There are many alternatives to Adobe Photoshop Elements for Mac if you are looking to replace it. The most popular Mac alternative is GIMP, which is both free and Open Source.If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Photoshop Elements and many of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. It is a low cost, easy to learn alternative to Photoshop. Pixelmator 3 ($30) Pixelmator has, over time, filled in many of the missing elements to make it a true Photoshop alternative. KRITA – MAC PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVE 2018. Krita is a professional program of digital painting, free and made entirely with free code, has been created by artists who want to make these tools accessible to all users passionate about design. PhotoLine: Lots of Features but Lacks that Mac-Like Feel. Photoline is positioned as a Photoshop alternative. It is a commercial app with a large feature set. Its fast, powerful, and stable. The new Affinity Photo and Designer apps for Mac, both v. 1.7, appear to be mature, well-thought-out alternatives to Greedy Adobe products. Affinity has them discounted right now for $40 each.
We recently took a look at the Adobe Creative Suite, breaking down when to use Photoshop vs. Illustrator vs. InDesgin, but there’s one glaring fact we didn’t mention: not every designer has access to these programs.
For designers who are just starting out, still in school or operating on a tight budget, Adobe Photoshop might be a luxury that you just can’t afford. But if you find yourself in one of these categories, breathe easy; there are several free photo editing programs out there that can deliver close to the same results as Photoshop with none of the added cost.
You’ll probably end up upgrading to photo editing software with a little more power at some point in your career. However, if you need something to work with now and you can’t spend any money, using these free Photoshop alternatives as a substitute can be a lifesaver.
Cross-Platform, Open Source Alternatives to Photoshop
GIMP
You can’t have a list like this one without including GNU Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP to those who know it. There’s a lot to love about GIMP—it features Photoshop staples like layers, masks, gradients, text tools, plug-in support and more. Best of all, it’s open source software with a large community of users, so there are plenty of GIMP tutorials and add-ons out there to help you overcome any of the program’s limitations.
Be aware that GIMP cannot output CMYK files by default, so if you’re preparing a print-ready design in 4-color, you’ll need an additional GIMP plugin with CMYK support.
Gimphoto
If you really need to work in a Photoshop-like environment, Gimphoto is a version of GIMP that imitates Adobe’s layout while still keeping it open source. The menus, terminology, and basic interface have all been tweaked to give Photoshop veterans a more familiar working environment.
Unlike the similarly-interfaced Gimpshop, Gimphoto includes many extra features, such as new brush styles, layer styles, and support for standard Photoshop plug-ins.
CinePaint
CinePaint is deep image editing software that is primarily used in video editing, but it’s also a useful tool for retouching photos because it can work with images of higher color fidelity. A higher quality image produces better results in your print projects, so this might be a program worth looking into.
Inkscape
Inkscape uses a vector-based environment, so it’s a much better option for illustration than most other free alternatives to Photoshop; in fact, it’s almost more of an Illustrator alternative (though it can still be used for basic bitmap edits like photo retouching). The program’s native format is Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), so you don’t have to worry about your project looking fuzzy if you try to resize it. Overall, Inkscape is a great choice for any designer who wants to learn vector illustration on a tight budget.
Photoshop Alternatives for Mac
Seashore
Seashore is open source Mac-only editing software based on GIMP, but with an interface designed to match the MAC OS X aesthetic. The result is a good-looking program that may not exactly be equivalent to Photoshop, but ultimately produces attractive results with ease.
ChocoFlop
The good news is that ChocoFlop is a formidable design tool made exclusively for the Mac OS, and there is a freeware beta version available. The bad news is, the designers decided not to continue forward with the project and will not be releasing any more versions or support for the program. However, it’s still a worthwhile tool, especially with its unique non-destructive image editing capabilities.
LiveQuartz
This simple photo editor for Mac offers multi-touch support and non-destructive filters as well as some essential drawing tools. The newest version of LiveQuartz does cost a few bucks on the App Store, but if you’re really strapped for cash, you can still download older freeware versions.
Photoshop Alternatives for Windows PCs
Paint.NET
Paint.NET might not be fancy, but it has an intuitive interface and plenty of the same features as Photoshop—though you might find yourself missing those features that it lacks. Despite the name, Paint.NET is really best used for photo editing since it doesn’t have many illustrative tools, though it’s also open source with an impressive support base.
Photo Pos Pro
Photo Pos Pro is a freeware program for Windows that’s great for beginners. The interface is easy-to-use, there’s a low learning curve and the software even provides helpful pop-up tips. These are the sort of things that might make a more experienced designer lose their mind, but can be a major boon for those who are just starting out.
