# 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 3492 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 (3492) [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 3492 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use mT myriam T. Education Manager Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Love GIMP, And So Do My Students" July 8, 2022 4.0 I love using GIMP, It was one of the first image manipulation programs that I had ever used and gave me base knowledge to use more advanced software later on. I often push students to download and get to know GIMP before investing in any other software. Pros I love that it is free and gives beginners the opportunity to use industry standard digital media manipulation tools. The open source platform allows for the software to stay up to date. Cons I find that the interface lacks the polished aesthetic that would easily bump it up to becoming a far more popular software. There are a few tools that feel a little outdated. Review Source Kimberly B. Student Animation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP review" October 4, 2021 3.0 It is great for beginners who want to try out illustration and graphic design. However, when you've reached a certain level, I find that it is tough to make the drawings look the way you want it and there are better programs to meet your needs. Pros It is free! It was the first ever program I used for digital art and was easy to figure out how to use. It is great for beginners as the interface is quite straightforward and simple. I like that there are different blend modes for the brushes and layer. I also like that you are able to lock the layers' transparency and brush strokes -- that is very useful for illustration. It is also good for things such as designing logos and banners -- the blur, font and gradient tool really work well in that regard. Cons When illustrating, the program is not as smooth as I would like it to be. The brush lines can be hard and jagged even when adjusting the brush settings as best as I could, and it is not very easy to blend colours. Review Source SNCN Sai Nikhil Chakravarthy N. QA Engineer & Scrum master Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best Tool To Start Your Editing Journey " March 17, 2023 5.0 I Personally Use this tool to edit images and add some styles and in recent times its been very helpful for my Work. however, if u can spend money I tell u to go for Adobe photoshop otherwise it's a very good tool. Pros The main thing you need to know is its Open source and free to use, The other editing tools like Adobe PS they are very costly and if you are using them for personal uses then its best for you, It has a wide variety of image editing options and is compatible with both windows, IOS & Linux, The thing I like most is we can automate some tasks using Scripts Cons The UI is a little complicated If you are learning and in starting stage it takes some time to get a hang of it, It doesn't have a great customer support system, And if u compare it with other tools like Adobe PS there ate not a lot of features available, and if you're doing the heavy job with so many other applications are opened in the background you might face performance issues. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Teacher Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent software" April 7, 2022 5.0 This software increased my capabilities and allowed me to achieve more than I thought. You can make amazing designs and images. Pros What I like the most are the possibilities you can achieve when you know and handle the software like a master. I highly recommend it, it's totally worth it. Cons I think they could renew the logo. But I quite like it Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/)[Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/48969/Adobe-Creative-Cloud/) Review Source JT Joshua T. Artist Fine Art Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Doesn't get much better" February 17, 2022 5.0 This software has been a godsend to my art. No more making ten versions of something and then extracting outlines by hand, using hundreds of dollars in expensive colored pencils to adjust an unwanted color scheme, wasting all that time and damaging nerves for what is not a quick selection away. Pros Quick tools for removing unwanted colors from images for monochrome printing. It's a huge time and money saver in the tattoo industry. I can pull a full color image and have a basic outline stripped in less than two minutes. Cons Text on a path. The bane of my existence is the massive effort it takes to print text on a simple curve in GIMP. It's the ONLY thing I dislike about it. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop Elements](https://www.capterra.com/p/233260/Photoshop-Elements/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Price and better EULA Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Price point and licensing issues with EULA Review Source Dominika T. CEO Owner Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best tool for entry lvl graphic designers" October 11, 2022 5.0 The best substitute to Adobe there is. If you want to start making professional designs or photo effects, Gimp will be your best choice. Thanks to Gimp, you can later switch to Adobe or more complicated tools without a problem. Pros It's free, so there is no gatekeeping to graphic design. I found Gimp a lot easier to use than Adobe and more user-friendly. It's not perfect, but for my needs, it's enough. Cons I wish Gimp could be more intuitive and user-friendly, but I get that it's not a Procreate substitute, but Adobe. Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) It was the closest thing to Adobe Photoshop I found. Also, the program is updated often. You can find a lot of step-by-step guidebooks on YouTube if you don't know how to use Gimp. Having access to guidebooks and tutorials was a big green flag for me. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Photoshop was too complicated and too expensive for me. Review Source Reynaldo U. Coordinador logistico Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A incorporation that I did on my own in my work, bringing excellent results" July 23, 2018 5.0 Pros I have always been an enthusiast in the imageological projection of the activities that we develop in the Foundation, this with the purpose of visually enriching our task, and also to project it, either in social networks or in projections to the community that follows us, or to the sponsor who invest in our ideas and projects. That's why I introduced and presented to my bosses this software that has allowed us to edit images with a high quality, introducing modifiable layers, elimination of shadow or light depending on the visual result we look for, change the format of the photo either in jpg, png and even raw, doing quality works to expose them in a better way. GIMP is a high value tool for our Foundation and we carry out permanent training so that our operators also use it when publishing photographs of different community activities. Cons Although, at the beginning it is a little complex to use since it is a program for editing images by vectors, only using them routinely makes you learn quickly how to handle all your tools. Review Source KR Karly R. teacher Fine Art Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great option to replace Photoshop" April 12, 2024 4.0 Overall, GIMP has been a decent replacement for Photoshop. I am able to adjust and edit photos with nearly all of the tools that I used in Photoshop (levels, curves, color balance, healing, etc.). I prefer to have a stand alone editing app & not a subscription based app so GIMP has been my go to since Adobe started Creative Cloud. Pros If you are used to Photoshop but don't want the hassle of a subscription platform, GIMP is an ideal replacement. It has nearly all of the photo editing features I need. There was a slight learning curve when I first started using, but it was intuitive and easy to learn. Many of the tools look similar to Photoshop. I was encouraged to switch over when the CS6 version I was using was no longer updated by my school district. The overall appearance is a bit different, but it loads faster and meets my needs. Cons I am not able to use the actions that I have for Photoshop. It has been difficult to replace these, especially for my portrait edits. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) When Adobe switched to creative cloud, my CS6 version would no longer be supported by my district so I was encourage to begin using GIMP Review Source KHALED A. Blogger Writing and Editing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The Best Choice For Image Editing" June 18, 2019 5.0 An open source option to Photoshop? I didn't trust it should be possible until I gave GIMP and attempt and I haven't thought back yet. I use GIMP essentially for website composition and found that truly every device I depended on was available. From picture cleaning up pictures to structuring pennants and logos, GIMP has turned into my go-to instrument. It's scripting and module support likewise enables me to build my profitability via robotizing normal assignments and running them as bunches. On the off chance that content doesn't exist, it's shockingly simple to compose your own because of the huge biological system of aides and instructional exercises. Pros A free and highlight rich option to Photoshop. GIMP likewise has an enormous after with numerous incredible instructional exercises accessible for new clients to learn with. Scripting a module backing is a major in addition to and rebelliously worth your opportunity to learn. Cons The UI isn't as refined as Photoshop and may set aside a short effort to become accustomed to. This may make GIMP be less easy to use to new clients. On Windows, I have observed GIMP be moderate on startup as it loads text styles and different assets. Review Source IN Irina N. self employer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP review, as good as Photoshop, and, in addition, free." June 29, 2022 5.0 I processed images in GIMP, and in processing. It's great that it's free. Pros I enjoyed processing images in GIMP, and it didn't take me long to learn the menus. Given that I did not take special courses for GIMP and that I had to do easy photo processing, I could say that it was the right program in the right place. Cons Maybe fewer limitations would be welcome. Review