GIMP
Layered raster editor for Linux, macOS, Windows
Closest general-purpose raster editor. Covers photo retouching, layered editing, and batch processing. Gaps in CMYK and RAW.
GNU General Public License v3.0desktop3 known gaps
best-fit5200 stars
Adobe Photoshop
Industry-standard raster image editor
Photoshop is the dominant professional raster image editor for photo retouching, compositing, digital painting, and prepress. It defines the category and the workflow vocabulary most alternatives are measured against.
Subscription-only since 2013 (Creative Cloud). No perpetual license. Photography plan bundles with Lightroom.
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| workflow | GIMPbest-fit | Kritapartial-fit |
|---|---|---|
| Layered raster editing | ✓supported | ✓supported |
| RAW photo processing | ✗missingNo native RAW. Integrates with Darktable/RawTherapee via plugin. | ✗missingNot a RAW processor. Use Darktable or RawTherapee alongside. |
| CMYK / prepress | ✗missingNo native CMYK. Separate+ plugin exists but is not production-grade. | ≈partialCMYK support via color management; not a full prepress pipeline but closer than GIMP. |
| Digital painting & illustration | ≈partialBasic brush engine; not designed for painting. Krita is the closer match. | ✓supportedKrita's primary strength. Brush engine is professional-grade. |
| Plugin ecosystem | ≈partialPlugin system exists but ecosystem is a fraction of Photoshop's. | ≈partialPython plugin support; small ecosystem. |
| Batch processing & automation | ✓supportedBatch operations via Script-Fu and Python-Fu. | ≈partialBatch processing via Python plugins; not a first-class feature. |
ranked alternatives2 tools · grounded
Krita
Digital painting and illustration with color management
Best for the painting and illustration subset of Photoshop's workflows. Strong color management including CMYK. Gaps in photo retouching and plugin ecosystem.
GNU General Public License v3.0desktop2 known gaps
partial-fit8200 stars
known gapswhat these alternatives do not do
GIMP does not natively support CMYK color separation for print production. A plugin (Separate+) exists but is not maintained to professional prepress standards. For print production, Krita with its color management is closer, but neither matches Photoshop's prepress pipeline.
cited1 source
GIMP's interface, naming, and shortcut model differ from Photoshop. Migrating users report a learning curve. A single-window mode exists but the mental model is distinct.
cited1 source
GIMP does not process RAW camera files natively. It integrates with Darktable or RawTherapee via a plugin, but the workflow is two-app, not unified.
cited1 source
Krita is built for painting, not photo retouching. It lacks Photoshop's content-aware fill, healing brush refinements, and photo-focused adjustment layers. For photo editing, GIMP is the closer match.
cited1 source
Krita supports Python plugins, but the ecosystem is a fraction of Photoshop's. Professional plugins (Nik, Topaz, etc.) have no Krita equivalents.
claimed
export & importhow to get your data out
- formats
- PSD, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIF
- note
- PSD is a documented but proprietary format. Third-party tools support PSD import with varying fidelity.
cited
sources2 citations
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