The 7 Best Photoshop Alternatives (Free & Low-Cost)

The 7 Best Photoshop Alternatives (Free & Low-Cost)

Adobe Photoshop is the undisputed heavyweight champion of image editing. 

For over 30 years, it's been the industry standard for a reason. It’s powerful, versatile, and deeply embedded in the creative world.

But is it the right tool for you, the entrepreneur, the small business owner, and the startup founder? Or is it a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

You’ve got invoices to send, clients to call, and a business to run. You don't have 40 hours to watch YouTube tutorials just to figure out how to put rounded corners on a product photo. And you certainly don't need another monthly subscription syphoning cash from your account.

This isn't another article listing every app with a “clone stamp” tool. This is a practical guide to the 7 best Photoshop alternatives that respect your time and budget. It's about finding the right tool for the job, not just the one with the most famous logo.

Our Top 7 Photoshop Alternatives for Entrepreneurs

We've evaluated these tools based on what matters to a business owner: price, ease of use, and their primary function. Here’s the breakdown.

1. Affinity Photo 2: The Professional Powerhouse (Without the Subscription)

Best for: Professional photo editing and complex raster work on a budget.

Affinity Photo 2 is the most direct and competent challenger to Photoshop's throne. It does 95% of what Photoshop does, it does it incredibly fast, and it does it for a one-time payment of around £60. This isn't a “Photoshop Lite”; it's a full-blown professional application.

• Key Strengths:
  • No Subscription: You buy it once, you own it forever. This is its single most significant advantage.
  • Full-Featured: It supports non-destructive editing, RAW processing, PSD file import/export, and advanced features like focus stacking and HDR merging.
  • Blazing Fast: It's built on a modern codebase and feels noticeably snappier than Photoshop on most machines.
• Key Weaknesses:
  • Learning Curve: It's a professional tool, so you can't expect to master it in an afternoon. The learning curve is still present, though arguably gentler than Photoshop's.
  • Smaller Tutorial Library: While growing, the volume of community tutorials and plugins doesn't yet match Adobe's 30-year head start.

Verdict: The smartest financial and professional choice for anyone needing serious creative power without being tethered to a subscription.

2. Canva: The Social Media & Marketing Machine

Best for: Entrepreneurs who need to quickly create marketing materials (social media posts, flyers, simple ads).

Canva isn't a genuine Photoshop alternative. It's a Photoshop workflow alternative. For 80% of the marketing graphics a small business creates, Canva entirely replaces the need for a complex tool like Photoshop. It’s a design platform built for speed and consistency.

• Key Strengths:
  • Unmatched Ease of Use: Its drag-and-drop interface is ridiculously intuitive. You can create a polished design in minutes, not hours.
  • Massive Template Library: Thousands of pre-made templates give you a starting point for virtually any project.
  • Brand Kits: The Pro version lets you save your brand colours, fonts, and logos for one-click application, ensuring brand consistency.
• Key Weaknesses:
  • Not a Photo Editor: Its photo manipulation capabilities are fundamental. You can't do detailed retouching or complex composites.
  • The “Canva Look”: Relying too heavily on popular templates can make your designs look generic and indistinguishable from competitors.

Verdict: If you need to create marketing graphics, stop looking and start here. Eventually, you'll need professional graphic design services for a unique brand identity that stands out, but Canva is the perfect tool for your day-to-day needs.

3. Procreate: The Illustrator's Choice on iPad

Best for: Digital drawing, painting, and illustration on an iPad.

If your work involves any kind of drawing or digital painting—from sketching product concepts to creating bespoke illustrations for your website—Procreate is a game-changer. It's not a photo editor; it's a digital art studio that has become the standard for artists using an iPad and Apple Pencil.

• Key Strengths:
  • Incredible Brush Engine: The feel of drawing and painting in Procreate is second to none. It's fluid, responsive, and highly customisable.
  • Intuitive UI: The interface is clean and gets out of your way, letting you focus on creating. It’s designed from the ground up for a touch and stylus workflow.
  • One-Time Low Price: At around £13, it's one of the best value-for-money apps on any platform.
• Key Weaknesses:
  • iPad-Only: This is its most significant limitation. If you don't have an iPad and an Apple Pencil, it's not an option.
  • Limited Graphic Design Tools: It lacks robust typographic controls and vector tools for general-purpose graphic design.

Verdict: A non-negotiable, must-have tool for anyone who draws or paints digitally with an Apple Pencil.

4. GIMP: The Free, Open-Source Workhorse

Best for: Hobbyists, students, or anyone needing powerful tools for free (and is willing to tolerate the UI).

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has been the go-to free Photoshop alternative for decades. It's a compelling piece of open-source software that can replicate a surprising amount of Photoshop's functionality. But it comes with a significant trade-off.

• Key Strengths:
  • Completely Free: No ads, no subscriptions, no hidden costs. Ever.
  • Highly Extensible: A dedicated community has created countless plugins and scripts to extend its capabilities.
  • Cross-Platform: It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux without issue.
• Key Weaknesses:
  • Clunky User Interface: This is GIMP's infamous Achilles' heel. The UI is unintuitive, feels dated, and can be a significant barrier for new users.
  • Steep Learning Curve: The confusing interface leads to a frustrating learning experience. You pay for the free price tag with your time and patience.

Verdict: Powerful and free, but only recommended if your budget is zero and your patience is near-infinite.

5. Photopea: Photoshop in Your Browser

Best for: Quick edits and working with PSD files without installing software.

