GIMP vs. Adobe PhotoShop

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
GIMP
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
GIMP is a free, open-source graphics software. GIMP, or General Image Manipulation Program was developed in 1996 and has continued to be updated by volunteers since then.N/A
Adobe PhotoShop
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Photoshop is the best known graphics product on the market.
$20
per month
Pricing
GIMPAdobe PhotoShop
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Single App
$20.00
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GIMPAdobe PhotoShop
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
GIMPAdobe PhotoShop
Considered Both Products
GIMP
Chose GIMP
Adobe Photoshop is very powerful software, however it is expensive and requires equipment with specific requirements to be able to run it. Canva use them to create basic and fast designs from any of my devices. Instead, I choose GIMP because it is a very light graphic editor …
Chose GIMP
GIMP runs much smoother on my Mac laptop than Adobe Photoshop with less bugs and freezes than I have suffered through from Adobe in general. The tools available on GIMP have also been easier for me to figure out and put into action than my experiences with Photoshop. The fact …
Chose GIMP
Adobe PhotoShop is another great photo editing software that has way more features and tools than GIMP. But, Adobe PhotoShop asks for a hefty price every month or every year, thus pulling it down in our analysis rankings. After analysing both the costs and the amount of …
Chose GIMP
Canva and Picsart are both free and can do a lot of items, like collages, well, but if you want to do actual photo editing or pixel art, I recommend GIMP. If you have the money, I would go with Photoshop, but for a free program, GIMP is just as good.
Chose GIMP
Online services like Canva are fine for quickly designing brochures and marketing materials, videos, etc. They're user friendly and fast if you have a good connection. But if you're in production mode and need to do a lot of photo manipulation at once, without being connected …
Chose GIMP
Very similar feature with the greatest difference really being paid vs. free platform. This is important to note especially for larger organizations.
Chose GIMP
It is not easy to find a free image editing software with the same quality. This software gives the advantages of a very expensive one for free. No compatibility problems with other softwares. Easy to use but complete interface. You launch it for the first time and you feel …
Chose GIMP
The full Photoshop application is an extremely good program, but costly. GIMP stacks up fairly well against Photoshop in regard to functionality, and the developers are agile and adding updates to functions frequently. In comparing the two programs and our need for relatively …
Chose GIMP
GIMP pretty much has all the tools that Photoshop has except it doesn't have the cost. If you know Photoshop, you'll know how to use GIMP. There are a few nuance differences between the tools but in general, GIMP can compete pound for pound with Photoshop. I initially was …
Adobe PhotoShop
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Photoshop is the benchmark for manipulation of graphics — other software always tries to mimic what PS can do, but can not produce it entirely. Although good alternatives do not give Photoshop the rich properties and seamless functionality of applications, such as GIMP, Corel …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe Photoshop is faster, more expansive, and has one of the best communities online. You can find any tutorial online for anything you want to do with it. But the biggest reason I prefer Photoshop over GIMP is that I use macOS.
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
GIMP is a powerful tool for what it is, but doesn't hold a candle to the algorithms and huge variety of features that Photoshop offers. GIMP is a good free alternative for hobbyists, but Photoshop is essential for any professional. I selected Photoshop because of the volume of …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Photoshop has many of the same features as GIMP, and while GIMP is free you do get what you pay for. There is far more support and training available for Photoshop, the interface is much cleaner, and as a result it is far easier to support. We'll continue to be Photoshop users.
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
For basic tasks, GIMP will get the job done but the features offered by Photoshop is like comparing apples and oranges. The feature sets are vastly different and almost not fair to compare. Adobe XD can be great for basic wireframe mockups but its UI does get a little clunky …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Before using Photoshop, I was a long-time GIMP user. As much as people may try to tell you otherwise, for modern digital media creation, there really is no comparison. The open-source community behind GIMP simply cannot keep up with the rapid development of new and powerful …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
The only real competitor to Adobe PhotoShop is either GIMP or Affinity Photo if you're a Mac user. Affinity Photo is a great product that gives Adobe PhotoShop a run for its money. Adobe PhotoShop is still the king and has the greatest feature set. It's easy to use and provides …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
I found GIMP much harder to navigate and the features not fully fleshed out. In the end, while a free product is great, I felt like I was wasting my own time instead of just paying for Photoshop where I could get the project completed much more quickly and easily.
