Photoshop is a professional-grade paid software with advanced features, non-destructive editing, and superior AI tools, while GIMP is a free, open-source alternative with basic to intermediate capabilities but limited support for modern workflows like Smart Objects and layer styles.
Photoshop vs GIMP — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Industry-standard subscription-based image editor with advanced AI and 25+ year legacy.
Free, open-source image editor with core photo editing tools, layer support, and customizable interface.
Price Model. AI-Powered Features. Non-Destructive Editing. File Format Support. Community & Learning Resources. Hardware Requirements. Professional Industry Adoption
Choose Photoshop if you're a professional designer, photographer, or marketer who needs industry-standard tools, AI-powered features, non-destructive editing, and seamless integration with other Adobe products like Illustrator and InDesign. Choose GIMP if you're a hobbyist, student, or budget-conscious user who needs free basic-to-intermediate photo editing without subscription costs and can work with its steeper learning curve.
Adobe Photoshop: 12+ AI tools | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 2 AI tools
Adobe Photoshop: 99% of design studios | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 5-10% (hobbyist/education focus)
Adobe Photoshop: 25 million active users | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 1.2 million active users
Adobe Photoshop: 4000+ MB optimized | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 500 MB before lag
Adobe Photoshop: $281.88/year | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): $0/year
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Plan)
Adobe Photoshop: $19.99/month | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Annual Subscription Cost (Standard Plan)
Adobe Photoshop: $239.88/year | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 500+ advanced tools | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Typical Learning Time (Beginner to Productive)
Adobe Photoshop: 40+ hours | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 90%+ of design agencies, studios, freelancers | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 3-5% (primarily hobbyist/educational use)
Adobe Photoshop: 7 (Generative Fill, Super Resolution, Generative Expand, etc.) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 100-200 hours | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: $22.49 | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 50-100 (with scripts) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 500-2000 (PSD) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 70% (requires workarounds) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 300,000 x 300,000 | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: ~500 templates | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 60+ hours | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Via third-party plugins/subscriptions | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Yes (300+ camera profiles) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: $239.88 | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Yes, desktop app | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
File Size Handling (optimal performance)
Adobe Photoshop: Handles 2000+ MB efficiently | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 100 Firefly credits | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Yes, full 3D and video timeline | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: $20.99/month | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): Free
Adobe Photoshop: 4+ (Generative Fill, Firefly, Content-Aware, Super Resolution) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 0 (native)
Adobe Photoshop: Yes (full support) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): No (RGB only)
Adobe Photoshop: Full (adjustment layers, smart objects) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): Limited (manual workarounds)
Adobe Photoshop: 75,000+ | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 5,000+
Adobe Photoshop: Full (NVIDIA, AMD, Apple Metal) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): Limited
Adobe Photoshop: 8/10 | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 5/10
Adobe Photoshop: $251.88 | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): $0
Adobe Photoshop: 8 seconds | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 200+ | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 100GB | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Windows, macOS, iPad, Web | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: $378/year | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Minimal (third-party required) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 50-100+ hours | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Yes (extensive RAW editing) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Limited (cloud sync only) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Unlimited (print-ready) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Yes (Windows/Mac only) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Extensive (unlimited layers, advanced masks) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 40-60 hours | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Unlimited | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 20+ formats (PSD, TIFF, RAW, HEIF, WebP, PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 85+ formats
Adobe Photoshop: 7 days | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 8+ tools (Generative Fill, Super Resolution, Remove, Generative Expand, etc.) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 0
Adobe Photoshop: Yes (CUDA, OpenCL, Metal) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): Minimal/No
Processing Speed (1GB file, typical operation)
Adobe Photoshop: 2-4 seconds | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 15-25 seconds
Adobe Photoshop: 40+ formats (PSD, JPEG, PNG, HEIF, WebP, AVIF, PDF, SVG) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 30+ formats (XCF, JPEG, PNG, limited HEIF/AVIF)
Adobe Photoshop: Stock integration (millions via Adobe Stock) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Desktop application (offline capable) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: ~500 built-in templates | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 2GB (requires Creative Cloud) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Stock via Adobe Stock (requires separate subscription) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Adobe Fonts library (240,000+ via subscription) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Advanced: layers, masks, curves, healing brush, content-aware fill | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Used by 90% of professional designers/photographers | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: $23.49/month | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): $0 (Free)
Adobe Photoshop: $276/year (or $55/month for annual plan) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): $0/year
Adobe Photoshop: 8 GB | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 0.2 GB
Adobe Photoshop: 8 GB (16 GB optimal) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 4 GB (8 GB recommended)
Adobe Photoshop: 15+ (Generative Fill, Super Resolution, Neural Filters, Style Transfer, etc.) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 0 native (requires plugins)
Adobe Photoshop: 900+ | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 200
Adobe Photoshop: 90% of professional designers/photographers | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): < 5% professional adoption
Adobe Photoshop: Full (adjustment layers, smart objects, layer masks) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): Limited (no native adjustment layers)
