Similar Software to Adobe Photoshop: 11 best alternatives for 2023

Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editor built for Mac OS and Windows. Originally created in 1988 by John Knoll and Thomas Knoll, the software was published on February 19, 1990, by Adobe Inc. Since then, the product has become the benchmark not only for graphics editing but also for any form of digital art. You'll hardly come across designers that don't use this cutting-edge graphics editor. The software is capable of editing and compositing raster images in various layers. Adobe Photoshop supports alpha composting, masks, and multiple color models, including CMYK, RGB, spot color, CIELAB, and duotone. The software employs its PSB and PSD file formats in support of its features. Adobe Photoshop has certain abilities to render or edit vector graphics and text (especially through the clipping path for vectors, videos, and 3D graphics). Users can expand the features of the software through plug-ins and supporting programs to get better results.

1. Canva

Canva is a free tool that helps you create designs for Web and print. With Canva, making everything from blog graphics to presentations to Facebook covers to flyers and posters to invitations and more is as easy as drag, drop and go!

2. GIMP

GIMP is a popular open-source and free raster graphics app that is used for manipulating images and editing images, transcoding between varied image file formats, free-form drawing, and even other advanced tasks. This application is established under GPL-3.0 license and is compatible with Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. GIMP started hosting their own downloads after ending the use of Source Forge in 2013. Later, the site repossessed this application’s idle account and used it to host the advertising format of Gimp for windows operating systems. As per reviews, GIMP has been found to be a suitable application for those who haven’t started using photoshop and need the easiest way to edit images. Besides, it can also be fit to use in any professional space and if you like adobe photoshop, this has been pointed out as a good replacement. For all tools for editing, you can simply get through the toolbox, via dialogue windows and menus.

3. PhotoScape

PhotoScape is a free to download program enjoyed by many people. It can edit the photos and make them look better in real time. That is a smart strategy and one that has worked for many people. Users will get access to top rated tools that can be employed. Even pro photographers will find some use with the new program. It will be installed in a short amount of time as well. Trust that PhotoScape is well worth the time it takes to find and then download on a PC. Understand that updates are frequently issued for PhotoScape. Those same updates will keep new functions working for a longer time period. The new updates are enacted and the software becomes more useful in time. The PhotoScape program is rapidly becoming a top request among the people. New users will want to read the help files. That shows what to activate.

4. Paint.NET

Paint.NET was created in 2004 by Rick Brewster and Gabe Mulder. It was originally created to replace the Microsoft Paint software that came with Windows. As a desktop software, Paint.NET is used for basic photo editing and touch-ups. What makes Paint.NET unique is the ability to edit photos and add effects in a simple and easy-to-use interface. It also has a wide range of tools, including brushes, shapes, filters, overlays, adjustment, and text tools. It also comes with numerous plugins that can be installed to add more features. It is commonly used by individuals who are not familiar with more complex photo editors, but want advanced editing features. It's an advanced version of Microsoft's Paint software and is popular among beginner and intermediate users. Over the years, it has been extensively improved to be on par with more expensive software. One of the best features that make it stand out is the warm community of users that are always willing to help.

5. Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo is a popular photo editing app for iOS devices with a simple and easy-to-use interface. It’s free, with no ads, sharing features, and automatic backups. Is it worth your time? Does it offer any unique features? Affinity Photo is an excellent app for those who want to take exciting photos without spending a lot of time or money. That said, Affinity Photo has some unique features that put it above others in the photo editing world. One of the main advantages of Affinity Photo is that it allows you to import your images directly into the software without having to go through a tedious setup process. This is especially helpful if you are new to photography and need some help learning how to take good photos. Another feature that Affinity Photo has over other photo editing apps is its automatic corrections. You can select individual colors or settings from your image and see exactly what they would look like in real life without worrying about manually adjusting them afterward.

