GIMP
The free image editor that owes nothing to anyone.
why this verdict
Keep it — OpenAI has not replaced it
OpenAI's version overlaps, but does not finish the design job, so this one is still worth keeping open.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- AI image generation and editing. OpenAI, March 25, 2025 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 2 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Krita and Photopea.
- What the call is worth nothing to cancel
- No paid entry tier tracked, so there is no subscription to cancel.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- March 25, 2025
- List price
- free
- Per year
- —
The backstory
GIMP is the free, open-source image editor: layers, masks, filters, and scripting, with no subscription and no owner to answer to. AI image generation and one-tap edits have pulled casual users toward browser tools, but nothing about generative AI makes a free, offline layered editor redundant for people who need precise manual control. GIMP survived precisely because it's free and open, so there's no price for AI to undercut and no company for it to bankrupt.
Escape hatches
Free open-source painting and image editor
krita.org open_in_newFree Photoshop-style editor in the browser
photopea.com open_in_newOne-time-purchase pro photo editor
affinity.serif.com open_in_new2 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.