Best Open-Source & Free Photoshop Alternatives (2026)
People look for a Photoshop alternative when they want to avoid a subscription, run locally, or use an OSI-style license. This hub only lists tools we verified on 2026-10-13.
- PhotoCraft — Pure-Rust open-source photo editor in the ArtCraft suite (early alpha).
- GIMP — Long-standing free image editor (GPL).
How we pick
- Open-source license we could open on an official host (Apache-2.0 or GPL family).
- Documented platforms from the project’s own README or listing.
- Honest maturity: PhotoCraft is early alpha; GIMP is a long-standing editor.
- We do not rank by unsourced speed tests or unreviewed feature matrices.
Comparison
| Name | License | Price | Platforms | Runs locally | Key strengths | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhotoCraft | Apache-2.0 | free | macOS, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Web | Yes | Pure-Rust open-source photo editor in the ArtCraft suite (early alpha). | Not yet verified |
| GIMP | GPL-3.0-or-later | free | Not yet verified from seed data | Yes | Long-standing free image editor (GPL). | Not yet verified |
Why these two
The seed and verification notes cover PhotoCraft and GIMP. PhotoCraft is a new GitHub project (created 2026-09-30) with 51,828 stars and 8,537 forks as of 2026-10-13, Apache-2.0, written from scratch in pure Rust, targeting macOS, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and Web, and labeled early alpha. It sits in the ArtCraft suite (storytold/artcraft, 20,710 stars, Apache-2.0, created 2022-03-31).
GIMP is a long-standing free image editor. The seed listing uses the GitLab project and a GitHub read-only mirror (GNOME/gimp) with 6,507 stars on that mirror, created 2012-06-03, license GPL-3.0-or-later.
By scenario
- Need a production-proven free editor: start with GIMP. We have not independently tested a specific version for this page.
- Want a new Rust-native editor and accept early-alpha risk: read PhotoCraft and the install outline.
- Choosing between those two: PhotoCraft vs GIMP.
Migration
We have not tested file-format round-trips or shortcut maps. Treat any Photoshop-to-FOSS migration guide you find elsewhere as unverified here until we add a tested section.
What we left out
Other editors (including Krita) are often named in this query class. They are queued for review. This page will gain rows only after a license file and official platform list are checked.
Listed options
PhotoCraft
Pure-Rust open-source photo editor in the ArtCraft suite (early alpha).
GIMP
Long-standing free image editor (GPL).
FAQ
What is the best free Photoshop alternative right now?
Among options we have sourced, GIMP is the long-standing free image editor (GPL-3.0-or-later). PhotoCraft is a new pure-Rust editor under Apache-2.0, but its repository describes it as early alpha. “Best” depends on whether you need maturity or want to try a new codebase.
Is PhotoCraft a drop-in Photoshop replacement?
No sourced document we reviewed claims feature parity. PhotoCraft is an open-source photo editor written in Rust, part of the ArtCraft suite, and is explicitly early alpha as of the 2026-10-13 check.
Do you include Krita or others?
Not on this list yet. Krita is commonly discussed as a Photoshop alternative, but it is not in our verified seed set, so we do not invent stars, licenses, or platform claims for it.
Related comparisons
Guides
Other alternative lists in this category
Sources & verification
- https://github.com/storytold/photocraft
- https://github.com/storytold/artcraft
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp
- https://github.com/GNOME/gimp
License notes are not legal advice. Read the original LICENSE. Trademark & disclaimer.