10 Photoshop Alternatives: Features, Pricing, and Essential Tips

Are you looking for Adobe Photoshop alternatives? Photoshop is one of the best software for editing photos with a polished look. However, Photoshop may seem complex and have many advanced features. As a beginner, you may feel overwhelmed by the software’s learning curve. 

Therefore, we have compiled a list of ten graphic design software programs with exclusive features and pricing. These tools offer photo editing features, graphic design assets, and advanced features. With this comprehensive guide, you can gain insights into each tool’s design capabilities and get pro tips for choosing the right tool. And the best part? These powerful and affordable alternatives ensure you don’t have to break the bank for your graphic design needs.

Best Photoshop Alternatives

Let’s explore the ten alternatives to Photoshop to help you compare each tool’s features, cost, and suitability.

1. DocHipo

DocHipo is a versatile and powerful tool for creating visually appealing designs. With its wide array of professionally designed templates, even an amateur designer can create a stunning document. The built-in photo editor of DocHipo aims to create a hassle-free design experience for its users, that too for free. In addition, this Photoshop alternative also offers the power of generative AI to tailor design elements to your needs. 

Let’s explore more about the exclusive features of DocHipo that make it one of the best Photoshop alternatives.

a) Integrated Photo Editor to Enhance Images

High-quality images are crucial for any polished design. DocHipo allows you to edit, crop, and add filters to enhance images. Upload your picture or search for an image in the stock images library in the editor and customize using the editing bar at the editor’s top.

Let’s explore the various capabilities of the Photo Editor further. 

Resize and Rotate Images

DocHipo allows the editor to handle images swiftly. All you have to do is select an image, and with the handler’s help, you can press and drag the image outline to manipulate size. 

You can also use the round arrow to rotate the images on your documents. The handler is easy to use and control for making changes in any design element.

Sometimes, achieving the perfect 180-degree orientation can be intimidating and time-consuming. To tackle this issue, DocHipo helps you get exact angles, rotate vertically, or flip horizontally. With these capabilities, you can achieve the perfect orientation.

Arrange Layers and Alignment

Whether you use single or multiple images in your designs, it’s easy to handle when you can precisely control the layering. Select a picture and choose the layer, such as front, back, foreword, or backward, to set the position with a click.

Further, you can align the pictures to the top, left, center, or right according to your design. Find the right space with clean alignment.

Watch this video to learn about arranging widgets in DocHipo.

Crop Images into Shapes

If you want the perfect fit for your images in the designs, crop images to different shapes with just one click.

Voila! Your picture fits perfectly in the design.

Crop any picture effortlessly on DocHipo.

Apply Filters and Adjust Tonal Quality to Uplift Pictures

Select the picture on the canvas and click the Filter option to adjust it according to the overall design.

Learn to upload images in DocHipo with this video.

Now, you can apply your favorite effect to uplift your chosen picture.

Further, you can select Adjust to revamp your picture by adjusting the tonal components like contrast, brightness, grayscale, hue, saturation, tone, blur, sepia, and invert. 

Watch this video to learn more about DocHipo photo filters.

Background Remover 

Sometimes, an image seems right for your design, but its background must improve the polished look. In these situations, removing the background for a seamless look is best. DocHipo allows you to remove an image’s background with a single click. 

You can insert the image in the design layout and adjust it accordingly.

Explore how to remove background in DocHipo editor.

Add Shadow Effects to Images

You can add a shadow effect to make your pictures stand out in your design. Select the Effects option from the customizing bar and adjust the horizontal, vertical, and blur shadow effects.

Once you have applied the effect, you can see how this effect works to highlight the picture.

Learn to create a glow effect around the images.

b) Handy Collage Maker to Create Visual Stories

A collage helps you to tell a visual story without using words. DocHipo allows you to make a collage within minutes. You can start with a blank canvas or customize a template.

Select the collage widget in the DocHipo editor, and you will come across various grids. Now, select a frame that aligns with your purpose.

Drag and drop pictures after uploading images on DocHipo or select high-quality images from stock images.

You can adjust the grid spacing, add effects, or make the collage look polished by changing the grid spacing.

Explore DocHipo Collage maker with this video.

Moreover, DocHipo allows you to make video collages. You can use stock videos in the DocHipo editor or upload your own to add life to your still collages.

Explore making collages using videos with this tutorial.

c) Hundreds of Customizable Templates For Every Purpose

Whether you want to promote an event, advertise a product, or showcase your brand, DocHipo has hundreds of templates for every format, industry, and occasion. The professionally designed templates possess high-quality graphics with an on-point copy to get a design with minimum customization.

Find any template easily in DocHipo.

d) Resourceful Design Widgets for Quick Customization

To revamp your designs, DocHipo editor offers a vast collection of icons, fonts, illustrations, stock images, videos, etc., in the design widgets library. 

