Photoshop is the best known and most commonly used tool for photo editing. The problem with this application is that it is paid and quite expensive if you are not dedicated to professional editing. You should know that there are alternative applications for editing photos that are free or have very cheap paid versions.
Adobe has developed a large ecosystem of tools for editing photos around Photoshop. This software is highly complete and can be somewhat complicated to use for more inexperienced users. You should know that there are many alternatives that are equally complete but easy to use.
We have compiled different powerful but completely free applications. We have also looked for options that are paid, but very affordable, so that you don’t have to invest a lot of money to use them.
gimp
Considered the best alternative available for Photoshop. It is a highly complete, free and open source application, in addition to being compatible with practically any operating system. Many go through the cost of the Adobe suite, but others do it because it is easier to use.
It allows you to work in layers and other features that can also be found in Photoshop, but without paying. It integrates filters that simplify use and other quick functions for less expert users who want a simple and quick-to-use solution. You can download it easily from here.
RAWTherapee
It is considered the best possible alternative for those who are dedicated to professional photography editing. The main strength of RAWTherapee is that it is created especially for the use of RAW images. On the negative side, its use is not easy and requires time to learn how to use this application, which you can download from your Web page.
One great thing about this software is that it receives regular updates to improve its functionality. It is free software, so you will not have to pay to use it. As it is based on RAW images, it is considered a software more for those who are dedicated to professional photography and do not want to pay hundreds or thousands of euros for Photoshop.
Krita
Let’s say that it is a very interesting and free alternative, although its main function is not photo editing. Krita is a program more focused on digital paint, although it also allows photo editing. It allows you to work with illustrations, create graphic stories, concept art, digital painting and much more.
Free and open source tool that is available for all types of operating systems. It has a simple, very intuitive interface. It has panels that can be moved easily and that we can position wherever we want. It offers tools that allow brush stabilization, pop-up palette, brush engines and many other resources.
canva
Surely this tool sounds familiar to you, since it has become very popular. Canva is mostly known for its web version, although it also has desktop application very similar to the web interface. It is a very simple tool to use, designed for users who do not have editing knowledge and want something easy to use.
The big drawback of this tool is that the free version is very limited. It has a paid version that costs 12 euros per month, a quite reasonable price. It is very popular among those who are dedicated to content creation because it allows you to create images and videos for different social networks.
Pixlr
Really, this is not just one app but a subset of apps with different features. Pixlr has various editors different with also diverse characteristics. It has several modern options that integrate artificial intelligence to simplify and improve image editing.
While the free version allows the use of all the tools, the capabilities are somewhat limited. To access certain functions, such as advanced AI functions or different libraries, the paid version is required, which costs $5 per month. In addition, it allows us to save all the designs we want and eliminates ads in the application.
Editor’s recommendation
Based on my experience of using it for years, there is nothing faster and easier than Canva. This application is more than reasonably priced for the number of options it offers and everything it allows you to do. We can edit a photo in seconds, combining images, applying filters and many other options. In addition to photography, it also allows you to edit video or create resumes, among many other features.
I have been paying for the license for years, since I use it a lot. The good thing about this is that we can pay and suspend payment as many times as we want. It does not establish a minimum number of months, we can activate it for one month, deactivate it again and after several months, pay again if we want. Note that the free version is very limited, not giving access to many of the resources that are only available in the paid version.
