# Page 6 | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 6 - Is GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) the right Graphic Design solution for you? Explore 3495 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/reviews --- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) 4.4 (3495) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 6 - Reviews of GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 126-150 of 3495 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Pablo M. CTO Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Impressive image editing solution" September 14, 2023 5.0 Pros It provides all the tools of a paid professional image editing software with an open source license. Cons It has not the same level of consistent high quality educative material (videos, tutorials, etc.) to learn new functionalities. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) It has everything I need and more. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) I need functionalities I could not find in Paint and I didn't want to paid an expensive (at that time) license for Corel Draw or Photoshop. Review Source MP Mike P. President Writing and Editing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "GIMP Does Everything, But There's a Learning Curve" July 22, 2021 5.0 I needed software that could created high-resolution graphics for some of the content projects I do for clients. I had some trouble at first and ended up uninstalling and re-installing after changing some settings that hid some menus and controls so well I couldn't find a way to restore them. Fortunately, the internet provides a great number of experts who publish written and video tutorials. Every time I get stuck trying to do something in GIMP I do a Google search and usually find multiple articles and YouTube videos that help me solve a problem or use an unfamiliar feature. Some of my work in GIMP is repetitive. By copying an existing GIMP file and re-naming it, I can make the necessary design changes and export the necessary .jpg or .png images without too much trouble. Sometimes though, I still get frustrated by not being able to do something that seems like it should be simple. Pros GIMP seems to be able to do just about any kind of image generation and manipulation, giving a great deal of control to the user to create simple or complex graphics of various sizes and formats. Cons This program was hard to learn. It does so many things that the settings and features are pretty overwhelming for someone who lacks experience with the Adobe Creative Suite or some other high-end graphics software. I don't have the time to really become familiar with all aspects of GIMP, so I'm probably doing some things the hard way. Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) GIMP is free and has a large user base of smart, creative people. I thought I could learn it well enough to make it work for me. Review Source AB ANDREA B. OFFICE MANAGER Real Estate Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Fantastic especially for a free program." November 6, 2023 5.0 Pros Usually when you have a free alternative to any program, you expect it to be sub-par, but GIMP is free and perfect for people like me who don't need extensive graphic design tools (though I've heard it's quite good in that regard), but just need a functional form of the basics. I use it primarily for outlining parcels, and editing real estate images. Any local business that does marketing of any kind would benefit from using GIMP -- sometimes pricy programs simply aren't needed, and GIMP is a lifesaver in that regard. Cons I do feel like there is a bit of learning curve, one that I've found to be more difficult that paid image editing programs. While shortcuts make things easier for every program, if feels absolutely crucial to know them for GIMP, otherwise each task can feel laborious. I also feel like the UI for browsing for a file is way too out-of-date... I always click and drag from my file explorer. Review Source ulises M. Personal de apoyo Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Retouch image and manipulated giving it the best personal touch" June 28, 2018 5.0 In the foundation in which I work one of the activities is participation in social networks and we all know that an image says more than a thousand words is for them that a team is responsible for the editing and manipulation of images and another part of the publication of social networks, when I started working with him I had an incredible potential since I could make great editions and give life to images that were not so attractive. That is why when I found out about this tool, I called myself So much attention. Pros It is the most used and popular image editor in my work since it is multiplatform, it also has a very friendly environment and for those people who do not dominate the computer it is very simple, as well as for those who find it easy to get inside of the tools and exploit their potential at the time of mounting images and have an excellent finish, as well as being free software and being able to take the portable with me and install it quickly and easily on any computer. Cons It has multiple tools that make the manipulation of the image very simple and with great potential for editing them, besides being very light, but when installed in some operating systems, the toolbars are deconfigured, which makes image manipulation complicated although already having experience configuring it, everything is fixed. Review Source Leon C. IT Recruiter Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Powerful, free and highly customizable option for photo-editing and digital painting. " September 25, 2018 4.0 My experience with GIMP is overall positive, it is a reliable free option. Give it a try, it