--- title: GIMP Reviews meta_title: 'GIMP Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 1485 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how GIMP works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.3 review_count: 1485 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-08-09' parent_category: name: Photography url: https://www.g2.com/categories/photography --- # GIMP Reviews **Vendor:** GIMP **Category:** [Photo Editing Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/photo-editing) **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 1,485 ## About GIMP The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows and more operating systems. It is free software, you can change its source code and distribute your changes. Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, GIMP provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done. You can further enhance your productivity with GIMP thanks to many customization options and thousands of third-party plug-ins, almost all available at no cost. Paint with a pressure-sensitive stylus; create and edit images with high bit depth (deep color) and color managed workflows; import and export a wide range of image formats; customize keyboard commands and menus; choose or create many themes; use industry-standard brushes (Photoshop, mypaint, and more); write vertical text; the possibilities are yours to explore! The terms of usage and rules about copying are clearly listed in the GNU General Public License. GIMP has been translated by volunteers into a large number of language (more than listed here) and more translations are very welcome. ## GIMP Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users love GIMP for its **completely free services** , offering powerful image editing without costly subscription fees. (12 reviews) - Users find GIMP to be **incredibly easy to use** , delivering powerful editing capabilities without any costs involved. (11 reviews) - Users appreciate GIMP for its **powerful free tools** , delivering a professional image editing experience without cost barriers. (11 reviews) - Users value GIMP for its **powerful features and complete free access** , making professional editing affordable for all. (10 reviews) - Users highlight GIMP's **efficiency** in handling complex editing tasks, making advanced features accessible without cost. (9 reviews) - Quality (7 reviews) - Useful (6 reviews) - Users admire GIMP for its **powerful and customizable features** , making it a top choice for digital art creation. (5 reviews) - Versatility (4 reviews) - Affordable (3 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users often struggle with the **steep learning curve** of GIMP, finding it unintuitive compared to commercial alternatives. (11 reviews) - Users find GIMP’s **steep learning curve and unintuitive interface** frustrating, hindering their overall experience and productivity. (4 reviews) - Users report **slow performance** in GIMP, particularly with large files, affecting workflow and experience negatively. (4 reviews) - Users note GIMP's **limited features** , finding it less capable than professional alternatives like Photoshop. (3 reviews) - Users find GIMP's **poor navigation** frustrating, especially due to its steep learning curve and unintuitive interface. (3 reviews) - Users find GIMP's **inaccuracy with CMYK files** detrimental for projects requiring precise color management. (2 reviews) - Slow Loading (2 reviews) - Lack of Creativity (1 reviews) - Limited Design Options (1 reviews) - Limited Editing Capabilities (1 reviews) ## GIMP Reviews ### 1. Great image edotor for small businesses **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Online Media | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 19, 2022 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Loads quickly. Basic things for cropping and overlaying are easily available. You don't have to put too much time or buy a high end computer to use it. And the biggest thing is that it's free. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Not as great as photoshop. But if you are ok with missing features or have lot of time to edit, then go for it. Also, the documentation is lengthy and you may not get quick help videos. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Image background editing, overlaying, these are the regular production issues for cataloguing that are best solved by this free software. Saves licensing cost. ### 2. Best freeware for image editing! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jennifer H. | P, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 01, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** While there is a little bit of a learning curve if you are coming from adobe products, Gimp is relatively easy to use and extremely robust. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Some things are hard to find in the program. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Do not expect to be able to move from adobe and just be able to use Gimp! There is a steep learning curve! **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** A free way to edit and create images for marketing, emails and our website. ### 3. Incredibly handy and full of function **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Stefan C. | IT Assitant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 10, 2020 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Incredibly powerful application that can help you create professional-looking images and at no cost **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Can be a little confusing, often not clear how to find/use the function required **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Excellent for those considering starting out in image editing and publishing **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** It has increased image publishing productivity without the need of increased costs ### 4. Free software exceeds expectations **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Arts and Crafts | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 08, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** This product is free to use (open-source), which is wild as it competes with Adobe products. It has almost all the same features and tools as Adobe Photoshop. There are no ads enabled in the desktop application and no subscriptions. This creator is fantastic and indeed contributes positely to the student population. I recommend this software to people I know all the time. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** It would be helpful if there were more tutorials available for this software. For example, I was looking to create a custom brush, and was not able to find adequate responses. Search results were only tailored to Photoshop. This is not a dealbreaker as Gimp is a free software, however because this project required me to create a custom brush, I had to switch to a different platform. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** It is a good starter software for students who are interested in Graphic Design. