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GIMP

GIMP

Overview

What is GIMP?

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.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

GIMP is a versatile software that caters to a wide range of user needs, making it a popular choice for image manipulation and design …
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Pricing

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What is GIMP?

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.

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  • No setup fee

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  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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What is Canva?

Canva is a popular, simple online graphic design tool. Users can import images, use templates to design banners and logos, or pay to use Canva's premium stock images/paid templates (elements starting at $1).

What is Venngage?

Venngage is an infographics creation platform. Users can create inforgraphics for their marketing team from scratch or from a template.

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Product Demos

GIMP-painter-2.8 speed paint demo: GIMP-tan 2.8 (1 of 4)

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Gimp online image editor & paint tool from OffiDocs

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BeagleTouch and Beagle Board demo running GIMP on Linux

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Cage Deform Tool in GIMP 2.8

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[Demo] Porting MyPaint brush engines to the GIMP.

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Gimp 2.6 DEMO using Gimp for webdesign - Template speed designing - EXTRAGENCY

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Product Details

What is GIMP?

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. GIMP has an active community of users and developers, making it a constantly evolving graphics software.

GIMP Video

While still the most prevalent photo editing software, Adobe Photoshop is facing considerable competition from alternate options. GIMP is one of the best options to consider. The TrustRadius team walks through some of the reasons why.

GIMP Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 10.

The most common users of GIMP are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(72)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

GIMP is a versatile software that caters to a wide range of user needs, making it a popular choice for image manipulation and design projects. Users rely on GIMP to create visually appealing social media posts and edit photos, effectively attracting customers with high-quality visuals. This software proves invaluable in maintaining brand consistency across various channels such as social media, advertising, postcards, and flyers. With its simple yet powerful layering tools, GIMP facilitates the construction of eye-catching flyers and brand portfolios. Additionally, GIMP is often used to customize images and designs received from corporate offices, adapting them to fit the local experience seamlessly.

Many users favor GIMP as an alternative to other image manipulation programs like Adobe Photoshop due to its extensive features and ease of use. Whether it's manipulating logos, creating product labels, or crafting complex backgrounds for projects, GIMP's robust set of tools allows users to achieve their desired results quickly and efficiently. Even with its rich feature set, GIMP remains accessible for those with prior knowledge of other image manipulation programs. Moreover, graphic design departments find GIMP to be a cost-effective and adaptable editing solution that offers excellent options for designers.

In addition to its applications in the design realm, GIMP is also highly regarded in architectural projects where reliability and problem-free experiences are crucial. Likewise, users who regularly create graphical instructions and technical documentation highly recommend GIMP for its ability to deliver professional-grade results without the need for expensive professional graphics editors. Development teams also benefit from using GIMP as it allows them to make quick changes to graphics needed in applications without incurring the costs of expensive Photoshop licenses. Overall, GIMP proves itself as a powerful yet user-friendly software that caters to various use cases across different industries.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-14 of 14)
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Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
GIMP is a great alternative to Photoshop which is so expensive. Being free allows for anyone to use this product. It has many of the same options as Photoshop, though it is not quite as intuitive. It can do a lot in layers, animation, drawing, and even photo editing. I have used it to edit photos and make live trace drawings. It can do more than Canva (another free option) as far as editing. The fact that it’s free is the main driver in the decision to use GIMP instead of other products. I use the pen tool a lot to draw my own art.
  • Layers
  • Animation
  • Photo editing
  • Pixel art
  • Intuitive
  • Labeling
  • Vectors
Photoshop is top of the line, but for a free product, GIMP is the best! I’ve used Canva and Picart for free as well, and although those offer a lot of great options, GIMP is the closest thing to Photoshop. If you just want to make collages, I would go with Canva, but for actual photo editing, GIMP is a great free option.
Jason August | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use GIMP the way anyone would use other image editing tools like Photoshop. In fact, I have exclusively used GIMP in my business for over 20 years to edit images. It is easy to use, available on a variety of platforms, and works quickly. Although I like the focus GIMP has on static bitmapped images, I could see the project forking for vector graphic editing, and video editing!<br>
  • Bitmap photo editing
  • Working on multiple platforms including: GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • Bang for the buck, it's free!
  • Vector graphic editing would be great internally, instead of inkscape
  • Video editing would be great
  • Marketing! Not enough people know about GIMP.
GIMP is gerat for bitmap editing. It has lots of plugins and even allows for automation. It is less appropriate for things outside of its scope like vector graphic editing and video editing. However, sticking with bitmap editing has worked well for GIMP over the years. I would recommend it!
January 09, 2024