Source Ismaël Huberson C. founder Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Gimp" November 18, 2022 5.0 Gimp is really greatGimp is really great. Pros Gimp is an image editing software that is open source. It has lots of tools that are similar to Photoshop and it supports many file formats. It is free so it is a good alternative for those who are on a budget. Cons Gimp is an easy to use and free software even if it lacks some options compared to its competitors. Review Source Rex B. Author Writing and Editing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Newbie artist" May 21, 2021 5.0 When I find a book cover or an Amazon ad isn't working, instead of paying an artist who may not have the time I have to spend on my project, I can change it and try a fresh approach in a day. In fact, in the hours before writing this review, that's exactly what I was doing. When I get it as far as I can go, I might then bring in an artist and the graphics will be of a quality that he or she can work on professionally. Pros It's a little tricky at first because it's oriented toward professional artists, but once you decide you need to do something to a photo or drawing, and look it up in the detailed manual, you find that nothing is impossible. Want to get rid of the entire background in a photo? It takes a few minutes. Need to combine and element from one photo to another seamlessly? A bit of noodling with it and no one can ever tell. It's a great program, and it's free! Because of severe budget constraints, I've had to make my own book covers. GIMP has more than helped compensate for my creative and advertising deficits. Cons We need an interactive idiot's manual for those who will not use the whole feature set right off the bat. It would be nice if this "simple use" manual could sense that we're getting into pro territory and expand gently so as not to shock the newbies. Other than that, this program is great. Review Source Linda S. Artist, Saleslady, and Author Online Media Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP 2.10 Discovered! " October 21, 2019 4.0 I am able to do basic digital photo editing with GIMP, plus some enhancements to make it artistic. I am definitely willing to explore it some more. I had to get the Version 2.10 to download, install, and open plus work properly! Before, I had GIMP 2.8, which took FOREVER to start up. Pros I like that it’s free, and that it’s easy to use IF you have Adobe PhotoShop experience. I haven’t used GIMP in a long while, and I Googled the latest version. Cons I had to work to resize the Toolbox panel so that it didn’t completely cover the image I was working on. I had to kinda futz around and thus refresh my long -term memory of how to work with GUI, or sliders, picture buttons, and those drop-down menus. Alternatives considered [Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)[CorelDRAW](https://www.capterra.com/p/124823/CorelDRAW/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Because it’s FREE and can do all the basics plus a few artistic enhancements. Review Source Iqra Z. Digital Media Specialist Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best and Open Source Image Editor" July 8, 2020 5.0 My overall experience with GIMP is really nice, fabulous, and incredible. I always turn some photos into Logos using the GIMP. I always use GIMP for my business graphic needs and requirements. I have found a lot of effects very useful for my graphic templates. So I am really satisfied and happy with GIMP. Pros GIMP is really best and open-source image editor for Graphic Designers. GIMP is available for download in all famous operating systems like Linux, OS X, and Windows. GIMP allows you to use professional tools to design stunning graphic templates. You can cut out an image, you can use wrap text around a circle, you can remove the background and lots of other graphic things you can do in GIMP. So GIMP is really great for you. Cons The tools are really easy to use and understand, the interface is really awesome. Whenever I use GIMP, I never face any issue or problem. I really enjoy doing Graphic work in GIMP. So for me, there are no cons. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer CEO Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful, not intuitive " June 10, 2022 4.0 So my experience is based on many years of using the major app pho\*\*sh\*\*, which is expensive. I find myself looking for the tool icons I am familiar with and keyboard shortcuts. THAT is the problem. If I didn't know those, this app would be as useful and as liked. Pros Powerful and feature rich. Very customizable with limitless plugins Cons So my experience is based on many years of using the major app pho\*\*sh\*\*, which is expensive. I find myself looking for the tool icons I am familiar with and keyboard shortcuts. THAT is the problem. If I didn't know those, this app would be as useful and as liked. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop Elements](https://www.capterra.com/p/233260/Photoshop-Elements/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Price Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Price of photoshop Review Source 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 Similar Products Featured