Serif PhotoPlus
Many designers look at Serif PhotoPlus as a serious contender with Photoshop. Unfortunately, the advanced version does cost money (though not as much as the Adobe products will set you back.) However, there is a basic freeware version of PhotoPlus that might not have as many features, but still gives you the basics at a comparable quality to Photoshop, along with a simple, user-friendly interface.
PhotoFiltre
PhotoFiltre is an easy, intuitive program for photo editing and manipulation. True to its name, the program has a wide range of filters that make it easy for novices to jump right in and alter their images, but there’s plenty here for the seasoned pros to find appealing, too.
Pixia
Pixia is a Japanese program which has found popularity in the west and has since been translated into English. Pixia was created mainly for digital illustrations (specifically for manga and anime artists), but it has plenty of useful features for design and photo manipulation as well. The biggest downside to Pixia would be the outdated-looking interface, but if you don’t mind your editing software looking a bit “retro,” this may be the right tool for you.
Picasa
Google’s Picasa software might not have the full capacity of Photoshop, but it’s a good program for making last-minute edits. Picasa does have a few unique tricks up its sleeve such as batch editing and photo-management tools, not to mention easy integration and sharing on Google platforms.
Online Photoshop Alternatives
Pixlr
Pixlr is a great online Photoshop alternative, especially if you need to do work when you’re nowhere near your home computer. It has an impressive amount of clout for a program that works in your web browser, and it stands out for having three different levels of editing power to choose from: playful, efficient or advanced. There’s even a mobile app version for designers who are on the go and need to make quick fixes.
Splashup
Splashup is an online image editing program with a clean design interface that’s highly reminiscent of Photoshop. It doesn’t have a ton of features, but it does support layers and pixel-level control. Splashup is a good tool for beginners, especially since it allows for easy sharing on the web’s top photo sharing sites like Flickr and Facebook.
SumoPaint
SumoPaint is another web-based favorite of many professional designers, since it features an interface similar to Photoshop with plenty of the same features. There’s also an inexpensive desktop version available if you don’t want to use it in your browser, and a mobile app for illustration on the go.
Photoshop Express Editor
If you absolutely have to use Photoshop but don’t have access to it, there’s always the browser version, Photoshop Express Editor. Of course, it would be silly for Adobe to give away their product for free, so the online application has limited tools, but it’s a good option for editing essentials from a name that you trust.
Conclusion
They say a poor workman blames his tools, and the same must hold true for designers. Yes, we admit, no freeware program can serve as a complete replacement for a high-end program like Adobe Photoshop. But we truly believe that a creative, clever, budget-conscious designer can overcome the limitations of any program and create beautiful results.
Free Photoshop For Mac
Are there any free Photoshop alternatives out there that we missed? Do you have any advice for working with free photo editing software? Leave your comments below, we’re looking forward to hearing from you!
Compilation of the best alternatives to Photoshop for Mac that you can download on your computer. Enter and choose the one you like the most!
Everyone knows that Photoshop ranked as one of the best applications for editing and handling images and other elements in various operating systems. The versatility of Photoshop is wide as well as its features. Thanks to Photoshop with which we can perform professional works with simplicity.
Often, we do not have the resources to use Photoshop in macOS. That is why today MsnTechBlog brings the best Photoshop alternatives to use in macOS High Sierra.
GIMP – MAC PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVE 2018
GIMP, the best alternative to Photoshop for Mac, is a cross-platform photo editor available for OS X, GNU / Linux, Windows and more operating systems. GIMP is free software that allows you to change its source code and also distribute changes made by you. Whether you are a professional graphic designer, illustrator expert, photographer or scientist, GIMP will provide sophisticated tools to successfully perform all kind of works. You can also improve your productivity even more with GIMP thanks to many customization options and third-party add-ons.
Some of its multiple features are:
- Manipulation of high-quality photos: GIMP provides the necessary tools for the manipulation of high-quality From retouching to the restoration of creatine compounds, the only limit is your imagination
- The original creation of artworks: Thanks to GIMP, artists will be given the power and flexibility to transform images into truly unique creations
- Programming Algorithms: GIMP has built on a high-quality framework for manipulating images with scripts that also supports several languages such as C, C ++, Python, Perl, Scheme and more
- Graphic design elements: GIMP is used to produce icons, graphic design elements and art for components and models of the user interface
- A key component in a desktop publishing workflow: GIMP offers top-notch color management features to ensure high-fidelity color reproduction in digital and print media. It can be used better in workflows that involve other free software such as Scribus, Inkscape, and SwatchBooker
- Extensibility and flexibility: GIMP offers us extensibility through integration with many programming languages such as Scheme, Python, Perl and more
GIMP is available for free download at the following link:
AFFINITY PHOTO – MAC PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVE 2018
Affinity Photo has been developed to overcome the limits of professional photo editing software. It has a great set of tools specifically designed for creative professionals and photography, regardless of whether you are editing and retouching images, or creating multi-layered full-fledged compositions, has all the power and performance you always need.
