When it comes to serious photo editing, Adobe Photoshop is the king. And much like anything related to royalty, using it costs a lot. This is particularly true now that Adobe no longer offers stand-alone software. If you want to use the complete Adobe suite, you have to shell out about $600 a year. For most struggling artists and new designers, that amount is akin to robbery. It’s like having to sell used laptop to have the money to buy just a single photo editing software.

The good thing is that there are tons of software available right now that can hold their own against Photoshop. Most of them are available for free. And for the record, free online programs don’t mean “low quality.” Some of the items below are highly competitive with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

GIMP

Considered as the best free substitute to Photoshop, GIMP is a powerful and versatile editing software. It features advanced filters, different color adjustments, highly-customizable editing options, and a selection of layers and masks. Among the best features of GIMP is its abundance of user-created extensions and scripts. Most of these plugins are already pre-installed. Some of them are replicates of well-used Photoshop tools. Others are animation tools that can bring photos to life through morphing.

The software also provides an easy-to-follow user manual that includes step-by-step photo editing guides and tutorials. GIMP’s latest version displays a new user-interface that puts all toolboxes, palettes, and menus together in a single window.

Inkscape

Arguably, Inkscape is the most popular vector-based drawing program since its launch in 2003. More than a decade later, it is still a “preview” release.  However, it has turned into an excellent – and FREE – professional-grade substitute for Adobe Illustrator. Inkscape is supported by a community of experts and users from different parts of the globe who can aid you if you encounter problems using the software.

Much like Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape is a haven for digital artists. It has all the tools necessary to produce near-photo, high-quality illustrations. The toolset comes with resources to make lines, shapes, 3D boxes, spirals, and a lot more. It also contains various layers, color fills, and special effects.

Inkscape’s user-interface is thoroughly explained on its video-based tutorials. Manuals and quick references are also available.

Lunapic

Lunapic is an excellent online tool that helps artists and designers get things done even if what is seen doesn’t always make sense in the beginning. It features main adjustments and image editing tools often used for basic photo manipulation or enhancements. It offers a bunch of “creative tools” that can be used to improve the output quality of an image. Lunapic is best for students or hobbyists who need a good image editing online tool, but don’t need something as sophisticated as Photoshop.

Paint.NET

Paint.NET is great if your editing needs are mostly basic. It’s also the tool you need if you want something that loads up quickly. Paint.NET offers a variety of layers and plugins. It’s essentially a buffed-up version of Microsoft Paint. The free editing tool is only available for Windows users.

Just because you need great tools to do the job doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. These free tools can get the job done and help propel your portfolio to success just as much as the expensive ones can.