Powerful, free tool

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I used GIMP to edit images and create graphics for our organization's SharePoint Online environment. This usually involves adding transparency layers to photos and removing the background for assets in our fleet. I am not a skilled graphics designer, but GIMP makes it easy to accomplish the simple image editing tasks that I have from time to time.
  • Powerful
  • Robust
  • Affordable
  • Somewhat complex
  • Outdated UI
  • Overwhelming for new users
GIMP allows me to easily create reusable assets of our fleet through the use of transparency layers and editing tools. It contains a powerful set of tools to manipulate images. It provides a great introduction for users just getting into digital image creation who aren't ready to commit to the cost of other similar products in the same category.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
GIMP is a go-to application for me to perform all kinds of graphical creation and editing. I've used it to update company logos, to create and modify technical diagrams, to convert graphical formats, to upscale files, design client's digital greeting cards, and more.
  • photo editing
  • provide compatibility with numerous file formats
  • make it very simple to manipulate layers in a file
  • Plugins
  • 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.
GIMP is best suited as somewhat of a Photoshop alternative: image creation/editing, graphic design, and is especially true when dealing with raster files.

For vector formats, I prefer a tool more suited such as Inkscape.
Rene Agredano | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I work with a ton of photos of adorable dogs and cats from our community. Some of these photos are good, some aren't. Some need lots of manipulation and some just need resizing. I don't need a complicated program, but GIMP has more advanced features if I need them. Basically I use it for photo editing purposes to create quality images we use in print and electronic form..
  • Photo editing
  • Photo retouching
  • Image resizing
  • Image opening and re-saving as other file type
  • It can stand to be a bit more user friendly. GIMP feels like a more advanced software.
  • Better online help documentation is needed.
  • The interface is pretty small, with tiny type. I'd love to see it bigger.
I think it's great if you work with lots of images at one time as I do. Open them all up within GIMP, and start editing.

It's especially nice if you don't have the budget for Adobe products, and just need a quality photo editing software for occasional use. It's almost identical to Photoshop, but less user-friendly.

