Best Free Photoshop Alternatives
If what you need is a capable image editor that costs nothing and never expires, these five are worth your time. Each entry links to the project's own website; no installers are re-hosted here.
Short answer
Photopea opens PSD files in a browser with no install. GIMP is the most complete free desktop editor. Krita suits drawing and painting, Paint.NET suits quick Windows edits, and darktable handles RAW photography. All five are free permanently, not on a trial.
Choosing between them
The honest short answer: pick Photopea if you want to open a PSD right now in a browser, GIMP if you want a full desktop editor for photo retouching, Krita if you draw or paint, Paint.NET for quick Windows work, and darktable if your real job is developing RAW photographs.
None of them is a drop-in replacement for every professional workflow — prepress colour handling and some smart-object behaviour do not transfer. For most photo editing, web graphics and personal work, they are more than enough.
Photopea
Free, ad-supportedA browser-based editor with a layout familiar to Photoshop users. Nothing to install.
- Platform
- Any modern browser
- Runs as
- Browser
- PSD support
- Opens and saves PSD
- Layers
- Yes, with masks and layer styles
- RAW workflow
- Basic RAW opening
- Learning curve
- Beginner
- No install
- Reads PSD, XD and Sketch files
- Works on Chromebooks
GIMP
Free and open sourceA long-established open-source image editor for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Platform
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Runs as
- Desktop
- PSD support
- Opens PSD; exports to its own XCF format
- Layers
- Yes, with masks and channels
- RAW workflow
- Via the darktable or RawTherapee plug-in
- Learning curve
- Intermediate
- Deep retouching tools
- Scriptable
- Large plug-in ecosystem
Krita
Free and open sourceOpen-source painting and illustration software with strong brush engines.
- Platform
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Runs as
- Desktop
- PSD support
- Opens and saves layered PSD
- Layers
- Yes, including vector and filter layers
- RAW workflow
- Limited
- Learning curve
- Intermediate
- Excellent brushes
- Animation tools
- Designed for digital art
Paint.NET
Free download from the developer's siteA lightweight Windows editor that sits between simple tools and full suites.
- Platform
- Windows
- Runs as
- Desktop
- PSD support
- PSD via community plug-in
- Layers
- Yes
- RAW workflow
- Plug-in dependent
- Learning curve
- Beginner
- Fast and small
- Simple interface
- Good plug-in library
darktable
Free and open sourceA non-destructive RAW workflow tool for photographers.
- Platform
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Runs as
- Desktop
- PSD support
- No
- Layers
- Module-based editing rather than layers
- RAW workflow
- Extensive RAW processing
- Learning curve
- Advanced
- RAW development
- Colour management
- Catalogue management
Moving files across
Working with PSD documents elsewhere
PSD is a proprietary format, so support in other editors is good but not perfect. A little preparation avoids surprises.
- Flatten or rasterise heavily styled text layers before exporting if exact appearance matters.
- Smart objects usually arrive as ordinary layers, losing their non-destructive link.
- Adjustment layers may be baked in. Keep a copy of the original file.
- For handover, TIFF with layers or PNG for flat output is often safer than PSD.
Why an alternative beats a cracked copy
People who end up with a modified installer are usually trying to solve the cost problem. A free editor solves the same problem without malware exposure, without breaking copyright and without losing security updates. The full reasoning is on our page about cracked copies.