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Indie alternatives to Photoshop

9 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Photoshop does, 6 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.

At a glance

Product	Price	Open source	Self-host	Platforms
GIMP	Free	Yes	–	Mac, Windows, Linux
Krita	Free	Yes	–	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
Fotor	Free plan	–	–	Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Paint.NET	Free plan	–	–	Windows
Photopea	Free plan	–	–	Web
Pixlr	Free plan	–	–	Web, iOS, Android
Acorn	Paid	–	–	Mac
Luminar Neo	Paid	–	–	Mac, Windows
ON1 Photo RAW	Paid	–	–	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

The alternatives

1. GIMP

Free, open-source raster image editor

GNU Image Manipulation Program, a cross-platform editor for photo retouching, image composition and digital painting.

Free · Mac, Windows, Linux · Website ↗

2. Krita

Open-source painting app for illustrators and concept artists

A free, open-source digital painting program with brushes, layers and animation tools. Aimed at illustrators, comic artists and texture painters.

Free · Windows, Mac, Linux, Android · Website ↗

3. Fotor

Online photo editor and graphic design

Online photo editing and graphic design tool with retouching, collages and AI image features.

Free plan · Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android · Website ↗

4. Paint.NET

Free image and photo editor for Windows

Image and photo editing software for Windows with layers, effects and plugin support.

Free plan · Windows · Website ↗

5. Photopea

Free browser-based photo editor that opens PSD, XCF and Sketch files

A full-featured image editor that runs in the browser, supporting layers, masks and Photoshop PSD files. Built for people who need Photoshop-style editing without installing software.

Free plan · Web · Website ↗

6. Pixlr

Online photo editor and design tool

Browser-based photo editor and design suite with layers, AI tools and templates.

Free plan · Web, iOS, Android · Website ↗

7. Acorn

Affordable image editor for Mac

A Mac image editor with layers, filters, vector tools and RAW support, aimed at people who find Photoshop too heavy.

Paid · Mac · Website ↗

8. Luminar Neo

AI-powered photo editor

Photo editor from Skylum with AI tools for sky replacement, portrait retouching and quick enhancements.

Paid · Mac, Windows · Website ↗

9. ON1 Photo RAW

RAW editor, organizer and layered editing

Photo editing software that combines RAW processing, photo organization, layers and AI masking.

Paid · Mac, Windows, iOS, Android · Website ↗

Questions

Is there a free alternative to Photoshop?

Yes. 6 of the 9 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: GIMP, Krita, Fotor, Paint.NET and 2 more.

Is there an open-source alternative to Photoshop?

GIMP and Krita are open source.

Which Photoshop alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?

On Mac: GIMP, Krita, Fotor and 3 more. On Windows: GIMP, Krita, Fotor and 3 more. On Linux: GIMP and Krita. On iPhone and iPad: Fotor, Pixlr and ON1 Photo RAW. On Android: Krita, Fotor, Pixlr and 1 more. On the web: Fotor, Photopea and Pixlr.

What makes these alternatives to Photoshop “indie”?

They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Photoshop.

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