3 Best Photopea Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 10 min read
Photopea is a popular tool for users wanting free photoshop-like editing. While it offers a free tier (Free with ads), its paid plans start at $5/mo (ad-free). Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 3 best Photopea alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 3
- Free alternatives: 2 (GIMP, Canva)
- Open-source options: GIMP
- Best overall: Adobe Creative Cloud
- Best free: GIMP
Why Look for Photopea Alternatives?
People commonly look for Photopea alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While Photopea has a free tier, its paid plans starting at $5/mo (ad-free) can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Ads on free and no offline are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Photopea overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Data ownership: Organizations wanting data sovereignty prefer open-source, self-hosted alternatives.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photopea | ✓ Free with ads | $5/mo (ad-free) | ⭐ 4.4 | No | Users wanting free Photoshop-like editing |
| Adobe Creative Cloud | ✗ No | $22.99/mo (single app) | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Professional designers and creatives |
| GIMP | ✓ Completely free | Free | ⭐ 3.9 | ✓ Yes | Users wanting free professional image editing |
| Canva | ✓ Free with basic features | $12.99/mo | ⭐ 4.6 | No | Non-designers and marketing teams |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Adobe Creative Cloud
The industry-standard suite of creative applications.
Adobe Creative Cloud is the industry-standard suite of creative applications including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and more. While unmatched in professional capabilities, Adobe's subscription model and high pricing have driven many users to seek alternatives.
Pros
- ✓ Industry standard
- ✓ Most powerful tools
- ✓ Comprehensive suite
- ✓ Extensive tutorials
Cons
- ✗ Very expensive
- ✗ Subscription-only
- ✗ Resource heavy
- ✗ Difficult cancellation
GIMP
Free, open-source image editor for photo retouching and manipulation.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free, open-source raster graphics editor used for image retouching, free-form drawing, and converting between different image formats. While it has a steeper learning curve than commercial alternatives, GIMP offers professional-grade features at no cost.
Pros
- ✓ Completely free
- ✓ Open source
- ✓ Very powerful
- ✓ Cross-platform
Cons
- ✗ Steep learning curve
- ✗ Dated interface
- ✗ Not intuitive
- ✗ Performance issues
Canva
Online design platform that makes graphic design accessible to everyone.
Canva has democratized design by making it possible for anyone to create professional-looking graphics, presentations, social media posts, and more. With millions of templates, stock photos, and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, Canva has become the go-to design tool for non-designers and professionals alike.
Pros
- ✓ Very easy to use
- ✓ Massive template library
- ✓ Free tier is generous
- ✓ Constantly adding features
Cons
- ✗ Limited for professional design
- ✗ Can feel generic
- ✗ Export limitations on free
- ✗ Not for complex design work
🏆 Our Recommendations
Best Overall Alternative:
Adobe Creative Cloud — Professional designers and creatives
Best Free Alternative:
GIMP — Completely free
Best Open-Source Alternative:
GIMP — Users wanting free professional image editing
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Photopea?
The best free alternative to Photopea is GIMP, which offers Completely free.
Is there an open-source alternative to Photopea?
Yes! GIMP is open-source alternative to Photopea that you can self-host for free.
What is the cheapest alternative to Photopea?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: GIMP, Canva. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $12.99/mo.
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