Best Adobe Photoshop Alternatives in 2026
The top Adobe Photoshop alternatives are Adobe Lightroom, Capture One and darktable: 15 photo editing software our editors would look at instead of Adobe Photoshop, in our ranking order.
Adobe Photoshop: A deep, multi-platform editor for compositing, retouching, RAW work, and AI-assisted edits. Where it falls short: desktop, web, and mobile versions have different feature sets.
Switching from Adobe Photoshop? For most photo editing software buyers the best Adobe Photoshop alternative is Adobe Lightroom, built for rAW workflows and cross-device photo editing.
Why People Look for an Adobe Photoshop Alternative
- 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
- No free plan — 8 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallAdobe Lightroom9.2
RAW workflows and cross-device photo editing
Visit Adobe Lightroom - Best free optionAdobe Lightroom9.2
Has a free plan (Adobe Photoshop has none)
Visit Adobe Lightroom
All 15 Adobe Photoshop Alternatives, Ranked
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Best forRAW workflows and cross-device photo editing
- Better than Adobe Photoshop:
- Free plan
A broad Lightroom workflow for RAW editing, masking, organization, and synchronized access.
- Cloud sync
- AI retouching
- RAW photo support
9.2/10★★★★★Try Adobe Lightroom -
Best forProfessional RAW and tethered workflows
A deep choice for professional RAW and tethered workflows, without a free plan.
- Cloud sync
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Capture One -
Best forFree open-source RAW cataloging
- Better than Adobe Photoshop:
- Free plan
A free, cross-platform RAW workflow with cataloging, masking, batch editing, and AI tools.
- AI retouching
- RAW photo support
- Masking tools
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit darktable -
Best forFree layered editing and extensibility
- Better than Adobe Photoshop:
- Free plan
A capable free editor for layered work, masking, scripting, and plug-in-based RAW workflows.
- Layer editing
- Masking tools
- Batch editing
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit GIMP -
Best forAll-in-one desktop RAW editing
A broad desktop RAW editor with layers, masking, organization, AI, and cloud sync.
- Cloud sync
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit ON1 -
Best forHigh-quality RAW correction and denoising
A focused desktop editor for RAW correction, denoising, and batch workflows.
- AI retouching
- RAW photo support
- Masking tools
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit DxO PhotoLab -
Best forWindows photo management and editing
A broad Windows editor for photographers who want organization, advanced editing, and cloud services.
- Cloud sync
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Zoner -
Best forWindows editing with design tools
A broad Windows editor for photographers and designers who need more than basic corrections.
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
- RAW photo support
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit PaintShop Pro -
Best forApple users needing RAW batch workflows
A capable Apple-focused editor for RAW, masking, retouching, and batch workflows.
- Cloud sync
- AI retouching
- RAW photo support
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Photomator -
Best forAI-focused editing across devices
A multi-platform editor with deep AI tools, RAW support, layers, and masking.
- Cloud sync
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Luminar Neo -
Best forFree open-source RAW development
- Better than Adobe Photoshop:
- Free plan
A capable free RAW workflow with masking, batch tools, and non-destructive editing.
- RAW photo support
- Masking tools
- Batch editing
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit RawTherapee -
Best forLow-cost browser and batch editing
- Better than Adobe Photoshop:
- Free plan
A low-cost, multi-platform editor with layers, batch macros, and AI tools.
- Cloud sync
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Pixlr -
Best forFree Photoshop-style browser editing
- Better than Adobe Photoshop:
- Free plan
A capable free browser editor for Photoshop-style workflows and mixed file formats.
- Cloud sync
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Photopea -
Best forAffordable AI-assisted desktop editing
- Better than Adobe Photoshop:
- Free plan
A broad desktop editor with free basics, RAW tools, layers, batch AI, and cloud options.
- Cloud sync
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit PhotoDirector -
Best forAccessible AI editing across platforms
- Better than Adobe Photoshop:
- Free plan
Fotor brings accessible AI editing, layers, masking, and batch tools to multiple platforms.
- Cloud sync
- Layer editing
- AI retouching
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Fotor
Adobe Photoshop Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Adobe Photoshop?
Adobe Lightroom: #2 in our Photo Editing Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.2 out of 10. A broad Lightroom workflow for RAW editing, masking, organization, and synchronized access.
Is there a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop?
Yes. Adobe Lightroom, darktable, GIMP, RawTherapee and Pixlr have a free plan or a free tier (8 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Adobe Photoshop alternatives?
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.
How do I switch from Adobe Photoshop?
Export your data from Adobe Photoshop (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Adobe Photoshop.
How to Switch from Adobe Photoshop
- Export your data from Adobe Photoshop (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Adobe Photoshop.
Adobe Photoshop vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Platform | RAW photo support | Layer editing | Masking tools | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adobe Photoshop | No | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.4 | |
| 1 | Adobe Lightroom | Yes | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | ||
| 2 | Capture One | No | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 | |
| 3 | darktable | Yes | Free | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 4 | GIMP | Yes | Free | Multi-platform | No | Yes | Yes | 8.7 |
| 5 | ON1 Photo RAW | No | Desktop | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 6 | DxO PhotoLab | No | $159.99 one-time | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 7 | Zoner Photo Studio X | No | $59/yr | Desktop | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.4 |
| 8 | PaintShop Pro | No | Desktop | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 9 | Photomator | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | 8.1 | |||
| 10 | Luminar Neo | No | $129 one-time | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.0 |
| 11 | RawTherapee | Yes | Free | Desktop | Yes | No | Yes | 7.9 |
| 12 | Pixlr | Yes | Multi-platform | No | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 13 | Photopea | Yes | Web | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 14 | PhotoDirector | Yes | $79.99/yr | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 15 | Fotor | Yes | Multi-platform | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
Head-to-Head
- Adobe Photoshop vs Adobe Lightroom
- Adobe Photoshop vs Capture One
- Adobe Photoshop vs darktable
- Adobe Photoshop vs GIMP
- Adobe Photoshop vs ON1 Photo RAW
- Adobe Photoshop vs DxO PhotoLab
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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