Photoshop vs GIMP

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Our analysts compared Photoshop vs GIMP based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Photo Editing Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

GIMP Software Tool

Product Basics

Photoshop is a versatile software designed for photo editing, graphics, and design tasks. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for manipulating images, creating digital artwork, and designing graphics. Users can perform tasks such as retouching photos, compositing images, and creating intricate designs with precision. The software is particularly suited for photographers, graphic designers, and digital artists due to its robust capabilities and extensive feature set.

Industries such as advertising, marketing, publishing, and web design benefit significantly from Photoshop's advanced functionalities. Unique benefits include its powerful layer-based editing system, extensive brush library, and sophisticated selection tools. Popular features like content-aware fill, smart objects, and customizable workspaces enhance productivity and creativity.

Compared to similar products, users often praise Photoshop for its depth, flexibility, and industry-standard status. Pricing varies, typically offered as a subscription model with monthly or annual payment options. For specific pricing details, users are encouraged to contact SelectHub for a tailored quote based on their needs.

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GIMP, an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a versatile software designed for tasks such as photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring. It is particularly well-suited for graphic designers, photographers, and illustrators who require a robust tool for creating and editing images. Industries such as advertising, publishing, and web design often benefit from its capabilities. GIMP offers unique advantages, including its open-source nature, which allows for extensive customization and community-driven enhancements. Notable features include advanced photo retouching tools, customizable brushes, and support for various file formats. Users appreciate its powerful layer management and comprehensive color adjustment options. Compared to similar products, GIMP is praised for its cost-effectiveness, as it is available for free, making it accessible to individuals and small businesses with limited budgets. For specific pricing details or tailored solutions, users are encouraged to contact SelectHub for a personalized quote.
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$0 Open-Source
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Product Insights

