Adobe Photoshop vs GIMP
GIMP for free photo editing and graphics work; Photoshop for people who want Adobe's generative AI tools and are happy to subscribe.
Pick Adobe Photoshop if…
Pick Photoshop if you want Generative Fill, Generative Expand and the Remove tool, and one plan across desktop, web and mobile. It suits people who edit images for work.
Pick GIMP if…
Pick GIMP if you want a free editor that you can script and extend and that has no subscription. It suits hobbyists, students and anyone on Linux.
Price
- Paid
- Free
- Open source
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | Image editor for photo editing and compositing, with generative AI tools, sold by subscription. | Free, open source image editor for photo retouching, artwork and scripted image processing. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | US$22.99/mo, annual billed monthly (Photoshop plan); US$263.88/yr if prepaid annually | — |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Works on | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Try Adobe Photoshop (opens the Adobe Photoshop website in a new tab) | Try GIMP (opens the GIMP website in a new tab) |
On price, GIMP costs nothing and is released under the GNU GPL, with optional donations. Photoshop is US$22.99 per month on an annual commitment billed monthly, or US$263.88 per year prepaid. Adobe offers a 7-day free trial of the full app, and its free mobile app locks premium features behind a subscription. There is no free web version.
On features, Photoshop's page lists compositing, adjustment layers with masking, Generative Fill and Expand, an improved Remove tool, Harmonize and background removal, plus Adobe Express in the plan. GIMP's site describes photo manipulation, artwork, graphic design and scripted image processing, with plug-ins and scripting in Python and Scheme.
On platforms, GIMP runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Photoshop runs on Windows and macOS desktops, plus the web and mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. Photoshop has no Linux version listed.
If you edit photos now and then, GIMP is a free place to start. If AI editing tools or Adobe file workflows matter to your job, the subscription is the cost of getting them.
One new comparison, every week
Two tools side by side with our verdict, in one short email. Unsubscribe any time.
Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money