Alternative Photoshop Mac
Photoshop offers some incredible tools but charges an absurd amount for its yearly membership and most of us can hardly afford it so pirating is the obvious choice. But we forget about the competition, and duh! There are plenty of (Cheaper) alternatives for Photoshop that are nearly on par with it. This makes it sound like a Photoshop and Lightroom alternative. Like Photoshop, you correct and enhance images. You can use Levels, Curves, Blacks and Whites, White Balance, HSL, Shadows and Highlights. Unlike Photoshop, the edits you make in Affinity Photo are non-destructive. You can return to the original whenever you wish.
Here are three great alternatives to Photoshop for Mac.
Adobe Photoshop may have been the presiding force in photo-editing on Mac for the best part of 30 years, but it’s no longer the only show in town. In fact, a quick Google Safari based search shows that there are tons of options available for image editing on Mac.
From the humble novice who simply wants to crop a photo, to the talented amateur who wants to do more, to the full flung professional photographers, artists and graphic designers who want it all, there’s an alternative for everyone.
It can be challenging to find photo editors that stand out from the crowd these days, but we’ve found three distinct photo editors that are all worthy Photoshop alternatives. Each of the alternatives we’ve chosen focus on a particular aspect of Photoshop and take it to the next level.
CyberlinkPhoto Director Ultra
CyberLink PhotoDirector Ultra – best for simply clever photo editing
PhotoDirector Ultra is an all in one photo editor and manager package and a really good option for both automatic and manual editing tools. The interface is beautifully crafted while retaining a simplicity of use that will appeal to photographers of all levels and abilities.
At first glance, PhotoDirector can seem somewhat intimidating to the novice editor, but the editing tools are intuitive to use, and a brief 10-minute whizz through some of the helpful guides and tutorials should have you editing away quickly like a pro in no time. Frequent fliers of photo editing apps will feel right at home and perhaps be surprised by the sheer array of extensive editing options.
Essentially, editing tools are split between basic and advanced. Like Photoshop, PhotoDirector Ultra includes layer editing, so you can get clever and really transform your photos. It also includes some really incredible features for video-to-photo editing, and 360° photo editing.
Not only does PhotoDirector let you edit, correct and transform photos with an extensive set of editing tools it also comes with a fantastic photo management system, letting you plough through thousands of photos and easily find the one you need.
Purists may dislike or scoff the ‘for the masses,’ approach of PhotoDirector, but we don’t think that’s a bad thing. As well as the above, PhotoDirector Ultra also lets you upload directly to the likes of Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms, which is nice.
Free Photoshop For Mac
We also thought the uniquely easy to use Face Swap tool is a real selling point, allowing as it does, the easy moving of people from one photo to another.
Overall, PhotoDirector Ultra is a powerful photo editor that makes editing and sharing photos relatively simple and straightforward, while managing your photo collection becomes a breeze.
Luminar
Luminar photo editor for Mac is another powerful, all-in-one photo suite that is positively overflowing with useful tools and versatile filters that rivals, and in someways betters parts of both Photoshop and Adobe’s other main dog in the fight, Lightroom.
Alternative Photoshop Mac
Again, like Photo Director, a ten-minute sojourn playing with the interface should have you editing with ease. But for the power Luminar seems to have under its belt, the interface is incredibly easy to use, with several one-click ‘automatic’ enhancers.
Luminar is a great choice for both beginners and professional users. The app lets you choose from dozens of presets that do a great job of quickly enhancing pictures but also has the depth and advanced tools available for use by professionals. There’s a Clone tool, Stamp tool, Fast Object Removal, and noise reduction.
While Luminar perhaps it is not quite as advanced as Photoshop (mainly due to its lack of advanced painting capabilities), it does put Lightroom to shame, and costs a lot less.
The sheer number of filters that come with Luminar is also staggering, and is worth the purchase price alone. It’s worth noting that it can also be used as a plug-in to improve Lightroom if that’s what you use already.
The Sun Rays filter though is something else. It is breathtaking at how well it works. Just move the sun wherever you want in your picture and the rays adjust magically around the trees or buildings foliage in your image. Breathtaking.
Corel Painter 2019
Corel Painter is the perfect photoshop alternative for digital artists who want to showcase their creativity. It is a fully equipped digital art studio that can help you turn your favorite images into amazing photo art.
Corel Painter is squarely aimed at professionals, but is still a lot of fun, if a bit advanced. It comes with over 600 different brushes and can create just about every type of natural media in existence.
With an extensive array of tools, you can get really creative with your edits and create some masterpieces. Essentially, if you are looking for a real alternative to Photoshop, then Corel Painter is probably what you consider looking for.
The 2019 edition of Corel Painter is a step above its previous edition, introducing an all-around more enjoyable user experience. It has an updated, dark UI, significant speed and perfromance improvements, and 36 additional brushes to use.
If you’re an aspiring photo artist, Corel Painter can help you to more easily transform your photos into spectacular works of art. With auto-painting and cloning tools, and one-of-a-kind image painting features, it gives you everything you need for advanced creative photo editing.
Final thoughts
While there’s no denying that Adobe Photoshop is truly magnificent beast of software used by professional graphic designers and photographers the world over there are other options that are just as good, if not better.
- January 01, 2020
- 18 min to read
If you need to make a few tweaks to your images, but do not want to use Photoshop, you are in luck as there are several superb solutions. Here are the 15 best alternatives in no particular order:
1. Luminar 4 (Free Trial 7 days)
When time for editing your photos is a luxury, Luminar 4 can help. Luminar 4 lets you transform your photos in a flash and synchronizes all the edits that you have made effortlessly. What makes it so great is that you can easily browse all your photos as it automatically organizes your photos which makes navigation simple. Luminar Libraries also boast a very modern interface which optimizes the viewing experience.
