Many photographers or designers want simple, quick, and effective editing solutions. Photoshop’s steep learning curve often scares people away, especially those wanting only basic edits like cropping or color fixes. Subscription pricing also pushes these users to explore budget-friendly options.

Whether you're on a budget or simply prefer a more streamlined tool, there are incredible Photoshop alternatives available today.

How to edit photos without Photoshop [Best alternatives]

You don’t need to sacrifice quality just because you’re not using Photoshop. Below are the best tools that deliver impressive features for free. Choose the best tool to edit your photos even without Photoshop.

Next, here are 8 efficient photo editors that allow you to edit images without Photoshop. We've categorized them to help you find the perfect fit.

1. Edit photos at zero cost without needing Photoshop [open-source]

These tools are suitable for users with a limited budget who still need near-professional-level features. They are completely free and usually have active community support.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

GIMP is the free software that is functionally closest to Photoshop, but it requires a certain learning curve.

Strength:

• It almost has all the core functions similar to Photoshop, including a complete layer system, advanced masking tools, a rich filter library, custom brushes, and path tools.
• Supports a wide range of file formats, including PSD.

👩Ideal for: Tech enthusiasts, students, budget-conscious professionals, and anyone willing to spend time learning a powerful tool.

✍Notes:

• The user interface is relatively outdated, which may make it difficult for beginners to adapt.
• Some workflows (such as CMYK color mode support) are not as refined as those in paid software.

Photopea

This is an "online Photoshop" that runs in the browser. Its interface, shortcuts, and file structure are highly similar to Photoshop, and it can even directly open and edit PSD files, allowing for a seamless transition. No installation required, cross-platform use.

👩Ideal for:

• Users who need temporary or lightweight editing;
• Users who need to work on a Chromebook or public computer;
• Photoshop users looking for a quick online alternative.

✍Notes:

• As an online tool, it has comprehensive features but is limited by browser performance, and may slow down when handling huge files or complex operations.
• Requires a stable internet connection.

2. All-in-one online alternative to Photoshop

These tools emphasize ease of use, templating, and collaboration, making them suitable for quickly producing social media content or performing basic edits.

Canva

No need for Photoshop to edit photos; for quick design-oriented editing and content creation, Canva is the top choice.

✨Strength:

• A professional graphic design platform that offers one-click background removal, basic color adjustments, filters, special effects, and a wide range of creative templates.
• The team collaboration features are excellent.

👩Ideal for: Social media managers, content creators, small business owners, educators, and anyone who needs to quickly create beautiful graphics and text rather than perform deep photo editing.

Pixlr (X/E)

Pixlr is great for users who want quick edits without complexity. It’s lighter than Photopea and ideal for social media. It provides two sets of tools.

Pixlr X is designed for quick, automated editing (cropping, color adjustment, beauty enhancement); Pixlr E offers a complete layer editing experience, more like a streamlined online Photoshop.

👩Ideal for: Pixlr X is suitable for beginners and quick photo editing; Pixlr E is suitable for users who need to perform more complex compositing and layered editing online.

✍Note: Limited advanced tools

3. Editing photos without Photoshop on Mac

If you are an Apple user, these native apps can provide the best experience with seamless integration into the macOS system.

Pixelmator Pro

Pixelmator Pro fully utilizes macOS technologies (such as Metal, Core ML). The interface is beautiful, and the ML-enhanced tools (such as Super Resolution, Background Removal, and Defect Repair) are very intelligent and efficient. It balances professional features and ease of use.

👩Ideal for: Mac users, whether they are photography enthusiasts or professional designers, who want a tool with a beautiful interface, smooth operation, and powerful features to edit photos on Mac without Photoshop.

Acorn

Acorn is a lightweight, fast, yet fully featured image editor. It includes layers, filters, vector tools, and script support (plugins can be written in JavaScript or Python). Starts up quickly and uses minimal system resources.

👩Ideal for:

Mac users who need a lightweight application that can meet daily editing and design needs or developers/advanced users who like to extend functionality through scripts.

4. AI image editor to simplify image editing of Photoshop

UltraPic does not aim to be a "jack of all trades," but rather focuses on using AI to address the most time-consuming editing pain points.

Its core features—AI background removal and generation—can separate foreground and background with high precision in just a few seconds, whether dealing with complex hair, transparent objects, or dense scenes.

You can also use AI to batch remove or creatively generate new backgrounds. This makes UltraPic the perfect complementary tool for any creative workflow, whether it's for removing backgrounds from e-commerce product images or creating commercial promotional pictures.

Create Studio-Quality Product Photos with AI

Make product images clean, professional and conversion-ready.

• Remove messy backgrounds in one click effortlessly
• Generate eye-catching custom backdrops for photos
• Boost clicks and sales with better product images
• No design or editing skills needed, instant result

Get Started for Free Or drop an image here

👩Target audience: E-commerce sellers, social media managers, photographers, and anyone who frequently needs to process image backgrounds with high quality.

Without the need for complex Photoshop operations, UltraPic represents the future trend of achieving "one-click professional effects" using AI technology, greatly enhancing the efficiency of specific editing tasks.

5. One-time payment Photoshop alternative software

Affinity Photo is widely considered the strongest competitor to Photoshop. It requires a one-time purchase—no subscriptions.

• It even surpasses Photoshop in performance in certain aspects, such as real-time layer preview and RAW processing speed.
• Provides non-destructive adjustment layers, advanced selection refinement, panorama stitching, HDR merging, and a powerful brush engine.
• Compatible with PSD files.

👩Ideal for: Professional photographers, digital artists, and anyone seeking comprehensive features, excellent performance, and a one-time payment for professional use.

If you want professional software that is closest to Photoshop in terms of functionality and concept but operates on a one-time purchase basis, Affinity Photo is the best choice.

Through the detailed comparison above, you can choose the most suitable Photoshop alternative based on your budget, operating system, main work content, and technical level, and embark on an efficient and economical image editing journey.

Conclusion

Learning how to edit photos without Photoshop is simple thanks to modern, user-friendly tools. Whether you prefer online editors like Pixlr, advanced free programs like GIMP, or professional AI tools UltraPic, there’s an option for every skill level and budget. These tools make photo editing faster, more affordable, and accessible to everyone—no expensive subscriptions required.