  • Enhanced Creativity: Photoshop provides a wide array of tools and features that allow users to bring their creative visions to life, from intricate photo manipulations to stunning digital paintings.
  • Professional Quality: The software's advanced capabilities ensure that users can produce high-resolution, print-ready images suitable for professional use in marketing, advertising, and publishing.
  • Time Efficiency: With features like batch processing and automated actions, Photoshop helps streamline repetitive tasks, saving valuable time for designers and photographers.
  • Non-Destructive Editing: Photoshop's use of layers and masks allows for adjustments and edits without permanently altering the original image, providing flexibility and peace of mind.
  • Versatile File Compatibility: The software supports a wide range of file formats, making it easy to import and export images for various purposes, from web design to print media.
  • Precision and Control: Tools like the Pen Tool and Smart Guides offer unparalleled precision, enabling users to create detailed and accurate designs and selections.
  • Extensive Learning Resources: Adobe offers comprehensive tutorials, forums, and support, making it easier for users to learn and master Photoshop, regardless of their skill level.
  • Integration with Other Adobe Products: Seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, such as Illustrator and InDesign, enhances workflow efficiency and project consistency.
  • Customization Options: Users can tailor their workspace and tools to fit their specific needs, improving productivity and comfort during long editing sessions.
  • Advanced Retouching Capabilities: Photoshop's retouching tools, such as the Healing Brush and Clone Stamp, allow for precise corrections and enhancements, making it ideal for portrait and fashion photography.
  • Creative Filters and Effects: A vast library of filters and effects enables users to experiment with different styles and moods, adding unique touches to their projects.
  • Scalability for Different Projects: Whether working on a small social media graphic or a large billboard design, Photoshop's tools and features scale to meet the demands of any project size.
  • Collaboration Features: Cloud documents and shared libraries facilitate collaboration among team members, ensuring consistency and efficiency in multi-person projects.
  • Regular Updates: Adobe frequently updates Photoshop with new features and improvements, ensuring that users always have access to the latest tools and technologies.
  • Global Industry Standard: As the industry standard for photo editing and graphic design, proficiency in Photoshop is a valuable skill that enhances career opportunities and professional credibility.
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  • Cost-Effective: GIMP is free and open-source, eliminating the need for expensive software licenses.
  • Customizable Interface: Users can tailor the interface to their workflow, enhancing productivity and comfort.
  • Extensive Plugin Support: A wide range of plugins extends GIMP's functionality, allowing for specialized tasks like advanced photo retouching and animation.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: GIMP runs on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring accessibility for diverse user bases.
  • High-Quality Image Manipulation: GIMP offers advanced tools for tasks such as photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring, rivaling professional-grade software.
  • Active Community Support: A robust community of users and developers provides extensive tutorials, forums, and documentation, facilitating learning and troubleshooting.
  • Regular Updates: Frequent updates ensure that GIMP stays current with new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements.
  • Non-Destructive Editing: Layer-based editing allows for non-destructive changes, preserving the original image data and enabling easy adjustments.
  • Wide File Format Support: GIMP supports numerous file formats, including JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and PSD, ensuring compatibility with various projects and software.
  • Advanced Color Management: GIMP's color management tools ensure accurate color reproduction, crucial for professional-grade printing and digital media.
  • Scriptable Interface: Users can automate repetitive tasks using scripting languages like Python, enhancing efficiency and consistency in workflows.
  • Scalability: GIMP handles large image files and complex compositions efficiently, making it suitable for both small and large-scale projects.
  • Resource Efficiency: GIMP is lightweight and runs smoothly on less powerful hardware, making it accessible to users with varying system capabilities.
  • Educational Value: As an open-source tool, GIMP provides an excellent learning platform for students and hobbyists to understand image editing fundamentals without financial barriers.
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  • Layers: Allows for non-destructive editing by stacking multiple elements in a single image.
  • Selection Tools: Includes the Magic Wand, Lasso, and Quick Selection tools for precise area selections.
  • Adjustment Layers: Enables color and tonal adjustments without altering the original image.
  • Brush Tool: Offers customizable brushes for painting and retouching with various textures and effects.
  • Clone Stamp Tool: Copies pixels from one part of an image to another, useful for removing imperfections.
  • Smart Objects: Embeds images or vector graphics in a way that preserves their original quality when transformed.
  • Filters: Provides a range of effects like blur, sharpen, and distort to enhance or stylize images.
  • Pen Tool: Creates precise paths and shapes, essential for vector-based design and complex selections.
  • Content-Aware Fill: Automatically fills in selected areas by analyzing surrounding pixels, ideal for removing unwanted objects.
  • Text Tool: Adds and customizes text with various fonts, sizes, and styles directly onto images.
  • Layer Masks: Controls the visibility of different parts of a layer, allowing for seamless blending and compositing.
  • Blend Modes: Alters how layers interact with each other, offering creative options for combining images.
  • History Panel: Tracks and allows undoing multiple steps, providing flexibility in the editing process.
  • Actions: Automates repetitive tasks by recording and replaying a series of steps, enhancing workflow efficiency.
  • 3D Tools: Enables the creation and manipulation of 3D objects and scenes within a 2D workspace.
  • Camera Raw: Processes raw images with advanced controls for exposure, color balance, and detail enhancement.
  • Liquify Tool: Warps and reshapes image areas, useful for retouching portraits and creating artistic effects.
  • Artboards: Manages multiple layouts within a single document, ideal for web and app design projects.
  • Vector Shapes: Draws and edits scalable shapes and paths, essential for logo design and illustrations.
  • Export Options: Supports various file formats and export settings, ensuring compatibility with different platforms and devices.
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  • Customizable Interface: GIMP allows users to customize the layout and functionality of the interface to suit their workflow, including docking and undocking panels.
  • Photo Enhancement: Tools such as corrective mode, perspective transformation, and channel mixing help enhance and correct photos with precision.
  • Digital Retouching: The clone tool, healing tool, and perspective clone tool are designed for advanced retouching and restoration tasks.
  • Support for Various File Formats: GIMP supports a wide range of file formats including JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and PSD, ensuring compatibility with other software.
  • Extensive Plugin Support: Users can extend GIMP’s functionality with a variety of plugins, including those for animation, filters, and effects.
  • Advanced Manipulation: Features like layer masks, bezier curves, and gradient editing provide powerful tools for complex image manipulation.
  • Color Management: GIMP supports color profiles and color management workflows, ensuring accurate color representation for print and digital media.
  • Script-Fu and Python-Fu: Automation and scripting capabilities allow users to create custom scripts for repetitive tasks, enhancing productivity.
  • Path Tools: The path tool allows for the creation of complex selections and vector-based paths, useful for detailed editing and design work.
  • Text Tools: GIMP includes robust text tools that support advanced typography, including text along a path and text-to-selection features.
  • Brush Dynamics: Users can customize brush dynamics to control size, opacity, and other parameters based on pressure, velocity, and other factors.
  • Layer Management: GIMP supports multiple layers and layer groups, allowing for non-destructive editing and complex compositions.
  • GEGL Integration: The Generic Graphics Library (GEGL) integration provides high-bit depth processing and non-destructive editing capabilities.
  • Resource Management: GIMP includes tools for managing resources such as brushes, gradients, and patterns, making it easier to organize and access them.
  • Open Source: As an open-source software, GIMP is free to use and modify, with a large community contributing to its development and support.
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Product Ranking

