Photoshop Alternatives for Windows, Mac, iPad and the Browser

Adobe Photoshop is alive and still the reference editor, but it is a subscription. The Photoshop plans page lists the single app at US$22.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, or US$263.88 prepaid for the year, with 100GB of storage and 25 generative credits a month. Creative Cloud Pro, with every Adobe app, is US$69.99 a month. Each plan has a 7-day trial.

The market around it changed in the last two years. Canva bought Serif in 2024 and in October 2025 merged Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher into one free app. Apple bought Pixelmator and now sells Pixelmator Pro both as a one-time Mac app and inside a subscription. GIMP finally shipped non-destructive editing in the 3.x series.

The seven picks below are for photo editing and retouching, ordered by how much of Photoshop's job they cover. If you mainly paint or draw, see our Krita alternatives as well.

Prices below are as of November 6, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.

Quick comparison

Affinity

Affinity is the first pick because the price argument is gone. The Affinity site says the app is free for individuals, and it combines photo editing, vector design and page layout in one program, with Pixel, Vector and Layout modes. It runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, on Windows, and on iPad.

Since Canva owns it, you sign in with a free Canva account. The Pixel mode takes the place of the old Affinity Photo app, so you switch between photo, vector and layout work without changing programs. Owners of the old V2 licences can keep using those apps if they prefer them without Canva integration.

Best for: Photoshop users who want a full desktop editor and pay nothing.

Pricing:

• Free for individuals.
• AI tools need a Canva premium plan. Organisations needing SSO go through Canva Enterprise or Canva Education.

Watch out for:

• Generative Fill, Expand and Edit and Remove Background require a paid Canva subscription, according to MacRumors' report on the relaunch.
• A Canva account is required even for the free app, and there is no Linux version.

Official site: Affinity.

GIMP

GIMP 3.2.8 came out on November 2, 2026, two months after 3.2.6. It is free software under GPLv3 for Linux, macOS and Windows, and with Krita it is one of two open source picks in this list.

The 3.2 series closed much of the gap with Photoshop. The GIMP 3.2 release notes list non-destructive text, link and vector layers, link layers that refresh when the source file changes, PSB export and import of Photoshop .acv curves, .alv levels and .pat patterns.

Best for: Linux users and anyone who wants a free editor with no account at all.

Pricing:

• Free and open source (GPLv3).

Watch out for:

• PSD layer style import covers Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow and Outer Glow, so files with other styles may need rework.
• The Paint Select tool, closest to Photoshop's quick selection, is still only in development builds.

Official site: GIMP.

Photopea

Photopea runs in a browser tab and treats PSD as its main format for both opening and saving. The homepage lists dozens of other formats too, including AI, CDR, PDN, Figma, HEIC and RAW files from Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm.

Processing happens on your device, and Photopea says files never leave it. Two AI tools are built in: one-click background removal and replacing part of an image from a text prompt. The Photopea accounts page says a Premium account removes ads, and a Team Premium owner covers every member.

Best for: Opening or fixing a PSD on a school laptop, Chromebook or borrowed computer.

Pricing:

• Free to use.
• Premium removes ads; Premium price shown in the app.

Watch out for:

• The free version shows ads; Premium price shown in the app.

Official site: Photopea.

Pixelmator Pro

Pixelmator Pro now belongs to Apple, and it is one of the few editors you can still buy outright. The Pixelmator Pro page lists a one-time Mac price of $49.99, or Apple Creator Studio at $12.99 a month or $129 a year, which adds the iPad app.

On yearly terms it costs less than half of Photoshop's single-app plan ($129 vs $263.88). Students and educators pay $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and new subscribers get a 30-day trial.

Best for: Mac photographers who want a native editor without a monthly bill.

Pricing:

• One-time purchase (Mac): $49.99.
• Apple Creator Studio: $12.99/month or $129/year; students and educators $2.99/month or $29.99/year.

Watch out for:

• The Warp Tool is only in the subscription version, not the one-time purchase.
• It needs macOS 26 or iPadOS 26, and there is no Windows version.

Official site: Pixelmator Pro.

Krita

Krita is a free, GPL-licensed painting program, and it replaces Photoshop for brushwork rather than photo retouching. The current download on the Krita download page is 5.3.4.1, released October 7, 2026. Version 6.0.4 is available as source code only.

Recent monthly reports cover animation and video export on Android, trackpad gestures on Wayland and a move to Qt 6.11, so development is active on desktop and tablet.

Best for: Illustrators and concept artists who used Photoshop mostly for painting.

Pricing:

• Free and open source (GPL).

Watch out for:

• The 6.0 line is source only, so the installers you can download are still Krita 5.3.

Official site: Krita.

Paint.NET

Paint.NET is the light option for Windows. Version 5.1.12, released on March 8, 2026, is a free download with layers, unlimited undo, effects and a community plugin catalogue, per the Paint.NET homepage.

A paid version is also sold in the Microsoft Store, and donations are optional. It covers cropping, resizing, layers and effects, not Photoshop's full retouching set.

Best for: Windows users who crop, resize and touch up screenshots and photos.

Pricing:

• Free download; donations optional.
• Paid Microsoft Store version (price in the Store).

Watch out for:

• Windows only, with no Mac or browser version.

Official site: Paint.NET.

Pixlr

Pixlr is a web, desktop and mobile editor sold on AI credits. The Pixlr pricing page lists Plus at $2.49 a month, or $1.99 on yearly billing, with 80 AI credits a month. Premium is $9.99, or $7.99 yearly, with 1,000 credits.

Even Premium costs under half of Photoshop, and one account covers every device. Ultra plans from $19.99 a month on yearly billing raise the credit pool to 5,000.

Best for: Social media and ecommerce sellers who want quick AI edits on any device.

Pricing:

• Plus $2.49/month or $1.99/month yearly (80 AI credits).
• Premium $9.99/month or $7.99/month yearly (1,000 credits). Ultra from $24.99/month or $19.99 yearly.

Watch out for:

• No free plan is listed, so regular AI use means a subscription.
• 80 AI credits a month on Plus goes quickly if you rely on generative edits.

Official site: Pixlr.

How to choose

When to stay with Photoshop

Keep Photoshop if clients send layered PSDs every week or your team shares Adobe libraries. If you also use Lightroom, compare plans before you cancel: the Photography plan is US$19.99 a month with 1TB of storage and 1,000 generative credits, cheaper than Photoshop alone at US$22.99 with 100GB and 25 credits.

Frequently asked questions