Watch this video to learn more about finding widgets in DocHipo.

Further, introduce cute animations to give your still images a dynamic touch. Add animations to your designs and convert still files into fun GIFs. 

Create stunning designs using DocHipo’s design assets.

e) Simple and Intuitive User interface

The Photoshop alternative has a simple and easy-to-use user interface that saves time and effort from endless scrolling. DocHipo’s interface enables you to leverage the application according to your industry with various template categorizations if you are looking for software that caters to businesses. Also, document editing is a cakewalk in DocHipo, as the drag-and-drop functionality enables seamless customization.

Learn to make the most of DocHipo for your industry.

f) AI-Powered Tools for Smooth Design Experience

A Photoshop alternative should not be limited to photo editing tools but also include the power of generative AI. DocHipo offers built-in AI tools to assist users in their design journey. Let’s take a look at each one.

AI Image Generator

Searching for the perfect picture that portrays exactly what you want can be intimidating. DocHipo’s AI Text-to-image generator will save you time and effort. Select the AI images option from the DocHipo editor and give a text prompt describing the image you want. Also, select the image style you want from various options such as 3D, sketch, illustration, realistic, oil painting, cinematic, anime, etc.

You will have image options for your text prompt within a few seconds. Select your favorite one and adjust it in your design.

Here’s how you can generate AI images in DocHipo.

AI Writer

Let DocHipo’s AI Writer do the heavy lifting when you struggle with words. Choose AI Writer in the editor. Give a suitable prompt and set the tone of your output, such as professional, casual, friendly, etc.

After a few seconds, your text is ready for the document design.

Learn to use AI writer in DocHipo editor.

AI Translate

Translate any document with a single click in a hundred different languages. Select AI Translate in the editor.

Now, choose a language in which you want to translate your design. Voila! You have successfully translated your design.

Translate your documents in several languages with DocHipo’s AI Translate.

g) Seamless Real-time Collaboration with Team

Designing with your team is easy with DocHipo’s real-time collaboration. Share your documents with team members and control access with Read Only, Read Write, and Full Access options.

Explore the possibilities of team collaborations in DocHipo.

h) Multiple Downloading and Sharing Options

After making all the customizations with advanced design features, you can share, present, publish, or download your designs directly from DocHipo.

DocHipo offers multiple formats for downloading documents, such as PNG, PNG Transparent, JPEG, PDF, GIF, and MP4.

Also, explore the page-wise download option with DocHipo.

In addition, you can mail any document directly from DocHipo. Select the email option and type the recipient’s email address. Click next, and the recipients will soon find the document in their inbox.

Check out this video to share documents via email in DocHipo.

Ideal for

DocHipo is suitable for businesses, busy entrepreneurs, and creators. It is your go-to tool for a hassle-free photo editor and collage maker with a simple user interface. 

Pricing

DocHipo offers a free plan to access many features, including the photo editor.

The software also offers affordable paid plans:

• Pro Plan at $7.5/month per user, billed yearly.
• Pro Once for a one-time fee of just $144 per user. Pay once and enjoy unlimited document design for life!

You can avail of the paid plan easily as DocHipo allows you to buy the plan in 15+ different currencies with country-specific pricing.

Get started with DocHipo to create stunning designs.

2. Canva

Canva is also a robust Photoshop alternative that is easy to use and offers abundant templates. The tool is a complete package for all graphic design endeavors. Primarily targeted for beginners, Canva has a lucid learning curve and advanced AI features. Magic Studio uplifts the photo editing game with the power of filters, autofocus, and generative AI. 

In addition, the Magic Grab feature can help you make quirky stickers by selecting exclusive elements in the picture. Canva’s strength lies in its features, templates, and real-time collaboration capabilities. However, advanced features are part of Magic Studio and are only accessible with a paid plan. 

Ideal for

Canva is best for beginners who want to create designs for social media platforms. You can also get professional templates with plenty of options to choose from.

Pricing

You can try Canva for free with limited access to templates and features.

Moreover, to access most premium capabilities, Canva offers two paid plans:

• Canva Pro at  $119.99/ year for one person.
• Canva for Teams at $300/ year for the first five users.

3. Fotor

Fotor is another versatile alternative to Photoshop with advanced photo editing capabilities. If you want to make a mark on social media, Fotor can help you enhance your images with unique features like AI enlarger, background remover, AI skin retouch, Old photo restorer, etc. In addition, you can access numerous marketing templates and web and social media posts. 

The generative AI features are part of premium capabilities you can use with a limited free trial. Moreover, you can also get unique grid frames for making a collage in Fotor. Users may note that Fotor is suitable for working individually on designs. 

Ideal for

Fotor is suitable for advanced photo editing with the power of generative AI. Since most advanced features have a limited trial period, the application is ideal if you are ready to avail the paid plan.

