While Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard for graphic designers and photo editors, it’s
also clunky and expensive for beginners and definitely not for those on a RAM budget.
So if you’re searching for a program that’s lighter, easier, and cheaper, then you came
to the right place, because today I’m going to tell you the 9 Best Alternatives to Photoshop
for Graphic Design.
#1.
Affinity Photo.
As a photo editing tool, Affinity Photo is a more lightweight option than Photoshop that
promises fewer crashes and lightning-fast rendering of all your edits.
And there’s no shortage of features!
Enjoy unlimited layers, over ONE MILLION percent zoom, a full set of 16-bit filters, and effects
like blurring, lighting, and distortions.
Heads up, this feature-rich tool still has a similar learning curve to Photoshop.
#2.
RelayThat
Full-disclosure, this one is an AppSumo partner, which means that for a limited time, you can
get lifetime access to RelayThat for a *super* low price.
But that’s not the reason to brag about it!
This tool is so unique that not even Photoshop can touch it.
Once you’ve uploaded your brand assets, like the colors, logos, images, and fonts,
kick back and watch as RelayThat auto-generates multiple designs at once in a variety of sizes
for a variety of use cases.
This is the perfect app for creatives focused on digital social media and website graphics.
#3.
PicMonkey
PicMonkey is a Canva-like photo editing and design tool that is chock-full of design assets
and templates, so if you’re wanting to create graphics for business use cases, PicMonkey
may be a faster way to get designs out the door.
Plus, with photo enhancement and real-time team collaboration, this tool can be a gamechanger
for more than just Instagram graphics.
#4.
Photopea.
Pssst, Sumo-lings: of the free alternatives on this list, this one is definitely the most
similar to Photoshop.
Photopea is a free alternative to Photoshop.
On their website, you can jump straight into a project, with much of the functionality
you’re used to enjoying with premium photo editing tools.
Photopea lets you add text, crop images, blur certain layers, change colors, and much more.
Plus, you can export the final product in most of your favorite formats!
#5.
GIMP.
GIMP was designed with designers in mind, and it empowers them with the tools to edit
photos and create graphics.
It also provides different code support for developers who want to use their designs across
websites and have more custom-rich options.
While the UI is a *touuuch* outdated and some additional downloads may be required, GIMP
offers many top photo editing features to help you touch up your favorite photos, add
filters, and even customize your working interface.
#6.
PhotoScape X.
Get excited!
This one is another free alternative to Photoshop.
PhotoScape X helps you design and edit photos using a variety of powerful tools.
You have all the normal editing tools like cropping, filters, brushes, and color and
background changes.
Pluuuus, with bulk-editing features like batch resize, batch format change, and more, you’re
guaranteed streamlined organization and editing.
#7.
FireAlpaca.
First of all, we can’t talk about FireAlpaca without pointing out how classy this Alpaca is
in a bowtie.
And while you may come for the classy Alpaca, users stay for the free paint tool with simple
functionality for creating graphics.
FireAlpaca gives you different viewing options as well, including 3D view, and you can use
the Pencil, Airbrush, or Blur tools to edit graphics with artistic accuracy.
If you’re leaving Photoshop because it’s too complex, FireAlpaca is the tool for you.
#8.
Photoshop Express.
Of course, Adobe has also gotten into the free image editing and collage app game with
Photoshop Express.
The difference here boils down to interface and functionality—plus the fact that Photoshop
Express is “built for mobile device photography.”
You can think of it as Photoshop lite for mobile.
With intelligent edits, spot healing, auto-fix, and robust filters and effects, you can edit
photos for social posting to your heart’s content in this tiny but powerful app.
#9.
Krita
Krita is a free, flexible, open-source painting program that won TechRadar’s #1 best free
painting software for 2019.
With over 100 brush types, 9 brush engines, and brush stabilizer, there’s plenty to
play around with inside Krita.
A more intuitive and lightweight alternative to a previously mentioned GIMP, Krita
is one of the best alternatives to Photoshop in terms of brush performance.
Graphic designers!
We want to know what tools you’re loving.
Let us know down in the comments which of these you’ve tried out, and head over to
the blog post linked in the description for five more tools that will take your design
skills to the next level.