--- title: "GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Software Reviews, Demo & Pricing - 2026" description: "Review of GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Software: system overview, features, price and cost information. Get free demos and compare to similar programs." source_url: "https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- [Home](https://www.softwareadvice.com/) / [Photo Editing Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/photo-editing/) / GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Software Advice offers objective insights based on verified user reviews and independent product and market research. When our advisors match you to a software provider, we may earn a referral fee. Overview [Reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/reviews/)[Alternatives](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/alternatives/) # GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Review Custom quote Free version 1 plan On this page - Overview - User Interface - Popular Alternatives - Pros and Cons - Pricing and Plans - Features - Integrations - User Reviews - Popular Comparisons ## Overview GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) 4.4 [(3500)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/reviews/) Pricing Pricing available upon request Top Alternatives ### About GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) GIMP is an open-source image editor designed to help illustrators, graphic designers and photographers create and edit artworks, photos, and paintings using defined publishing workflows. It provides a customizable interface, which businesses can use to customize widget themes, icon sizes, colors, spacing and more. Key features include photo enhancement, digital retouching, preview mode, multiple file formats, data export. It offers a channel mixer, which lets professionals eliminate lens tilt effects and distortions across images using filters in a corrective mode. Additionally, the crop tool lets users edit the active layer in an image and use auto-shrink functionality to locate the border. It is available for free of cost and support is extended via documentation and tutorials. Do you work for GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)? [Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/gimp/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) User Interface ## Popular GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Alternatives Main Product GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) 4.4 [(3500)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 3.88Ease of use - 4.78Value for money - 3.99Customer support - 4.34Functionality Pricing Available upon request Alternative Product [Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.softwareadvice.com/video-editing/adobe-creative-cloud-profile/) 4.7 [(7346)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/video-editing/adobe-creative-cloud-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.23Ease of use - 4.16Value for money - 4.17Customer support - 4.67Functionality Pricing Starting at $19.99 per month Alternative Product [Adobe Express](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/354910-adobe-express/) 4.6 [(1244)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/354910-adobe-express/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.50Ease of use - 4.42Value for money - 4.37Customer support - 4.37Functionality Pricing Starting at $4.99 per month Alternative Product [Canva](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/canva-profile/) 4.7 [(13456)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/canva-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.69Ease of use - 4.61Value for money - 4.40Customer support - 4.55Functionality Pricing Starting at $10.00 per month Alternative Product [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/adobe-photoshop-profile/) 4.8 [(2470)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/adobe-photoshop-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.18Ease of use - 4.29Value for money - 4.26Customer support - 4.77Functionality Pricing Starting at $22.99 per month Alternative Product [Adobe Illustrator](https://www.softwareadvice.com/fashion-design/adobe-illustrator-profile/) 4.8 [(8658)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/fashion-design/adobe-illustrator-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 3.98Ease of use - 4.31Value for money - 4.26Customer support - 4.71Functionality Pricing Starting at $22.99 per month ## GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Pros and Cons We analyzed 3,500 verified reviews for GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) to find out what actual users really think. Select to learn more Robust Editing Capabilities Free GIMP offers a comprehensive set of image editing tools, including layers, masks, and support for multiple file formats. Users appreciate its ability to handle complex photo edits, graphic design tasks, and logo creation, making it a strong alternative to paid software for both basic and advanced editing needs. Cost-Effective Photoshop Alternative GIMP is completely free to use, with no subscription fees or hidden costs. Reviewers highlight its accessibility for individuals and organizations, noting that it rivals paid programs like Photoshop in functionality, making it ideal for those on a budget or who need powerful tools without financial commitment. Feature-Rich Editing Toolkit GIMP provides a wide range of features, including healing tools, batch processing, filters, and