Photoshop is so ubiquitous these days that, like Google, it's become a verb: 'to Photoshop' is shorthand for editing an image. This might give the impression that Adobe has the market sewn up with its package – but that's not actually the case. In fact, the backlash against Adobe's move to the Creative Cloud in 2013 helped spur on a wide range of alternatives to Photoshop (there are even some options worth exploring). Whether you're looking elsewhere because you can't afford the subscription, or you want to support smaller development houses, or you just don't need all the millions of features that come with Photoshop CC, there are a number of options open to you. Here are the best image editing software options that aren't Photoshop.

I purchased and downloaded Photoshop elements 2018 yesterday. I found that I have to return the new laptop I installed that program on. I have no record nor can I 'change' the PW. Just installed latest Mac update - Sierra 10.12.2 and Photoshop fails to startup - have tried multiple.

Can this Photoshop alternative topple Adobe from its throne? • Platform: Mac, Windows, iPad • Price: £48.99/$49.99 (one-off payment) Serif's Affinity Photo started creating a stir in the creative community almost the moment it was released, and it's perhaps the most serious Photoshop alternative we've seen to date. Fully compatible with Photoshop and other file formats, it's aimed squarely at professional photographers and designers, and although Affinity Photo is hugely cheaper than Photoshop (with no subscription), its creators argue it's actually better, promising higher speeds, fewer crashes and unlimited undos. In truth, the amount of improved performance you'll get will probably depend what equipment you're using (it's been specifically designed to take advantage of the latest quad core technology).

Mac os buttons for windows 10. Originally Mac-only, Affinity Photo is now available on, and in summer of 2017 Serif also launched. Anyone looking for an alternative to Photoshop, Affinity Photo is definitely worth investigating. You can find out more about the features and capabilities on Affinity Photo. Ms project for mac trial version. Sketch includes tools similar to that of Photoshop and Illustrator at a fraction of the price • Platform: Mac • Price: $99/year or A professional vector graphics app for creatives, in recent years Sketch has created enormous buzz within the design community, and web designers in particular.

With a simple UI, Sketch has many features similar to that of Photoshop and Illustrator, including layers, gradients, colour picker and style presets. Its popularity means there are also plenty of community-created you can use to extend its functionality.

The development team behind Sketch has made it as flexible as possible, with it supporting infinite zooming and vector shapes that are perfect for multiple resolutions. You can build a new graphic from primitive shapes or start a new one with the Vector or Pencil tool. GIMP is a popular, free alternative to Photoshop • Platform: Linux, Windows, Mac • Price: Free A free, open-source alternative to Photoshop that's been around for donkey's years, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. Today it's available in versions for Linux, Windows and Mac. GIMP offers a wide toolset, similar to Photoshop in many ways, and is a great option if you're looking for a no-cost image editor.