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** This software is a starter software for art classes. I have found that Gimp gets the students accustomed to using graphic design software. Some do not need to then utilize a paid version of Adobe. ### 5. Gimp, Free Alternative **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mellyssa D. | Material Handler, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 03, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** When you need a free alternative to basic photo manipulation or editing, Gimp can be used as a free alternative. Gimp allows you to soften the noise, make color correction, use brushes, gradients, and make collages, posters **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Being that Gimp is a free alternative, the quality may be a less than the paid software. If you are looking for the most detailed and highest quality then Gimp May not be the program for you. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Basic photo manipulation for those who have less experience in editing and a need for good photos for their business, website or other needs. ### 6. GIMP Review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Retail | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 11, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** The thing I like best is that it is free **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The thing I dislike is that it can be a bit overwhelming at first **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** The problem I am solving is needing to do quick image edits ### 7. Great Free Alternative to Photoshop **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Apparel & Fashion | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 24, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I love the immeasurable saving with a true likeness to Photoshop. It saves money for those just starting out, especially for business purposes. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** There are times that I can't find clear instructions and find myself having to go online and search for video tutorials. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I discontinued my Adobe membership and had been looking for a less expensive alternative as I started up a new small business. Cutting costs was most important to me. ### 8. GIMP Review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Building Materials | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 19, 2022 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP is very easy to use and there are many online tutorials that will help you achieve your goal. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The layering capabilites could use improvement **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** GIMP is useful to edit preliminary building layouts for customers ### 9. The classic image manipulation application. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 30, 2022 **What do you like best about GIMP?** The program is excellent for essential work with various image formats, user-friendly interface, open-source courses, and accessibility. Persistent updates **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The program is not well suited for commercial use because it has fewer features than any commercial editor. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** This product was used by one of my co-workers, and the images were of excellent quality. After that, I switched to it from Photoshop and began to use it on an ongoing basis. ### 10. GIMP Review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nithin J. | Software Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 15, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** What I like best is that GIMP is totally free to use and it's by far the best image editing software that you can get that acts as a huge upgrade from the default MS Paint that comes pre-installed with Windows. It contains more image editing tools compared to the basic ones of Paint while offering image scaling and cropping abilities without damaging the original quality. It allows easy conversions from one image format to another while retaining the original quality and also allows any compression to be removed so that the image comes out looking as you'd want. Not only can you work on images of any format with GIMP, you can also edit and create GIFs through the use of different layers. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The one thing I don't like about GIMP is that it isn't very intuitive when you want to crop an image by a small number of pixels. It's selection tool isn't very precise and often times you have to guess to find exactly how many pixels you're cropping out until the final image is of the size that you're looking for. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** I definitely recommend GIMP because it's free and compared to Photoshop, it still matches its image editing capabilities to a high degree. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I rely on GIMP a lot for editing and rescaling the size of images. For the images that we use on our website, having to use HTML code to change the size of the image often makes them a little blurry or poor in quality. Even for our presentations, sometimes the cropping tool isn't particularly accurate and giving us satisfactory results. This is where GIMP has been of great help as it allows us to crop and scale down the size of images without changing the quality of the original image. Furthermore while making logos and backgrounds for presentations, it's incredibly helpful that we can create additional layers for the images. This allows editing to be done in an easier fashion for certain parts of the image and reduces any misplacement or any errors in the whole picture. The biggest benefit of GIMP is that it allows you to convert from one image format to another with ease. ### 11. GIMP Review **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Primary/Secondary Education | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 19, 2022 **What do you like best about GIMP?** It is a very solid free alternative to Photoshop. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** It can be slow and look a bit outdated. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** The problem of not wanting to spend a ton of money on Adobe. ### 12. Best Photo setup **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nripendra P. | Survey Programmer Qualtrics, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 08, 2022 **What do you like best about GIMP?** This is very easy to set the photo in as per the required size. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** A lot of content in the menu per item; because of that, it's very tricky to use. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** clarity of the images when we resize the image ### 13. Great easy to use editing software **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Lynn K. | Adjunct Faculty, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 17, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP is free to use and download. There are ample easy-to-follow tutorials. I find the software user-friendly and intuitive. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Sometimes I run into issues with tools in GIMP not working correctly. A quick search usually solves it, but sometimes it takes longer. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Easy editing photographs and figures. GIMP also allows me to save all the edits in one file. So, I can open one GIMP file/project and see all variations of one image. ### 14. Great open source image editing program **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mark H. | Vice President Operations, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 13, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Powerful and free. Supports most common file types. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Not super intuitive but worth it to support the open source community. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I don't need image manipulation on a regular basis so paying a high price for the most popular software doesn't make sense. GIMP lets me make pretty technical alterations for free. ### 15. Good (free) substitute for PS **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Higher Education | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 19, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I like that it's free and open-source and that it plays nicely with more well-known programs like Photoshop. It's like the Firefox of paint software, beloved by tinkerers and hobbyists. It often loads faster than PS. It includes an interface that's sort of like PS (palettes, docking tiles, toolsets, while still being its own thing. It's better software than others (like Corel Paint Shop Pro, which costs money). **What do you dislike about GIMP?** GIMP is lower in features than Photoshop, and the import/exports aren't foolproof, so it can be a challenge when collaborating on a project with others who use PS. If you rely on the Adobe suite that shares edits between softwares (AI, PS, Premiere etc), this will not help you there. Also, the open-source nature is double-edged; it doesn't use industry-standard features (which often require expensive licensing), and the interface is a little muddy compared to others. While smaller than PS, GIMP is a way bigger toolkit than you need for a lot of things. For example, if you only want to tweak photos, there are much better, streamlined softwares for that use (PS Elements, various phone apps, and even websites). And customer support isn't there - the downside of an open source free software is they don't hire people to help you -- you're largely reliant on support forums. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** If you're at least semi-competent at design software, give it a shot. Assuming you got burned by Adobe's subscription mandates, this may be the thing you need, notably if you couple it with software like Inscape to make your own "poor man's Adobe Creative Suite". If you're new to design, be forewarned that there are not as many tutorials or support resources out there for you as Photoshop, though many PS features and interface layouts parallel so you can follow along in a similar way. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** For quick and dirty edits, I've used it on occasion, though as a Photoshop user, I don't use it often. The faster loading is a significant benefit, and for free software, it usually does the job well. I think if I didn't have Photoshop, I would use it more often. ### 16. One of best Image editor for beginners **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Neeraj J. | DevOps Engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 17, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Gimp is very lightweight and takes very little space and RAM on your computer. it,s also open source and free to use, and has very great functionality. it,s also available on platforms like Linux where there are not many good options for image editors. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Gimp is not very user-friendly. First-timers might have difficulty using it. some functions seem outdated and have weird effects not suitable for large projects. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** you can you Gimp if you are using Linux or have a computer with low specifications. it is a good alternative to Photoshop if you only do basic and simple editing or if you are an individual and can't afford a subscription to Adobe Photoshop. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use it for basic image editing. ### 17. Gimp is best for image editing. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Munendra K. | Software Developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 09, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** It is a cross-platform image editor tool available on all operating systems. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** There are no dislikes; I got so far. It is effortless and handy to use. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is effortless to use and convert images like you and don't change image quality, and easily change the image format. ### 18. Open Source Photo Editing **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Photography | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 27, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** There are tons of digital tools to edit photos (occasionally) and create digital art (more often, either for recreation or professional graphic design purposes) without using a lot of cash that I can't afford to spend. It's a great free tool for people who aren't using it for a living. Making an art piece here or there is outstanding. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** GIMP is a complex program to use; the learning curve can be steep if you don't have a history of art/graphics programs. You will probably need to do some tutorials or spend some time learning about the tools and how to use them. If you don't mind investing your time learning how to use GIMP, then go nuts, but if you are looking for an easy-to-use program to do some quick graphics, maybe use something more basic, like SmoothDraw 4. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I used to use other paid services for graphic arts but after I took the time to learn GIMP, I have been able to do many of my side projects with GIMP. I like to create cards, edit photos, make graphic posters and such, so its great having a free tool to express my artistic side. ### 19. GIMP is best opensource alternative of PhotoShop **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Vishal T. | Software Developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 09, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** All of the tools are available, which are there in photoshop and easy to use. The best thing is it is open source. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Locatability of tools is sometimes very difficult; else, all things are okay with GIMP **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Creating designs and editing pictures for my client's websites/projects ### 20. Review of GIMP November 2021 **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Amberlee K. | Student, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 09, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Easy to learn, helpful support, multiple features **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Learning curve if the user is not familiar with photoshop or another editing software **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** GIMP is an excellent alternative to Adobe Photoshop, as users can access it at a lower cost through specific organizations. Previous Photoshop exposure will benefit first-time GIMP users. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Working creatively to design custom images, more features than word-processing softwares ### 21. The best tool for editing images! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Hospital & Health Care | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 24, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Gimp has all the features of something like Photoshop, but for free! I'm always amazed at how feature-rich it is and how it didn't cost anything. I also find the interface and tools very simple to use. The online community is very active as well which makes finding additional help and resources very easy. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Some tools are a bit fussy sometimes and require a bit more effort to use. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I'm able to recolor assets and create new assets for an app very quickly and easily. I can then promptly export them however I need to. ### 22. Top Notch Editing Software **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Internet | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 26, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP is a fantastic, FREE alternative to photoshop. It features an extensive range of tools available, as well as customizable brushes, filters, and automatic image-enhancement tools. There's also support for plug-ins that you can download if you wish. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** I found the interface cluttered and overwhelming, to begin with, but soon got familiar with it. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's saved me the cost of having to purchase a license for Photoshop. ### 23. Free and powerfull **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Games | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 01, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** The application fulfills all the needs that I have. I'm not a professional graphic designer, but I always need to edit some sprites, and GIMP always helped me with all changes that I required. The community is massive and helpful, and the best exists a lot of plugins to help people like me that do not have too much graphic knowledge. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Even with many plugins, it does not compare with the amount founded for paid applications (Photoshop). GIMP has a limitation on the number of layers to work on, but it works for me. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** If you desire to edit some images and have a free and easy-to-use graphic application, GIMP is the correct tool for you. It's easy to find out tips and how-to videos on the Internet. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I develop games for hobbies and need to edit some sprites to match my desire. I use GIMP to edit what I need to. I never created from scratch, but GIMP is always here to help me. ### 24. Awesome Opensource image editing software **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Valadi K J. | CTO, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 05, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Very simple to use with beautiful plugins and a codebase that makes image manipulation and image editing an instant work of art. The software is unique in that most of its features can be unlocked from the massive list of add-ons that are available to make image manipulation and edit a tremendous effort. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Maybe there was an excellent way to adjust the screens and menu options and change the looks of GIMP with some perfect image screens. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Gimp helps you convert, modify, vectorize or edit raster as well as vector images from different image formats. It helps to do color corrections, gaussian blur, apply filters and modify pictures with some cool effects to manipulate and edit as a piece of art. ### 25. It is a product with excellent features **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Abhinav S. | Software Developer , Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 14, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Gimp is a professional graphics editor with many advanced tools that allow you to adjust everything from color gradations to contrast and brightness. The control panel is fully customizable, there are keyboard shortcuts, Gimp has an excellent auto crop tool, a fast interface and is lightweight. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** My only complaint is that the crop function is difficult to use, and the shading and difference options are basic and somewhat limited. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** If you are just starting out in graphics or need a simple drawing tool, then Gimp is the perfect program. Also, since it is a free platform, you don't have to worry about paying for it. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** The biggest advantage of using Gimp is that you can use all the tools to your advantage. There is no need to buy a premium platform as Gimp offers almost all of them. Thus, you can save a lot of money instead of buying commercial software. ### 26. GIMP for life **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** RolynnAnne C. | Volunteer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 22, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Ease of usage. It is straightforward to understand, and it's open-source. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The first time I used it in class, I was disoriented, but after a few misses, I managed to work on it. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** For your image editing needs, GIMP is the answer! It is indeed user-friendly, and you can create great images to surprise your colleagues or family. It's open-source. Better than that, you cannot get! **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** The need to pay for softwares for image editors! HUGE SAVINGS indeed! ### 27. GIMP is a learning curve but fairly easy to use **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** H. Lea S. | Web Developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 22, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Obviously the thing that I like best about GIMP is that it is free, after having a paid service denied me service after a decade of use. It is also nice that GIMP is opensource, allowing anyone to be able to enhance and improve upon the program. GIMP also has a lot of customization options as well as 3rd party plugins. GIMP makes converting images into different file types simple and hassle-free. GIMP has made creating and manipulating sprite images for website images and navigation menus a breeze. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** It takes some getting used to all of the menus and settings and the menus are easy to mess up and harder to revert it back to what you are used to seeing. When you paste an item to the project that you are working on it sets it as a floating item instead of as a new layer, so then you have to manual click on it and click to new layer to then be able to work with the newly pasted layer. When recoloring items it does not automatically set the image to the highest resolution so that colors are not true to their values and you have to go and manually change the image to rbg and precision to 32 bit, then go back to change the color of the image. GIMP is limited to the highest rgb precision at 32 bits. When working with layers you can not drag and drop images to their places, you have to edit the layer's properties and move it on the x and y axis which leads to a lot of trail and errors to get it placed just where you want it to be in the larger image. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** GIMP makes it somewhat easy to create logos, banners, ads, headers, footers, menus, background images, and other images for websites. GIMP also makes it easy to work with layers and transparent backgrounds to create more in-depth images. GIMP's image scaling is very smooth and true to form, making it easy to resize photos and images down to a smaller size to cut back on the file size. ### 28. Fantastic tool to work with **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Camilo U. | R&D Services Project Manager (Agile), Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 09, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP is an entirely free, cross-platform pixel graphics software built in accordance with the GNU theory. GIMP was created specifically to fulfill the needs of the Linux operating system distribution's graphics editor. Utilize every pixel-based graphics editor, like Adobe Photoshop, using GIMP. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** It takes a long time to download due to the size of the files! You were adequately warned! I have always had to reboot that program. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** If you're looking for a picture editing app, GIMP is a no-brainer. It's completely free, extremely simple to be using, and very close to Photoshop. There is an explanation for its widespread popularity. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** GIMP is generally used to modify textures. I import the UV chart through my venture and modify it without the desired colors. Once I've created the texture I'm looking for, I distribute it for use in other projects. GIMP's layer framework simplifies the process of coloring texture files. ### 29. Strangely underestimated **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Răzvan T. C. | Psychologist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP is not a professional's tool but it works great for the common user. I dare say you can get the job done with it even if you are a professional photographer. There are many plugins that work with it, it can handle a bunch of file types and - best of all - it's open-source. You can run it in Linux. I like it because It's easy to use (for me at least). I do all of my graphics editing in GIMP and i havn't yet found something it can't yet do. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The last version changed a few thing around and the things I got used to became something else. Also - not all PSD files open up correctly in it. When editing text you have to select the text you want to edit in the editing box whereas previosuly you could just select the editing box and apply filters to the text inside without selecting it. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I edit all my photos with it. I did webdesign using it exclusively and my clients were always satisfied. ### 30. Gimp is much cheaper than other programs of this type **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Dana W. | Global Security Analyst III, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 06, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP is an extremely user-friendly application of photography. Is indeed GIMP free, but it is also the most popular open-source photo editing tool available. GIMP performs but continues to work reliably version after version. I've never had a crash with GIMP, which is very remarkable given the program is free. When it ways image editors, GIMP unquestionably reigns supreme. It's incredible how easily we can edit and save our images in RAW format. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** It benefits everyone because it would be safe, encouraging us to invest our money on more worthy endeavors, such as non-commercial use. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Ascertain that you have a strong grip on the resources. Prior to delving into ANY Aspect, take the time to understand WHAT IT DOES. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** As just a graphic designer, I need to work quickly and efficiently while still being accurate. I believe GIMP resolves this issue due to the breadth and strength of its software. ### 31. Love GIMP! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 01, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I've been using GIMP for about 15 years. It's very easy to pick up and is pretty similar to Adobe Photoshop. I love how it's free to download, as that was one of the primary reasons why I downloaded it when I was first learning about photo editing/manipulation. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Sometimes the software freezes when loading, and will open each new image as a separate window (like it's another software I'm using). Previously, images opened in separate tabs within one window that could be dragged out on its own. It's a little inefficient **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Great for those who can't afford an Adobe subscription/are looking for something quick to edit with! **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** With GIMP, I'm able to crop images, photoshop them, adjust colors, and even create graphics. ### 32. Really great alternative for photoshop and photo editing **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 25, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** What's so great is that it's open source, any of my colleagues can use it without licensing like you have to do with Adobe. It's also significantly less in terms of space usage, and graphic rendering - the computer works much faster using this platform. My colleagues who have used it have mentioned it is much easier to figure out than photoshop. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Gimp is wonderful - the only thing i would mention is i typically work in other adobe programs so the cross-program/ stackable functionality is not there as much. While GIMP is great, I don't see it as being updated as much as Photoshop is religiously updated by their extensive team most likely. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's a bit more basic than Photoshop which is what i am used to has less features. ### 33. Excellent photo editor **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Shana M. | Senior Director Product Marketing, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 19, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I was instantly taken with GIMP's simplicity of use; it opens quickly, operates quickly, and shuts rapidly. That's also precisely everything I need if I take a photo and have to edit it in order to post it or make notes. I can open Gimp and crop the remainder of the screen to display just what I require. Gimp provides a multitude of simple resources, and after you get get used them, it's a joy to use. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** You're unlikely to make animated gifs, which are possible without Photoshop. However, GIMP is dependable and simple to use. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** It's simple to set up and teach, and skills migrate easily to other software packages. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** As stated previously, Gimp can be used in place of Photoshop by certain users. I use it exclusively to edit and generate photos for e-learning courses. ### 34. Great Open Source / Free Based Editing Suite **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Graphic Design | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 12, 2022 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Same capabilities to edit and fine-tune images just like bigger name paid alternative software **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Sometimes the program itself can become unstable when system resources are low **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Quick touch-ups and solutions for creativity when paid software is unavailable for use. ### 35. Best Photoshop Alternative **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Alain Jove R. | Beta Web/ App Reviewer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 07, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I like it because it is not heavy on the RAM usage, it packs majority of the necessary photo editing tools that the major product brands have including simple functions like cropping, skewing, and other transform tools. It has advanced features like image retouching, effects, text incorporation, background removal and other awesome renderings for your photo editing projects. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Sometimes when using transform tools, it leaves an 'after image' like effect even if you disable showing the layer being used, which bleeds through other layers. Although it can be removed by restarting the app. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** GIMP allowed me to use a free software with all the functionalities that PhotoShop or CorelDRaw can provide. Savings is very important as it allows me to channel those funds on other software for my multimedia editing endeavors. ### 36. Where are the marching ants? **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Entertainment | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 13, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I like that this tool takes the place of Photoshop for a lot of things. While it might not have all the features of photoshop, it is pretty close. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** On macOS, the marching ants when trying to make a selection were missing and it was impossible to make refined selections. I find the text editor a little clunky, I'd like them to improve this at some point. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** It is very similar to older versions of photoshop, think Photoshop 7, but more advanced. If you are familiar with photoshop you shouldn't have a lot of problems with GIMP. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** When I can't justify the cost of an adobe suite license for myself GIMP has filled the void of needing something to edit photos. ### 37. Freeware alternative to photoshop **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Tom P. | Senior Data Scientist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 16, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Available as a free download for all common computer operating systems and as an Android app, GIMP is a full-featured image editing application that competes with the likes of Adobe Photoshop. With its intuitive interface and extensive documentation, it is straightforward for even a casual user to touch up photos and create graphical images. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** To create vector images, you will want to use a different application such as Adobe Illustrator or the freeware alternative, Inkscape. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Check the user forums for the answers to common queries. There are also lots if demonstration videos on sites such as YouTube. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's ideal for editing photos and graphical images, and graphical layout for single page documents. Although anything involving extensive textual layout you will probably prefer a desktop publishing application. ### 38. No Limp With Gimp **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kristopher L. | Customer Service Representative, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 28, 2020 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Gimp is one of the few programs that i have found that maintain any level of competitiveness with the big dogs in the graphic arts industry. The array of tools, customizations, and flexibility make it a great system for everyone from the beginner to the industry captain. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** If I were to say gimp as one failing it would be the very steep learning curve. I've used gimp to do everything from create logos to coloring coloring book pages, and while the community for gimp is out there, the difficulty is sorting through the appropriate levels of different versions tools login configurations and finding the information you need to do the fancy effect you desire. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Take the courses available where ever you can, this will help you perform some of the more advanced techniques. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** While using gimp I've used it to entertain myself and create logos for companies. I realize that while I may not be charged for this program I am able to do the same skills and designs that I would with some of the larger more expensive programs. While this benefit is definitely a great thing. Compared to some of the other companies this one program being as inexpensive is it is being free, sets it above and beyond, ### 39. GIMP - Free and open source image editor **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 30, 2020 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Easy to use, free and open source project **What do you dislike about GIMP?