# Page 8 | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 8 - 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 8 - Reviews of GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 176-200 of 3495 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Jakub G. Sales and marketing Retail Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "GIMP - an easy tool for easy editing" December 11, 2021 3.0 The program met its expectations. For a while, it was enough when it came to basic image editing and did not expect any advanced features. However, for commercial use, it will no longer suffice for the average user. On the other hand, its disadvantages outweigh its good accessibility. Pros Simple, intuitive control of the entire program is a huge advantage. Especially novice users will appreciate the fact that they will quickly get acquainted with the UI of the entire program. Cons The simplicity of the program is to some extent a disadvantage. Unfortunately, with this simplicity comes a lot of limitations, for example, in the form of a smaller number of functions compared to other programs. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) First, due to the price of Photoshop, we chose GIMP. However, over time, we've recognized that the price for Photoshop is basically sufficient given the number of features it offers, and we've switched to an alternative product anyway. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Web developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "The guide for image editing and design" March 18, 2023 5.0 Overall experience with GIMP is very good and it gives us a tool for make our image good looking and give us an understanding for how to work with a photo editor Pros We are using GIMP as a photo editor where we try to edit our property images for our best use, it has functionality for image retouching and composition, we are using GIMP in Linux and its excellent work , it has other functionality for editing images and filters, masks, colour adjustment so that we can enhance our photo and can export in any file formats, so this is all awesome features about GIMP Cons The most important thing is it is a photo editor tool so that here requires a high configuration system please look into this first and after that, I feel this issue is not supported by all images we found from our end I think this happens with me or everyone idk Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Editor Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP – a less advanced, but still valuable alternative for Photoshop" August 31, 2021 4.0 I would recommend it for someone, who isn't beginner, but also isn't a professional in graphic design. Probably in the beginning you will need some extra tutorials (e.g. YT videos). Pros I've been using GIMP for years, first time in secondary or high school for some basic logos or posters. Now I also use it for my university projects. If you are an "advanced beginner", as I would call myself, it can provide you many tools to create some basic graphics. Probably, if you know more about graphic design, you could benefit from all the other, not so basic tools (which GIMP provides). The thing I like mostly is that GIMP is pretty universal and can be used for many purposes (starting with simple infographics, ending with making art - but there are probably better programs for art). Cons The problem with GIMP now is the interface. It was much more transparent a couple of months/years ago, before they decided to change it into the dark version and hide some buttons. You can of course customize a ribbon or windows in GIMP, but the default interface isn't perfect. I also feel like there's a lack of tutorial explaining how do the tools work. Review Source John H. Information operator Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Extremely powerful, extremely complex" February 27, 2019 4.0 Overall, I come back to Gimp time and again. It is my desktop graphics package of choice. However, unlike with more user-friendly, albeit less functional, applications I have had to spend a lot of time learning from online tutorials before actually getting things done. It's not very intuitive. Pros The advanced graphical functions are phenomenal. As I've developed (slowly), I've found that there is nothing that this application cannot do in producing incredible graphics. Specifically, if you think it doesn't have a function / effect that you want then there's almost endless plugins to choose from! If somehow even they don't provide, you can write your own plugins! I like that there are versions of this for Android too, meaning that I can work on my graphics across my platforms. Cons With great functionality comes great complexity. I personally find Gimp to be extremely complex, especially on initial presentation if you're new to it. 3 separate boxes initially, which can rapidly grow, jumble the screen up. The vast array of buttons make clicking the wrong thing too easy, especially if you are trying to work at pace. While working across platforms is possible, as I mention above, the different versions are not especially well developed, especially the Android version. Review Source Raphael A. Web Developer Writing and Editing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "GIMP is on its way to being good" May 14, 2022 3.0 My experience with GIMP had to be discontinued due to difficulty adapting to its commands and tool icons. Pros The best thing about it is the fact that it's a free application that has the famous image editing functions present in the well-known applications of its competitors. Cons What hinders the most in GIMP is the difficulty of identifying the tools in CAD. Keyboard commands are also quite different. A good suggestion would be to provide users with a preferences panel to switch between CTRL and SHIFT keys anyway. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) I switched to try out competing software. And with a little time I returned to the old photshop. I would like to contribute more so that GIMP can grow and improve Review Source Sherry G. Owner Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Using Gimp Has Saved Me Money" December 4, 2018 5.0 Very good experience with Gimp. It is easy to use, consistent, and works well for my use. I'm not a graphic designer, but I am a web developer and online marketer, so I need to be able to have a program I can use to pull up images and resize them, remove background, and so on. Every once in a while I make up a logo for a business I'm working with if I don't outsource it and Gimp works great for me. Pros The greatest thing about this software is that it was free. I had been using PhotoShop for years and then a colleague recommended Gimp. I studied it before downloading it and it took me a short while to figure out how to use it. There are lots of videos on YouTube to help you get started and there are lots of video tutorials for the various functions. Easy peasy to learn to use, never crashes, never a problem. Cons Nothing. I have been happy with Gimp from the day I downloaded it and have used it almost daily. It is a good software program. Review Source Achraf E. Freelancer Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Gimp the future of visuals " October 1, 2022 5.0 Great experience and ill keep using it forever Pros My experience with this tool was and still so rich once i used this tool for the first time it was on ubuntu as an open source program whenever i needed to edit a photo it was my best tool to use it is so simple to use and the result was in high quality Cons What i like the least about this tool is the leak of some effects if we compare it to other photo editors without mentioning names that is my suggestion for the team as a motivation to add more features but still my best Review Source Ayush S. Graphic Designer Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Open Source and Powerful Image Editing Software" February 18, 2022 4.0 Pros We can't neglect the fact that being an open-source software GIMP offers very powerful image manipulation tools and techniques. The software is based on a layering system which makes it easy to edit images. Offers many powerful tools including the basic one Selection, Crop, Patch, Heal, Color, Layer Mask, Blending Modes, Liquify Image, and a ton more. File export format and support are also very good. Overall a very good software. Cons Nothing at all, considering the product is open-source it offers already the best software experience and also the UI is very clean. It's just all good. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Hardware Developer Computer Hardware Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best photoshop alternative" May 30, 2023 5.0 Overall, for no cost you cannot beat GIMP. Pros The best feature of this tool is the cost. It's FREE. I use it to markup region of interests in my engineering images. I also process color balance of the image data that I gather. GIMP has all the bells and whistles to do the job. The outline of the tools is very photoshop like which is very easy to use. Cons This program sometime crashes for no apparent reason. Also I have experienced compatibility issues of the files I saved using GIMP. Review Source Lalao R. Freelance Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Get GIMP to make your photos look great!" October 5, 2022 5.0 I am a big fan of GIMP! I think it's an amazing image processing program, and I love that it's free! It's easy to use and has a lot of features that I never thought possible for a free program. It's a great alternative to photo editing software! Pros I like GIMP because it's free and accessible to everyone! The menus are quite intuitive, and with a little practice (there are online tutorials if you need help), I could easily learn to use GIMP for my own needs. Among its features, I love the support for HDR formats, for example. This means that I can easily create high quality images with great color and detail. Whether I'm working on a personal or professional project, GIMP's HDR capabilities give me the flexibility I need to do my job well. Cons Gimp has a lot of features for a free program and a large community of experts. It is more than correct. I don't find any disadvantage to it. Switched from [Paint.NET](https://www.capterra.com/p/237986/PaintNET/) GIMP users have a wide range of plugin options. Review Source JW John W. Co-owner, Operator Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Top quality free Adobe Photoshop substitute" October 30, 2019 5.0 It's fairly easy to use if you've used and are familiar with Photoshop and the like. We use it for all of our image and graphic manipulation. It's fast, easy and free. For our needs I could never justify paying several hundreds of dollars for Photoshop (industry leader or not). Pros Gimp can do almost everything that Photoshop can do for free. I'm not much of a power user but it's amazing what it can do. I often look for features to use just because I can and because the visual effects can be so interesting. It has really evolved over the years with features and improvements in ease of use. With the last update to v2 it runs much faster on Windows 10 and is more efficient with computer resources than it ever used to be. Cons Being an open source application means that bug fixes and updates come slower than they would from a for-profit company (like Adobe). But since it's free, who really cares? For a small business like ours it's perfect and it does everything we need to (and more). Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) It's free and works just as well for basic to medium editing jobs. The interface is not terribly different if you've learned on Adobe Photoshop. Switched from [Canva](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/) When searching for a low cost / free app we tried using Canva for awhile. Canva end results look good and it is very super easy to use. However, the end product images and desgins tend to look the same. We wanted to stand out a little and have more options. Review Source Michael B. Graphic Designer and Animator Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great value for the money" January 23, 2019 5.0 I use this program on a daily basis. I use it for my own personal graphics, logos, banners, and designs. I also use it for my own video edits, and animations as well. I also use it for a lot of work I do for clients. I use GIMP for all my photo editing and creating needs from a simple photo red-eye edit all the way up to creating entire graphic set for a webpage. Pros When I started learning about graphic design I had no money to buy the big fancy expensive programs. GIMP made learning graphic design very affordable and easy. The interface works very well. It is very easy to