Its most outstanding features are:
- Professional corrections and adjustments: Affinity Photo correct and enhance images with Levels, Curves, Black and White, White Balance, Shadows, HSL, and Highlights, plus more than a dozen other non-destructive settings that are displayed instantly and can be an edit at any time
- Complete retouching tools: Affinity has numerous functions that allow us to apply detailed retouching; it allows us to clone, dodge, burn, reposition, in painting, creates frequency separation and has healing tools
- Dedicated RAW work area: It will be possible to develop camera raw files in a dedicated workspace with all the precise adjustments and corrections you need in a linear color space without limits
- Supports EXIF & Metadata
- Precise selections
- Automatic alignment and more
This application has a cost of USD 54 and can be downloaded at the following link:
PIXELMATOR – MAC PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVE 2018
Pixelmator is a powerful image editor with all the features for Mac environments. Pixelmator for Mac is powerful, fast and easy to use the editor, which allows us to enhance and retouch photos, draw, draw and paint, add text and shapes, apply and dazzling effects.
Among its main features are:
- Compatible with macOS High Sierra
- Start Pixelmator from the Photos application and save the modifications in the library
- Supports the import of HEIF images
- It has tools for precise pixel selections
- Allows saving images directly on the web
- Compatible with PSD files
- Supports RAW files
- It has image capture functions
- Supports 16 bits
- It is 64-bit architecture
- OpenCL allows Pixelmator to accelerate image processing by unlocking the parallel computing power of modern GPUs and multicore CPUs
- Greater retouching extensions
- It has more than twenty blending modes, layer masks, and clipping masks so that we can create impressive images compositions
- It has different themes to add to the images
Your download is available at the following link for a cost of USD 29.99:
SKETCH – MAC PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVE 2018
Sketch is a design toolkit created to help us create special works, from the first ideas to the final design. Sketch is designed with handy features an intuitive interface and powerful plugins created by a developer community, which will be a practical solution to bring out the best works.
Sketch offers us a trial version or its full version has a cost of USD 99.
Alternative To Photoshop For Mac
Within the features of Sketch we have
- Full edition toolkit
- Non-destructive edition
- Precision in the pixels
- Vector editor
- Create mirror for iOS
- It allows exporting the code
- Overwrite text and images
- Allows combining symbols for a better presentation
KRITA – MAC PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVE 2018
Krita is a professional program of digital painting, free and made entirely with free code, has been created by artists who want to make these tools accessible to all users passionate about design.
Its main features are
- Gratuitous
- Multi-platform
- Most intuitive user interface
- The panels can be moved and customized to suit our work style
- It allows creating keyboard shortcuts to link the most used tools
- Krita includes three different ways to smooth and stabilize the strokes. There is even a tool called Dynamic Brush, with which you can add drag and mass providing more fixed and clean lines
- Features a pop-up color palette
- Krita has 9 unique brush motors. Each motor has a lot of adjustments to customize the brush.
- It has mirror tools with which you can create horizontal and vertical mirror effects
- Krita offers layers of vectors, filters, groups, and files. Combine, order and attach layers to better organize your artworks
- Krita offers a fairly complete color management using LCMS for ICC and OpenColor IO for EXR
- Krita makes use of OpenGL for some of its operations, once activated it will see an increase in the speed of enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the canvas
- Supports PSD files
Krita is free and available for macOS, Linux, and Windows at the following link:
INKSPACE – MAC PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVE 2018
Another known application for working on images is Inkscape. Inkscape is an open source vector graphics editor, identical to programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand or Xara X. What makes it different from the others is that it uses Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) as a standard format open W3C based on XML.
Its main functionalities are
- It has drawing tools such as pencil (free drawing with a simple stroke), pen (creates Bezier, Spiro or straight lines), calligraphic (freehand drawing through trajectories with fill to represent calligraphic strokes)
- It has tools of shapes such as rectangles (with optionally rounded edges), ellipses (includes circles, arcs, and segments), star/polygon (can be rounded and/or random), spirals
- Cloning (links copies of “live” objects), includes a tool to create patterns and sort clones
- It has several options of manipulation of objects such as transformation, depth operation, grouping of objects and more
- Gradient editor with multiple color limits
- Transparent PNG support, both in its export and import
- Export to PNG, Open Document drawing, DXF, sk1, PDF, EPS and PostScript among others
- Creation and modification of files under the SVG format standard.
Inkscape is available for macOS, Linux and Windows for free at the following link:
Photoshop Alternatives Mac Free
Try one of these MAC Photoshop alternative software and share your opinion which one you like most. Hopefully, you can get most of those free Photoshop alternative software.