#1

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Photo Editing Software

#4

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Photo Editing Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Basic Editing Tools
Security
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User Interface and Experience
Basic Editing Tools
User Interface and Experience

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Photoshop
GIMP
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Advanced Editing Tools Basic Editing Tools Collaboration Platform Capabilities User Interface And Experience 96 100 75 91 91 82 98 35 63 90 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Photoshop and concluded it deserves the award for the Best Overall Photo Editing Software available today and earns best-in-class honors for Basic Editing Tools and Security.

Analysts' Pick Award
Basic Editing Tools Award
Security Award

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Industry Standard: Photoshop is widely recognized as the go-to software in various creative industries, ensuring compatibility and smooth collaboration on projects.
Comprehensive Toolset: From basic adjustments to advanced manipulations, Photoshop offers an extensive array of tools catering to virtually every photo editing and graphic design need.
Powerful RAW Processing: Photoshop provides robust tools for adjusting RAW files, giving photographers extensive control over image parameters from the outset of their workflow.
AI-Powered Features: Features like Neural Filters leverage artificial intelligence to enable complex edits and achieve stunning results with simplified workflows.
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Cost-Effective: As a free and open-source software, GIMP eliminates the financial barrier for businesses, especially smaller ones with budget constraints.
Feature-Rich: GIMP offers a comprehensive set of tools comparable to paid software, including layers, masks, and advanced filters, enabling professional-level image editing.
Versatile Applications: From photo retouching and resizing to creating graphics and web elements, GIMP's versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of business needs.
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Subscription-Based Model: Unlike a one-time purchase, the subscription model means ongoing costs for users, which can be a deterrent for budget-conscious businesses.
Steep Learning Curve: Photoshop's extensive features come with a price - mastering its interface and tools takes time and effort, potentially hindering productivity for new users.
Limited Native RAW Editing: Requiring a separate plugin (Adobe Camera RAW) for native RAW image editing can be seen as an unnecessary hurdle compared to software with built-in RAW support.
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Steep Learning Curve: GIMP's interface can be challenging for new users to learn, demanding an investment of time to become proficient.
Limited Professional Features: GIMP lacks some advanced features essential for professional workflows, such as CMYK color support, hindering its use in print production.
Outdated Interface: Compared to modern image editors, GIMP's interface can feel clunky and less intuitive, potentially slowing down workflows.
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Can Photoshop really shop 'til it drops when it comes to features? User reviews from the last year suggest a resounding "yes," with many considering it the undisputed king of image editing. Users consistently highlight its unparalleled power and versatility as major strengths, particularly praising the depth and breadth of its toolset. For instance, the AI-powered features like Generative Fill and Neural Filters are often lauded for their ability to achieve complex edits with surprising ease, setting Photoshop apart from more streamlined alternatives like PhotoWorks. While Photoshop's subscription model and steep learning curve are commonly cited drawbacks, users generally agree that the investment is justified for professionals and serious hobbyists who require the utmost control and precision in their work.

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Is GIMP all it's cracked up to be? User reviews from the last year paint a mixed picture of GIMP, a free and open-source image editor. While lauded as a cost-effective alternative to paid software like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP grapples with criticisms regarding its user interface and missing features. Users praise GIMP's robust functionality, likening it to Photoshop in its ability to handle complex editing tasks. The software's open-source nature is a major draw, allowing for customization and community-driven development. However, GIMP's interface is a recurring pain point. Users describe it as "unintuitive" and "ugly," with some struggling to navigate its floating windows and unconventional layout. This steep learning curve can be a deterrent for beginners. Furthermore, GIMP lacks certain advanced features found in Photoshop, such as native RAW file editing, which necessitates relying on external plugins. In essence, GIMP is best suited for budget-conscious users or hobbyists willing to invest time in mastering its intricacies. It's a powerful tool in the right hands, but those seeking a more streamlined and feature-rich experience might find Photoshop a worthwhile investment.

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Screenshots

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