# Page 9 | GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 9 - 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 9 - Reviews of GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 201-225 of 3492 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use 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 Badari G. Self employed Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "When open source can compete" May 17, 2022 5.0 Using this software for many years now, originally started on Linux, then as Windows became my main OS I kept this tool for typically smaller editing tasks. It is stable, frequently updated and there is a large community behind it to give you support. Pros Free since it is open source, it has frequent updates and available on Linux. There is no significant difference between the Linux and Windows version. Cons Launching the tool is a little bit slow, especially on low-end or old machines. Some functions like red eye correction needs to be learned compared to non-free competitor products. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Wanted to use a tool available on Linux Review Source DO David O. Art Director Packaging and Containers Used the software for: 2+ years ### "More economical alternative to Photoshop" January 27, 2022 4.0 Pros I like that GIMP has all of the features of Photoshop but without the need to subscribe to Adobe's Creative Suite. It is a fully functional and professional image editing application and it doesn't cost a thing other than the value of the users time in learning the app. Time is money but you can afford to use a lot of time before you come to the cost of a Photoshop subscription. GIMP is a full blown image/photo manipulation app that at the very least keeps up with Photoshop but at some times beats Photoshop to the punch with new editing features. Even if you prefer Photoshop, GIMP is a valuable tool to keep in the belt. Cons I do prefer Photoshop's user interface when compared to GIMP. That is likely due to my 30 years of experience in using Adobe products not so much a function of a problem with GIMP. For instance, I prefer the layout of Quark Express over Indesign. That doesn't mean that Indesign has interface issues. It largely means that I have worked with Quark much more and just know the ins and outs better. The same is the case with Photoshop when compared to GIMP. If I were able to turn back the clock, a free GIMP program would be awfully tempting to learn over an expensive Photoshop app. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) I didn't really choose it over Photoshop. I use both. Review Source Salvador S. Technical Editor Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP is an amazing freeware that packs a punch" September 18, 2018 5.0 Since I began using GIMP, I've had a lot of fun creating various edited photos and have used it for graphic design as well. I think it is a great program for anyone from beginner to advanced level. I'd highly recommend using GIMP as a starting point if you are considering going into any creative field where you think you might need image editing experience. Pros I don't even know where to start. There are basically limitless functions with more being written almost daily. Plug ins are plentiful if you scour the web and you can find so many great tutorials to teach what you don't already know. I've never really had the money to be able to afford the adobe suite for my personal life, so I rely on freeware programs such as GIMP to do much of my personal work. There is a huge community out there that can assist you with finding exactly what you need to tackle whatever project you have at hand. Cons Honestly, there isn't much I don't like about GIMP. If i had to say one thing, is that it is resource intense. Your computer may run slower when using GIMP if you have an older or less powerful PC. This is the only issue I really have with GIMP, but you could say the same about virtually any program like it on the market today. Review Source PattyD P. impiegato Environmental Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Alternativa gratuita " July 31, 2023 4.0 Buon prodotto, migliorabile ma comunque con tutte le istruzioni basilari Pros Ottima alternativa gratuita al più blasonato concorrente. Permette di fare le stesse cose, almeno le basilari con piccole differenze di impostazione generale. Cons L'unica funzionalità che mi piacerebbe trovare è quella che permette di estrarre un fotogramma da un video e lavorarlo Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) La vecchia versione di Photoshop che possedevo non era più supportata e la mia azienda forniva questo SW per i piccoli lavori di grafica che possono presentarsi in ufficio Review Source GE Grant E. Systems Analyst Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP - Great product at a great price." January 21, 2022 5.0 I am very pleased with it and use it many times a week. It has become my main image manipulation program. Pros Although there is a bit of a learning curve, I love the fact that GIMP does everything that Photoshop did for me, but for a lot less money. Cons Like Photoshop, you sometimes have to look around to find what you want to do. Also, it wants to save everything to its own picture format, so you have to export, instead of save. There is a quick save though, if you are editing a file you already created, and it saves as whatever it previously was saved as. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Adobe was very expensive and similar to Microsoft, is always updating the software and trying to get you to buy the newest version. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Transcriptionist Arts and Crafts Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great Free Alternative to Adobe Photoshop" December 6, 2018 5.0 Again, not many complaints for Gimp. I was so happy to find this free software and it is really amazing that there is a tech community willing to keep this free and updated as much as possible. Even if they had to charge a little fee in the future, I may just pay the fee because this program has been so useful to me. Pros This software is completely free, first of all. It runs and updates through software engineers donating their time and minds to the project. I read a lot of reviews before loading it onto my tablet because I didn't want to waste what little space I had on the hard drive. I came across some reviews that said Gimp was not user-intuitive, that there is a lot of manual work for the user. Personally, I find the program to be so similar to Photoshop that a non-techie like me has pretty much all the knowledge to use the program from the beginning. Same dark tinted workspace, same tools and their placement. I kind of was able to dive right into the program without having to stumble around too much. My favorite feature, ability to cut pieces of images out and paste elsewhere, and transparent layers. Great program. Thumbs up. Cons I suppose something that seemed odd in reviews is that it doesn't have an extensive user manual. It's not a totally known program so there are many forums on tech support for the software. Most of the help, I read, would be from non-English speakers so I will have to start translating soon when I need help with an issue. One thing that I did notice - and this is being picky - is that there is no smoother tool, or at least I have not readily discovered it yet. It's a minor thing but that tool has saved me in AI when my hands weren't all too steady. BUT I found that you can just press shift and bring the paint tool across to whereever to make straight lines. It doesn't help much with curves but still something. Review Source Robert R. Mechanical Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Free and Excellent Software for Painting and and Creating Digital Art" August 2, 2018 5.0 I don't deserve this wonderful, free, versatile program. It's nice to paint without being a pirate or throwing a ton at something pretty much equivalent. I've made some cool stuff this with Gimp. Pros i love this program. And it's free. FREEEEE! No student versions or trial periods. I've been using Gimp to create digital art for years and it as good as any program I've used. Used with a Wacom tablet, I can do rough sketches, fine line work, and final coloring. Full features brushes, color selection, pressure sensitivity, etc. Layers are very versatile, and I can create masks, copy and merge masks and layers. Selection tool is powerful and can grow and manipulate the selection. Colors can be corrected. On and on and on. Cons My Wacom tablet flakes out a lot, where I lose pressure sensitivity when first opening the program and have to close and restart. I wish GIMP was a better at selection and gap closing, so I can do color fills without needing my line work to be perfect. Tools to help improve lineart would be nice. Clean up noise, smooth, etc. Would like different tools to creating strait, same-thickness lines. Vectors and path strokes take a lot of effort. Review Source LD Leah D. Author/Designer Fine Art Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Inexpensive Photoshop Dupe" May 14, 2022 4.0 GIMP makes it easy to edit photos, design logos or banners for businesses or websites. Pros GIMP is easy to use, there's no guesswork about the tools or their functions. You get a good deal of the function Photoshop offers for a fraction of the price. There are very few 2D design projects that I take on that I can't use GIMP for. Cons There could be more development into the software itself. While it has the majority of features you'd use Photoshop for there are some that are lacking. Updates with new features would be nice as well. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/)[Picnic](https://www.capterra.com/p/153330/Picnic/) Reason for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Price and value Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Price Review Source Steve P. CEO Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best image editor on the planet, bar none!" February 8, 2018 5.0 GIMP is my go to for any image editing, be it cropping a picture for size or looks, building a new logo, replacing lettering with a static image, or snapping a mockup. It is indispensable as a design tool. Pros I rated support at 5 stars due to the absolutely massive online open source community both assisting with and writing extensions for GIMP. There is no paid version (that I know of) nor is there formal support, but said community takes care of all that. GIMP is a drop in replacement for Photoshop, only turbo-charged with infinitely more options. Cons The only drawback to the GIMP, like any image editor, is the steep learning curve - this is more a function of what it's used for, though, and not of the software. There are tooltips for every function and a painstakingly thorough man page to help, not to mention online forums. Review Source Daniel K. Founder Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GIMP can save you time and money" January 10, 2022 4.0 A very reliable tool in unix enviroments Pros GIMP it's free and freely available. It has many powerful image editing features, and I use it to manipulate PNG, JPG and even PSD almost every week. Cons It's not user friendly, and is not as feature-rich as it's Adobe Photoshop, but I like it anyways Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) I needed something easy to deploy, simpler thant Adobe Photoshop but better than MS Paint Review Source Similar Products Featured