might end up surprising you. Pros GIMP is currently the most popular freeware option for photo-editing and digital painting, and there are good reasons for it. First of all, it consumes less RAM than many other options in the market, it has a very reliable stability, it rarely crashes and you do not need high-specs for it to work smoothly. It runs in most OS and platforms, including Linux, where it originated and was later ported and optimized for Windows and Mac. The Interface can be customized with a variety of impressive alternatives and plugins that can emulate similar softwares. It is as powerful as the other distinctive apps, being able to cope with the great results achieved by other creative suites. I also must admit that GIMP works transparencies like a champ. But their most possitive asset is their friendly and helpful community, with people enhancing and designing plugins, providing tutorials and help all free of any cost, to the extent that the users are the first providers of customer support. Cons The user interface can be somewhat confusing, this might depend on the plugins you are using and the compatibility they have between each other, this is a cost you always run into when using highly customizable applications. It might run slow when working out extremely large files, but on the bright side I never really experienced any crashes. The graphic interface feels outdated. Very limited options when it comes to text editing and pixel manipulation. Review Source Wulliams C. Coordinador de Promoción y Gestión Patrimonial Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Exposing images for a Community Manager is important and Gimp is a great ally for this" July 21, 2018 4.0 GIMP is one of the first photo editing software I could explore. Working with this software is quite easy has many benefits and benefits for editing that have allowed me to project my career as a Community Manager. A comfortable interface that combines a series of tools that although not complete, has a high range of functions that makes it continue using the software and recommend it to all those who need to edit photographs professionally and creatively. Pros In my work as a Community Manager, it is important to manage software that allows editing and resalar images, this, combined with a good coatching, enhances and enhances the accounts, adding more followers and more interaction of that account in Social Networks. GIMP, is an excellent software that gives me what I'm looking for, since it has a comfortable interface that allows you to interact with tools to remove or add light to the images, the management of different layers, which allows you to add more visual elements to the image, add effect to the photos, and, one of the most important reasons why I use GIMP is that it supports different formats like png, jpg, and gift. Cons I think the GIMP technical team could work on improving the tools they offer to modify the photos, since other software has more powerful tools for image editing. Review Source SP Simone P. Graphic Designer Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP Software Review" September 26, 2019 4.0 I use Gimp all the time and have done for years. This is my go to platform for any of my Graphic Design work. I also use this software linked up to a Graphic Display Drawing Tablet, and it still works just as good. Saving work is simple due to the software having every file format you could think off. Finding tutorials for Gimp is easy and an online forum with the Gimp Community are always happy to help. This is a great piece of Software, and I can safely say I will be using Gimp for many years to come. I would recommend it to anyone, beginner or advanced. Pros I have been using Gimp for years now, and would never feel the need to swap to another software. It seems to have all the features to do what I need it to do. The best pro for Gimp has to be the fact that it is a free open source software. Gimp is a great piece of software because it is free, anyone thinking about learning image manipulation, or animation can test the waters without having to have paid lots of money for other software. The second has to be that it competes easily with the top paid software in the same genre. The multi layered editing works great, and the software is easy to learn and use. Gimp supports many formats, meaning work can be saved in different formats depending on your need. It is easy to gain plug-ins for Gimp as well to help customise it to your needs. Cons It can seem overwhelming if you are new to this kind of software, but to be honest, this would be the same to anyone who hadn't used image manipulation software before. Sometimes Gimp can have the odd glitch, but the platform is updated regularly so doesn't cause many problems at all, as this always seems to get resolved. Review Source VS Vij S. Digital Marketing Entertainment Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Most underrated Image Manipulation software! Must try." March 14, 2023 5.0 I really liked it. I was previously using other major titled image editors, but after switching to this I feel it more reliable and powerful software which has the capability of creating whatever your thoughts wish for. Pros The vast variety of features it offers within the software. And the easy of learning curve. I like the overall experience i get while editing images. Cons It's better to implement a tutorial like stuff for beginners. It would help new comers to get grasp on what and how software works. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) It was more expensive, tho there are some tools missing which was necessary for me. So I came across this and now I'm doing great with GIMP Review Source NK Nazia K. Freelancer Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP review:" July 15, 2022 4.0 I am putting together all of my experience about GIMP that will work best for usees based on the kind of work or personal projects they are doing. This is Open Source Software (FOSS) options that can replaced with expensive premium or subscription programs. It is excellent tool for image manipulation. JPEG, PNG, GIF, etc., and allows the export of images. But, the default image format of the GIMP is ".CXF". GIMP also have massive support of third-party plug-ins. Pros 1\. It is ideal solution for small business startups. 2. Great software for freelancers with limited resources of graphic illustrations. 3. Startup guide is very easy to understand. 4. No steup fee, open source and free version also available. Cons 1\. It requires skills and proper guideline to use this software. 2. It is a bit lagy. 3. Limited access of tools and resources. Review Source WB Willie B. owner Food & Beverages Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I'll take GIMP over PhotoShop any day, if time is very important to you." March 27, 2022 5.0 The biggest business problem that was solved with GIMP? I now don't have to pay for an art designer, or someone to make promotional materials for me. Pros Speed, and ease of use. Yes, it has a little learning curve, but not that bad. Cons Only has very few limits. I can deal with those easily. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Speed, and ease of use. Review Source SM Sayed M. http://www.profitnet.tk/ Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "The tool has been proven to be a very powerful tool in photo editing and drawing" October 25, 2018 4.0 Pros GIMP This program is the oldest and most famous program for processing graphics and images is available on the systems of UNIX and GNU / Linux. It has been proven very quickly, very powerful program in the design of digital images and digital features and easy to deal with the tools within the program with beginners or professionals and is characterized as cheap compared to other expensive design programs is a free program main use and improve the appearance of images as well as re-scaled and cut and Adjusting colors, grouping images with each other, removing unwanted objects, and converting between different image formats as well as drawing logos. It can also create GIF animations Jump works on several platforms: most of the platforms of UNIX and its children such as GNU Linux, Macintosh among them, in addition to Microsoft Windows. It is characteristic  The program is light and small size does not exceed 16 MB. Free and free, and you do not have to pay too much to use, you can download and use it for free.  Supports Arabic by default and does not need a special version to support Arabic. Places of coloring  A complete set of painting tools.  Anti-Aliasing (Sub-pixel sampling) technology is available for all tools.  Generating gradients with great magnificence.  Add custom brushes, gradients and patterns. Technical features  Advanced memory management (tile based memory management, sic) makes image size limited only to free space on the hard drive.  Unlimited number of images Cons Slower in performance but very acceptable   It does not support 16-bit accuracy and this is my opinion the flaw is the good news that this defect will be resolved in the next version according to some sites. Some specifications need to be installed and not the basis of the program It does not contain a photo organizer program like Bridge It does not contain a RAW adapter and this is not necessary because most cameras come with RAW format converter. You will also find a free alternative to RAW format conversion It does not open some file types such as JPEG-2000 Review Source Rodrigo A V. Graphic designer Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Free and open source editing software at photoshop level" January 13, 2023 5.0 The commercial value of photo editing tools makes it high and it is not always available in work teams, although it is not of constant use, it fulfills perfectly the function of photo editor. Pros Gimp is a free photo editor, free and free, with tools comparable to those of photoshop, although with some limitations, but it fulfills the purpose to perfection, It allows you to open and edit PSD files and other formats, occupies few memory and processor resources, which makes it optimal for computers with low hardware capacity and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. Cons The cons of Gimp are few, it does not have support although it has created a community that fulfills that function, the functions are limited compared to photoshop, it does not have support for CMYK image. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) I use Gimp as an additional resource when it is not possible for me to have equipment (computer) with other editing tools. Review Source Anne C. Owner Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful Photo-Editing Program to Satisfy Advanced Needs" September 5, 2018 4.0 I've been using Gimp for years for advanced photo editing. I use other programs for simple editing, but when I need more detailed and/or targeted editing, Gimp is great. You can create PNG images with transparent backgrounds; delete and replace backgrounds; selectively edit colors; use a multitude of special effects; etc. You can orient a text box to match the orientation of an item you're adding text to (which my simpler programs don't do). I find Gimp to be as powerful and easier than PhotoShop. I don't work in layers, so can't speak to the ease, or lack thereof, of doing that. Advanced functions aren't intuitive; looking up how to do things is a must. Also, Gimp can be glitchy. In particular, I've found the clone tool to be very good, but even when accessed properly, it sometimes doesn't work. This seems to be a common