GIMP — A free, open-source raster image editor for Linux, macOS, and Windows, licensed under the GPLv3 with no paid tier and no vendor to buy support from.
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GIMP in 20 seconds
Best for: photographers, illustrators, and designers who want a full-featured, scriptable photo editor without paying a subscription or license fee
Pricing: Free and open source under the GPLv3, with no paid tier, subscription, or license fee.
- GIMP is free and open source under the GPLv3, with no paid tier.
- GIMP runs on GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows; the current release is version 3.2.4.
- GIMP supports scripting in Python, C, C++, and Scheme for custom filters and batch automation.
- GIMP has no official vendor support or SLA; help comes from community forums and documentation.
- GIMP is maintained by volunteer contributors rather than a company.
Limitations: No official vendor support or SLA; help is community-only.; Steeper learning curve than Photoshop or Affinity Photo for beginners.; Imperfect compatibility with complex layered Photoshop .psd files.; Smaller plugin and brush ecosystem than commercial competitors.
Top alternatives: Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Photopea, Krita — full list
What is GIMP?
GIMP is a raster image editor for photo retouching, compositing, digital painting, and graphic design, comparable in scope to Adobe Photoshop but free and open source under the GPLv3. It is built and maintained entirely by volunteer contributors rather than a company, and its source code is public and freely modifiable. GIMP's extensibility is a core design point: it exposes a scripting API in Python, C, C++, and Scheme, letting users write custom filters, batch-processing scripts, and plugins, and the wider community has built a large library of third-party scripts and brushes over the project's multi-decade history. Because there is no commercial entity behind it, GIMP has no paid support tier, no SLA, and relies on community forums, documentation, and IRC/Discord channels for help.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free, open-source photo editing and digital painting application maintained by a volunteer community and licensed under the GPLv3, aimed at graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, and anyone who wants a Photoshop-class editor without a subscription. It runs on GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows, and the current release (3.2.4) supports professional color management, non-destructive editing, and a scripting API in Python, C, C++, and Scheme for custom plugins. GIMP costs nothing to download, modify, or redistribute, and has no official paid tier, support contract, or hosted version, which also means there is no vendor obligated to provide response-time guarantees or dedicated support.
Standout feature: A scripting API in Python, C, C++, and Scheme lets users automate batch processing and build custom filters and plugins, backed by a large community library of scripts built up over the project's history.
Biggest weakness: No official vendor support: there is no paid support tier or SLA, so troubleshooting relies entirely on community forums and documentation, and the interface is widely considered less approachable for beginners than Photoshop or Affinity Photo.
Pros
- Completely free with no license fee, subscription, or feature paywall.
- Fully cross-platform on Linux, macOS, and Windows with the same feature set on each.
- Scriptable via Python, C, C++, and Scheme for custom filters and batch automation.
- Open-source license means the software can be audited, modified, and redistributed without restriction.
Cons
- No official vendor support or SLA; help comes only from community forums and documentation.
- Interface and non-destructive editing workflow are less approachable for beginners than Photoshop or Affinity Photo.
- Native file compatibility with Photoshop's .psd format is imperfect for complex layered files.
- Smaller plugin and brush ecosystem than commercial competitors, despite community contributions.
GIMP pricing
Free · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free / open source | Free | GPLv3-licensed; full feature set with no paid tier, license fee, or usage limits. Source code is public and freely modifiable. |
What reviewers say
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