plugin support. Users find its functionality comparable to premium editors, with frequent updates and add-ons available, allowing for both basic and advanced graphic design and photo editing tasks. Outdated And Cluttered Interface GIMP's user interface is frequently described as outdated, cluttered, and less intuitive than commercial alternatives. Users report that tool placement and design can be confusing, making navigation and finding features challenging, especially for those accustomed to more polished software. Steep Learning Curve Challenges Many users find GIMP difficult to learn, especially for beginners or those switching from other editors like Photoshop. The interface and tool organization often require extra time, tutorials, and patience to master, which can discourage new users and slow down workflow. Not Beginner-Friendly Software Reviewers note that GIMP is not very user-friendly, particularly for those new to image editing or switching from Photoshop. The layout and organization of tools can be confusing, and simple tasks often require extra effort to locate and execute, making it harder for casual or inexperienced users. ## GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Pricing and Plans Starting price: Pricing available upon request Free Trial Free Version Basic Pricing available upon request No plan information available ## GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Features - Popular features found in Photo Editing Animations & Transitions Content Import/Export Customizable Templates Image Editing Image Library Multiple Output Formats Pre-built Templates Real Time Editing - More features of GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) API CAD Tools Design Management Pattern, Color & Art Storage Search/Filter ## GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Integrations Adobe Photoshop Integration rated 4.6 from 20 reviews Inkscape Integration rated 4.7 from 13 reviews ## GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) User Reviews ## GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) customer ratings - Overall rating: 4.4/5 - Total reviews: 3,500 ### Rating distribution - 5 stars: 1,878 reviews (54%) - 4 stars: 1,244 reviews (36%) - 3 stars: 332 reviews (9%) - 2 stars: 37 reviews (1%) - 1 star: 9 reviews (0%) ### Secondary ratings - Ease of use: 3.9/5 - Value for money: 4.8/5 - Customer support: 4.0/5 - Functionality: 4.3/5 --- ### Great graphic design software - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviewer: Verified Reviewer - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Public Relations and Communications - Company size: 2-10 employees - Product usage: Used weekly for more than 2 years - Reviewed: January 2026 - Review source details: This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered I'm not a graphic designer so I use it to edit my website photos. It does a great job. I'm happy with it. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 4/5 - Value for money: 5/5 - Functionality: 5/5 #### Pros GIMP is my favorite free graphic design program. It can handle all my photo editing needs without the heavy price tag so I see no sense in using something else. #### Cons Sometimes it's hard to update the program. A recent update caused computer system problems. I had to downgrade back to the version I was trying to update. --- ### GIMP, a free wholesome graphics manipulation program - Overall rating: 4/5 - Reviewer: Robert B. - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Education Management - Company size: 51-200 employees - Product usage: Used weekly for more than 2 years - Reviewed: July 2024 - Review source details: This reviewer was invited by us to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. I have enjoyed using it and while I have other options, the fact that it is free means we can deploy it on all our computers and that is what our students are not using for all their graphics work and no one has complained about it. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 4/5 - Value for money: 4/5 - Functionality: 5/5 #### Pros The biggest advantage to GIMP is that is that it is free and a worthwhile alternative to Photoshop and illustrator. #### Cons IT can be heavy on the system and so it tends to be slow. Also, if one is not used to the interface, it takes some getting used to work with it. #### Reasons for switching to GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) We wanted a free alternative to Photoshop that still gave us the same options and tools that photoshop has. --- ### Average - Overall rating: 3/5 - Reviewer: Tomas R. - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Computer Software - Company size: 11-50 employees - Product usage: Used monthly for less than 2 years - Reviewed: November 2023 - Review source details: This reviewer was invited by us to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 2/5 - Functionality: 4/5 #### Pros Gimp has a lot of capabilities to extend its basic functionality with plugins #### Cons Its user interface is not very friendly and could use a redesign --- ### GIMP (GNU Image Management Program) review - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviewer: Deepak M. - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Education Management - Company size: Self-Employed - Product usage: Used weekly for more than 2 years - Reviewed: May 2022 - Review source details: This reviewer was invited by us to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 4/5 - Value for money: 5/5 - Functionality: 5/5 #### Pros GIMP is very powerful and can do just