find the tools I need to complete an art project. There many different filters, and scripts to use to enhance my art as well. Cons There are some features that are included in big name brand art software. Some of these features such as brush strokes, and simple shading and lighting effects. You have to take a lot of extra steps to recreate these features. Review Source NS Nikki S. Founder Photography Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Free photo editing" August 6, 2022 4.0 GIMP is nice to have for certian functions, and if a person can't afford their current program it will probably work as a free alternative. I used GIMP to create images with vectors for my business and for customers. I don't use it daily because I just don't like it but it is nice to have incase I need it. Pros Who dosen't love free stuff? This is free software and great photo editing tools are provided. Open source. Most images files will open and GIMP supports plugins. Color adjustment, bezier curves, noise reduction, filters, gradients, vector images and customisable brushes are provided. Resize without losing quality. The GIMP community forum can help you if you get stuck or lost. Cons Ironically for software in the creative field, GIMP dosent look very nice. It's outdated and ugly to he honest. The way GIMP operates is just very foreign to me and I don't like it. Everything is backwards from where it usually is. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) At the time I had to really evaluate which paid products were necessary and which I could replace. Switched from [Canva](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/) Canva is great but doesn't have vectors, I still use Canva but I now use GIMP for any image or icon that needs a vector. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner Writing and Editing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent alternative to big-name image editing software" May 21, 2021 5.0 I highly recommend Gimp image editing software to users who have basic graphic design needs and want high-quality results without a high price tag. Gimp allows me to create a wide variety of content and image assets, and it doesn't cost me a penny. Love it! Pros I am not a professional graphic designer, but I do sometimes use image manipulation software -- I might need to convert a color photo to grayscale, or create a simple graphic for my business blog, or create an image to accompany a social media post. I only do this once or twice a month. With such infrequent use, it's not worth paying for big-name image editing software. At the same time, Microsoft Paint is free doesn't have enough functionality to produce professional-looking results. Gimp is a FREE open-source alternative that performs most of the same functions as the expensive, big-name software and produces similar results. If you're a casual user, like me, this makes Gimp the ideal image editing software. I can't justify paying hundreds for software I rarely use (and certainly don't use to its full capacity). Gimp is a great alternative. Cons Gimp isn't intuitive to someone like me, who lacks a design background. However, I have been able to learn it with minimal difficulty. Google has all the answers, and once you perform a function once or twice, it becomes very easy. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Gimp is free and Photoshop is very expensive. Review Source HJ Harriet J. Customer Assistant Wholesale Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review for GIMP " June 27, 2022 5.0 I have been using this software for 5 years now. I have to say It is the best photo editing software I have ever used, there is everything you could ever want and need in this software and the best part is it easy to use so I could recommend this software to anyone. Pros There are so many but my favourite has to be, The photo manipulation tools you get so many to choose from and my photos always come out looking professional at the end. Cons There is nothing negative to say about this software. Review Source kR kyle R. Music Producer and Musician. Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best image manipulation program because its free." February 12, 2022 4.0 I've use this as a layering program mostly. You can edit images to higher quality and even splice images together very quickly. This is a great program for any level of artist. Pros It's powerful rendering abilities and it being free to the user makes this program great for anyone learning or wanting to expand their editing knowledge. Cons The menu selections are very overfilled. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Free. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Gimp is FREE! Review Source Elena P. Data Analyst Biotechnology Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best open source alternative" May 23, 2023 5.0 Pros The best for me is that I already mastered GIMP. There is nothing limiting me. Everything I think off has a way to be done by using GIMP. Maybe there is another way to have a more professional result, but I do not work editing photos so for me is just as good. Cons The interface feels a bit outdated, but this is an issue that has been there since the beginnings and now I just consider it vintage. Review Source Osama A. Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Editing photos has become easy with this program" January 13, 2024 4.0 Pros The ease of controlling its tools makes the program easy Review Source Eugenio Manuel M. Búsqueda de empleo Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I am not a graphic designer, but I have needed to learn how to use Photoshop and GIMP last 3 years" July 20, 2018 5.0 They have a huge and omnipresent competitor, but, when I can't pay for it or when I need a fast photo editing or I do not have a powerful computer near, I will never doubt that Gimp is the way to go. Pros Gimp is free. That makes the value for money unbeatable. Also, it works fluently wherever. It does not need a powerful computer to work properly as is needed by his main rival: Photoshop. There is a lot of people who say that is not professional, but I have never ever had a client who asked me: do you use Gimp or Photoshop?. Also, apart from being free, Gimp has a big community of volunteers working on it, so, probably, it will get, if not every, the most popular functions in Photoshop. Gimp is easy