Free Alternatives to Photoshop (2026): Affinity Photo Is Now Free — Full Comparison

Affinity Photo 2 is now the best free Photoshop alternative — and it's not close. After Canva acquired Serif in 2024, the entire Affinity suite became free, giving everyone access to a professional photo editor that covers roughly 95% of Photoshop's capabilities at zero cost. If you're paying $22.99/mo ($275.88/yr) for Photoshop, you can likely switch to Affinity Photo and save every penny. For simpler edits, Photopea runs Photoshop's interface in your browser with no install, and GIMP remains the open-source powerhouse for those who want maximum customization.

Adobe Photoshop Pricing in 2026

Photoshop costs $22.99/month on the Photography Plan (bundled with Lightroom) or $34.49/month standalone. That's $275.88–413.88 per year for a single application. The Photography Plan is the most common choice, but it still adds up to over $1,100 every four years.

Adobe also charges an early termination fee (50% of remaining months) if you cancel an annual plan mid-contract. Switching to a free alternative eliminates both the monthly cost and the cancellation risk.

1. Affinity Photo 2 — Best Overall (Free)

Affinity Photo 2 is a full professional photo editor that now costs nothing. It supports layers, masks, RAW processing, HDR merge, focus stacking, frequency separation, and PSD import/export — the core features that 95% of Photoshop users actually need.

Canva acquired Serif (Affinity's parent company) in March 2024 for an undisclosed sum. By mid-2025, Canva made the entire Affinity suite — Photo, Designer, and Publisher — completely free for everyone. This is the biggest shift in creative software since GIMP launched in 1996.

The main things Affinity Photo lacks compared to Photoshop are AI-powered generative fill (Adobe Firefly), Content-Aware Fill, and the massive third-party plugin ecosystem. If you depend on those specific features, Photoshop remains necessary. For everyone else — photographers, retouchers, graphic designers, students — Affinity Photo 2 does the job for free.

Download at affinity.serif.com.

2. Photopea — Best Browser-Based (Free)

Photopea is essentially Photoshop in your browser. It replicates Photoshop's interface almost exactly, supports PSD/XCF/Sketch files, and requires no installation or account. Just open photopea.com and start editing.

Photopea is built and maintained by a single developer (Ivan Kutskirr) and has grown to over 40 million monthly users. It's ad-supported — you see banner ads on the sides, but they don't interrupt your workflow. A $5/mo premium plan removes ads and adds extra features, but the free version is fully functional.

Photopea processes everything locally in your browser — no files are uploaded to any server, making it suitable for confidential client work. Performance handles multi-layer PSDs with 50+ layers, and it receives weekly updates from solo developer Ivan Kutskir, who has maintained the project since 2013.

Best for: Anyone who needs to make quick edits, open PSD files, or work on a Chromebook or shared computer without installing software.

3. GIMP — Best Open-Source (Free)

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the most powerful free open-source image editor, with deep customization through scripting and plugins. It handles layers, masks, color curves, clone/heal tools, and supports PSD import — but the interface takes time to learn.

GIMP's biggest weakness is the user interface. It doesn't look or feel like Photoshop, and the transition can be frustrating for experienced Photoshop users. Photopea and Affinity Photo both offer much more familiar interfaces. But for Linux users, automation enthusiasts, and anyone who wants a truly free, open-source editor with no strings attached, GIMP is unmatched.

Download at gimp.org.

4. Canva — Best for Non-Designers (Free Tier)

Canva isn't a Photoshop replacement for photo editing, but it's the best free tool for creating social media graphics, presentations, marketing materials, and quick designs. If you're using Photoshop primarily to make social posts, flyers, or web graphics, Canva does it faster with thousands of templates.

The free tier includes 250,000+ templates, basic photo editing tools, 5 GB cloud storage, and access to a massive library of stock photos and graphics. Canva Pro ($12.99/mo) adds background removal, brand kits, and premium assets — but the free tier covers most needs.

Canva's 2024 acquisition of Serif (Affinity's parent company) means Canva now owns both the simplest and most advanced Photoshop alternatives on this list. The free Canva tier includes 250,000+ templates, 1 million+ stock photos, and AI-powered Magic Write and Magic Eraser tools. For teams and small businesses producing marketing content, Canva often replaces not just Photoshop but also Illustrator and InDesign — entirely free for basic use. Canva Pro ($13/mo) is still cheaper than Photoshop and adds background removal, brand kits, and Magic Resize for multi-platform content.

Best for: Social media managers, marketers, small business owners, and anyone who needs to create designs quickly without learning professional editing software.

5. Pixlr — Best for Quick Touch-Ups (Free Tier)

Pixlr is a lightweight browser-based editor that's faster and simpler than Photopea for basic tasks — cropping, filters, exposure adjustments, and quick retouching. It won't replace Photoshop for serious editing, but it's perfect for quick social media resizes, basic color correction, and simple compositions.

The free tier includes the core editor, AI-powered background removal, and basic templates. Pixlr Premium ($7.99/mo) removes ads and adds batch editing.

Pixlr runs entirely in your browser like Photopea, but targets a different audience — people who want Instagram-style filters, one-click enhancements, and AI-powered background removal without learning layer-based editing. Pixlr's AI tools are surprisingly capable: the auto-cutout handles complex hair edges well, and the AI image generator creates usable stock-style images from text prompts. The free tier limits you to 3 saves per day and includes ads, but for occasional use that's sufficient.

Best for: Quick photo touch-ups, social media resizing, and basic filters when you don't need a full editor.

6. Paint.NET — Best for Windows Simplicity (Free)

Paint.NET is a free Windows-only image editor that sits between Microsoft Paint and Photoshop in complexity. It supports layers, effects, plugins, and has a clean interface that's easy for beginners. It won't handle professional photo retouching, but for screenshots, web graphics, and basic editing, it's fast and efficient.

Download at getpaint.net.

Paint.NET's plugin ecosystem is its secret weapon — community plugins add content-aware fill, edge detection, advanced blur effects, and even basic RAW support. The unlimited undo history and crash recovery mean you never lose work. For batch operations like watermarking, resizing portfolios, or converting file formats, Paint.NET's simplicity is an advantage — no bloat, no subscription nag screens, and it launches in under 2 seconds.

Best for: Windows users who need more than MS Paint but less than GIMP.

Which Free Alternative Should You Choose?

Choose based on your primary use case: Affinity Photo 2 for professional editing, Photopea for browser-based PSD work, GIMP for open-source customization, or Canva for template-driven design.

Annual Cost Comparison: Photoshop vs Free Alternatives

Switching from Photoshop to any free alternative saves $275.88 per year — and if you're on the full Creative Cloud plan at $59.99/mo, the savings jump to $719.88 annually.

Even if you combine Affinity Photo 2 (free) with Photopea Premium ($5/mo for ad-free browsing), your total annual cost is $60 — less than three months of Photoshop alone. The math overwhelmingly favors switching unless you depend on Adobe's AI features or Creative Cloud integration with Premiere Pro, After Effects, or InDesign.

How to Cancel Adobe Photoshop

If you're ready to switch, check our guide to lowering your Adobe Creative Cloud costs first — there may be ways to get a discount before canceling entirely. When you're ready to cancel, be aware of the early termination fee: Adobe charges 50% of remaining contract months if you cancel an annual plan early. To avoid this, either wait until your annual renewal date or switch to a monthly plan first.

For more ways to cut subscription costs, run a free subscription audit to see your total spend, or browse our cancel guides for 160+ services.