10 Best Free Photoshop^® Alternatives: Top Note-taking Tools in 2024

Adobe^® Photoshop^® is perhaps the most famous photo-editing software available, but its pricing is also infamous. Fortunately, those who can’t afford to pay for it have no shortage of free Photoshop^® alternatives. Some of these Photoshop^® alternatives are free in their entirety, while others offer free trials – and all are great options for those looking for software like Photoshop^® but without the price tag.

For a powerful software like Photoshop^®, a great option is Movavi Photo Editor. It offers all of the usual editing tools you’d expect – from color correction to object manipulation – and a host of presets that allow you to make impressive edits in seconds. Movavi Photo Editor also boasts several impressive AI tools, including one that can remove the background of images and another that automatically retouches photos for you. Movavi Photo Editor is available on both Windows and Mac, and offers a free trial.

Photoscape X is a Photoshop^® free alternative available on both Mac and Windows. Despite being free, this app has hundreds of frames, over 1,000 stickers, and dozens of tools that you can use to make your photos stand out. If you need to process large volumes of images, then Photoscape X might be a great choice due to its batch edit tools. With these, you can batch format change, resize, and rename, saving you time and energy. Photoscape X’s website is also full of helpful tutorials that explain how to use basically all of the tools. This resource is excellent for anyone new to the art of photo editing.

Darktable isn’t just one of the many free programs like Photoshop^® – it’s also open-source. That means anyone can view, examine, and even copy the code behind Darktable. It also means that every single feature included in Darktable is completely free, which separates it from some options in this list that only provide free trials.

On the one hand, Darktable also has fewer tools than some of those other free Photoshop^® alternatives. On the other hand, it still has plenty of great tools. For example, all edits are non-destructive, which means that you can always return to your original image. Darktable also has impressive color management abilities, and a thorough organization system. Photographers looking to manage and touch up their collections might find this particularly helpful.

While PhotoPad’s somewhat basic website might not inspire much confidence, don’t judge this book by its cover. In reality, PhotoPad is a powerful Photoshop^® alternative that is – you guessed it – free to download. Unlike some apps, which require a payment method to download the free version, PhotoPad has no such barriers. 

PhotoPad comes with hundreds of tools, filters, and effects. These range from basic offerings, like cropping and color correction, to powerful tools, such as HDR image creation and the ability to apply effects to specific regions of your photo. Additionally, PhotoPad allows you to edit RAW images directly from your camera.

With over 10 million downloads, Photo Pos Pro must be doing something right. On the one hand, it does offer hundreds of tools and functions and 24/7 customer service. Rich text, masks, batch operations, object removal, background replacement, and collages are just a few of the many options available. Additionally, images you create using Photo Pos Pro are free to use both personally and commercially, meaning you don’t need to worry about any surprise costs down the line. 

On the other hand, most programs like Photoshop^® allow you to use your work commercially, so that’s not exactly a unique offering. Furthermore, Photo Pos Pro might have plenty of tools, but it still ranks on the bottom half of this list in terms of sheer editing options available. It lacks some of the more powerful tools offered by Photoshop^®.

Photoshop^® might be the most famous photo editor, but GIMP is definitely up there. Unlike many free alternatives to Photoshop^®, GIMP is open-source and available on pretty much any major operating system (and some decidedly niche ones, too). 

GIMP comes with plenty of powerful tools for photo editing. Users can manipulate images, create composites, or totally transform them into something new. GIMP is also commonly used for graphic design, which makes it a great option for people looking to combine photo editing with vector art. One particularly powerful feature of GIMP is its compatibility with additional plugins. You aren’t even limited to the many plugins already available, either; coders can create their own additions using one of the several supported languages.

If you want a Photoshop^® free alternative but don’t want to actually download an app, then Photopea might be what you’re looking for. As a fully browser-based equivalent to Photoshop^®, Photopea is also a great option for people using hardware that might not be capable of downloading or running Photoshop^®. 

Despite being online, Photopea does still run on your device. That means you don’t have to worry about your images being uploaded anywhere. It does, however, mean that older or weaker devices might struggle with particularly complex editing. Indeed, Photopea is capable of some truly complex edits. You’ll see all the basic tools, as well as advanced options like masking, blending, and layering. There are even AI-powered tools that can take care of complex tasks for you. The user interface is basically a clone of Photoshop’s^®, which makes switching over easy.

Another online Photoshop^® free alternative is Lunapic. Unlike Photopea, Lunapic’s user interface is decidedly different from Photoshop’s^®. However, it’s still relatively simple to learn. After you upload your photo, you can begin the editing process. Alternatively, you can paste the URL of a photo or choose from a selection of stock photos.

The actual editing process is similar to other options on this list. You’ll be able to choose from hundreds of filters and effects, and several AI-powered tools are available for more complex editing tasks like background or object removal. One interesting feature of Lunapic is the ability to create and edit videos. Lunapic allows you to perform various video edits under the “Animation” dropdown menu. Create GIFs, add effects, and more.

As one of the more popular online free Photoshop^® alternatives, Fotor comes with a sleek, well-designed user interface. Some of the many available editing features are highlighted on the home page, including photo enhancement, background removal, and a headshot generator. Fotor has also heavily integrated AI, including the ability to use AI to generate images. 

If you’ll need to edit images without an internet connection, don’t worry. Fotor also offers an application for both Windows and Mac. However, be aware that some of the features offered by Fotor are only available in the paid version, including practically all of the AI tools. Different plans are available, with each plan containing different features for a different price. Enterprise solutions are also available for those looking to integrate Fotor into their business.

Over the last few years, Canva has taken the world by storm. It’s used by global organizations, from Reddit to Salesforce, Zoom to Skyscanner, Marriott to Expedia. Unlike some of the other free Photoshop^® alternatives on this list, Canva is more oriented to people looking to create designs that might involve images. In other words, Canva might not be for you if you’re a photographer looking to edit your pictures. However, if you’re looking for a simple, powerful solution for designing things, then Canva is a great option. 

One of Canva’s draws is the wide number of presets, templates, and one-click edits available. You’ll be able to create social posts, prints, brochures, resumes, posters, and even videos in just a few clicks – or taps, if you’re accessing it through a mobile device. Getting the hang of Canva’s workflow can be a little confusing for those used to Photoshop^® or its similarly designed equivalents, but there are plenty of tutorials out there.