6. Pixlr

Pixlr is a photo editor that was created in 2008 by Ola Sevandersson. It is one of the most popular photo editors in the world, with over 100 million users. What makes Pixlr unique is the ability to edit photos from the mobile device - on the go. Being one of the most versatile photo editors on the market, it is considered to be a great alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It has a wide range of features, including filters, overlays, and adjustment tools. It also allows users to create memes and collages. Pixlr is available on a variety of devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets. It can be used for free or with a subscription plan. It has become popular for small to medium-scale businesses allowing them to edit photos without having to purchase expensive software. Since its creation, Pixlr has become one of the most popular photo editors in the world.

7. Pixelmator

Pixelmator is a graphics editor that was developed for macOS. It has several features such as selection, painting, color correction, retouching, layer-based image editing, and many more. Pixelmator image editor is suitable for editing images using the most professional tools. It makes use of technologies such as Automator and Core Image for the best results. Moreover, it has more than 40 tools to aid you throughout the editing process. You can use it on your iPhone or iPad. It has over 30 adjustments making it suitable for professional photographers. The only problem with Pixelmator is the fact that it does not support exporting from CYMK, which is a necessary feature each time you are printing out some work. It has a color profile that enables you to check on the emulation of colors that you would like to be printed, however, it does not cut it professionally. So, for any mobile device, you can always go for this photo editing app.

8. MyPaint

MyPaint is a graphics editor that is commonly used for digital painting. You will find this in many operating systems such as macOS, Windows, and many more. As a digital painter, this is very useful each time you need to make some quick sketches or any complex drawing on your computer. What's so interesting about this application is the fact that it is easier to use and simple therefore suitable for beginners. It no complex menus so you can concentrate on your drawings more. MyPaint also contains a wide range of brushes that are organized into varied categories. MyPaint makes it easier to configure any of the brushes to a smaller detail or come up with a new category in a more convenient way. Each brush always has a different result. It is recommended to use it on a tablet though you can as well use it with a standard mouse. Since it supports a wide range of pressure, you will be feeling like a real painter at the end.

9. Krita

Krita is an open-source and free raster graphics editor that is designed majorly for 2D animation and digital painting. It operates on Chrome OS, Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. The editor is developed by Krita Foundation, KDE. The initial release of the editor was on 21 June 2005, but its stable release was on 7 January 2022. Also, the software runs C++, and Qt programming languages. Aside from the painting features, Krita also comes with file layers, group, filter, and vector. Flatten, order, and combine layers to enable your artwork to stay organized. Additionally, it will also help you to highlight a portion of the drawing you are doing to work on. Further, there’re extra features that enable you to insert and get rid of the selection. If you’re an animator, comic book creator, or concept artist, this can be the best open-source software to rely on. Aside from being easy to use, it is very intuitive as well.

10. draw.io

Draw.io is a free web application that makes it easy to create beautiful and engaging flowcharts and diagrams. It was created in 2000 by Gaudenz Alder who wanted to create a user-friendly solution for business people to communicate their ideas simply and effectively. All you have to do is pull up your web browser and navigate to draw.io where you can select from a variety of locations to store your diagram. You can save it to your own device, Google Drive, Dropbox, or any other cloud storage. Once your select your storage platform and create a new diagram, you can select from a wide variety of premade flowchart templates to organize virtually any type of information. There are templates for everything from basic flow charts to business organization charts to engineering schematics. Once you've selected a template you are launched into a full editing suite where you can edit your diagram's shape, size, text, color, and even import your own images to bring your ideas to life.

11. Instagram

Instagram was created in 2010 by two founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. It is a photo and video sharing app that allows users to share their photos and videos with the world. It was one of the first photo sharing and editing apps that introduced the use of filters.

What makes Instagram unique is its focus on engagement. Unlike other social media networks like Facebook and Twitter, Instagram is a primarily visual platform. It also introduced disappearing stories, which was later copied by other social media networks.

Originally, the said platform was only available to both Android and iOS devices - but it was recently introduced to desktop browsers. In 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion, shockingly with only 13 employees. Since then, it has continued to grow in popularity and now has over one billion active users. Instagram (IG) is now famous for influencers, businesses, bloggers, and even friends to connect with one another. It's a great platform for creative people, brands, or businesses to build an audience around their passions.