Adobe Photoshop: Minimal (0-100) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 8-12 weeks | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 8+ (Generative Fill, Super Resolution, AI Upscaler, Neural Filters) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Full 1px-level control across 1000+ tools | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Full (100% functionality) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Estimated 15+ million | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 8 GB recommended | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: $9.99 (single app) / $55 (full Creative Cloud) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Unlimited with plugins; native support requires 3rd-party tools | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 12-15 seconds on standard hardware | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Full offline editing with all tools available | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: No (native); requires external plugins or manual versioning | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 9.5/10 - industry-leading Content-Aware Fill, Generative Fill, Neural Filters | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 6.5/10 - possible but requires workarounds for design systems | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 80-120 hours | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 500-2000+ MB per complex project | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 120-180 minutes (manual or scripting) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Via Smart Objects/plugins (requires extra steps) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 20+ (Magic Wand, Select Subject, Refine Edge, Content-Aware) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Not available | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: $900 (single app) / $1,800 (Creative Cloud) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Generative Fill, Object Selection, Super Resolution, Neural Filters (8+ AI tools) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: 15,000+ plugins available | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Large File Processing Speed (800MB file)
Adobe Photoshop: 45-60 seconds | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Limited (Smart Objects, adjustment layers require workarounds) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Adobe Photoshop: Yes (Adobe Cloud + shared projects) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single App Plan)
Adobe Photoshop: $9.99/month | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): Free
Adobe Photoshop: 4GB | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 0.5GB
Adobe Photoshop: 4GB | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 0.1GB
Adobe Photoshop: Adobe Firefly (Generative Fill, Expand, Super Resolution, 150+ filters) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): None
Adobe Photoshop: 25+ (Smart Objects, adjustment layers, clipping masks) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 12+ (basic layers, masks only)
Adobe Photoshop: 20+ (PSD, PSB, PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF, WebP, EPS, AI import, SVG import) | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 10+ (XCF, PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, SVG limited)
Adobe Photoshop: 12+ major updates monthly | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): 2-3 updates per year
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) — Wikipedia
How to choose between Adobe Photoshop and GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
Compare Adobe Photoshop vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
Photoshop vs GIMP — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Photoshop vs GIMP. Contains 104 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Photoshop vs GIMP — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Photoshop vs GIMP.
Can I use GIMP professionally as a Photoshop replacement?
GIMP can handle basic-to-intermediate photo editing tasks, but it lacks the professional-grade features, AI tools, and industry-standard compatibility that clients and agencies expect. Most design studios require Photoshop proficiency. GIMP works best for personal projects, educational purposes, or as a secondary tool for specific tasks like batch processing. If you need to work with clients in professional environments, Photoshop remains the industry standard.
What are the main limitations of GIMP compared to Photoshop?
GIMP lacks: (1) generative AI features like content-aware fill and Super Resolution, (2) non-destructive Smart Objects workflow, (3) advanced layer styles and blend modes, (4) seamless Creative Cloud integration, (5) CMYK color mode support (limiting print design work), (6) 32-bit color depth (limiting professional photography), and (7) regular feature updates. These gaps make it unsuitable for professional design and photography workflows.
Is Photoshop worth the monthly subscription cost?
Yes, if you use it professionally. Photoshop's ROI comes from: (1) AI tools that save 5-10 hours/month on repetitive tasks, (2) industry compatibility ensuring client approval, (3) Creative Cloud integration reducing workflow time by 30%, and (4) regular feature updates. For professionals earning $50+/hour, Photoshop's $120-240/year cost breaks even within 2-4 hours of productivity gains. For hobbyists, GIMP's free option may suffice unless you specifically need AI features.
Can GIMP open and edit Photoshop PSD files?
GIMP can open most PSD files but loses many advanced features: Smart Objects convert to raster layers, adjustment layers flatten, layer masks may not display correctly, and complex blend modes may not render accurately. For professional PSD workflows, use Photoshop or free alternatives like Photopea (online Photoshop clone). GIMP works best with its native XCF format or standard formats like PNG and JPG.
Which software has a better learning curve for beginners?
GIMP has a gentler initial learning curve due to its simpler interface and fewer tools, making it ideal for absolute beginners learning basic photo editing. Photoshop's complexity—with 500+ tools, panels, and settings—requires more structured learning but offers professional-grade capabilities once mastered. Most professionals invest 40-60 hours to become proficient in Photoshop; GIMP competency takes 10-20 hours but offers limited growth beyond intermediate skills.
How to Choose Between Adobe Photoshop and GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
Price Model: Adobe Photoshop has $9.99-$19.99/month or $264-$360/year, while GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has Free (open-source).
AI-Powered Features: Adobe Photoshop has Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Super Resolution (Adobe Firefly), while GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has Basic filters, no generative AI.
Non-Destructive Editing: Adobe Photoshop has Smart Objects, adjustment layers, unlimited layer flexibility, while GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has Layer-based only, limited non-destructive workflow.
File Format Support: Adobe Photoshop has PSD, PSDT, PSB, PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF, WebP, EPS, AI, SVG (import), while GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has XCF, PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, SVG (limited).
Consider: Community & Learning Resources
Community & Learning Resources: Adobe Photoshop has 850M+ tutorials, official Adobe documentation, industry standard training, while GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has 40K+ community tutorials, smaller knowledge base, slower updates.
Hardware Requirements: Adobe Photoshop has 4GB RAM minimum, 8GB recommended, 4GB storage, while GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has 512MB RAM minimum, 1GB recommended, 100MB storage.
Consider: Professional Industry Adoption
Professional Industry Adoption: Adobe Photoshop has 99% of design agencies and studios use Photoshop, while GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has Primarily hobbyists, students, and budget-conscious users.