5 Free Alternatives to Photoshop for Editing Photos

Photoshop

When it comes to editing a photo, we don't say I'm going to use an application to edit photos, we say "we're going to use Photoshop." Photoshop has become over the years (the first version was released 1990) in the quintessential image editing app and many are the people who believe that it is the only application that allows these functions to be performed.

The popularity of Photoshop has been due to the fact that it has always been very easy to download it from the internet, so many users have always used it since its first versions. However, with the launch of subscription services, it is increasingly difficult to access it without going through the box, and its price is not exactly cheap.

Photoshop offers us infinite options, many of them users do not even know that they exist, since they always use the same basic functions such as the clone button, create layers to add elements to an image, delete objects, change the background ... functions that we can also do with other applications.

Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign logos
Related article:
Discover the best programs to make posters and posters on PC

Latest versions of Photoshop have added functions with Artificial Intelligence that are capable of detecting the background of an image to eliminate or replace it, functions that can only be found in Photoshop and that justify, in addition to many other functions, the price and the exclusivity of software that was ahead of its time.

In order to enjoy Photoshop we must pay an annual subscription to Adobe, a subscription that allows us to enjoy a series of additional advantages. Its high cost, especially for a user who uses the application sporadically, forces the user to look for alternatives.

Photoshop use a proprietary format to save the files that are created with the .PSD application. This format allows us to save the different layers that we can create and / or modify in an image, layers that include different elements that allow us to independently modify the elements that are part of the set.

If you are looking for alternatives to the almighty Photoshop, then we show you the 5 free alternatives to Photoshop for editing photos.

GIMP

GIMP

The best alternative that we can find in the market and with which we could end this list of alternatives to Photoshop is GIMP, an open source application, completely free and also available for Windows, macOS and Linux. In addition, the operation is practically the same as that we can find in Photoshop, so that the users of the Adobe application, it will take a very short time to get hold of it quickly.

Not only is it compatible with Photoshop's .PSD format, but it also allows us to create and edit images, also storing them in layers but in another format, a format that is unfortunately not compatible with Photoshop. Fortunately, from GIMP we can export files to PSD so that they can be shared with other people who do use Adobe software.

To demonstrate the commitment of the community behind the development of this application, we just have to see how it has created a layer of customization, glimpse, which changes the design of the application to offer the same as currently Photoshop offers us in its latest versions.

Pixlr

Pixlr

Pixlr It is a fantastic option for all those users who always have enough space on the hard disk, since instead of being an application it is a web service, an application that works through our browser as long as it is compatible with the HTML5 protocol.

PIXLR makes two image editors available for free: PIXLR X and PIXLR E. The easiest version to use and that also offers us compatibility with files in .PSD format (Photoshop) is PIXLR X, an ideal version for making modifications fast to our images and also allows us to add effects.

If we are looking for something more professional, we can make use of PIXLR E. This version offers us for free and large number of functions however, some are limited to the payment of a monthly subscription.

Among the functions that we can use for free with PIXLR E we find compatibility with PSD files, gradient fill tool, sponge tool, selection tool, copy and paste selection, advanced color selection ... Same features as every basic Photoshop user has always used.

Photopea

Photopea

Other alternatives that we can find in the market to Photoshop, we find it in Photopea, an application via browser that, like GIMP, is also compatible with .PSD and .XCF format (format used by GIMP). The first thing that will attract our attention about this application is its design, a design traced to that offered by Photoshop.

The number of functions that Photopea offers us is not the same that we can find in GIMP, but at least it offers us the basic functions that every Photoshop user has ever used. The only but of this application, is that integrates advertising, on the right side of the screen. This is the only price you have to pay to enjoy this alternative to Photoshop.

Photoscape

Photoscape

If we are looking for an application without many options, but those that it has, work perfectly, Photoscape in the option we are looking for. Photoscape is an application of open source and completely free With which we can cut and paste objects, apply effects, correct images, modify contrast and brightness, create compositions.

Es supports RAW files, but not with .PSD and .XCF files. Yes, once we have modified the images we want to print them, Photoscape offers us different tools to be able to print in different formats, from postcards to passport photos, going through A3 posters, advertising brochures ...

Polar

Polarr

The last alternative to Photoshop that we show you is Polarr, a web service that allows us to perform basic editions of our photographs. Polarr allows us to add a large number of filters, make a large number of color adjustments, rotate and crop the images ...

Es layer compatible, just like Photoshop and GIMP, so we can do a lot of testing with images until we find the perfect fit for our images. It allows us to add text and includes an option to make adjustments to people's faces.

Some of the functions, especially the filters, require payment, but for the basic options that any user may need to basically edit their photos, they are available for use completely free of charge. To be able to enjoy this web tool, the browser has to be based on Chromium (Chome or Microsoft Edge Chromium), so Firefox is unfortunately not supported.


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Actualidad Blog
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.