If you only need to make minor photo changes or want to do cutesy collages and things, online editors are better for your needs.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I primarily use GIMP for editing staff identification photos. It makes the process super easy, the service is free and continues to stay current with the latest updates. I have found this program to be much easier to use than other platforms and appreciate its simplistic format.
  • Lasso tool is great for getting a nice clean cut around the edges
  • Easy removal of backgrounds
  • Layering - simplified.
  • If you have never used a photo editing software it can be a little overwhelming with so many buttons and not always clear on their function.
This software is very similar in fashion to Adobe PhotoShop and can be used in many of the same ways. I have yet to use all of the features myself but continue to find new ways to use it. I particularly like the ease of removing backgrounds from photos for ID badges.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As a testing analyst, I am oftentimes tasked to write various types of technical documentation which in most cases involves graphical instructions in a form of images, screenshots, diagrams, charts etc. GIMP is an amazing free graphics editor that suits me very well when I need to edit these images before embedding them in the documentation I write. It has a very powerful set of tools that can easily compete with super expensive professional graphics editors, and at the same time, it's fairly easy to learn to use.
  • Resizing and cropping images
  • Working with layers (text, images etc.)
  • Exporting images in various formats
  • The UI could be revamped to reflect more modern UI trends (for example, material design look)
  • The Export menu could be made more intuitive and allow to easily choose file extension, quality etc.
  • Would be great if GIMP natively supported digital negative files (RAW)
GIMP is a great all-around FREE! graphics editor, it has a toolset that easily compares to those of expensive professional editors. It is suitable for use in most scenarios when a graphics editor is needed. GIMP does not natively support RAW file editing and would require external applications/plug-ins to support this functionality.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
My business uses GIMP to create social media posts, edit photos and much more, it is used by our design department. Since GIMP is completely free and open-source, this eliminates the cost of having to purchase photo editing software.
We are able to edit high quality images and create high quality social media posts that attract customers.
As it is one of the most important aspect of any business to convince a customer, to get them attached visually. GIMP allows us to do that completely free of charge.
  • GIMP provides all essential editing features and tools.
  • Has a pretty small learning curve, it's easy for beginners to get the hang of.
  • Completely free of charge and open-source.
  • You can use GIMP to create GIFs using many layers.
  • Allows you to edit images of various formats.
  • GIMP's selection tool isn't very precise.
  • Has lower features than other paid software.
  • Lack of customer support, since it's an open-source software.
  • Limitations on the number of layers that can be used.
  • Cropping is also a bit difficult to use.
  • Download time is slow, since its a large file.
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.
Jonathan Thommarson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use GIMP to edit images and designs that come from our corporate office to make them customized to our local experience. GIMP is full of features and makes it easy to manipulate images. There are a lot of features within GIMP that make image creation and editing so simple. There are some tools that I do not use because of the high level of detail they require, but I am sure that they can be useful for some people.
  • Low cost
  • Easy to use
  • A lot of tools
  • Easy image manipulation
  • Some features are difficult for beginners
  • More user-friendly UI
  • Built-in tutorials
GIMP is a great program to jump into image manipulation and creation. I use it mostly with stock images to add locally customized content, and it is simple to use. I had little to no previous experience in image editing but I was able to navigate the software easily and figure out how to use the different tools properly. I have not done a lot of raw image creation in GIMP, but I think there are plenty of tools within GIMP to help people create what they want to create.
Zach Lung | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
GIMP is used for image manipulation across a number of channels including social media, advertising, postcards, flyers, and other day-to-day materials. The platform addresses the need for brand consistency across both physical and digital uses. GIMP also provides simple tools for layering images when constructing a flyer or complicated brand portfolio.
  • 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.
  • GIMP can sometimes take awhile to load, especially when downloading new font types.
  • Some of the complex features need a workaround method that requires copying or adjusting a layer before being able to make the desired changes. This can make some projects take a fair amount of time.
GIMP has been a great tool for image manipulation, resizing, and layering. It is my go-to when creating logos or adding transparency to parts of an image/logo. It is also extremely helpful for complex flyers or other projects that require many parts to be moved around and changed. However I wish there were more options for organizing large projects such as social media posts for the upcoming month within the platform.
Stiavetti Daniele | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I use GIMP for architectural projects. I really like this product and use it every day at work. I never had problems. I have been using it for years, since I discovered it, and I continue to use it even now that it is paid. I recommend it to everybody.
  • Architectural projects
  • Compatibility with other softwares
  • Friendly interface
  • It is perfect for my use.
I use it in architectural design--both for the design phase and for the compilation of all official documents that I have to send to the public administration to obtain building permits. Its very simple interface allows me to work quickly without wasting time.
Its compatibility with other softwares allows me to interface with other users who use other programs.
Adam Jackson FGCLP MAHRI | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I decided to trial GIMP after researching alternatives to other image manipulation programs such as Adobe Photoshop. GIMP is being used in our organisation to create all of the images needed for the creation of our product labels. This includes the manipulation of our logo, creation of backgrounds, etc. For simple projects, it is very intuitive and comparable to other programs. It has capability to complete very complex image manipulation projects also. I am not a graphic designer, but have found it has a low barrier to entry if you have prior knowledge of other image manipulation programs.
  • Vast range of options.
  • Intuitive user interface.
  • Good use of layering.
  • No option to export in CMYK format.
  • Some features are less intuitive than others.
GIMP is comparable to other image manipulation applications, and as it's free, it's a great alternative. It may not have the complete list of functionality that other applications have, but it does everything that we require it to do other than exporting in the CMYK colour format. We have worked around this obstacle though.
Paola Santino | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Gimp is used in our graphic design department as a tool for the development of logos, banners and everything related to visual content. It is a very low cost and highly adaptable editor, it offers excellent options for our designers.
  • Customizable interface.
  • Powerful tools for image editing.
  • It is a light and multiplatform software.
  • It can work with many editable formats.
  • You have limited options for developing 3D designs.
  • Its interface can be somewhat uncomfortable and confusing.
  • I don't like its floating panels.
GIMP can be very helpful in companies or advertising and marketing agencies since it is a very powerful design tool with excellent features, however, the implementation of GIMP can be a little slow and difficult since not all users know how to use this tool.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
GIMP is being used by our development team. We have a marketing team in our organization but when we need to create and/or modify graphics that we need in our applications, we use GIMP to quickly make the changes. GIMP fits our needs in that we don't have to pay for an expensive Photoshop license for the minimal changes we need to make.
  • GIMP has all the tools that Photoshop has which allows us to be as creative as we want.
  • GIMP has continual upgrades that fix bugs and add new features.
  • GIMP has a great user community.
  • It would be nice to have the keyboard shortcuts match Photoshop as that is what designers are used to. The transition from Photoshop to GIMP would be a lot easier.
  • When saving images for the web, it would be nice to have a side-by-side view of the full pixel image and the image you're trying to save showing what it will look like as you lessen the resolution.
GIMP is well suited for small startups or freelancers that need tools that are useful and cost-effective. GIMP provides that as it is open source. GIMP is also useful if you only need to make occasional graphic modifications and don't need the cost of more expensive tools. GIMP behaves like an expensive graphic manipulation tool but without the high overhead making it great for one-off projects.
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