However, Photoshop has a wider range of effects and filters, such as the Adobe filter gallery and Neural Filters, which are not available in Affinity Photo. When it comes to the tools themselves, both Affinity Photo and Photoshop have a comprehensive set of editing tools, including brushing and cloning tools. However, it has a more colorful design that makes it feel more user-friendly, while Photoshop's design is a little complicated. Just like Photoshop, Affinity photo also has a tool palette on the left, properties on the top, and finally, layers, histograms, and adjustments on the right. In fact, both apps are pretty similar in terms of their layout as well. That means you can switch from Photoshop to GIMP right away without having to interchange file formats of the projects you're currently working on. In December 2021, it also received a major update that allows GIMP to support PSD files natively. It also has a built-in file manager, similar to Adobe Bridge, that makes it easy to manage and edit your files.Īdditionally, GIMP is free and open-source software and it receives frequent updates that improve its functionality. GIMP also boasts an extensive plugin library, including the highly sought-after Resynthesizer, which is equivalent to Photoshop's Content-Aware Fill tool. Additionally, it doesn't require as much RAM or other resources as Photoshop does.

And just like photoshop, GIMP allows you to create masks and layers, make color adjustments, and even create your own editing presets. So it won't take too long for you to get accustomed to it.

For starters, GIMP's interface is very user-friendly and easy to navigate, even for beginners.

Photo elements for mac