You can find other software that’s less expensive than Photoshop and doesn’t require a subscription, and in fact we have a whole roundup of Photoshop alternatives. By comparison, you pay a minimum of $9.99 per month for Adobe Photoshop for as long as you plan to use it. If you really love it and want to support it, you can donate to its developers via Patreon.

It’s free to download and free to use, and developers can even create their own new software that employs its code. The application is what’s known as FOSS-free and open-source software. Still, if you’re looking for Photoshop-like capabilities but don’t want to pay a dime, GIMP is worth exploring.

GIMP's performance also can’t compare with the category leader. But if you use GIMP, you miss out on Photoshop’s polished interface and cutting-edge features such as the recent Neural Filters, Smart Objects, and raw camera file editing prowess. It includes many powerful Photoshop-like capabilities, including layers, plug-ins, painting, text, filters, selection, and masking. GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is the longtime open-source photo editing alternative to Adobe’s category-leading Photoshop.

Image manipulation program