About 10; min
Photoshop costs $22.99/month. Photopea costs $0. Both open PSD files. Both have layers, masks, filters, and retouching tools. One runs in a browser tab. The other requires a Creative Cloud subscription. We compared both to figure out who still needs to pay Adobe $276/year for photo editing.
All pricing verified March 2026.
Pricing
| Photoshop | Photopea | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $22.99/mo (single app) | $0 (free with ads) |
| Ad-free | Included | $5/mo |
| Photography Plan | $19.99/mo (PS + Lightroom) | N/A |
| Annual cost | $275.88 | $0 (or $60 ad-free) |
| Platform | Desktop (Win/Mac) | Any browser |
| Account required | Yes (Adobe ID) | No |
$828 vs $0
Photoshop: $22.99 × 36 = $827.64
Photopea: $0 (free forever, ads shown)
Photopea ad-free: $5 × 36 = $180
Even Photopea’s paid version saves $648 over 3 years.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Photoshop | Photopea |
|---|---|---|
| Layers & masks | Yes | Yes |
| PSD file support | Native | Opens and saves PSD |
| RAW support | Camera Raw | Basic RAW |
| Pen tool | Yes | Yes |
| Filters & effects | Extensive | Good (most PS filters) |
| AI features | Generative Fill, Neural Filters | None |
| Batch processing | Actions + scripts | Basic scripts |
| Plugin ecosystem | Massive | None |
| Performance (large files) | Better (native app) | Slower (browser-based) |
| Offline | Yes | Limited (needs initial load) |
| XCF (GIMP) support | No | Yes |
| Sketch file support | No | Yes |
| No install required | No (download needed) | Yes (browser only) |
Where Photoshop Wins
- AI features — Generative Fill, Neural Filters, Content-Aware Fill with AI, Sky Replacement. These are production-ready tools that save hours per project. Photopea has zero AI.
- Performance on large files — 500MB PSD with 200 layers? Photoshop handles it. Photopea in a browser tab will struggle or crash. For print-resolution work (300dpi, large canvases), native performance matters.
- RAW workflow — Camera Raw processes RAW files from every major camera with full color science. Photopea opens RAW files but the processing is basic.
- Plugin ecosystem — 20+ years of third-party plugins: Nik Collection, Topaz AI, Luminar. Photopea has no plugin support.
- Industry standard — clients and agencies expect Photoshop. “I use Photopea” can raise eyebrows in professional settings, even though the output is the same.
Where Photopea Wins
- Price — it’s free — $0 for 90% of Photoshop’s functionality. The most lopsided value proposition in design software.
- Zero installation — open photopea.com, start editing. No download, no account, no Creative Cloud launcher. Works on any computer with a browser — including Chromebooks and public computers.
- Opens everything — PSD, XCF (GIMP), Sketch, XD, PDF, SVG, RAW. Photopea is the universal file opener. Someone sends you a Sketch file and you don’t have Sketch? Photopea opens it.
- No subscription anxiety — Photoshop stops working if you stop paying. Photopea works forever. Your access to your own tools never expires.
- Surprisingly capable — smart objects, adjustment layers, blending modes, vector shapes, text styling, export for web. Most people who try Photopea expecting a toy are surprised by the depth.
Who Should Pick What
Professional photographer: Photoshop (via Photography Plan $19.99/mo). Camera Raw + Lightroom + AI tools justify the subscription for daily RAW processing.
Occasional photo editing: Photopea. Crop, resize, retouch, export — free. Don’t pay $276/year for tasks you do twice a month.
Need to open a PSD, don’t have Photoshop: Photopea. Opens instantly in your browser. No install, no account. This alone is reason enough to bookmark it.
Print design (300dpi, large files): Photoshop. Browser-based tools struggle with print-resolution files. Native performance is necessary.
Student learning photo editing: Photopea first. Learn layers, masks, and retouching at $0. The skills transfer directly to Photoshop if you switch later.
AI-powered editing: Photoshop only. Generative Fill and Neural Filters have no equivalent in Photopea or any free tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Photopea legal?
Yes. Photopea is an independent product built from scratch — it’s not a copy of Photoshop. It reads PSD files through reverse engineering of the file format, which is legal.
Can Photopea replace Photoshop?
For 80% of users: yes. If you don’t use AI features, plugins, or work with massive print files, Photopea handles everything else. The 20% who need Photoshop know exactly why they need it.
Why is Photopea free?
Ad-supported. Display ads appear on the side of the editor. $5/month removes them. The developer (Ivan Kutskir) built and maintains it largely solo — low overhead means ads cover costs.
All pricing verified March 2026.
