What it's for
The free editor in seven of our notes.
- Cleaning AI art before upscaling
- Transparency for POD designs
- Basic retouching
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price (USD unless shown) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| GIMP | Free, open source |
Read on the official pricing page on . Prices change; check before you buy.
Free plan in real output
Completely free.
- Unlimited editing at no cost.
Cost at your stage
| Plan | Monthly cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 (testing, low volume) | Free | $0 |
| Month 12 (working volume) | Free | $0 |
Break-even: Free.
Month-12 plan is our estimate of what a solo seller at steady weekly output needs, based on the plan limits above. Costs exclude tax.
Commercial use and output rights
Not a content generator. Open-source editor; your images are yours.
Your data and AI training: Not applicable.
This is a summary of public terms, not legal advice. Terms change; re-read the clause before client work.
First-hour setup
- Download and install.
- Open an image and learn layers.
- Use Fuzzy Select to remove backgrounds.
- Export PNG with transparency.
- Save as XCF to keep layers.
Competitors compared
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIMP | Free, open source | Yes | Free, open source | 3/5 | Not a content generator | Free Photoshop-style editing |
| Photopea | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 2/5 | – | Opening PSDs without Photoshop |
| Adobe Photoshop | Paid plans only | Trial only | US$22.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly | 4/5 | Not a content generator | Professional retouching and compositing |
| Affinity | Free | Yes | Free | 3/5 | – | Pro design without a subscription |
| Adobe Lightroom | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | – | – | Editing large batches of photos |
| Pixlr | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | – | – | Quick edits on any device |
Learning difficulty
3/5: Capable but less intuitive than paid editors.
When not to use it
Studios exchanging PSDs daily need Photoshop.
Cheaper or free alternatives:
- Photopea: Opening PSDs without Photoshop (yes free plan)
- Adobe Photoshop: Professional retouching and compositing (trial only free plan)
- Affinity: Pro design without a subscription (yes free plan)
Which of our hustles use it
- AI headshots / photo editing: Free editor for basic retouching
- Amazon Merch on Demand: Free cleanup and transparent PNG export
- Coloring books on KDP: Free line cleanup
- Etsy shop with AI-assisted digital art: Free cleanup before upscaling
- Redbubble designs: Free cleanup and transparency
- Stock images with generative AI: Free cleanup before upload
- Virtual staging for real estate: Free editor alternative
Price history
Each monthly check adds rows here. Older rows are never edited, so you can see when prices changed.
| Checked | Plan | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 October 2026 | GIMP | Free, open source | Source |
Sources
- GIMP (read 17 October 2026)
Last verified . Anything we couldn't confirm on an official page is marked "not published", "not shown" or "not verified".