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Photoshop is an easier-to-use product with more functionality than GIMP, however, the former is a fairly costly software from Adobe, while the latter is an open-source and free-to-use photo editor, so direct comparisons may not make much sense. I'm not aware of many paid …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
GIMP is a nice free/open-source alternative to Photoshop, but it isn't as powerful and the UI is not as nice to work with. Affinity Photo is the closest competitor in my mind, but I find the time to make an edit vs Photoshop is longer. Photoshop remains the best tool for the …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
GIMP could be one of the closes competitors to Photoshop. While it is incredibly full-featured, in my use, it is not nearly as powerful. This is especially true in the development of background recognition, object replacement, and other filters based on artificial …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
GIMP is an open-source copy of Photoshop but without as many features. As I've learned to use Photoshop so many years ago there isn't a reason for our organization to choose another product. There is also Affinity photo which looks similar but without the subscription model. …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe has more quality, more options and has for sure a better outcome than almost all the other products we have used to create graphics. You can see the difference between Adobe and GIMP in a heartbeat. Not saying the other ones are bad, but it is a quality difference based …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
GIMP is a great freeware program when you just don’t have access to a PhotoShop license. It is not quite as robust of a platform and the creative cloud story is not as good, but it is a great alternative to have temporarily in a pinch. As the saying goes, though, you can either …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
GIMP is one of the free alternatives for Photoshop. Although it has got many features that photoshop offers, it still has a lot of catching up to do. Also GIMP's UI is quite clunky and not as polished as Photoshop's UI making it a bit harder to navigate. Canva on the other hand …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Photoshop is the premiere (no pun intended) photo-editing and manipulation tool on the market. There is no equal to its ease-of-use, robust capabilities, and affordability. It's a much more cumbersome and clunky experience using alternative software. The other software adds …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
PS is a notable device for a long time and I have been a client since before they utilized the CS part.For the adaptability the device has and every one of the capabilities, I never "totally" changed to different apparatuses, I utilize different devices for different things. …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
PS is a well-known tool for many years and I have been a user since before they used the CS part.
For the flexibility the tool has and all the functions, I never really "completely" switched to other tools, I use other tools for other things. There are ALOT of assets for …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe Photoshop has more qualified color patterns than other tools. It is somehow more expensive but if you are working for a company, it does not matter at all. When you are working for yourself, it might be expensive but it is worth it. It is easy to prepare images with Adobe …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
I have used some other apps for Photo Retouching and Photo Manipulation. They work well in some areas but don't provide a complete solution. Working with Adobe Photoshop, you can achieve any milestone. It provides a large set of tools and a very user-friendly working …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Photoshop is more general and the best application in terms of many possibilities and options, as it has a set of characteristics that make it always the best.
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
[Adobe] Photoshop offers the best photo editing as well as content creation. The layer-by-layer approach of [Adobe] Photoshop helps to work between two apps or even two PCs of entirely different Creative Cloud apps seamlessly. The stability and the speed of the tools in …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
[Adobe] Photoshop has much more features and abilities compared to its competitors, and often is the first to create a new feature. There is a large learning curve for Photoshop, but for folks that spend years learning Adobe products, it ends up being the most intuitive …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Other tools are really just trying to clone the success that Adobe Photoshop has held. I've tried others in search of cost savings or unique features, but I always come back to Photoshop. It just feels more solid and works with me so much smoother. And the gimmicky features …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe Photoshop is in a nutshell just a more robust program. It really opened up options that the other programs we used or were looking to use could. Upgrading from Canva to Adobe Photoshop has enhanced our final products in every aspect, from the idea phase to the final …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
GIMPAdobe PhotoShop
Small Businesses
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.5 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Canva
Canva
Score 9.2 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.2 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe PhotoShop
Score 9.2 out of 10
GIMP
GIMP
Score 9.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
GIMPAdobe PhotoShop
Likelihood to Recommend
9.7
(14 ratings)
8.7
(189 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
4.0
(1 ratings)
8.4
(30 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(2 ratings)
9.8
(14 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(6 ratings)
10.0
(54 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(6 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
4.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
GIMPAdobe PhotoShop
Likelihood to Recommend
GIMP Development Team
GIMP is great for anyone ranging from personal use to a small business. But, if you are a large business and have a sufficient budget, I would recommend you to opt for an expensive paid software like Photoshop, that would provide not only great features but also public recognition. Its great for beginners wanting to start editing photos, there is a small learning curve that could be gotten used to in no time.
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Adobe
I use Adobe PhotoShop to do practically all of my business from my home in Turkey. Many customers find the cost of Adobe PhotoShop to be prohibitive, thus they turn to substitute alternatives and illegally downloaded pirated software. Regulations like torrents, sales, and price increases lead to a number of financial issues. Change can be advantageous.
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Pros
GIMP Development Team
  • GIMP has a large number of tools at your disposal for manipulating any type of image and exporting in any necessary format.
  • GIMP does a great job of making everything intuitive so that even a new user can layer images or make an image transparent in little time.
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Adobe
  • Brush customization. There are many available brushes for illustration, and each can be customized to fit the needs of your specific style.
  • Integration with other Adobe products. It is essential that the images I create be accessible in Adobe Indesign and Illustrator, and [Adobe] Photoshop can be placed and edited easily within those programs.
