# GIMP, Photoshop Elements vs Adobe Photoshop Comparison

| | GIMP | Photoshop Elements | Adobe Photoshop | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.6 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 1,484 | 799 | 13,369 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (68.2% of reviews) | Small-Business (70.5% of reviews) | Small-Business (63.4% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | Starting at $99.99 1 License Per Month | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### GIMP

Pros:
- Free Services (12 reviews)
- Ease of Use (11 reviews)

Cons:
- Learning Curve (11 reviews)
- Limitations (4 reviews)

### Photoshop Elements

Pros:
- Ease of Use (21 reviews)
- Efficiency (15 reviews)

Cons:
- Limited Features (12 reviews)
- Limited Customization (5 reviews)

### Adobe Photoshop

Pros:
- Ease of Use (122 reviews)
- Features (98 reviews)

Cons:
- Expensive (88 reviews)
- Learning Curve (81 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | GIMP | Photoshop Elements | Adobe Photoshop | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.6 (1299 reviews) | 8.5 (643 reviews) | 9.4 (11821 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 7.5 (1305 reviews) | 8.5 (645 reviews) | 7.8 (11866 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.7 (168 reviews) | 8.9 (93 reviews) | 8.5 (1949 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.4 (126 reviews) | 8.8 (56 reviews) | 8.5 (1439 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 7.5 (903 reviews) | 8.4 (495 reviews) | 8.3 (9777 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.5 (106 reviews) | 8.3 (50 reviews) | 8.7 (1374 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 7.7 (1273 reviews) | 7.8 (624 reviews) | 8.6 (11639 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### GIMP

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Photoshop Elements

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Adobe Photoshop

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Creative Cloud Pro for teams

Price: Starting at $99.99 1 License Per Month

Description: 20+ apps, including Photoshop on desktop, web, and mobile, plus Firefly creative AI for images, video, and audio, and exclusive business features.

Key Features:
- Create gorgeous images, rich graphics, and incredible art with Photoshop
- 20+ photo, graphic design, and video apps
- Unlimited access to standard creative AI image and vector features like Text to Image and Generative Fill

[Browse all 2 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Photo Editing

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **GIMP** | 6.7/10 | 48 |
| **Photoshop Elements** | 7.8/10 | 47 |
| **Adobe Photoshop** | 7.5/10 | 465 |

#### Generative AI

| Feature | GIMP | Photoshop Elements | Adobe Photoshop | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **AI Text-to-Image** | 6.8 (40 reviews) | 7.9 (43 reviews) | 7.9 (412 reviews) | 
| **AI Text-to-3D** | 6.0 (34 reviews) | 7.1 (37 reviews) | 6.9 (285 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Photo Editing

| Feature | GIMP | Photoshop Elements | Adobe Photoshop | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cross-system Integration** | 7.4 (15 reviews) | 8.5 (17 reviews) | 7.8 (199 reviews) | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [Photo Editing Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/photo-editing)

**Unique to GIMP (1):** [Drawing Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/drawing)




---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | GIMP | Photoshop Elements | Adobe Photoshop | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 68.2% | 70.5% | 63.4% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 20.9% | 18.7% | 23.1% | 
| **Enterprise** | 10.9% | 10.8% | 13.5% | 

### By Industry

#### GIMP

- **Design:** 9.1%
- **Computer Software:** 7.8%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 5.7%
- **Graphic Design:** 5.5%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 5.3%
- **Internet:** 4.3%
- **Higher Education:** 3.2%
- **Education Management:** 2.9%
- **Arts and Crafts:** 2.3%
- **Entertainment:** 2.1%
- **Other:** 51.8%

#### Photoshop Elements

- **Photography:** 9.0%
- **Design:** 7.2%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 7.1%
- **Graphic Design:** 6.7%
- **Higher Education:** 4.6%
- **Architecture & Planning:** 3.6%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 3.2%
- **Retail:** 3.1%
- **Education Management:** 3.0%
- **Media Production:** 2.2%
- **Other:** 50.2%

#### Adobe Photoshop

- **Design:** 9.9%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 9.1%
- **Graphic Design:** 7.0%
- **Photography:** 4.5%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 4.5%
- **Computer Software:** 4.2%
- **Higher Education:** 3.6%
- **Architecture & Planning:** 3.1%
- **Education Management:** 2.7%
- **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 2.3%
- **Other:** 49.0%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to GIMP

- [Canva](https://www.g2.com/products/canva/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (7529 reviews)
- [Adobe Photoshop Lightroom](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop-lightroom/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (3293 reviews)
- [Pixlr](https://www.g2.com/products/pixlr/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (748 reviews)
- [CorelDRAW](https://www.g2.com/products/coreldraw/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (554 reviews)
- [Adobe Photoshop Express](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop-express/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (491 reviews)
- [PicMonkey](https://www.g2.com/products/picmonkey/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (421 reviews)
- [Fotor Photo Editor](https://www.g2.com/products/fotor-photo-editor/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (340 reviews)
- [ACDSee](https://www.g2.com/products/acdsee/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (282 reviews)
- [Affinity Photo](https://www.g2.com/products/affinity-photo/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (234 reviews)
- [Paintshop Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/paintshop-pro/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (206 reviews)

