No open-source editor matches Photoshop feature-for-feature, but GIMP and Krita cover most photo editing and painting work. Pinta is the lightweight option.
Category: Design & graphics · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
Adobe Photoshop price change: All Apps was renamed Creative Cloud Pro and went from $59.99 to $69.99 per month on the annual plan billed monthly. (effective Jun 17, 2025, details and sources)
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphite Active Apache-2.0 | Community-built comprehensive 2D content creation appplication for graphic design, digital art, and interactive real-time motion graphics powered by a node-based procedural graphics engine. | Apache-2.0 | 27.8k | Jul 31, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| Krita Active GPL-3.0 | Krita is a free and open source cross-platform application that offers an end-to-end solution for creating digital art files from scratch built on the KDE and Qt frameworks. | GPL-3.0 | 10.7k | Oct 1, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| GIMP Active Mixed or custom | GIMP, the long-running free image editor for photo retouching, image composition and graphic design. This GitHub repo is a read-only mirror of the official GNOME GitLab. | Mixed or custom | 6.6k | Sep 10, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| Pinta Active MIT | Simple GTK Paint Program. | MIT | 4.1k | Apr 2, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
4 of 4 Adobe Photoshop alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
Adobe Photoshop: current plans and prices are on Adobe Photoshop's pricing page. Its most recent price change we track took effect on Jun 17, 2025 (see the price tracker).
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphite | Desktop app | $0 (Apache-2.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| Krita | Desktop app | $0 (GPL-3.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| GIMP | Desktop app | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| Pinta | Desktop app | $0 (MIT) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
Nothing to host: Graphite, Krita, GIMP and Pinta run on your own computer.
License check: GIMP does not use a single standard open-source license that GitHub can detect. Read the license before using it in a business.
Community-built comprehensive 2D content creation appplication for graphic design, digital art, and interactive real-time motion graphics powered by a node-based procedural graphics engine.
27.8k GitHub stars · Apache-2.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Krita is a free and open source cross-platform application that offers an end-to-end solution for creating digital art files from scratch built on the KDE and Qt frameworks.
10.7k GitHub stars · GPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
GIMP, the long-running free image editor for photo retouching, image composition and graphic design. This GitHub repo is a read-only mirror of the official GNOME GitLab.
6.6k GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Simple GTK Paint Program.
4.1k GitHub stars · MIT · last code push Oct 26, 2026 · GitHub · Website
It depends on how you use Adobe Photoshop. Of the 4 options here, Graphite is the most followed on GitHub (27.8k stars) and is actively maintained, with its latest release on Jul 31, 2026.
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Graphite, Krita, GIMP and Pinta install on your own device, so they cost nothing to run. Check the license of GIMP before using it in a business.
As of Oct 29, 2026, 4 of 4 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
The software itself is free. Desktop and device apps (Graphite, Krita, GIMP and Pinta) cost nothing to run. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
Not all under a standard license. GIMP: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. The others use OSI-approved open-source licenses.
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