Pricing

Fotor offers a free plan with limited capabilities.

For a long-term use, there are two paid plans:

• Pro plan at $3.33/month (billed annually)
• Pro Plus plan at $7.49/ month (billed annually)

4. BeFunky

BeFunky is another creative alternative to Photoshop with lots of design assets. Designed to simplify graphic design and photo editing for users, Befunky caters to beginners as an all-in-one platform offering customizable design templates and an advanced photo editor. Some popular design capabilities include cropping and resizing photos, turning images into art, batch photo editing, and portrait retouching. 

Along with the Collage Maker tool, BeFunky aces the game with Collage Wizard, which helps you design a collage that aligns with your purpose. The best part about the application is the layer editing of images, where you can focus on specific elements like colors, HDR, Background fill, and much more. Although a robust tool, BeFunky offers most AI-powered features in the paid plan.

Ideal for

BeFunky suits beginners who want top-notch photo editing and collage-making features.

Pricing

You can use BeFunky for free by signing up with the software.

Further, to access all the features, you would require BeFunky Plus, which costs $6.99/month per person, billed annually.

5. PicMonkey

PicMonkey is a versatile photo editing and graphic design tool that caters to business-centric design needs. Users like the ease of use and template designs to increase engagement for digital promotions. With basic photo editing capabilities, you can add filters, crop or resize, adjust color and tone, and more. You can also apply pro effects such as outline, glitter shadow, glitch, etc., to make your image stand out. 

However, with a paid plan, you can only use background removal and pro effects capabilities. PicMonkey templates exude professional design sensibilities and allow users to edit with the team in real-time. Users can take the free trial but must buy a plan to download any document.

Ideal for

PicMonkey is an affordable Photoshop alternative with an easy-to-use interface. Businesses, enterpreneurs, marketers, and professionals can benefit from this software as it saves time creating stunning designs.

Pricing

You can try PicMonkey for free to get the hang of its primary design assets.

Moreover, there are three paid plans to access all the features:

• Basic Plan at $7.99/month per person (billed yearly).
• Pro Plan at $12.99/month per person (billed yearly).
• Business Plan at $23/month for teams (billed yearly). 

6. Picsart

Picsart is a wholesome graphic design software that aims to help creators, brands, and businesses grow in a community. Unlike other Photoshop alternatives, Picsart specializes in fulfilling the needs of growing brands in many industries. The application’s diverse capabilities allow users to create designs in less time. The Picsart photo editor has an impressive AI toolkit that enables background removal, object removal, AI enhancement, and expansion.  

In addition, you can leverage the creative output of an AI GIF generator and AI text styles. Batch editor and collage maker tools help the creator to work with multiple images simultaneously. Nonetheless, the application can improve the customization process of templates for the users.

Ideal for

If you are a content creator, marketer, or social media manager, Picsart can be your go-to tool for creating designs and staying updated with the latest trends.

Pricing

Picsart offers a free plan with standard photo and video editing features.

There are three paid plans:

• Picsart Plus at $5/month per person (billed annually)
• Picsart Pro at $7/month per person (billed annually)
• Picsart Enterprise at custom pricing.

7. VistaCreate 

VistaCreate is another graphic design platform that allows you to create professional designs within minutes. Like Photoshop alternatives, it offers an intuitive interface with convenient drag-and-drop functionality to facilitate the design process. With a vast collection of template layouts, stock images, icons, shapes, and vectors for every purpose, VistaCreate aims to satisfy all basic design needs. The built-in photo editing tool allows you to crop, resize, and enhance images with the filter. 

In addition, functionalities like animation, background removal, and applying color from the image help create a holistic design using images in the templates. VistaCreate also facilitates designing with your team members. However, the tool can improve its capabilities by introducing generative AI features.

Ideal for

Overall, VistaCreate is a simple graphic design tool suitable for beginners who want a hassle-free design experience with limited features. If you wish to use software focusing on print-ready designs, VistaCreate can be your go-to choice.

Pricing

VistaCreate offers a limited free plan. The Pro plan costs $10/month (billed annually).

8. Xara

This Photoshop alternative is a one-stop solution for multiple graphic design tasks, helping you create, produce, and manage content for your brand. Xara Cloud includes integrated applications such as Xara Designer Pro, Xara Web Designer, and Xara Photo and Graphic Designer. The user-friendly interface and business-centric templates make it easy for the user to carry out the design. However, the true strength of Xara lies in seamless on-brand design. 

Compared to Photoshop alternatives, the editor offers basic photo editing features. Additionally, Xara’s photo editing includes advanced photo manipulation tools that help you enhance your images. The intelligent scaling technique helps create graphics at any resolution. In addition, the software offers advanced and complex tools like generative AI, automated marketing processes, and collaboration in real-time. Because of its complex capabilities, users may need time to learn all the application’s features.