### Alternatives to Photoshop Elements

- [Pixlr](https://www.g2.com/products/pixlr/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (748 reviews)
- [CorelDRAW](https://www.g2.com/products/coreldraw/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (554 reviews)
- [ACDSee](https://www.g2.com/products/acdsee/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (282 reviews)
- [Affinity Photo](https://www.g2.com/products/affinity-photo/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (234 reviews)
- [Paintshop Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/paintshop-pro/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (206 reviews)
- [Luminar Neo](https://www.g2.com/products/luminar-neo/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (112 reviews)
- [Capture One Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/capture-one-pro/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (78 reviews)
- [PhotoDirector](https://www.g2.com/products/photodirector/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (50 reviews)
- [Corel AfterShot Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/corel-aftershot-pro/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (49 reviews)
- [Canva](https://www.g2.com/products/canva/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (7529 reviews)

### Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop

- [Canva](https://www.g2.com/products/canva/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (7529 reviews)
- [Pixlr](https://www.g2.com/products/pixlr/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (748 reviews)
- [PicMonkey](https://www.g2.com/products/picmonkey/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (421 reviews)
- [Fotor Photo Editor](https://www.g2.com/products/fotor-photo-editor/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (340 reviews)
- [ACDSee](https://www.g2.com/products/acdsee/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (282 reviews)
- [Affinity Photo](https://www.g2.com/products/affinity-photo/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (234 reviews)
- [PhotoWorks](https://www.g2.com/products/photoworks/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (98 reviews)
- [Capture One Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/capture-one-pro/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (78 reviews)
- [PhotoDirector](https://www.g2.com/products/photodirector/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (50 reviews)
- [Corel AfterShot Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/corel-aftershot-pro/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (49 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### GIMP

- Title: [should gimp release mobile app](https://www.g2.com/discussions/should-gimp-release-mobile-app) — 3 comments, 3 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "I don't see why. There are plenty of mobile apps out there that let you do lite image manipulation. Why would GIMP waste their time building a mobile app..."
- Title: [What is the best way to use this software?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-best-way-to-use-this-software) — 3 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "gimp.org has many tutorials to help you get started."
- Title: [What is GIMP used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-gimp-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Gimp is an open-source photo editor, a free alternative to Photoshop"
- Title: [How do you guys keep up with industry standards and produce great software year after year](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-you-guys-keep-up-with-industry-standards-and-produce-great-software-year-after-year) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "This is true, I began using GIMP over 25 years ago with v. 0.9. On MacOS 8x.  I'm grateful for all and every improvement.  It is a wonderful product! "
- Title: [what is the best way of  using multiple layers on GIMP?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-best-way-of-using-multiple-layers-on-gimp) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Linking your layers in the Layers palette is the quickest way to perform a transform operation, such as scale, rotate, or move, to several layers in GIMP...."

### Photoshop Elements

- Title: [What is Photoshop Elements used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-photoshop-elements-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a user-friendly software for entry-level photo and video editing. It offers basic photo editing tools, guided edits for..."
- Title: [When do you know it’s time to upgrade besides needing a few more elements?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/when-do-you-know-it-s-time-to-upgrade-besides-needing-a-few-more-elements) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "when a tool can have more creative uses"
- Title: [Is Photoshop Elements 2020 worth the upgrade?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-photoshop-elements-2020-worth-the-upgrade) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Yes, it offers more powerful tools and creative options."
- Title: [Is Photoshop Elements any good?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-photoshop-elements-any-good) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Yes its good to use"
- Title: [Is Photoshop Elements the same as Photoshop?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-photoshop-elements-the-same-as-photoshop) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "No, I'd say it's better."

### Adobe Photoshop

- Title: [How are digital artists using Adobe Photoshop's latest features to push the boundaries of digital art?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-are-digital-artists-using-adobe-photoshop-s-latest-features-to-push-the-boundaries-of-digital-art) — 8 comments, 7 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "One of the best tool in the digital creation."
- Title: [It has a high cost for licenses.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/33193-it-has-a-high-cost-for-licenses) — 7 comments
  > **Top comment:** "In my experience you get what you pay for and it is a first class quality product."
- Title: [It has a high cost for licenses.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/30372-it-has-a-high-cost-for-licenses) — 7 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Adobe is offering special price of US$19.99/mo (for the 1st year) for all Creative Cloud applications for students and teachers.
"
- Title: [What is Adobe Photoshop used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-adobe-photoshop-used-for) — 6 comments, 3 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "Adobe Photoshop used for mainly Photo Editing. Also it takes a huge place in Graphic Designing."
- Title: [What are the uses of Adobe Photoshop?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-the-uses-of-adobe-photoshop) — 6 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Photo enhancement, photo manipulation, color correction, layout and design for certain printed materials, special effects, etc."

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**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/gimp-vs-photoshop-elements-vs-adobe-photoshop)