A free photo editor like Photoshop that runs in your browser
PhotopixPro is a free Photoshop alternative: an online photo editor that works like Photoshop, with the same menus and default shortcuts, and opens PSD files with their layers. There's no subscription, no ads, no account and nothing to install. It isn't Photoshop, though: there are no AI tools, only two fonts on the web and no phone version.
Which one to choose
Choose Photoshop if…
- you use generative AI or Firefly tools in your work
- you need many fonts, or the exact fonts from client files
- your PSD files go back and forth with other Photoshop users every day
- you also edit on your phone
Choose PhotopixPro if…
- you open or edit PSD files and everyday photos, such as JPG, PNG, HEIC or RAW, and don't want a subscription
- you already know the Photoshop menus and shortcuts
- you can't install software on the computer you're using
- you don't want to create an account just to edit an image
PhotopixPro and Photoshop side by side
| Compared item | Photoshop | PhotopixPro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Photoshop plan: US$22.99 a month (annual, billed monthly). Photography plan with Photoshop: US$19.99 a month. Adobe also sells a Mobile and Web plan | Free, with no paid plan and no ads |
| Free option | Photoshop on mobile is a free download, with premium features on a paid plan. There's no free version of Photoshop on the web | The whole editor is free, with no account |
| Where it runs | Desktop, web and mobile; the desktop and web apps need a plan | Desktop browser, nothing to install; not designed for phones |
| Opens PSD | Yes, it's Adobe's own format | Yes, with layers, masks, text, smart objects and layer styles |
| Saves PSD | Yes | Yes |
| AI tools | Yes: Adobe's Firefly and models from other companies | None |
| Menus and shortcuts | Its own | The ten Photoshop menus in the same order, and the default Photoshop shortcuts |
| Your files | The desktop app works on files on your computer; Photoshop on the web works on photos you upload, with a plan or a trial | Read and edited in your browser, never uploaded |
Photoshop details come from Adobe's own pages, read on October 17, 2026, and linked under sources; we checked the plans, the prices and Photoshop on the web again on October 18, 2026. Prices are in US dollars, vary by country and change over time.
Is there a free online version of Photoshop?
Not a full one. Adobe says there isn't a free version of Photoshop on the web, though you can try some of the most popular Photoshop tools there for free. To upload and edit your own photos, Adobe asks for a Photoshop plan or a free trial, and Photoshop on the web comes with any Photoshop plan. Adobe's other free option is Photoshop on mobile, a download with premium features on a paid plan. That's what Adobe's pages said on October 18, 2026.
If you want a free editor that works like Photoshop in your browser, PhotopixPro is one option. It isn't Photoshop and it isn't made by Adobe, but it opens PSD files with their layers, uses the same ten menus and default shortcuts as Photoshop, and needs no plan, no account and no upload. Adobe's own Photoshop pages are on adobe.com, so a free "Photoshop online" on another site isn't Adobe's.
The same menus and shortcuts as Photoshop
If you've used Photoshop, most of PhotopixPro will feel familiar:
- The ten Photoshop menus with the same names, in the same order: File, Edit, Image, Layer, Type, Select, Filter, View, Window and Help.
- The default Photoshop shortcuts, such as Ctrl+J and Ctrl+M, which you can change in Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts… The full list is on our shortcuts page.
- 16 kinds of adjustment layer, 27 blend modes, layer masks, vector masks and clipping masks.
- Edit > Free Transform, Filter > Liquify… and Image > Image Size…
- The Spot Healing Brush Tool, the Clone Stamp Tool, Edit > Content-Aware Fill… and Select > Subject and Sky, all working without AI.
- A RAW dialog, called Camera Raw as in Photoshop, for photos from Canon (CR2), Nikon (NEF) and Sony (ARW), and DNG files. Canon CR3 files open only as the JPEG preview stored inside them. See which RAW files open.
- Your Photoshop brushes (.abr) and swatches (.aco and .ase): open the file and they're added to the panels.
- Edit > Search… (Ctrl+F) to find any command, tool or panel by name.
What PhotopixPro can't do
Check this list before you rely on it:
- No AI. No generative fill, no AI upscaling and no neural filters.
- Two fonts. On the web there are only Inter and JetBrains Mono, and the editor can't use your computer's fonts.
- No phone version. It's built for a keyboard and a mouse or pen, and touch support is basic.
- No autosave and no offline mode. Save often; the editor needs a connection to load.
- No pasting images from other apps. You can paste text, but not images copied elsewhere, and nothing copies out of the editor.
- No cloud storage, accounts, collaboration or templates.
- Some formats don't open: PDF, AI, EPS, AVIF and JPEG XL.
- Big files can freeze the tab for a few seconds, because the editor works on a single thread.
