Adobe Photoshop vs GIMP
- ✦ Layer-based Design
- ✦ Generative Fill (AI)
- ✦ Generative Expand
- ✦ Layer Support
- ✦ Advanced Color Tools
- ✦ Customizable Interface
Adobe Photoshop and GIMP are both Design Tools tools. Compare features, pricing, and ratings below to find the best fit for your team.
When to Choose Adobe Photoshop vs GIMP
The question that matters: “In what situation will I regret choosing A over B after 3 months?”
Content-Aware Fill selects and removes objects or reflections from product shots, cutting post-production time 65% on catalog-scale batches of 200+ images.
Masks & Channels isolate product images for clean PNG exports; Script-Fu automates the process overnight, cutting catalog photo prep from 2 hours to 15 minutes.
One Camera RAW preset syncs white balance, contrast, and saturation across a full shoot folder via batch processing - no individual file opens required.
Layer Support stacks mobile, tablet, and desktop comps in one file; visibility toggles demonstrate breakpoints and annotation layers capture feedback per view.
Generative Expand fills extended canvas edges with contextual backgrounds. One 1200×628 asset becomes Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn crops in seconds.
Layer Support keeps logo variants - light, dark, mono, outlined - stacked in one .xcf file, making the correct version a single toggle away instead of a file hunt.
GIMP's Scripting interface supports Python scripts that compare UI screenshots pixel-by-pixel against approved baselines, catching color drift before review.
Pricing Comparison & PlansHigh· Verified May 29, 2026
Adobe Photoshop Plans
Paid plans only
Creative Cloud All Apps
$90/moBest for: This comprehensive plan includes Photoshop and all other Creative Cloud applications
- ✓All 20+ Adobe Creative Cloud applications (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro)
- ✓100GB cloud storage
- ✓Full Firefly AI access
- ✓Adobe Fonts
- ✓10 free Adobe Stock images/month
Photography Plan (20GB)
$11/moBest for: This plan is ideal for photographers needing Photoshop and Lightroom with cloud storage
- ✓Photoshop
- ✓Lightroom
- ✓Lightroom Classic
- ✓Mobile versions of apps
- ✓Adobe Portfolio
Photography Plan (1TB)
$22/moBest for: Designed for professional photographers requiring extensive cloud storage alongside Photoshop and Lightroom
- ✓Photoshop
- ✓Lightroom
- ✓Lightroom Classic
- ✓Mobile versions of apps
- ✓Adobe Portfolio
Photoshop Single App
$23/moBest for: Perfect for users who only need Photoshop without other Creative Cloud apps
- ✓Photoshop desktop, web, and iPad
- ✓100GB Creative Cloud storage
- ✓Adobe Fonts access
- ✓Generative Fill, Harmonize, Generative Upscale
- ✓Adobe Express Premium plan
Photoshop for Teams
$24/user/moBest for: Tailored for businesses and teams needing Photoshop with collaborative features and centralized management
- ✓Photoshop desktop, web, and mobile
- ✓1TB cloud storage per user
- ✓Enhanced AI selection tools
- ✓Generative Fill improvements
- ✓Advanced layer management
Creative Cloud All Apps for Teams
$70/user/moBest for: Provides all Creative Cloud apps for teams, offering enhanced collaboration and administration
- ✓All 20+ Adobe Creative Cloud applications
- ✓1TB cloud storage per user
- ✓Full Firefly AI access
- ✓Adobe Fonts
- ✓Adobe Stock integration
GIMP Plans
Free tier available
Capability Breakdown
4 differences found across 18 standardized features
- •Photo Editing
- •Layer-based Design
- •Generative Fill (AI)
- •Generative Expand
- •Neural Filters
- •Object Selection
- •Content-Aware Fill
- •Camera RAW
- •Brushes
- •Masks & Channels
- •Smart Objects
- •Actions & Automation
- •3D
- •Cloud Documents
- •iPad Version
- •Generative AI (Firefly)
- •AI image generation
- •Desktop, web, and mobile access
- •Lightroom (Photography plan)
- •Adobe Express Premium
- •Admin Console (teams)
- •Asset reclamation
- •Company-owned libraries
- •1TB Cloud storage (teams)
- •20+ Creative Cloud apps
- •Photo Editing
- •Layer Support
- •Masks & Channels
- •Advanced Color Tools
- •Customizable Interface
- •Filters & Effects
- •Scripting (Python/Script-Fu)
- •Plugin Support
- •PSD Support
- •Brushes & Gradients
- •Path Tool
- •Clone & Heal
- •Batch Processing
- •Cross-platform
- •Export Formats
Strengths & Limitations
Evaluative strengths and weaknesses: not feature lists
- +Multiple pricing tiers (3 plans) to match different needs
- +AI-powered features built in
- −Adobe Photoshop can sometimes feel complex at first due to the number of tools and options available.
- −Adobe Photoshop's interface needs to be user-friendly.
- +Completely free, open-source software with no ads or upsells
- +Highly extensible with custom scripts and third-party plugins
- +Runs natively on Linux, macOS, and Windows without limitations
- +Supports a vast range of file formats, including PSD
- +Offers advanced tools like paths, layer masks, and color management
- −Lacks native, non-destructive editing capabilities for layers
- −No built-in CMYK color mode for professional print work
- −User interface can feel dated and less intuitive than modern rivals
- −Slower development cycle for major feature releases
- −Limited vector shape and text manipulation tools
At a Glance
Recent Price History
Adobe Photoshop updated "Creative Cloud All Apps for Teams" from $89.99/mo to Custom
Price change · May 29, 2026
Adobe Photoshop removed the "Photography (1TB)" plan
Plan removed · May 29, 2026
Adobe Photoshop added a new "Photography Plan (20GB)" plan (Custom pricing)
Plan added · May 29, 2026
Adobe Photoshop removed the "Photography (20GB)" plan
Plan removed · May 29, 2026
Adobe Photoshop updated "Photoshop Single App" from $22.99/mo to Custom
Price change · May 29, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
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