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GIMP Pros and Cons: Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users highlight GIMP's completely free nature, providing powerful editing tools without any cost barrier. (12 mentions)
Users find GIMP to be user-friendly, offering powerful tools without the complexities of paid software. (11 mentions)
Users love GIMP for its powerful free photo editing capabilities and extensive features that rival paid software. (11 mentions)
Users value the powerful features of GIMP, appreciating its free, open-source nature while offering professional-level image editing. (10 mentions)
Users commend GIMP for its exceptional efficiency, offering powerful image editing tools without any cost barriers. (9 mentions)
Users find GIMP's steep learning curve challenging, especially for advanced features and intuitive navigation. (11 mentions)
Users find GIMP's steep learning curve and unintuitive interface frustrating, hindering usability and workflow efficiency. (4 mentions)
Users experience slow performance with GIMP, particularly when handling large files or during startup, affecting productivity. (4 mentions)
Users find GIMP has limited features compared to other software, impacting its professional usability and efficiency. (3 mentions)
Users find GIMP's navigation poor, leading to frustration and a steep learning curve, especially for beginners. (3 mentions)

5 Pros or Advantages of GIMP

5 Cons or Disadvantages of GIMP

Ishan S.
IS
Ishan S.
Manager and Dietician at Chaitanya Homoeo Clinic, Medical Store Owner, Content Creator
Hospital & Health Care
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Practical, Flexible Editing Tool for image editing and content creation"
5/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

I work as a Dietician & Nutritionist, Manage a homeopathy clinic, and also create health education content, so I regularly need image editing for diet charts, before and after transformation posts, educational graphics, thumbnails, and social media content. what I like most about GIMP is that it provides many useful editing tools in one place and feels practical for daily use. In the beginning, it was not very easy to understand, but after regular use it became comfortable and now I can handle most editing work without much difficulty.

I use it frequently for creating before and after weight transformation posts, adding weight details, editing thumbnails, adding text on images, and preparing simple educational visuals for social media. Features like crop, resize, text tool, layer editing, and brightness adjustment are especially useful in my daily work. While editing transformation posts, the layer feature helps a lot because it allows me to manage before and after images, text, and highlights separately without affecting the full design. Background cleaning and color adjustment also help make posts look clearer and more professional.

performance is good for normal editing work, and the desktop version runs smoothly in my experience even while working on multiple images. The number of features is enough for image editing, thumbnails, posters, and social media content without feeling overly complicated. It also supports different image formats, so working with files from other tools becomes easy and fits well into my daily workflow. Overall, it feels practical, flexible, and very useful for daily health content, clinic-related work, and social media editing.. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

In the beginning, interface feels little confusing because there are many tools and options on screen, so it takes some time to understand where things are. Sometimes while working on bigger images or multiple layers, performance can feel little slow on normal system, specially when many edits are open together. It is not a major problem but happens sometimes during longer editing work. Another small thing is that some advanced editing steps are not very easy for beginners and I had to watch few tutorials to understand them properly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Fabrizio M.
FM
Fabrizio M.
OPERATORE ANTINCENDIO - OSPEDALE PEDIATRICO BAMBINO GESù
Hospital & Health Care
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"GIMP: open source, excellent but not for professional editing"
5/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

I really like using GIMP; I've been using it since the days of Windows 8, and it was already one of the most well-known and highly rated editing programs. The interface is very nice and full of features. What I really liked is that it's an open-source program, so it doesn't require trial periods. I use it both for work and for personal projects like small banners. It's very practical and intuitive, and you get great results with GIMP. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

What I liked least about GIMP is the fact that for installation, going to the official website, it doesn't give you the option to start the download directly from their website. That is, if for convenience I want to start the download of the .exe file directly from the website, I am forced to go through the Microsoft store for the software installation, which is very annoying. Moreover, many times when I am making important modifications to a photo that should then be brought as a draft into a program to be processed, it comes up with "not responding" and the program crashes while editing important files. However, it does this on photos that weigh several MB, needs to be resolved. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Kevin K.
KK
Kevin K.
Mr
Information Technology and Services
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Easy-to-Use, Free Image Editing with Fast Support and AI Background Removal"
5/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

I like Gimp for it's easy use of navigating toolbar. It integrates smoothly with n8n, hubspot, lovable and social media platforms. It out performs adobe inscape as a free product and it costs nothing to create and edit images. Support is amaing and fast issues get solved quickly and smoothly. Gimp also features ai plugin capabilities to easily remove backgrounds from any image. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

Gimp can't always convert all images and sometimes leaves them in greyscale so even if you layer the image the layers then inherits the image layout. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Claire  M.
CM
Claire M.
Creative lead
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Free, Flexible, and Perfect for Quick Edits"
4/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

I like that GIMP is free, flexible, and still offers powerful editing tools like layers, selections, and export options that make everyday tasks quick and easy. Layers make it easy to edit without damaging the original image, selection tools help me quickly target specific areas, and export options make it fast to save assets in the right format for different sizes and channels. It's very easy and quick to set up, and although it took a little time to get used to the interface and customize it for my workflow, it was nothing more than any other software. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