about everything that other raster image manipulation software can do and more. It is free to use, since it is open source software. There are plenty of videos and tutorials available to help the user achieve a particular effect. The software can read a large number of formats. Plug-ins to achieve specific results are easily available online and are easy to install. #### Cons The program takes a bit of time to load. If load time can be improved the software will be truly amazing. #### Reasons for choosing GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) GIMP is free to install and use and has all the features required for general image manipulation. Plug-ins are easily available for additional uses. Text tutorials and videos are available for users to achieve various effects. --- ### Great free to use editing software!!! - Overall rating: 4/5 - Reviewer: Taher A. - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Computer Software - Company size: 501-1000 employees - Product usage: Used monthly for more than 2 years - Reviewed: June 2025 - Review source details: This reviewer was invited by us to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. Gimp is a great free to use open source application, that is available on all desktop operating systems and is a great tools for quick And simple photo editing and content creation. Photoshop is more in depth with a lot more variety of features but that is to be expected with the large subscription price. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 4/5 - Value for money: 5/5 - Customer support: 2/5 - Functionality: 3/5 #### Pros Gimp is a good open source alternative to Photoshop, it has most of the traditional Photoshop features that users of Photoshop would be able to migrate to. It has good UI/UX and is user friendly. It might be difficult at the beginning for users who don't know the basic layout of photo editing software, but so is the case with Photoshop. #### Cons It is lacking new features, such a AI image fill and other AI features. There are ways of adding these through plugins, but finding the right plugins is difficult and quite difficult to implement for anaverga person without technical knowledge. Also the model would run natively on the machine, which means it's would require powerful hardware for efficient use, and also mean you would be unable to run it on laptop or mobile device. Here photoshop take a clear lead, with better cloud services. --- ### Cost-effective content creation for small studios. - Overall rating: 4/5 - Reviewer: Kate B. - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Photography - Company size: 2-10 employees - Product usage: Used daily for more than 2 years - Reviewed: October 2025 - Review source details: This reviewer was invited by us to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. GIMP allowed White Pine Photography to create logos, photo editing, and branded content on a low budget, enhancing client work and studio advertising with robust editing capabilities. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 4/5 - Functionality: 5/5 #### Pros Free, adaptive design and graphics creation abilities of GIMP and slim design, along with quick rendering of intuitive controls, all allow photographers to produce content and manipulate images without cost. #### Cons Others say customer support may be slower to answer and deal with payment-related features or extensions could require technical expertise not best suited for active freelance studios. --- ### GIMP: Full-Bodied Image Editing Software - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviewer: Caleb D. - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Writing and Editing - Company size: 2-10 employees - Product usage: Used weekly for more than 2 years - Reviewed: April 2025 - Review source details: This reviewer was invited by us to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. Overall, I only have positive things to say about GIMP. It's a useful image editing software that has a ton of features. It's a bit complicated to wrap your head around it at first, but there are plenty of tutorials online to get you started. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 5/5 - Value for money: 5/5 - Customer support: 5/5 - Functionality: 5/5 #### Pros I use GIMP to clean up low-quality images we receive from our clients. I remove blemishes and smooth out lines as needed, and make the colors flow more naturally. My favorite part about GIMP is that you can quickly and easily change one color in an image to another color, without messing up the other colors in the image. It's very handy for quick fixes and color blemishes. I appreciate that GIMP gives me exactly what I need quickly after I fire up the application. It's free and receives regular updates, and it's more user-friendly than comparable apps (looking at you, PhotoShop). I also appreciate that GIMP can export to PNG, JPEG, and other, more obscure file extensions. (I don't use them, but I might have to some day!) #### Cons GIMP has a ton of features, and some of them are buried deep in the software menus. Luckily there are guides online to help you find what you need. Additionally, technically, you can edit photos on GIMP, but that isn't the primary purpose of the software. Still, I wish GIMP had some basic photo editing capabilities, or an option to turn on "photo editing mode." It's great having easy access to image layers, color gradients, and shape manipulation, but it'd be nice to have a simple "Exposure" slide bar I could use for editing photos. --- ### GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) - Overall rating: 4/5 - Reviewer: Haley R. - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Hospital & Health Care - Company size: 201-500 employees - Product usage: Used monthly for less than 6 months - Reviewed: April 2026 - Review source details: This reviewer was invited by us to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. GIMP has been a fantastic addition to my digital toolbox, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a versatile and powerful editing program without breaking the bank. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 4/5 - Value for money: 4/5 - Customer support: 4/5 - Functionality: 3/5 #### Pros I recently started using GIMP for my photo editing needs, and I have to say, it's pretty impressive for a free tool! As someone who's always been a bit hesitant to invest in expensive software, finding GIMP felt like a real win. What I love most about it is the extensive toolset. There are so many options that I can customize my editing experience to fit exactly what I need. Whether I'm just doing some quick touch-ups or diving into more complex projects, I feel like I have all the tools at my fingertips. #### Cons I spent some time using GIMP for a photo editing project, and while I really appreciate its powerful features and how flexible it is, I did notice one thing that could be improved: performance. When working with larger files, things definitely slowed down quite a bit. --- ### basic image editing - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviewer: Rafia R. - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Information Technology and Services - Company size: 2-10 employees - Product usage: Used weekly for less than 12 months - Reviewed: January 2026 - Review source details: This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered GNU Image Manipulation Program is a useful open-source tool for basic image editing and quick visual adjustments. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 5/5 - Value for money: 5/5 - Customer support: 4/5 - Functionality: 4/5 #### Pros It’s free and surprisingly powerful for photo retouching and simple design tasks. For small teams or occasional use, it can cover many essential needs. #### Cons The interface is not very intuitive, and the workflow can feel less polished. It’s not ideal for high-end branding or collaborative design projects. --- ### Easy to handle program - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviewer: Verified Reviewer - Verified reviewer: Yes - Industry: Education Management - Company size: Self-Employed - Product usage: Used weekly for less than 2 years - Reviewed: May 2025 - Review source details: This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered I use it when I want to introduce changes to my pictures for my blog rapidly without spending too much time. #### Ratings breakdown - Ease of use: 5/5 - Value for money: 5/5 - Customer support: 5/5 - Functionality: 5/5 #### Pros It is easy to install on my Windows computer, easy to start and works smoothly without delay. #### Cons Sometimes it takes a little time to figure out how to change a picture. Specially with the layers. --- Showing 1 - 10 of 3500 Reviews [See All Reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/reviews/) ## GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Popular Comparisons [Canva vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/canva-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[Adobe Photoshop vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/adobe-photoshop-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[Adobe Illustrator vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/fashion-design/adobe-illustrator-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[Fotor vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/fotor-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[CorelDRAW vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/photo-editing/coreldraw-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[SignMaster vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/vs/signmaster/)[Adobe Creative Cloud vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/video-editing/adobe-creative-cloud-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[VinylMaster vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/vs/vinylmaster/)[Adobe Express vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/213277-gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/vs/354910-adobe-express/)[SMASHINGLOGO vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/vs/smashinglogo/)[Adobe InDesign vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/adobe-indesign-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[Pixelied vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/vs/pixelied/)[Photopea vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/vs/photopea/)[Figma vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/figma-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[QuarkXPress vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/vs/quarkxpress/)[Procreate vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/vs/procreate/)[Canvas X Draw vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/canvas-x-draw-profile/vs/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program/)[Inkscape vs GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/vs/inkscape/) [Compare All Alternatives](https://www.softwareadvice.com/graphic-design/gimp-gnu-image-manipulation-program-profile/alternatives/) ## See what companies are saying about Software Advice