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11 stand-ins
GIMP
Photoshop
Instead of Photoshop. A raster editor with layers, masks, colour management and a long plugin list, used for photo work and production art. Design · GPL-3.0 · Linux, macOS, Windows · Free
Inkscape
Illustrator
Instead of Illustrator. A vector editor built around SVG, with nodes, live path effects and CMYK-ready output for print and icons. Design · GPL-3.0 · Linux, macOS, Windows · Free
Penpot
Figma
Instead of Figma. A browser-based design and prototyping tool with components, constraints and CSS-friendly inspect, that teams can self-host. Design · MPL-2.0 · Web, Self-hosted · Free, paid hosting
darktable
Lightroom
Instead of Lightroom. A non-destructive photo developer for raw files, with a lighttable, a darkroom and tethered shooting. Design · GPL-3.0 · Linux, macOS, Windows · Free
digiKam
Lightroom
Instead of Lightroom. A photo library and editor that tags, maps and searches large collections, with a raw workflow built in. Design · GPL-2.0-or-later · Linux, macOS, Windows · Free
draw.io
Lucidchart
Instead of Lucidchart. A diagram editor for flowcharts, networks and UML that runs in the browser or as a desktop app, and stores files wherever you choose. Design · Apache-2.0 · Linux, macOS, Windows, Web · Free
Excalidraw
Miro
Instead of Miro. A hand-drawn whiteboard for sketches, diagrams and workshops, with a self-hosted option and a simple file format. Design · MIT · Web, Self-hosted · Free, paid hosting
Krita
Photoshop
Instead of Photoshop. A painting studio aimed at illustration and concept art, with brush engines, wrap-around mode and animation frames. Design · GPL-3.0 · Linux, macOS, Windows · Free
Material Maker
Substance Designer
Instead of Substance Designer. A node-based tool for painting procedural materials and exporting textures for games and 3D work. Design · MIT · Linux, macOS, Windows · Free
RawTherapee
Lightroom
Instead of Lightroom. A raw developer with precise demosaic, colour and exposure tools for people who want to drive every step by hand. Design · GPL-3.0 · Linux, macOS, Windows · Free
Scribus
InDesign
Instead of InDesign. A page-layout program for books, magazines and posters, with master pages, typographic controls and PDF/X export. Design · GPL-2.0-or-later · Linux, macOS, Windows · Free