Photopea is one of the most impressive web applications ever built. It's a surprisingly capable Photoshop clone that runs entirely in your web browser. For opening a PSD file, making a quick change, and exporting, it's an absolute lifesaver.

• Key Strengths:
  • Free & Accessible: It's free to use (supported by ads) and works on any computer with a modern web browser. No installation needed.
  • Excellent File Compatibility: It handles PSD, XCF, Sketch, and XD files with impressive fidelity, preserving layers and effects.
  • Familiar Interface: The layout is a near-perfect mimic of older Photoshop versions, so experienced users will feel right at home.
• Key Weaknesses:
  • Internet Dependant: No connection, no editor.
  • Performance Limits: While impressive, it can start to lag with huge files or complex documents with many layers.
  • Distracting Ads: The ads can be intrusive, though a premium subscription is available to remove them.

Verdict: The perfect emergency tool for anyone who jumps between computers or needs to access PSD files without a Creative Cloud subscription.

6. Pixelmator Pro: The Elegant Mac-Only Contender

Best for: Mac users who want a beautifully designed, powerful, and easy-to-use editor.

Pixelmator Pro is what you'd get if Apple designed a graphic design app. It’s elegant, powerful, and integrates seamlessly into the macOS ecosystem. It cleverly blends image editing, illustration, and layout tools into one cohesive package.

• Key Strengths:
  • Stunning UI/UX: It's a genuinely beautiful application that's a pleasure to use.
  • Powerful AI Features: It leverages Apple's Core ML framework for impressive features like automatic background removal, intelligent resizing (ML Super Resolution), and photo enhancement.
  • One-Time Purchase: Like Affinity Photo, it's available on the Mac App Store for a reasonable price.
• Key Weaknesses:
  • Mac-Only: This is the obvious dealbreaker. You're out of luck if you or your team use Windows or Linux.
  • Less Industry Penetration: It's not as widely used as Photoshop or Affinity, so collaboration can sometimes be a hurdle.

Verdict: Pixelmator Pro is a fantastic and powerful choice if you are a dedicated Mac user who values design and user experience.

7. Krita: The Digital Painter's Free Studio

Best for: Digital painting, comics, and concept art, specifically for artists who need advanced brush tools for free.

While GIMP tries to be a free alternative to all of Photoshop, Krita is laser-focused on being the best free painting application in the world. It was created by artists, for artists, and it shows.

• Key Strengths:
  • Exceptional Brush Tools: Krita boasts over 100 professional brushes, a powerful brush engine, and brush stabilisers for creating smooth lines.
  • Artist-Focused Features: It includes helpful tools for artists that Photoshop lacks, like a wrap-around mode for creating seamless textures and a dedicated colour management system.
  • Free and Open-Source: Like GIMP, it is 100% free, with a passionate community behind its development.
• Key Weaknesses:
  • Not a Photo Editor: Its photo manipulation tools are rudimentary at best. It is not the right tool for general-purpose image editing.

Verdict: For digital artists, illustrators, and painters on a budget, Krita is a vastly superior choice to GIMP.

Quick-Glance Comparison: Which Photoshop Alternative Is Right for You?

Here’s a simple table to help you decide at a glance.

Why Are You Really Leaving Photoshop?

Choosing a new tool isn't about finding a perfect Photoshop clone. That doesn't exist. It's about understanding your goal and why the “industry standard” isn't cutting it. For most business owners, it boils down to three things.

The Price Tag (The Obvious One)

Subscription fatigue is real. Adobe's Creative Cloud is a powerful suite, but its recurring cost is a significant line item for a small business. A single Photoshop subscription costs over £250 per year. Every year. That money could go into marketing, inventory, or your pocket. We're looking for tools that don't demand a perpetual “Adobe Tax.”

The Complexity Overkill

Photoshop can manipulate 3D models, edit video, and prepare complex print-ready files. That's fantastic for a Hollywood studio or a global advertising agency.

But you just need to resize a headshot, remove the background from a product shot, and create a quick graphic for your latest Instagram post. Using Photoshop for these tasks is like commuting to work in a Formula 1 car. You are paying for—and are distracted by—hundreds of features you will never touch.

The “Right Tool for the Job” Mentality

The smartest business owners don't look for the most powerful tool; they look for the most efficient one. The goal is to get a professional result in the minimum amount of time.

This guide is built on that principle. We'll look at tools that solve specific business problems, from creating social media content in minutes to professional-grade photo editing for a simple, one-time fee.

The Final Word: It's Not About Replacing Photoshop, It's About Replacing Your Workflow

Don't get trapped in the search for a perfect, feature-for-feature Photoshop clone. It's a waste of time.

Instead, take five minutes and write down the top 3-5 creative tasks you do every week.

• Is it removing backgrounds from product photos?
• Is it creating a quote graphic for Instagram?
• Is it resizing an image for your blog?

Now, look at the list above. Pick the tool that does those tasks most efficiently. The real cost of any software isn't the price on the box; it's the hours of your life it consumes to get the result you need. For many business owners, a tool like Canva is infinitely more “valuable” than Photoshop, simply because it saves time.

Choose the right tool for the job, get the work done, and return to building your business.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Need a Professional Touch?

Choosing the right tool is a significant first step. However, the most effective brands are built on a foundation of unique, strategic design, not just software skills. If you're ready to move beyond templates and create a visual identity that truly represents your business, we can help.

At Inkbot Design, we handle the complex design work so you can focus on what you do best. Explore our graphic design services or request a quote to see how we can bring your vision to life.