Design & photo

Edit photos, draw vector art, lay out pages, paint, animate and design interfaces.

Subcategories

Photo editing
Retouch, composite and export images with layers, masks and adjustments.
6 tools
RAW photo editing
Develop camera RAW files with non-destructive edits and manage photo libraries.
7 tools
Photo management
Browse, tag, rate and batch-process large photo collections.
2 tools
Vector graphics
Draw logos, icons and illustrations that scale to any size.
5 tools
Page layout
Lay out magazines, books, brochures and print-ready PDFs.
4 tools
Digital painting
Sketch, paint and ink with pressure-sensitive brushes on a desktop or tablet.
8 tools
UI design
Design and prototype app and website interfaces, alone or with a team.
5 tools
Graphic design templates
Make social posts, flyers and other graphics from ready-made templates.
4 tools
2D animation
Animate frame by frame or with tweens, from cartoons to interactive web content.
7 tools

Open one to see every alternative, ranked.

Adobe Animate
5 free alternatives
Top pick:Synfig StudioLicense: Open source
Saves $264 USD a year
Adobe Illustrator
4 free alternatives
Top pick:AffinityLicense: Freeware
Saves $264 USD a year
Adobe InDesign
3 free alternatives
Top pick:AffinityLicense: Freeware
Saves $264 USD a year
Adobe Lightroom
5 free alternatives
Top pick:darktableLicense: Open source
Saves $120 USD a year
Adobe Lightroom Classic
6 free alternatives
Top pick:darktableLicense: Open source
Saves $120 USD a year
Adobe Photoshop
5 free alternatives
Top pick:AffinityLicense: Freeware
Saves $264 USD a year
Adobe XD
3 free alternatives
Top pick:PenpotLicense: Open source
Saves $780 USD a year
Canva
3 free alternatives
Best free option:Polotno Studio(Strong)License: Free tier
Saves $120 USD a year
Clip Studio Paint
4 free alternatives
Top pick:KritaLicense: Open source
Saves $27 USD a year
CorelDRAW
3 free alternatives
Top pick:AffinityLicense: Freeware
Saves $269 USD a year
Figma
2 free alternatives
Top pick:PenpotLicense: Open source
Saves $192 USD a year
Microsoft Publisher
3 free alternatives
Top pick:AffinityLicense: Freeware
Procreate
5 free alternatives
Top pick:Adobe FrescoLicense: Freeware
Saves $13 USD one-time
Sketch
3 free alternatives
Top pick:PenpotLicense: Open source
Saves $144 USD a year

No free tool ranks Strong for these yet. Each page says what a free version would need.