Other free Photoshop alternatives
PhotopixPro isn't the only way to avoid a subscription. This is how the free options compare, from their makers' pages and our own tests, checked on October 17, 2026:
| Compared item | Runs in | Cost | PSD files | Made for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhotopixPro | A desktop browser, nothing to install | Free, no ads | Opens and saves PSD | Opening and editing PSD files with the Photoshop menus |
| Photopea | A browser | Free, with ads | Opens and saves PSD | Editing PSD and many other formats, with AI tools |
| GIMP | An app you install, for Linux, macOS and Windows | Free software | Imports and exports PSD and PSB | Image editing |
| Krita | An app you install | Free | Loads and saves layers, blend modes, layer styles, text and groups from PSD | Digital painting |
| Affinity | An app you install, for macOS and Windows | Free for individuals, with a Canva account; its AI tools need a Canva premium plan | Imports PSD files with their layers | Design, photo editing and page layout |
Photopea opens more formats and has AI tools; our Photopea comparison goes through it point by point. GIMP's developers note that the public PSD specification isn't always complete, and Krita's documentation says no program other than Photoshop can support PSD 100%, so check your own files in whichever one you pick.
Is there a GIMP online?
Not from the GIMP team. GIMP's download page offers it for Linux and other Unix-like systems, macOS and Windows, and lists no version that runs in a browser. If you need to edit in a browser, look at web editors such as PhotopixPro or Photopea instead, with the limits this page describes.
Not sure which one opens your file best? Our guide to opening a PSD without Photoshop covers each device.
Sources
What this page says about other apps comes from their makers' pages, which we read on October 17, 2026. We read the Adobe pages on plans and Photoshop on the web, and the Photopea pages, again on October 18, 2026.
- Adobe: Photoshop plans and pricing, Photoshop overview and FAQ and Photoshop on the web.
- Photopea: home page and how it displays ads.
- GIMP: home page, downloads and supported image formats.
- Krita: home page and PSD support.
- Affinity: home page and getting Affinity.
What it says about PhotopixPro comes from our own tests.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Photoshop?
Yes, several. PhotopixPro is free and runs in your browser with no ads and no account, uses the same menus and shortcuts as Photoshop, and opens and saves PSD files. Photopea is another browser editor, free with ads. GIMP and Krita are free programs you install, and Affinity is free for individuals.
What websites are like Photoshop?
PhotopixPro and Photopea are two free websites that open and save PSD files in your browser, with nothing to install. PhotopixPro uses the same menus and default shortcuts as Photoshop, with no ads and no account. Photopea is free with ads. Adobe's Photoshop on the web needs a Photoshop plan, and GIMP, Krita and Affinity are apps you install.
How much does Photoshop cost?
On October 18, 2026, Adobe listed the Photoshop plan at US$22.99 a month, on an annual plan billed monthly, with Photoshop on desktop, web and mobile. Photoshop also comes in the Photography plan at US$19.99 a month, and there's a Mobile and Web plan you buy in the iPhone app. Prices vary by country and change over time. PhotopixPro is free.
Can I use Photoshop without downloading it?
With a plan or a free trial, yes: Adobe's Photoshop on the web runs in a browser and comes with a Photoshop plan. PhotopixPro also runs in a desktop browser tab, free, with nothing to install and no admin rights to ask for, which helps on a school or work computer. The first visit downloads about 11 MB.
Will my Photoshop files open in PhotopixPro?
In our tests, yes: we opened 21 real PSD files, six of them made in Photoshop, with groups, masks, text, smart objects, smart filters and all ten layer styles. Two things can differ: text in fonts other than Inter and JetBrains Mono, and some effects, which may look slightly different. The editor also warns you about lookup tables it can't read.
Is PhotopixPro made by Adobe?
No. PhotopixPro is a product of PhotoPix Solutions and isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Adobe. It uses the Photoshop menu names and shortcuts so people who know Photoshop feel at home, and it opens PSD files, the Photoshop file format. Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Inc.
Does PhotopixPro have AI tools like Photoshop?
No. There's no generative fill, no AI upscaling and no neural filters. Select > Subject, Select > Sky and Remove Background (in the Properties panel, under Quick Actions) use classic algorithms instead, and Remove Background works best on simple, clean backgrounds. If AI tools are central to your work, Photoshop or another AI editor will serve you better.
Other tools
- Open PSD online See every layer, mask and text of a PSD file without Photoshop.
- Edit PSD online Change text, layers and colors in a PSD, then save it again.
- Edit PNG or JPG Crop, resize, retouch and add text to a PNG or JPG, then export it again.
- PSD to PNG Export a PSD, or only some of its layers, as a PNG with transparency.
- PSD to JPG Turn a PSD into a smaller JPG at the quality you choose.
- HEIC to JPG Turn HEIC photos into JPG without uploading them anywhere.
- Open RAW online Open CR2, NEF, ARW and DNG photos, adjust them and export a JPG.
- PNG to PSD Turn a PNG or JPG into a PSD, keeping a PNG's transparency, and add layers on top.
Try it on one of your PSD files
The quickest test is your own file. Open the editor, drop a PSD in and see what comes through.