10 Adobe Photoshop Alternatives for Mac & Windows

For designers who are just starting out, still in school or operating on a tight budget, Adobe Photoshop might be a luxury that you just can’t afford. I think it’s safe to say that not everyone will afford to get a copy or willing to get a copy if all one need to do is just basic image editing stuff.

But if you find yourself in one of these categories, breathe easy; there are several free photo editing programs out there that can deliver close to the same results as Photoshop with none of the added cost.

That’s probably one of the main reason why there’s still a fairly large crowd out there actively looking for free alternatives to Photoshop to help them in their daily basic design jobs. If you are not going into advance image editing, you should know that there’s always free software out there capable to perform what Photoshop can.

Browse through the collection, and do share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Also, if you are aware of any maps pings source file that we missed, feel free to add it to the list by commenting below.

Aperture

Aperture combines the control and speed pros want for demanding photo tasks with the easy learning curve iPhoto users need to step up to an advanced photo tool. It has been fully optimized for the Retina display on the new MacBook Pro, letting you browse and edit high-resolution images with remarkable clarity and resolution. And with a new unified photo library, you can now move seamlessly from iPhoto to Aperture — and back — without having to import, export, or reprocess your photos. Aperture is packed with innovative adjustment tools to refine your images, including a revolutionary Auto White Balance that uses skin tones to correct color casts, and a professional Auto Enhance that applies Exposure, Vibrancy, Curves, and more with a single click. It also includes powerful Brushes for painting image adjustments onto parts of your photo, and dozens of ready-to-use professional photo Effects. You can share your photos directly to Facebook, Flickr and SmugMug and add them to shared photo streams using iCloud. You can also showcase your best work as an impressive coffee table-style photo book or as stunning slideshows that weave together photos, audio, text, and HD video.

GIMP

GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages.

PaintShop Pro X6

Imagine your best photo ever—now bring it to life with the ultimate photo editor. Corel® PaintShop® Pro X6 Ultimate combines the pro-quality photo-editing tools of PaintShop Pro X6 with powerful image correction technology Perfectly Clear by Athentech Imaging, portrait beautifying tools Reallusion® FaceFilter3 Standard and a collection of creative extras. Built with powerful new 64-bit architecture, this comprehensive photo editor offers more speed than ever before. With so many image-perfecting tools at your fingertips, you’ll be inspired to create unforgettable photos and designs.

Serif PhotoPlus X6

Edit and enhance photos of family, friends, and holidays in no time with the easy-to-use tools in our great-value, must-have photo editing software. Make simple, hassle-free fixes in minutes and achieve stunning results with professional features, all in PhotoPlus X6.

Pixlr

Pixlr Express is a fun and powerful photo editor that lets you quickly crop, resize, and fine-tune any picture, all in a completely ad-free experience. Choose from over 2 million combinations of free effects, overlays, and borders to further personalize your image. Pixlr Express makes you look like a pro, even if you’ve never edited a photo before.

Acorn

Everyone needs to edit photos at some point, but not everyone has the time to learn complicated super pricey photo editing software. This is why we created Acorn. Add text and shapes to your digital pictures. Combine images together to create a photo collage. Work with layers to touch up your favorite photos or make something entirely new from scratch. Do all this and more with Acorn!

Acorn 4 is a lot faster than its predecessors. From applying selections and filters to large images to using Instant Alpha, everything is faster.

Layer styles and filters are now merged together into a happy new UI. Chain filters together to create endless combinations of unique effects knowing you can always change your mind later on.

Sketch

Sketch is a professional vector graphics app with a beautiful interface and powerful tools. Sketch has an awesome infinite canvas. Its vector tools are easy and flexible. Finally, styling is simple as we support multiple gradients, borders, and shadows.

Pixelmator

Enjoy incredibly fast and powerful editing of high-quality pictures. Fully optimized for the new Mac Pro, Pixelmator makes image editing completely seamless. Leveraging the full power of dual-GPU architecture, Pixelmator now supports 16-bit per channel images for the first time.

Sumopaint

Powerful graphics editor for your web browser and PC. The super-responsive interface and painstakingly optimized image processing engine makes using Sumopaint a smooth sail every time.

Sumopaint has been designed to keep your creative juices flowing. Easy-to-use interface and inspiring tools will take your ideas to new heights.

Working with Sumopaint gets even easier when you can paint in your own language! So far we’ve translated Sumopaint in 22 languages.

Paint.net

Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for PCs that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plugins.