Ideal for

Xara is ideal for businesses, brands, and marketers who create and monitor web content daily.

Pricing

Xara offers a free plan, but you must buy a paid one to access all the features.

There are three paid plans:

• Essential at $12/month for three users (billed annually).
• Scale at $20/month for three users (billed annually).
• Enterprise at custom pricing.

9. Visme

Visme is a modern and versatile Photoshop alternative offering professional design templates and customization options. The tool also provides numerous icons, vectors, stock images, fonts, etc., for customization and real-time collaboration. Visme’s real strength lies in simplifying data visualization and virtual assets that give an edge to your designs. As a photo editor tool, this software helps you to enhance images with filters, scale adjustments, and creative frames.

In addition, the touch-up tools in the photo editor bring AI capabilities like background remover, erase and replace, and upscale. Undoubtedly, Visme is a robust graphic design tool, yet a more contemporary interface would enhance the user experience. Further, the accessibility of many design assets is difficult because of the paywall.

Ideal for

Visme is perfect for entrepreneurs, corporations, businesses, and marketers who want to present data visually appealingly. 

Pricing

You can use Visme for free with limited features.

Further, the tool offers two paid plans:

• Starter plan at $12.25/month per user, billed annually.
• Pro Plan at $24.75/month per user, billed annually.
• Visme for Teams offers a customized pack.

10. Adobe Express 

Photoshop can transform your pictures for photo editing. Nonetheless, Adobe Express does an excellent job of quick photo enhancements. You can add filters, apply text effects, and adjust the photographs’ tone, saturation, brightness, and opacity. Most importantly, Express lets you explore the vast array of templates you can use with stunning images. This tool also supports advanced generative AI capabilities to add or remove elements from pictures.

The simple and intuitive interface removes the complexity that users often face with advanced tools like Photoshop. As an Adobe tool, you can continue editing Photoshop by exporting files from Express without hassle. However, users may encounter glitches while using the application in the browser.

Ideal for 

Adobe Express is suitable for beginners who want to design creative documents. If you want to use an application along with Photoshop, you can choose Express.

Pricing

The software offers a free plan with primary design assets. 

Further, there are two paid plans:

• Premium plan at $99.99 per year with expansive features and storage.
• Teams plan at $77.88 per year with a minimum of two seats required.

Choosing the Right Photoshop Alternative

With so many Photoshop alternatives, choosing the most suitable one for you becomes daunting. It all depends on what you want in the Photoshop alternative. Thus, follow these tips to select the best Photoshop alternative tool.

Assess the Ease of Use

The choice of application depends on your level of graphic design skills. A beginner would need a simple user interface with a zero-learning curve. Thus, you should assess if the layout is simple and organized without confusing the user about the capabilities. 

Check the Features and Capabilities of the Photo Editing Tool

Photo editing tools have basic features like resize, crop, and filter enhancements. Yet, graphic design tools can offer much more, such as generative AI capabilities, design templates, design assets, collaboration tools, etc. These tools are not a necessity but help you create professional designs. 

Assess the Free and Paid Capabilities

The Photoshop alternatives have some limitations, including limited access to features. Every application imposes limitations, but some are more generous than others. Thus, explore the free features and compare them with other applications. It will help you decide what you need to pay for.

Set a Budget for the Photoshop Alternatives

Once you have checked all the capabilities, you can keep a few options for long-term use. Set a budget and assess what you can get with the paid plan. Pay for the features that are essential for you.

Check for Different Downloading Formats

After you have customized the template designs in the application, check for the various formats the tool offers for download. Ensure that the tool provides different options for downloading files into multiple formats. Also, check the convenience of sharing your designs directly within the application.

Wrapping it Up

We have compared ten Photoshop alternatives with their exclusive features and pricing. You can understand what to expect from these applications by emphasizing the photo editing capabilities. Although all these applications are good Photoshop alternatives, the right one will align with your needs. 

Whether you want a simple photo editor tool or design templates with advanced features, you can try DocHipo. It has a vast design widget library, advanced features, and sharing capabilities. Sign up with DocHipo and get started with designing right now.

FAQs

Is there a free alternative to Photoshop?

Yes, there are plenty of free alternatives to Photoshop, such as DocHipo, Canva, BeFunky, PicMonkey, etc.

What is better than Photoshop?

Depending on your needs, you can choose Photoshop alternatives, such as Canva, Adobe Express, DocHipo, Visme, etc.

Which photo editor is 100% free?

Some photo editor applications, such as Canva, DocHipo, BeFunky, Visme, etc, are free. However, the paywall might restrict advanced photo editing capabilities.

Is there a free Photoshop for PC?

You can try Photoshop for a 7-day trial period, which converts to the paid plan after the trial period.