to use and is a very very powerful tool that can make your life and photo editing easier. The only program that can compete with Gimp is Photoshop and is very very expensive. Cons Ok. Photoshop is the only program that can compete with Gimp and it is expensive. But is more powerful. Has more tools, more automated things, and, more important: better management of colour. Gimp needs better management of colour, is complicated to work with CMYK colours and has fewer plugins (Would not be fair to say that a lot of them works also in Gimp) Also, even if Gimp is powerful, if you go to a job interview for something related to photo editing o graphic design, they will ask you about your knowledge of Photoshop. A client would not be interested, but a boss will want you to know Photoshop, even if it is "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut" Review Source Christopher H. Student Fine Art Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Using Gimp in Place of other Software" March 16, 2020 4.0 This software is simple and great for the entry-level artist. The artist will have to get a feel for the tools and experiment/ practice to learn what they do. This software works very well for the new artist so that they do not have to spend a fortune on higher-end software such as the Adobe Creative Cloud. The software is also limited so at one point the user will have to upgrade to finish certain projects. Pros Gimp is a great entry-level software for users that are just getting into things like photo-editing and photo manipulation. It has multiple tools that the user needs to edit photos. For example, a user can use this software to color correct a photograph. If a user wants to get into photo-editing but doesn't want to spend the money to use higher-end software, this is a great place to start. Cons One con is that it doesn't have the exact same tools as a software such a photoshop. There also would a learning curve when switching to a higher-end software because even though a lot of the tools do the same things, they'll have different icons and different placements. The user is also limited to what they can exactly do. The software is designed to do basic tasks. Switched from [Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/48969/Adobe-Creative-Cloud/) I made the switch to the Adobe Creative Cloud for a couple of reasons. The first reason being I get access through my tuition at my university. If you are a student check to see if your university gives you access to certain software. The second reason why I switched is that I wanted to do more in-depth projects than what was capable on Gimp. Review Source EB Edgar B. Art designer Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best alternative to adobe photoshop" June 29, 2023 4.0 Great tool, for editing images. Pros Is a powerful and free image editing software that competes with commercial applications in terms of functionality. I Cons It is not an intuitive software and it hard to use at the begginer but there are a lot of documentation, tutorials, and user forums. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) it´s free Review Source BM Bruce M. Director of Operations Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Looking for a Free Alternative to Adobe Photoshop? This is it." October 10, 2023 5.0 GIMP is a great no-cost alternative to Photoshop that offers the same range of features and tools to help you create and edit images. Pros It's virtually identical in form and function to Photoshop, and it's a great way to achieve the same results at virtually no cost. Cons GIMP has a steep learning curve, similar to that of Photoshop, which may require some time and effort to master. If you're coming from Photoshop, you will have to relearn tool shortcuts and other functions that are necessary to avoid copyright issues. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Consultor Information Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Review" March 9, 2024 4.0 I have used it for object removal in addition to image merging. Also for the assembly of topologies and architectures. Pros It allows you to manipulate images in a simple way, giving us a series of editing tools, in addition to handling a series of formats with their respective options, which allows you to generate the image according to your needs. Cons There are some actions that become complex to perform, because compared to other software, there are no tools that can be used to perform them. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) The cost, since the company is not dedicated to working with images, therefore the investment was not sustainable. Review Source Casey W. Broadcaster Broadcast Media Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best free editing software on the market" September 18, 2019 4.0 GIMP has been a great addition to my library. I use it anytime I need something designed or edited. Haven't used another tool since I discovered it. Pros For starters, it's free. It's a very powerful program comparatively and even more so when you consider that you are not paying for it. I explain in the cons that I had trouble finding certain features at first, but as I got more familiar with GIMP, this was less of an issue. It has everything you could need for picture editing. Cons At first, the UI is a bit clunky. Well, I said "at first" but it never really gets better. It is fully customizable however and I recommend doing so. Adding onto the UI, it is a bit hard to find some of the features. Maybe this is due to my overall inexperience with editing but on more than one occasion I had trouble finding a feature that I was looking for. Review Source Miguel F. Marketing Specialist Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "How i started as a Graphic Designer" September 6, 2022 5.0 Pros In my opinion Gimp is really close to attaining a powerfull all-in-one image manipulation program like Photoshop, it has tons of great features and doesn't disappoint, all it takes to perform well and have good results is to practice and to learn how to access the tools. Cons To actually be proficient with the software you will need to read the manual, practice and watch videos in order to learn where and how you can use the features, i could be more intuitive. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Graphic Design](https://www.capterra.com/graphic-design-software/)