Whether it’s creating new images or editing photos, there’s no dispute that Adobe Photoshop is one of the industry’s best graphics editors. However, many people don’t want to pay for the monthly or annual plans because they don’t need all the features they provide for simple purposes. However, there are a few free or cheap graphic editor alternatives that might satisfy your needs. That’s why we’d like to take a look at the following best candidates.
What Graphic Editor Should I Use?
Unless you’re a professional designer, you don’t need Photoshop, Illustrator, or Sketch. While they are all great graphic editors, they can be a bit too complicated if all you need is to crop, resize, or fix a few things in a photo.
Free Or Cheap Alternatives
It’s amazing how many free or cheap resources are out there! Pixlr, Canva, GIMP, and Easelly, are all great online graphic editors. Most of these editors allow you to simply upload and edit images, or create your own from scratch. Some even give you templates to start with or provide you with stock images you purchase directly from the site. Lastly, while Affinity Photo costs a one-time fee of $49, it’s a great price for full-featured graphic editing software that works on multiple devices.
Pixlr (Free)
Pixlr is one of the best free graphic editing software programs available. You can use it as a web-based application or a smartphone app. This software is excellent for beginners who want their images to look like they were done by a professional.
Pros
- Extremely user-friendly, offering most of the features you need to edit images.
- Works smoothly with tools that work brilliantly.
- The best free software for editing, cropping and making corrections.
Cons
- A strong Internet connection is required to make the use of this application.
- It doesn’t allow users to draw over pictures.
Canva (Free & Paid Versions)
Canva is one of the best free or paid-for programs for social media graphics. With over 10 million users, Canva provides universal tools that allow you to design virtually anything. Even more, this application is very beginner-friendly. It also provides you with the ability to drag-and-drop images or use high-quality templates.
Pros
- Easy to use and beginner-friendly.
- Accessible on most devices.
- Thousands of templates to choose from.
Cons
- The free version doesn’t allow you to change the size of an image.
- Requires a strong, fast Internet connection.
GIMP (Free)
GIMP is a powerful, fast graphic editor that’s well-thought-out and free. This software is perfect for those looking to manipulate different photos or create mock-ups. With a similar interface as Adobe Photoshop, a few tool icons are the same.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Vivid with a modern user interface.
Cons
- It has a few bug issues.
Easel.ly (Free & Paid Versions)
Easel.ly is excellent for creating infographics and displaying them in PDF or JPG formats. While the basic version is free, you can purchase additional elements for a small fee. However, unlike many other graphics editors, Easel.ly is way cheaper.
Pros
- Easily create diagrams online.
- Instantly upload an image to your computer, website, or social media platform.
Cons
- No autosave.
- Advanced users may not like it.
- Additional features cost $3 per month.
Affinity Photo (Paid Version)
Affinity Photo is one of the world’s most popular graphics editing applications. Offering a well-rounded alternative to Adobe’s Photoshop, many users have switched to this multi-use platform. Even more, once you’ve paid it’s $49 fee, that’s it! You can use it for as long as you want without worrying about monthly or annual subscription costs.
Pros
- Works like Photoshop
- No subscription required
Cons
- Not easy for beginners
- Can’t create custom workspaces
Summary
Finding the best free or cheap graphic editing software that meets all your needs can be overwhelming. However, the resources mentioned above can really benefit and help you to create and edit your projects. Whether it’s free or for a small price, these graphic editors are wonderful options to consider without too much confusion.