The interface can feel a bit unintuitive and less modern and some workflows aren't as streamlined as other design tools which can slow things down at times. A more modern intuitive interface and better organization of tools would improve usability. Streamlining workflows and making shortcuts more consistent with other design tools would also make it easier and faster to use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

James H.
JH
James H.
Desktop Support Specialist
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Powerful Photoshop Alternative with Room for GPU Optimization"
4.5/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

I use GIMP for photo editing as a replacement for Adobe Photoshop, and it's been great since I used to work with Photoshop 7. I appreciate GIMP's simple and intuitive interface, which doesn't force unnecessary AI things like Photoshop does. I find the layering feature to be just as good, if not better than Photoshop's, allowing me to control opacity, apply gradients, and add effects that give my work depth and dimension. The ability to place a solid-color background layer and apply effects like gradients is particularly useful for creating subtle fades or blended looks. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

Photoshop is better optimized for GPU multithreading and battery optimization, that's probably the biggest area that GIMP could stand to grow in. I think GIMP could benefit from deeper GEGL multithreading, modern GPU APIs like Vulkan, and smarter power-management for laptops. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Aneurys Nicanor A.
AA
Aneurys Nicanor A.
Project Manager
Civil Engineering
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Powerful, Pro-Level Editing in GIMP—Free and Open Source"
5/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

What I love most about GIMP is that it’s completely free and open source, yet it still provides powerful tools for photo editing, graphic design, and image manipulation. It supports layers, masks, filters, and other advanced editing features that are often found only in paid software. Overall, it’s an excellent choice if you want professional-looking results without having to pay for a subscription. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

The biggest drawback is the learning curve, which is pretty typical for advanced editing software. The interface can feel confusing at first, especially if you’re not used to Photoshop-style programs. Some workflows also aren’t very intuitive, and performance can slow down when you’re working with large or complex files. On top of that, when I launch GIMP, it often takes a while to load. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Chris Z.
CZ
Chris Z.
Web Department Supervisor
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Convenient Adobe Alternative with Open-Source Flexibility"
3.5/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

I like using GIMP for quick design tasks because it's open-source software. It offers the same standard of editing fidelity as its competitors, which is really valuable. The UI is familiar enough to be intuitive for most users, making it easy to transition to GIMP as an alternative to major platforms like Adobe. It's well-maintained and rarely has issues with bugs. Plus, the initial setup was very easy. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

the editor can feel unresponsive or clunky at times. as the program is volunteer maintained, it doesn't get the same attention as a larger company could give. so, it is not as optimized or modern as some users might prefer Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Elta J.
EJ
Elta J.
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Powerful Free Tool with Room for Usability Enhancements"
4/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

I like GIMP because it is free, and I can create and customize it easily. I appreciate the filters and effects it offers. It's helpful for combining multiple images, adding watermarks, creating thumbnails, graphics, and banners. The initial setup was quite easy, as I just went to the website and installed the app, following the prompts. It took some time to get used to it, but it's been manageable. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

Work less smooth than Canva and Photoshop. Tools are harder to find. Less latest design. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Giacomo D.
GD
Giacomo D.
Consulente Qualità ISO/IEC 17025 e ISO 9001
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Professional-Level Editing with GIMP"
4.5/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

What I like most about GIMP is that it’s completely free, yet still incredibly powerful. For anyone who doesn’t want to invest in expensive software, it delivers a professional-level image editing experience with no cost barrier.

Another big advantage is the breadth of tools and features it includes. From layers and masks to advanced selection tools, color correction, retouching, and custom brushes, GIMP covers everything you need for serious image editing. On top of that, it supports plugins and customization, which makes it even more flexible and adaptable to different workflows.

For amateur or semi-professional work, I find GIMP absolutely comparable to Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop may offer more advanced features and a smoother workflow in high-end professional environments, but GIMP is still more than capable of handling photo editing, graphic design projects, social media visuals, and creative compositions at a very high level.

Overall, I appreciate the balance it strikes between zero cost and strong functionality. It’s an excellent option for students, hobbyists, freelancers, or anyone who needs capable editing tools without paying for a subscription. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

At the moment, I don’t have any major complaints about GIMP.

For what I use it for right now—mostly amateur, personal projects—it covers everything I need. There’s a broad selection of tools, the performance feels solid, and it’s flexible enough to handle both photo editing and graphic design tasks without getting in my way.

I know some users point to a learning curve or say the interface feels less polished than Adobe Photoshop, but I haven’t run into any real limitations so far.

Overall, for a free and open-source program, GIMP has fully met my expectations, and at this stage I don’t feel like I’m missing anything essential. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Graphic Design
UG
Verified User in Graphic Design
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Powerful and Free, but a Clunky UI and Destructive Workflow Slow You Down"
2.5/5
What do you like best about GIMP?

I like layer modes and all the tools and you get access to professional-grade photo manipulation, color correction, and drawing tools without the ongoing financial overhead of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about GIMP?

Export and save are bizarre and takes multiple saves and windows to even save a document.

A steep, unintuitive learning curve: GIMP doesn’t try to mimic Photoshop, and the interface can feel dated and clunky. Even basic tasks can take more steps than expected, with extra menu digging and more clicks just to get where you want to go. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.