complaint. Sometimes the problem is that you're not in the right layer. But even in a single-layer image, I often have trouble, especially in the new version, v. 2.10.4. But there are also some improvements in this upgrade. I'm not a professional designer, so my knowledge and ability are limited. However, I've recommended the program to many people, and an advanced PhotoShop user recently told me he thinks Gimp is just as good. Overall, for me, Gimp is a perfect solution when my basic photo-editing programs won't do the trick. I highly recommend it. Pros It's free and is an outstanding alternative to PhotoShop, with all the functions most people, including professional graphic designers, will need. Cons Some functions can be glitchy, and even accessing the help function doesn't always help. But there are a multitude of online resources to help. Review Source Michael G. Game Developer Entertainment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good for Programmer Art, Somewhat Confusing" November 16, 2023 3.0 GIMP is my go-to drawing program for quick placeholder art, at least when I can't afford Adobe Animate. It's not easy to generate sprite sheets or animations (there's no timeline -- you need plugins or many, many layers), but it's good for individual sprites or sequences that contain no more than a few frames. Drawing line is weird -- you have to hold down shift between brush or pen clicks. Rotating sprites can sometimes pixelate them. Changing the canvas size often involves wondering why your sprites are disappearing when moving them out of bounds, then doing some complicated layer manipulation and flattening to get everything working the way it should. The bottom line is that a user should be able to resize a canvas and have everything work seamlessly right away. Still, as free art programs and cheap special effects go, I depend on it quite a bit. I recommend it if you can't afford something better, like Animate or Photoshop. Pros \-Free -Makes easy programmer art -Layers are easy to manipulate and understand -Interesting and nice looking artistic filters Cons \-Drawing Tools are somewhat counterintuitive, especially lines and pens -No apparent Vector capabilities -Not easy to generate sprite sheets -Resizing canvases can have awkward side effects Review Source HTF Henrique Thomas F. Architect Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Gimp way of life" June 6, 2022 5.0 First of all is the performance. The second: It is free. Photoshop is too expensive and Gimp is capable to enable the same image edition with no cost. Pros The performance and the usability. I can easily edit images and export using shortcuts. The new version of Gimp is more friendly to manipulate the tool windows and the Icons in the menu, make easy to understand the functions. Cons The export option is confusing when you try to search for the extention you want. The first time I took several minutes to find it and I had to search on the internet to discover how to do it. Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Easy to manipulatem good performance and the cost is free. Review Source AB Andrés B. Estudiante Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Gimp vs Photoshop " October 31, 2022 4.0 Es muy buena aunque le falta mucho para alcanzar a sus competidores de licencias privativas por otro lado no posee software asociado para vectores o edición de imágenes, como si lo poseen otros programas. Pros Primeramente que es gratis y un Software libre, el cual nos permite cambiar un número sin fin de nuevos recursos.Segundo la facilidad de uso y adaptación a funciones profesionales. Cons Muchas veces es engorroso algunos manejos, cómo por ejemplo al guardar la imagen en algún formato conocido debiendo guardarla en su formato nativo .xcf para luego exportarla al formato que deseemos. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Responsabile Spedizioni Import and Export Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Il miglior programma free per editare immagini" August 6, 2023 4.0 Pros Ha una facilità e una comodità d'uso che altri programmi free si scordano, inoltre possiede molti filtri e funzioni similari ai più noti e costosi programmi di photo editing. E' tutto veramente intuitivo, si naviga benissimo nei menu e sottomenù senza perdersi mai e riuscendo ad editare tutto quasi sempre alla perfezione. Cons Probabilmente i filtri sono scarsi o comunque base rispetto ad altri programmi , ma comunque si riescono a ottenere ottimi lavori Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Gimp è totalmente free e per l'utilizzo base che ne faccio io è ugualmente ottimo: riesco ad ottenere le medesime cose con una qualità pressoché simile. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Teacher E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Better to have GIMP" February 22, 2022 4.0 Before I got experience, I used to work with GIMP like I was playing games cause I didn't have any intention in using the software Pros Color tool in of greater importance to me as it help me color my picture which I consider as my world Cons Grid is the feature that always put interest in me and I could even miss using this feature Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) It is the software that I always think of while thinking about image manipulation software Review Source Chris R. Freelance consultant Entertainment Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "It's fine, if you have a lot of time to figure it out on your own" December 23, 2021 3.0 I have reviewed GIMP multiple times as an alternative to using Photoshop, but every time I try to make it work for me, I'm let frustrated and struggling with even basic tasks. It just feels years behind and seems like more of an upgrade to Microsoft Paint than a crossgrade from Photoshop. Pros In my opinion and experience, the only pro of GIMP is that it is a free product. Cons Everything. I genuinely dislike working in GIMP. It's not an attractive software, it isn't intuitive, on my brand new M1 Pro MBP, it feels a bit sluggish at times even doing basic tasks. