Although most professionals who use photo and video editing tools on a daily basis have ended up standardizing the new monthly subscription method proposed by some programs such as Adobe Photoshop , many of the more casual users have found themselves with the great problem of losing access to the edition or having to pay for a full service for just a few minutes of use.
That is why today we want to show you some of the free alternative tools to Adobe Photoshop and other professional applications , which offer us a large number of options and complete compatibility with the different file extensions of these programs.
GIMP
With an interface quite similar to that of Adobe Photoshop itself, this photo editing application offers us tools such as the creation of masks, layers, color adjustments and a huge library of add-ons. In addition, being one of the most popular alternatives, it has a fairly large community of users and complete documentation that makes it a good tool for advanced users and photography enthusiasts.
One of the great advantages of this tool is that, thanks to its open source format, it offers us unrestricted availability for Windows, Linux and macOS .
Canva
Canva is another browser-based photo editor, with a slightly more modern design and layout. And is that although this application has a photo editing tool, its main functionality lies in the creation of content for social networks, thus having a wide assortment of resources to create images and designs.
Plus, Canva has publishing tools to help you export your creations directly to a social media platform or website, plus up to 5GB of cloud storage.
Again available in web format , this application offers us availability for Windows, Linux and macOS.
PhotoPea
A lightweight online photo editor that may be more suitable for those on devices with limited storage. And it is that it runs completely in the browser and, according to the documentation, it does not load anything, so after loading the page, we can disconnect from the Internet and continue using it offline.
Unfortunately, this is one of the less stable web options, with one of the somewhat high processing times for some stocks. Even so, it is undoubtedly a very interesting option for those used to using Adobe Photoshop itself, offering support for most graphic formats, including PSD.
Krita
An open source application ideal for content creation, illustrations, painting, sketches, comics or concept art, frequently updated with additions such as multi-monitor support or drawing tablet inputs. In addition, this application recently expanded its offer with the arrival, also free, to the Epic Games Store.
Despite being a desktop application , its open source format allows us full compatibility for Windows, Linux and macOS.
Darktable
Raised for a more expert audience, this tool is postulated as one of the most interesting (and suitable) options for those looking for editing and exporting RAW files, with a large number of options and controls for adjusting photographs. . However, although quite popular, this application is known to have some small stability and speed problems.
Pixlr X and Pixlr E
Collected in a single point, in this case we are talking about two different applications. For one thing, Pixlr X is meant to be the easiest app, for one-click effects and touch-ups; while Pixlr E offers an application with more advanced options.
In this case, limiting the compatibility for Linux operating systems to its browser version , we will have a desktop application for Windows and macOS and a mobile application for both Android and iOS , dedicated exclusively to a functionality to remove funds.
Affinity Photo
A lighter yet robust alternative, with a fairly similar experience to Adobe Photoshop, with a significant amount of tools to help with photo editing, retouching, compiling and content creation.
It also stands out for being a fast performance application, compatible with the latest Apple M1 processors, and including DirectX 12 GPU acceleration in Windows. Unfortunately, we will again encounter a limitation for these two operating systems .
Paint.NET
A fairly complete graphics editor, which allows editing, manipulation, photo adjustments and even includes some drawing tools. In addition, it has a large community of users, a fairly active online forum with a large number of tutorials, and extensive support for additional plugins.
Photoshop Express
Interestingly, Adobe itself offers an alternative to its image editing software, with a reduced and free version, Photoshop Express. This tool incorporates some basic image editing and collage functions, with a reduced interface and functionality, and an experience primarily geared towards photography on mobile devices and publishing content on social networks.
