15 Free Photoshop Substitutes

One of the secrets of creating a Search Engine Optimized or SEO site is by putting great visuals on your site.

It’s a visual web. That’s where we are headed. Netizens like looking at pictures instead of texts. That is why it is important for you to have access to utilities and platforms that will allow you to create websites that are easy on the eyes.

Look for web hosting companies that have the capacity to provide you with advice on how to design your site so that it is visually appealing and also friendly to users and search engines.

# 1. PicMonkey

It’s a web-based application that does not require registration to be used. You may, however, pay $5 monthly for more effects and other functionalities to create and alter images.

It is, however, more geared towards images with text. If you want to quickly do memes or simple to medium-designed posters, this will more than do. All you have to do is upload your photos the system and put text over it.

#2. GIMP

Like Photoshop, GIMP has layers and you can alter and edit and put effects on the image per layer. It has different brush styles and you can put masks and other effects. This is more sophisticated than PicMonkey and more versatile. You may be able to repair images. You may also get the professional version for an more functionalities that almost duplicates Photoshop.

#3. Paint.NET (Windows-only)

This is a level down from GIMP but also provides more functions than paint. The downside is that it is only available for Windows users.

#4. Pinwords

Pinwords is still in its Beta phase and, so far, completely free. It is a bit more like PicMonkey, in that it is designed to put text over your images but that is about it. There’s not a lot you can do.

Pinwords has one over PicMonkey in that it also offers free images too. Tse images are free to use.

#5. Inkscape

It is a bit like GIMP, it has layers and has a lot of effects but it’s natural file format is Vector rather than bitmaps. This means the images has higher resolution.

#6. Seashore (Mac-only)

If you are using mac and can’t afford the $4,000 you need to get a Photshoshop, you can make do with Seashore first to train your way up to Photoshop. It doesn’t make use of layers though, that’s a big limitation if you want to do some intermediate to complicated editing.

#7. LivLuvCreate

This is actually a social networking site where people share their images. They also have a built in image editing system. The system is like Paint but with a whole lot of other options that enables you to create images with texts.

The special bonus is the chance to meet other photographers, graphic artists and hobbyists who are into making memes. Just don’t be turned off with the cluttered homepage.

#8. Keep Calm-O-Matic

If you are just after creating memes, you might as well try the Keep Calm images. Yes, all those “Keep Calm, Love Paris Hilton” or “Keep Calm and Marry a Millionaire” images came from this apps.

Essentially, you can think of anything you want to put after “Keep Calm.” Yeah, pretty single minded.

#9. Pixlr (web-based)

This is another web-based tool that may be considered an amateur version of Photoshop. I know the word amateur will turn you off but an amateur Photoshop is better than the pumped up Pain. So, this is still not a bad deal.

The good thing is that there is a beginner level, intermediate level and expert level. You can do basic cropping and coloring to masking and layering images.

#10. Splashup (web-based)

If you are just doing some simple image design like cropping different images and putting them in one and putting text over the images, this will do. It’s totally free and it’s web-based. Yes, you need have internet connection to use it.

#11. Pixia (Windows-only)

It would feel like doing designing something for a Manga artwork because it was designed by the Japanese. In fact, this is the exact English version of a Japanese image editing platform. It’s very elementary, feels like using Paint.

#12. Quozio

Quozio is a web-based program that can create memes or put text on images that may be shared immediately on different social networking site. It cannot be saved on the system but you can only save a copy for yourself.

#13. Photo Pos Pro (Windows only)

It is like the first version of Photoshop but they cross sell so many different things that it’s getting really annoying. There are pop ups all the time and at some point, it becomes irritating that you forget to appreciate the free tool you are using.

#14. Picasa (cross-platform)

Yes, Google’s image sharing platform has editing tools too. In all honesty, it’s far better than most of the tools listed here. It can do image wide enhancement or curing and also do all those instagram-like effects. Like Photoshop, you can also apply your effects and edits to a batch of photos too.

#15. Photoplus (Windows only)

It’s an advanced Paint. It has brushes, fonts you can use and basic coloring effects but that is about it. You can’t trace imags.

Final Words

If you are after creating memes or images that is aesthetically decent enough to pump up your website, these free web tools will do just fine. If you want to be a professional graphic designer, you will need something far more advanced like Photoshop.