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) I did not end up choosing GIMP. Review Source AA Asanka A. Technical Consultant Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Image editing doesn't have to be expensive - but it comes with few caveats." July 7, 2022 5.0 Kind of steep learning curve and takes getting used to - specially if you are already used to some commercial solutions. But, once the initial learning is done it can be intuitive on it's own way. It's also feature rich and supports plug-ins, which can be used to extend it's functionality. Pros It's free and open source. It's also very regularly updated, and is as feature rich as some very expensive counterparts. Cons Support - you'd have to depend on some community resources as well as wait for issues to be fixed by community (you can always take the code and make the fixes yourself - but very few people actually can do that kind of work) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) It was free to use and had features that we looked for. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Adobe suite of software got prohibitively expensive with subscription model for how little of the feature set we used on it. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Professore E-Learning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Freeediting" April 19, 2024 5.0 Positiva ho avuto modo di usare filtri particolari in diverse immagini che sono risultate uniche Pros Ho usato Gimp come open source e questo è un punto a suo favore,la possibilità di combinare più immmagini e i diversi filtri mi hanno convinta ad usarlo. Cons Inizialmente ho trovato difficoltà nell'utilizzo ma la guida di Gimp aiuta moltissimo Review Source CM Cindy M. Content Creator Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "GIMP Gets the Job Done- For Free" January 23, 2024 3.0 Overall GIMP is an excellent program. Especially since it's free to use. Pros Gimp is a very well made FREE alternative to Photo Shop. I downloaded it to use while I was taking a Photo Shop course, and have used it ever since. Cons I really wish the had a CMYK colour option. I'm not good with plug ins and extras. I have to use a different program when I'm creating for print rather than online. Review Source GD Gideon D. Influencer Fine Art Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The evolution of GIMP" August 24, 2022 5.0 Am a model and a photographer so it's helping me in so many way most especially for editing commissioned images. Pros I like almost all the features but especially the particular feature that makes image more sharper because it's help me with good quality images for my Instagram post. Cons it is slightly different from other softwares which might want to be frustrating for a newbie. Switched from [Canvas](https://www.capterra.com/p/127214/CANVAS/) it's not as user friendly compared to GIMP. Review Source Jamie C. Salesforce Developer + Admin Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My Inexpensive Go-To in a Pinch" October 23, 2022 5.0 My team needed an inexpensive way to create graphics and icons for our website when we were just setting up. We didn't have Photoshop type of money at the time, so after some research, we found that GIMP's reputation matched what we were hoping for. We were not disappointed, quickly realizing the powerful punch the little program packed. It's since been used in our organized to produce quick and easy quality content. Pros I love how inexpensive and easy GIMP is to use. At first glance, it looks simple and it's easy to underestimate, but given the right tutorials, it becomes the easiest way my team has found to quickly make icons and simple graphics. It has all the tools needed, especially when you know what you're doing, to produce an online identity. Cons There could certainly be more features, but for the price point, it makes sense why there aren't. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) We wanted something that could accomplish what we were hoping for without the expense of programs like Photoshop. Review Source AD Alessandro D. Student Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Free, open source, useful Image editor" January 28, 2022 4.0 I use this software daily in order to make, presentations, to write a lot of my notes or simply because I want a new background for my PC. Once you become familiar with it it's useful and, you can basically run it on any PC. Pros This is a FREE software which you can use to crop, edit (colour, add shapes, rescale, tilt, mirror, add layers on, draw on, put on perspective, blur, alpha filter, add lights and so much more). You can save you images in either .xcf, which is the native GIMP format, so you can edit the file later on, or export it in a ton of different formats: png, jpg, gif, pgm, pmb, psd, pdf, tip, bmp, xpm and many more. The fact that it's free and can run on Linux, Mac OS and Windows is definitely a pro, since it means that you can use it on any PC, be it at work, at home or literally anywhere... oh, and there's a portable version too, so you don't even have to install it (for instance on the PC at work). Cons In the beginning it could be a little difficult to understand some things and personally I had to figure out how to hide the two default panels with the most useful commands, when they cover the image you have to edit. Anyway it's not really too big a deal, since on the net you can always find a lot of forums and/or videos with useful tips and commands. Review Source Similar Products Featured