Luminar 4 offers many great adjustable styles, features, and tools that you will fall in love with such as its AI Sky Enhancers, Advanced Contrast, and Dehaze to mention only a few.
2. Pixlr (Free Version Available)
Pixlr boasts an interface that is really not much different from Photoshop. It offers hundreds of overlays, borders and other effects. If you simply want to crop your image or whiten your teeth on your iOS or Android device, Pixlr is the right tool for the job. With Pixlr, you can complete all the editing tasks that a good basic photo editor will allow.
3. PicMonkey (Trial 7 days)
The beauty of PicMonkey is found in its easy-to-use interface. If you need to put together a collage, this is your tool to use. All you have to do is upload your images and drag them into the right spot.
4. Adobe Photoshop Elements (Free Trial 30 days)
Do not be fooled by the name, Adobe Photoshop Elements is not the actual Photoshop. However, countless users have experienced that the Adobe Photoshop Elements app offers all the tools that they require to enhance their images. In short, this app has been reduced to the essentials.
With the help of its Adjustment and Blend layers, you can turn any photo into the most amazing image in barely any time at all. Thanks to its guided mode, it is also geared towards beginners.
When it comes to finding a Photoshop alternative, your only challenge will be to identify the software solution that works the best for your unique needs. Why not give them all a try? You might just discover that the best course of action will be to use a couple of these tools instead of just one.
5. Sketch (Free Trial 30 days, MacOS only)
If you are working on a Mac and in need of a budget-friendly alternative to Photoshop, Sketch is the answer. Sketch is a vector graphics app that has the design field all excited, specifically website designers. As it is so popular, you will be able to access countless plug-ins that have been created by the community that will make this app even more functional.
Its user interface is easy to understand and boasts several features such as gradients and layers that are similar to Illustrator and Photoshop. What is more, it also offers a color picker and style presets. You can use one of the basic shapes to create your own graphic or start from scratch with the help of the pencil tool. This app is really so flexible!
6. GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
GNU is an open-source cross-platform image editor. As its interface is very similar to Photoshop, it will not take you too long to familiarize yourself with GIMP. Though, users who do not have any image editing experience will find the different GIMP tutorials very useful.
It offers color correction, enhancement as well as painting tools to mention only a couple of its features and is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac.
7. Acorn (Trial 14 days)
Mac users who are searching for image editing software need to look no further than Acorn. It is a cost-effective solution if you do not have access to Photoshop. What makes it so great is that it is quick, enjoyable to use and offers useful features.
Some of its features include non-destructive filters, custom brushes and layer styles to mention only a few. The software is easy to use, but, you can rest assured, there are tutorials available for both beginners as well as image editing experts.
8. Affinity Photo (Trial)
Affinity Photo is for sure one of the best Photoshop alternatives. It is ideal for professional designers and photographers as it is completely compatible with Photoshop as well as other file formats. What makes it such a great alternative is that it is not nearly as expensive as Photoshop. Though, users can rest assured as it will still deliver the same performance (if not better).
It is compatible with Mac and Windows. If you are using an iPad, you will be happy to know that Affinity Photo for iPad is also available.
9. Pixelmator Pro (Trial 30 days)
Pixelmator is not a new Photoshop alternative, but recently the Pixelmator Pro version which uses a user-friendly single-window interface has been added to the mix. On top of that, the Pixelmator Pro version also boasts non-destructive image editing and offers features that include split view and a hidden interface that allows you to view your images without any distractions.
It is only available for Mac users.
10. SumoPaint (Online + Desktop)
The different standard features that you would expect in a Photoshop alternative, SumoPaint has to offer. There are shapes, brushes, gradients, text, and pencils that you can effortlessly access.
Though a word of warning to Photoshop users - a couple of its tools work differently and there are some limitations. Overall, this image editor remains very capable and can load in a flash.
11. Paint.net
Paint.net is a powerful and practical tool that Windows users can rely on instead of Photoshop. It is a capable and functional tool that concentrates less on artistic creation and more on photo editing.
It offers a decent variety of tools and special effects that include brightness/contrast and repeat selections. It might not boast all the serious editing tools, but that only means that it is not as difficult to master making it the ideal image editor tool for beginners. https://xdzh.over-blog.com/2021/01/apple-imac-time-machine.html.
12. Canva (Free Basic Plan + Trial 30 days)
Crack windows loader for windows 7 thin pc activation. Canva is where you will find countless layouts, stock photos, fonts and other great design elements. The best part is that several of these you can use at zero cost. You can use this app to design your business card or put together a birthday card.
13. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite (Trial 15 days or Full Paid or Monthly sub)
Windows users will love the tools that CorelDRAW has to offer. This Photoshop alternative boasts an interactive tool that will help you to straighten your image or adjust the perspective. Though, one of its most impressive features is its stylus control that reacts to a different pressure.
If you are working with Windows 10, this is the perfect fit. Windows users will also be happy to know that it supports 4K displays and multi-monitor viewing.
14. Photolemur (Free Version with watermark available)
Best choice for beginners or people who have no time to edit photos. Enhancing your images has never been easier thanks to Photolemur. By using AI, this automatic photo enhancer app enhances your images without you having to lift a finger. You simply need to import your images to Photolemur and it will get the job done automatically. This means that you do not require any prior editing experience to complete tasks like getting rid of imperfections. It is oh-so easy and available for both Mac and Windows.
15. Serif PhotoPlus
Many people have already relied on this app for years. It is ideal for users who are only starting with image editing now as it offers great support for new users in the form of videos and tutorials. What is more, users can get great tips on their active forum for fellow users. Thanks to its latest release, Serif PhotoPlus users will be also able to work with their RAW image files much easier.