Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover photo editing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| GIMP | Pixlr | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $2.49 |
| Pricing model | Free | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Not stated | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | macOS, Windows, Linux | Web, iOS, Android |
| Covers | Photo Editing, Design & Graphics | Photo Editing, AI Image Generation |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
A free image editor for retouching and paint
GIMP has been the free answer to a paid image editor since the nineties, covering retouching, compositing, painting and format conversion, with scripting for the jobs you do a hundred times. Its colour management is strong enough for print work. The interface is its own rather than a copy of anyone else's, which is the real cost of switching to it.
Our note
The honest comparison is not against Photoshop feature by feature but against what you actually do, and for retouching and compositing most people never reach the edge of it. Photopea is worth a look first if you want something Photoshop-shaped in a browser tab.
Only on this side
Browser photo editing for a couple of dollars
Pixlr is the cheapest way to stop paying Adobe for work that is mostly cropping, retouching and a background swap. It opens in a tab, handles layers, and the entry plan costs less than a coffee a month. AI generation is included but rationed, and the free tier carries ads.
Our note
If you are paying Adobe for Photoshop and using perhaps a tenth of it, this is the honest downgrade. Photoroom is better at product shots specifically and Pixlr is better at everything else at this price.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.