pixlr provides a lightweight browser alternative for fast adjustments, while ToolsOfWeb allows users to compress, resize, and watermark images directly in the browser without creating an account or uploading files to a server.
Transitioning to free alternatives allows occasional users to bypass heavy annual software costs while maintaining productivity for standard editing tasks. Understanding the performance trade-offs between browser-based editors and installed desktop applications ensures the right tool matches the workload.
Source: Dev.to
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment