The best Image Editing
Every option ranked — open-source, self-hostable, and commercial — by our transparent Sovereignty Score, with honest trade-offs so you choose what fits you, not us.
Raster image editors and digital-painting tools — the software people use to retouch photos, composite images, and create artwork — and the free, open-source alternatives to subscription creative suites.
L5Applications — layer 5 of the AI stack- 1
GIMP
Top pickOpen sourceThe long-standing open-source image editor for photo retouching and compositing.
Free and open-source · in our Adobe Photoshop comparison →
What is GIMP? →96sovereignty - 2
Krita
Open sourceA professional open-source studio for digital painting that doubles as a capable image editor.
Free download; optional paid store builds fund development · in our Adobe Photoshop comparison →
What is Krita? →96sovereignty - 3
Pinta
Open sourceA lightweight, open-source editor for quick everyday image edits.
Free and open-source · in our Adobe Photoshop comparison →
What is Pinta? →92sovereignty - 4
Photopea
CommercialA free Photoshop-style editor that runs instantly in your browser and opens PSD files.
Free in the browser (ad-supported); optional Premium about US$5/month · in our Adobe Photoshop comparison →
What is Photopea? →45sovereignty - 5
Affinity by Canva
CommercialThe full pro suite — pixel, vector, and layout — now genuinely free.
Free (all pixel/vector/layout tools); Canva premium plans unlock the AI features · in our Adobe Photoshop comparison →
What is Affinity by Canva? →42sovereignty
Is it free?
The free tier, its real limits and where you start paying — read from each vendor's own pricing page and dated.
Run these yourself
What each one actually needs — real RAM, honest running cost, and the setup time nobody quotes.
- Self-hosting GIMP 4 GB for large multi-layer images
- Self-hosting Krita 8 GB for large canvases at print resolution
- Self-hosting Pinta Depends on your images. Every layer is a full uncompressed canvas at 4 bytes per pixel, so a 24-megapixel photo costs about 96 MB per layer, before undo history
Replacing a specific tool?
Head-to-head comparisons for each popular image editing product.
Straight head-to-heads
Two image editing tools, side by side — verified facts and a plain verdict.