Freemium★
Adobe Photoshop
The industry-standard layered image editor, now with generative AI built in.
PaidAdvancedWebWindowsMaciOSAndroid
Overview
Adobe Photoshop is the industry-standard image editor, built around layers: you stack images, text and adjustments, and blend them into one picture. It handles precise cutouts, skin retouching, photo repairs and multi-image composites. Generative Fill lets you select an area, type what should appear there, and refine the AI's result with the manual tools. It opens camera RAW files through its built-in Camera Raw module.
Photoshop is sold by subscription only, with a short free trial and no one-time purchase. It runs on Windows and Mac, a web version is included with subscriptions, and there is an iPad app. The iPhone and Android apps have a free tier with core tools.
Key features
✓Layer-based editing with masks & blend modes
✓Precise selections, including AI object selection
✓Healing brush, clone stamp & one-click Remove tool
✓Generative Fill adds, removes & extends from a prompt
✓Opens camera RAW files via built-in Camera Raw
✓PSD working files keep every layer editable
✓Print-ready output: high res, CMYK & color profiles
✓Actions & batch automation for repeated edits
When to use
Use Photoshop if:
- You retouch or restore photos in detail and need control over every pixel, not a one-tap result.
- You combine images: composites, posters, ads, product scenes built from several photos, with text and effects on top.
- You need precise cutouts and masks, for example hair against a busy background, refined by hand.
- You prepare files for print and need high resolution, CMYK color and full format control.
- You want AI help inside a manual editor: Generative Fill to remove, add or extend, then the manual tools to refine the result.
- You already use Lightroom to organize shoots and want the standard companion for heavy per-image edits.
When NOT to use
Skip Photoshop if any of these describe you:
- You want quick fixes: brighten, crop, remove one object, done. A simpler photo editor or an AI photo editor gets you there faster.
- You will not pay a subscription. Photoshop has no one-time purchase. Photopea offers a similar free editor in the browser.
- Your real job is processing whole shoots: culling, exposure and color across hundreds of photos. That is Adobe Lightroom work.
- You have no time to learn a deep tool. Photoshop takes weeks of practice to learn.
- You only edit on a phone. The mobile apps carry core tools, but the full product is on the desktop.
Frequently asked questions
The desktop and web versions are paid, with a short free trial. The iPhone and Android apps have a free tier with core tools like layers, masks and adjustments, plus limited generative features, and a paid premium tier on top. There is no free desktop Photoshop.
No. Adobe sells Photoshop by subscription only. Older buy-once versions are no longer sold or updated. If you stop paying, the desktop app stops working, though your files remain yours.
Adobe meters its generative AI features with credits, and how many you get depends on the plan. On the entry plans, actions like Generative Fill spend a monthly credit allowance. On the higher Creative Cloud and Firefly plans, standard generations are currently unlimited and credits are kept for premium features. These rules have changed over time, so check Adobe's help pages for the current ones.
They do different jobs. Lightroom organizes and develops whole shoots: exposure, color and crops across many photos at once. Photoshop edits one image deeply: retouching, compositing, effects. Many photographers use both, and Adobe sells them together in a photography bundle.
Yes. RAW files open through the built-in Camera Raw module, which Adobe updates for new camera models. You develop the RAW there, then continue editing in Photoshop.
No. The iPad app carries a large subset, including layers, masks and retouching. The iPhone and Android apps are lighter, built for editing on the go. The complete toolset is desktop only, and one subscription covers desktop, web and iPad together. The desktop app works offline for normal editing, but the generative AI features run on Adobe's servers and need internet.
Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop
Paid
Adobe Lightroom (Web)
Cloud-first photo editor and organizer: every shot backed up, searchable and editable on any device.
BeginnerWebWindows
Free★
Freemium
