Instead of GIMP, try one of these 9.
Every alternative is lined up against GIMP on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. GIMP sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Likes
GIMPWhat you have now
Free, open-source image editor with layers, masks and plugins.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Photopea#1
Photoshop-like editor right in the browser, opens PSD files.
PriceFreemium
ads, $5/mo to remove
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
LikesVisit ↗
Krita#2
Open-source digital painting studio made by artists.
PriceFree
donations
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Lightweight free image editor for Windows with layers.
PriceFree
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win
LikesVisit ↗
MyPaint#4
Minimal raster painting app tuned for drawing tablets.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
LikesVisit ↗
Non-destructive RAW photography workflow and darkroom toolkit.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
LikesVisit ↗
Pixlr#6
Web photo editor with AI tools and filters.
PricePaid
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
RawTherapee#7
Open RAW converter with detailed color and detail controls.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
LikesVisit ↗
Affinity#8
Unified suite for photo, vector, and layout design.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · iOS
LikesVisit ↗
PhotoSplice#9
Offline open-source PSD editor with layers and masks.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux
LikesVisit ↗
How to read this. “Yes” means fully supported by the maker. “Partial” means it works with caveats. Likes reflect community popularity; vendors can’t pay for them or for placement. How we compare.
GIMP alternatives at a glance
GIMP is a free design app. We compared 9 alternatives: 5 are open source, 6 are completely free, 0 can be self-hosted and 6 work fully offline. The most popular is Photopea, with 2.9k likes.
Best free optionKrita
Open-source digital painting studio made by artists.
Free · Open source · Works offlineBest open-source optionMyPaint
Minimal raster painting app tuned for drawing tablets.
Free · Open source · Works offlineBest for offline usePaint.NET
Lightweight free image editor for Windows with layers.
Free · Works offline