  • Advanced editing. The possibilities for editing photos [are] endless, with new features being added constantly.
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Cons
GIMP Development Team
  • GIMP should make the font tool more intuitive. Make it easier to change fonts during edit process without resetting the typeface selection.
  • Build in selection/move ability within tools like the typeface tool... I.e. don't require toggle between selection tool and typeface tool when wanting to move a line of type within a layer. Likewise with shapes, etc.
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Adobe
  • Expensive - It is too expensive to buy Photoshop alone, and hence leading the user to purchase the entire Creative Cloud Package though he/she is not even aware of half of those apps.
  • High System Spec - Requires high system specifications to run the application smoothly, and to use it at its best.
  • Process lag - When it comes to large-sized files, the application becomes laggy taking much time even to render a single layer.
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Likelihood to Renew
GIMP Development Team
Capability, open architecture, compatibility with Photoshop plugins, wide platform coverage; To me, as an open-source, freely available application, it's the nest-in-class.
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Adobe
We get a lot of use out of this software. It's vital for work with production in our industry and has a lot of cross-functionality - creating social media images, retouching photos, editing photos, creating gradients, and more. It's pretty fuss-free in that we haven't had to reach out to support and the program hasn't crashed on us. We are trained on the software (so again, this isn't for beginners), but for detail-oriented designers and creatives like ourselves - it's a no-brainer.
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Usability
GIMP Development Team
I interface GIMP with other software--I need to. I generally use the major calculation, CAD, word processing, and photo editing programs. In my office, my use of this software is not limited to computer-aided design. However, I am sure that if I needed this software for other purposes, it would have no interface problems.
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Adobe
I've used it for a long time and would consider myself a Pro user at this point. I know where everything I need is, have custom actions set up to make common actions faster, and have my workflows automated so much that everything is easy. Occasionally, a new version of Photoshop will change a common usability feature which will slow things down for a short time before I'm able to adjust, but generally I really like my setup. However, if you're new to Photoshop, it is likely going to take you a while to figure out how you can best use the features.
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Reliability and Availability
GIMP Development Team
No answers on this topic
Adobe
Adobe Photoshop is very reliable, but is never 100%. There have been times when Adobe Photoshop has had trouble opening, but nothing a little computer restart couldn't fix. I use Adobe Photoshop on a Mac for both work and at home on a daily basis, and I would be lost without it.
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Performance
GIMP Development Team
No answers on this topic
Adobe
Speed can be an issue when you are dealing with large files for large format printing or billboards. When working on web images, speed is not an issue.
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Support Rating
GIMP Development Team
We have never needed to use the support functions for GIMP. Any queries we have or had about whether GIMP could complete a task we have used Google and YouTube. There is a wealth of information, guides, and forums dedicated to GIMP and how to perform certain tasks with the application.
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Adobe
While I never contacted Adobe directly, there is so much content out there in the form of YouTube videos, Lynda/LinkedIn learning that almost any issue, including bugs, can be worked around (and this method is generally faster as there's no turnaround time involved).
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In-Person Training
GIMP Development Team
No answers on this topic
Adobe
So, I received the training at the HQ and it was train the trainer training. A good time, I spent a week at their campus
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Implementation Rating
GIMP Development Team
As simple as can be. Download from GIMP website and install.
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Adobe
I took a course so it really helped. I didn’t take the course until much later after beginning to use it, so I wish work would have sent me right off the bat. It would have alleviated a lot of frustratinon
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Alternatives Considered
GIMP Development Team
Online services like Canva are fine for quickly designing brochures and marketing materials, videos, etc. They're user friendly and fast if you have a good connection. But if you're in production mode and need to do a lot of photo manipulation at once, without being connected to the web at all times and just want to focus, GIMP is the go-to product for you
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Adobe
Canva is a great tool for creating infographics and it's free with limited options. Adobe Illustrator CC and Adobe InDesign are much more suited for creating infographics, however, I still selected Adobe PhotoShop primarily because of my familiarity with all of the tools and hotkeys. There are always workarounds from with Adobe PhotoShop, and I just haven't taken the time to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator CC as effectively.
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Scalability
GIMP Development Team
No answers on this topic
Adobe
It seems expensive compared to the free/cheap programs now available
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Return on Investment
GIMP Development Team
  • GIMP is freeware, which allows organizations that are not graphics-centered to use the powerful toolset without spending money on very expensive alternatives
  • GIMP is fairly easy to learn and does not require extensive user training (especially, if used for basic tasks)
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Adobe
  • Saved our company thousands of dollars by editing in house.
  • Has given us the ability to do things on the fly and get projects done faster.
  • Having the original .psd files saved has given us the ability to go back and reuse and update photos and graphics instead of starting all over again.
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ScreenShots