Adobe Photoshop vs GIMP

Adobe Photoshop9.4Visit GIMP8.7Visit

Higher score Adobe Photoshop #1 in Photo Editing Software 9.4/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Try Adobe Photoshop

vs

GIMP #5 in Photo Editing Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 6 features Visit GIMP

• Adobe Photoshop fits best

  Professional compositing and advanced editing

• GIMP fits best

  Free layered editing and extensibility

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Side by side

Feature	Adobe Photoshop 9.4/10 Visit ↗	GIMP 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.7
Ranking	#1 in Photo Editing Software	#5 in Photo Editing Software
Best for	Professional compositing and advanced editing	Free layered editing and extensibility
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs · 24/7	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Adobe Photoshop 6/6 · GIMP 3/6
RAW photo support	✓ (best)	—
Layer editing	✓	✓
Masking tools	✓	✓
Batch editing	✓	✓
Cloud sync	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
AI retouching	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Platform	Multi-platform	Multi-platform
Our review
Pros	Editable layers, masks, Smart Objects, and Camera Raw support Batch processing, automated conversion, and cloud documents Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and AI-powered Harmonize	Free and open-source across Windows, macOS, and Linux Layers, masks, high-bit-depth processing, and broad format support Extensible through plug-ins, scripting, and command-line batch processing
Cons	Desktop, web, and mobile versions have different feature sets Web and full desktop access require a plan or trial Cloud storage ranges from 100GB to 1TB by plan	RAW workflows require darktable or RawTherapee plug-ins Desktop-focused rather than a cloud-based editing workflow Volunteer-community maintenance may not suit buyers seeking a commercial vendor
Our verdict	Adobe Photoshop is an image-editing application for creating, retouching, compositing, and transforming photos and graphics. It is aimed at professionals and advanced editors who need editable layers, masks, RAW adjustments, batch… Read the review →	GIMP is a free, open-source desktop application for creating, editing, retouching, and composing images. It is aimed at photographers, artists, designers, and other image creators who need layered editing without a paid license. Its core… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Adobe Photoshop — where it wins

  • Editable layers, masks, Smart Objects, and Camera Raw support
  • Batch processing, automated conversion, and cloud documents
  • Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and AI-powered Harmonize

  Where it doesn't

  • Desktop, web, and mobile versions have different feature sets
  • Web and full desktop access require a plan or trial
  • Cloud storage ranges from 100GB to 1TB by plan

• GIMP — where it wins

  • Free and open-source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Layers, masks, high-bit-depth processing, and broad format support
  • Extensible through plug-ins, scripting, and command-line batch processing

  Where it doesn't

  • RAW workflows require darktable or RawTherapee plug-ins
  • Desktop-focused rather than a cloud-based editing workflow
  • Volunteer-community maintenance may not suit buyers seeking a commercial vendor

• Adobe Photoshop9.4/10 · 7-day trial

  A deep, multi-platform editor for compositing, retouching, RAW work, and AI-assisted edits.

  Try Adobe PhotoshopFull verdict →
• GIMP8.7/10 · Free plan

  A capable free editor for layered work, masking, scripting, and plug-in-based RAW workflows.

  Visit GIMPFull verdict →