** GIMP doesn't looks good on my 4k 17 inch laptop monitor with 200% scale **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Definitely worth to try **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Scale images, cuttings parts of image. ### 40. GIMP - FREE alternative to Photoshop **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Brittany S. | Owner, Photographer, Graphic Designer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 14, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I love the fact that gimp offers their software for free!! **What do you dislike about GIMP?** I dislike the difficulty in changing formats and saving formats for photos. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** I would recommend this software to anyone getting started in photography or advertising and marketing. It is a good free service to start with. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am able to use GIMP on multiple devices no matter where I am working from for free. The benefits are that I do not have to pay the monthly or yearly or large one-time purchase for Photoshop. ### 41. Intuitive controls for the beginning photo editor **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ryan M. | IT Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 28, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP has all of the tools available that Photoshop offers. While the learning curve is a bit harder, it actually makes it easier to understand photo editing over time. Giving you the ability to create while learning the steps that Photoshop might give you at the click of a button. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The learning curve, while I personally learned on GIMP others might be turned off to even its open-source benefits, because it's not as simple as a few button clicks to get the same result as Photoshop. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Quick photo editing on the go. ### 42. Exceptional performance **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sbu M. | Manager, Design, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 25, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Gimp is the free software however it is one of the best editing, designing and creative software for all your graphic designing projects **What do you dislike about GIMP?** None, it is simply the best. User friendly and easy to navigate. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** My graphic designing, almost all my projects are done on this platform. ### 43. Gimp Best opensource design tool **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Suresh k. | Senior Software Engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 06, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** This is open-source design editor, easy to use no need to purchase license and both linux and windows versions are available to designer. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Some time tools bar hide automatically and make us a bit difficult to restore setting. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** This is very useful designing software as like photoshop you can easily make your design and other tasks with it. It is open source. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** We use it to make our company projects designs, HTML pages from PSDs and images manipulations. ### 44. The best free photo editor out there **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Iryna P. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 10, 2020 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) includes nearly all the features that popular image editing programs have and in addition, it is free. It consists of features like layers, customizable brushes, filters, and automatic image-enhancement tools. The developer community is always active, so there are constant improvements and bug fixes. Although it may lack the depth of the commercial photo editing programs, it provides all the essential editing features and tools that might be needed by an average user. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The interface is really complex and can be diffcult to navigate for someone who is not so familiar with picture editing softwares. The tool shortcuts get changed constantly for no reason. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Would recommend checking out the tutorials for the software since it has a complex interface. Nevertheless, it is your best choice if you have budget constraints and if you are using the Linux operating system on your comuters. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Creation of designs for brochures, flyers, and name badges. We also create pictures to be used in social media posts and websites of our events. ### 45. Does what you need it to do for free! **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sara M. | Digital Marketing Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 25, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** It's easy to access, easy to use and easy to find tutorials on how to do certain tasks. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Downloading it on to your computer can sometimes be a little tricky. Especially on your work computer where you may have admin blocks. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's a great substitute for photoshop. Photoshop can be way too expensive for those who need just the basics ### 46. Very user and beginner friendly, would highly recommend for those looking for an alternative to PS **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** GRAHAM H. | Student, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 05, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I like that it is simple for the basic user to pick up. I originally started using gimp maybe a decade ago because of how much easier it was to compare it to competitors such as adobe photoshop. Additionally, it is also a free service to use instead of having to pay for services like photoshop. I did at one point use photoshop, and honestly wasn't impressed when I compare it to GIMP. GIMP just simplifies the layout giving a more user-friendly, especially for beginners, experience. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** There really isn't much to dislike about this program. Everything about it is likable. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am just using it for gigs, to make little flyers here and there, as well as sometimes my own personal fulfillment such as art and the such. ### 47. Open-source at its best. Feature-rich image editing. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sam A. | Head of Programmes, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 02, 2020 **What do you like best about GIMP?** GIMP is feature-rich. It does everything I need for photo and image editing. Basic changes such as cropping and recolouring. And I love working with the layers when making collages. And amazingly, it is free! I've used it for a good ten years now and it gets more powerful each version. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The layout and interface can feel cluttered. For example, the icons in the tool tray are a little small and it is hard for me to find what I'm looking for. Likewise, the menu options are not always intuitively placed. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Before making a decision about GIMP, I recommend testing it (it's free) and as part of your testing, to do some training videos to learn the basics (as it is not always intuitive) **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I used GIMP for all personal and professional image editing. This includes photos and graphics for websites. Creating artwork for personal use. Preparing logos of different sizes. Converting files to different types. It is brilliant! ### 48. I'm a beginner and GIMP is easy for me to use. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Leanna K. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 02, 2020 **What do you like best about GIMP?** I like that I am able to edit things out of images, resize images, crop, and make backgrounds on images transparent. I don't know how to do a lot on GIMP, but I know enough to get the job done and that's all that matters. I'm happy with GIMP and I love that it's free! I was using another program that had a monthly fee, but switched to GIMP because it can do the same thing as this other program, but for free! **What do you dislike about GIMP?** I feel like the overall look of GIMP looks a bit outdated -- however, it's free, so I really cannot complain. It gets the job done. I do feel like it's a bit difficult to navigate, but once you get it figured out it's not too bad. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Watch some youtube videos to learn the basics on GIMP. That's what I did and I picked it up pretty quickly. It really is similar to other programs and can do just about everything other editing programs can. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am able to crop images, edit logos, make the background on logos transparent so that I can use them in marketing materials with a transparent background. I'm able to resize images to fit into my publications correctly. I often has businesses submit photos to me for my publications that are not at a high enough dpi, GIMP allows me to adjust the dpi up to 300 so that I'm able to use a clear image in my publications. ### 49. The Best Photoshop Alternative **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Marcus F. | Site Administrator, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 05, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** Can’t deter from the fact that the best thing about GIMP is that it’s free. It does have a learning curve, but the power of the editing software in my opinion is only rivaled by Adobe Photoshop. It also has a lot more customization, but if you don’t know what you’re doing that can also turn you away. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** The main downside to GIMP is that it requires certain features as plugins; you’ll need to find a repository online to obtain these extras that aren’t verified software like a feature would be from Adobe. The loading times can be brutal waits, but my laptop is old so take that with a grain of salt. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Adobe Photoshop Pixlr Paint3D Canva **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Gimp was serving as an Adobe Photoshop alternative. In this way, there is nothing better in my opinion as a free alternative. ### 50. Great photo editor **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Arnaldo Ariel A. | Linux Sysadmin, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 11, 2021 **What do you like best about GIMP?** It has a lot of features, enough from amateurs up to pro photographers and illustrators. **What do you dislike about GIMP?** Sometimes, when you need a quick edition on a photo, its amount of options is overwhelming. **Recommendations to others considering GIMP:** Do not be scared of all its features. Relax, and learn how to use it. **What problems is GIMP solving and how is that benefiting you?** Having full-featured photo editing software at zero cost. Another: being a Linux user, the paid competitor (Photoshop) is not available. ## GIMP Discussions - [should gimp release mobile app](https://www.g2.com/discussions/should-gimp-release-mobile-app) - 3 comments, 3 upvotes - [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 - [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 - [How do I create a custom brush on Gimp for pixel art?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-i-create-a-custom-brush-on-gimp-for-pixel-art) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [Are there any premium features coming to GIMP?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/are-there-any-premium-features-coming-to-gimp) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [View GIMP pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/gimp/reviews?page=5&qs=pros-and-cons§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-12+10%3A56%3A04+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=8045ceb4-5322-4f71-b3f5-ec802804376c&secure%5Btoken%5D=c0c599a50e08f435e7ddd046e7cf045799142b18eb31179ca88f4ac2b230f582&format=llm_user) ## GIMP Integrations - [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop/reviews) - [Blender](https://www.g2.com/products/blender/reviews) - [Canva](https://www.g2.com/products/canva/reviews) - [DALL·E](https://www.g2.com/products/dall-e/reviews) - [Inkscape](https://www.g2.com/products/inkscape/reviews) - [Python](https://www.g2.com/products/python/reviews) ## GIMP Features **Additional Functionality** - Data Visualization - Mobile App - AI Copilot - Commenting/Notes - Text Editing - Custom Brushes - Generative AI - Watermarking - Engagement Tracking - Pattern, Color & Art Storage - Version Control - API - Third-Party Integrations - Collaboration Tools - Design Templates - Search/Filter - Secure Data Storage - Workflow Management - Data Storage Management - Interactive Content - Drag & Drop Editor - Video Editing - Preview Functionality - Multi-Language - Image Editing - Content Import/Export - Customizable Branding - Content Management - CAD Tools - Content Library - Custom Fonts - 3D Digital Asset Management - Design Management - Presentation Tools - Social Media Integration - Print Management **Generative AI** - AI Text-to-Image - AI Text-to-3D - Photos/Images - Generative AI **Agentic AI - Photo Editing** - Cross-system Integration **Additional Functionality** - File Conversion - Image Editing - Real Time Editing - Social Sharing - File Management - Animations & Transitions - Watermarking - User Management - Presentation Tools - AI Copilot - File Sharing - Multiple Output Formats - File Storage - Customizable Templates - Task Management - Image Library - Collaboration Tools - Batch Processing - Project Management - API - Content Sharing - Content Import/Export - Drag & Drop - Pre-built Templates - Preview Functionality - Search/Filter - Image Protection - Media Management - Alerts/Notifications - Activity Dashboard ## Top GIMP Alternatives - [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (13,086 reviews) - [Canva](https://www.g2.com/products/canva/reviews) - 4.7/5.0 (6,476 reviews) - [Adobe Photoshop Lightroom](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop-lightroom/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (3,241 reviews)