5 Free Photo Editing Tools for Those Looking for Programs Similar to Photoshop

For photo editing, Photoshop is probably a vital tool for any photographer or graphic designer. This program is effective not only for enhancing photos and creating digital images, but also for editing videos. However, in addition to Photoshop, which has all these features, there are many affordable and inexpensive options for those who are looking for programs like Photoshop.

Especially those who do photo editing for fun or hobbies may find the cost of Photoshop quite high. Luckily, you don’t have to spend a dime to use these Photoshop-like photo editing apps. Some of these alternative applications are as feature-rich as Photoshop, while others offer simpler and easier-to-use tools for beginners.

Among programs like Photoshop, there are also options that can be used directly through an Internet browser. It does not require any installation. In short, if you’re not looking for a powerful application like Photoshop, or if you’re on a tight budget, you can find plenty of great options among alternatives like Photoshop.

Photopea is one of the best free options for advanced photo editing. It has a number of tools such as lasso selection, eyedropper and spot healing brush. It also usually supports not only jpg, png, and gif files, but also Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, and even GIMP format files.

Photopea is very similar to Photoshop in terms of interface. The document window is in the middle, the toolbar is on the left, the sidebar is on the right, and the tool options are at the top. Those who know and are familiar with Photoshop will easily adapt to Photopea.

Users do not need to create an account to use the app. But it can be saved using Google, Microsoft, Facebook, or GitHub accounts for the free 0.5 GB PeaDrive that provides file saving.

Another nice thing about Photopea is that while it’s a browser-based editing tool, it remains fully functional even after the internet is turned off. All they have to do is access the website, users can go offline after accessing the page. That’s why Photopea is the perfect tool for editing on the go.

However, Photopea’s only downside is the annoying ads that appear on the side of the workspace. But let’s also say that you have the option to upgrade to the premium version to get rid of them.

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We included Pixlr in this list because both amateur and professional designers like it. There are two different variants of the car: Pixlr X and Pixlr E.

For those who are relatively new to photo editing and are easily overwhelmed by interfaces, Pixlr X is a great starting point. The text box tool comes with the basic tools you need to edit any image, including lasso selection, cropping, rotation, and effects. On the other hand, Pixlr E may be preferred by those looking for more advanced tools.

Pixlr is designed similarly to Photoshop. Therefore, advanced users will not have problems navigating the workspace. It also offers the typical tools found in any advanced tool, such as repair tools, cloning, and layers. There are a number of ready-made templates that the tools can find in both versions of Pixlr, most of them for social media use (such as the Facebook cover, Twitch banner, and TikTok video).

In addition to Pixlr X and Pixlr E, there is a separate Batch Editor web app that editing tools can use. This app can resize, brighten and crop multiple photos at the same time. Thus, users are spared the hassle of re-editing the same images.

Like Photopea, users can also use the Pixlr app offline. But to get the most out of the app, you need to purchase the premium version of the tools as the free version only has limited features.

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While at first glance BeFunky may seem like a simple photo editing tool, it actually has no less than 50 different editing tools. It has a separate panel for basic tools like cropping, resizing, sharpening, and exposure, as well as retouching tools like blemish editing, teeth whitening, and slimming.

There are also over 30 effects available, as well as many frames, overlays, and textures that you can add to your image. If users prefer a faster editing approach, editors can easily use the BeFunky AI Image Enhancer and AI Portrait Enhancer. They can enhance photos with a single click and save you the hassle of experimenting with separate tools. However, if they want to use these AI tools without watermarking their designs, they will need to upgrade to the premium version.

Like Pixlr, BeFunky comes with a plethora of social media templates, from Instagram stories to Twitter threads. They also have templates for online advertising, postcards and collages. If users need stock photos, the web app comes with a built-in stock image library courtesy of Pixabay and Pexels. Unfortunately, BeFunky cannot be used without an internet connection. Some of the BeFunky reviews also mention delays and formatting issues with some of the features, so it might be worth testing a bit before diving into any complex editing.

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If Photoshop seems expensive or too complicated for you, you can try Express, Adobe’s free photo-editing application. Adobe Express is an online tool that does not require any credit cards or subscriptions.

Users can use Adobe Express tools to crop and remove the background of any photo, crop and merge videos, and edit and compile PDF files. Unlike Photoshop’s overloaded interface, Adobe Express offers a cleaner interface with fewer menus and tools. Adobe Express is the perfect choice for design beginners.

Like other photo editing apps, Adobe Express offers a variety of free and premium templates to choose from. There are templates for posts, Instagram posts, stories, logos and more. Users can also easily post designs to leading social media channels directly from the web app.

Another useful feature of Adobe Express for social media managers is the content scheduler. With Content Scheduler, users will automatically post projects at the date and time specified by the user by connecting them to social networks in the web application. However, users who want to schedule more than two posts per month will need to upgrade to a premium plan.

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If all users want is simple photo editing tools, Canva can easily handle the task. This web-based graphic design platform is also one of the best free photo editing apps for Android, and admittedly it’s not as feature-rich as Photoshop.

However, it comes with basic Photoshop-like features like cropping, color adjustment, background removal, and adding filters/effects. The best part is that users won’t have to deal with many buttons and toolbars because Canva’s interface is much more minimalistic, intuitive, and beginner-friendly.

On the other hand, the application is more focused on the development of graphics for social networks. It has a diverse collection of elements that users can add to an image, from lines and shapes to animated stickers and videos. For those who are new to graphic design and don’t want to design from scratch, Canva offers hundreds of templates. You can find templates for invoices, invitations, and even presentations.

They can also share anything created in Canva with others if they want to collaborate on a design. Users can also share their designs and post them directly to social media sites including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Unfortunately, users cannot find an option to export the design to a Photoshop file. Finally, Canva is not available offline.

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