Alternatives to GIMP
The open source image editor
GIMP ranks #3 of 10 in Image editing, with an Alt Score of 74. It is licensed under GPL-3.0, free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 12 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Photographers, graphic designers, illustrators, and hobbyists who need a full-featured raster image editor without paying for Photoshop, on Linux, Windows, or macOS.
A free, open-source editor for photo retouching, compositing, and original digital artwork, with layers, selection and masking tools, color correction, and support for most common image formats. It's extensible via Python and Script-Fu (Scheme) scripting for automation and custom filters/plugins.
You open or import an image, edit it using layers, brushes, selection tools, and filters in a customizable workspace, then export to formats like PNG, JPEG, or GIMP's native XCF.
Why people leave GIMP
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Image editing checklist (16 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Image editing checklist | GIMP | Photopea | Photoshop | Krita | Pixelmator Pro | Affinity Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Layers | ||||||
| Non-destructive editing | ||||||
| RAW support | ||||||
| CMYK support | ||||||
| PSD compatibility (open / save) | ||||||
| Content-aware / AI fill | ||||||
| Vector tools included | ||||||
| Batch processing | ||||||
| Plugins ecosystem | ||||||
| Runs in browser | ||||||
| GPU acceleration | ||||||
| Scripting / macros |
Every fact and feature listed for GIMP is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Status active verified 2026-07-11
Download GIMP 3.2.4 for x86_64 and ARM64 directly
https://www.gimp.org/downloads/ -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-11
It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.
https://www.gimp.org/about/ -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux verified 2026-07-11
GIMP for Windows
https://www.gimp.org/downloads/ -
License GPL-3.0 verified 2026-07-11
GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3, 29 June 2007
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp/-/raw/master/COPYING -
Layers Yes verified 2026-07-11
A good way to visualize a GIMP image is as a stack of transparencies: in GIMP terminology, each individual transparency is called a _layer_.
https://docs.gimp.org/2.8/en/gimp-image-combining.html -
Non-destructive editing Yes verified 2026-07-11
filters stay active once committed. This means you can re-edit most GEGL filters in the menu on the layer dockable without having to revert your work.
https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html -
RAW support Partial verified 2026-07-11
This setting shows a list of known plug-ins that can be used for opening and processing RAW image formats. Most common apps used here are Darktable and RawTherapee.
https://docs.gimp.org/3.0/en_GB/gimp-prefs-import-export.html -
CMYK support Partial verified 2026-07-11
GIMP also supports importing and exporting CMYK JPEGs, TIFFs, PSDs, and JPEG XL.
https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html -
PSD compatibility (open / save) Yes verified 2026-07-11
We've improved compatibility for importing and exporting PSD project files
https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html -
Content-aware / AI fill Partial verified 2026-07-11
the Healing Tool is a close relative to the Clone Tool, but it is more smart to remove small failures in images.
https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-tool-heal.html -
Vector tools included Partial verified 2026-07-11
The Paths tool allows to create complex selections called Bézier Curves, a bit like Lasso but with all the adaptability of vectorial curves.
https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-tool-path.html -
Batch processing Yes verified 2026-07-11
Execute the set of commands non-interactively.
https://docs.gimp.org/2.8/en/gimp-fire-up.html -
Plugins ecosystem Yes verified 2026-07-11
Some users are able to install third-party plugins written in interpreted languages.
https://developer.gimp.org/resource/about-plugins/ -
Runs in browser No verified 2026-07-11
GIMP for Windows
https://www.gimp.org/downloads/ -
GPU acceleration Partial verified 2026-07-11
Some most needed work has been done on making OpenCL implementations more robust though it is still disabled by default since GIMP 2.10.22.
https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-3.0.html -
Scripting / macros Yes verified 2026-07-11
similar to very powerful 'macros' that you may be familiar with from other programs
https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-concepts-script-fu.html
FAQ
Yes. Photopea, Krita and Affinity Photo have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Krita — every license claim links its source.