PhotoPea

Photoshop is powerful, but it costs $20+ a month and requires installation. PhotoPea delivers the core experience for free, right in your browser — including opening real PSD files with layers intact. If you’ve ever needed to edit a .PSD without Photoshop, PhotoPea is the tool you’ve been missing. This guide covers what it is, what it does, and how to use it.

For more design and creative tools, browse our AI Tools directory.

What is PhotoPea?

PhotoPea is a free, browser-based image editor that mimics Adobe Photoshop’s interface and capabilities. Created by Ivan Kutskir and launched in 2013, it’s grown into the most capable free Photoshop alternative available — no installation, no account, no payment.

Its headline capability is PSD compatibility: PhotoPea opens, edits, and saves Adobe Photoshop files, preserving layers, masks, and effects. It also supports:

• XCF files (GIMP’s format)
• Sketch files (design tool format)
• Standard formats: PNG, JPG, SVG, WebP, GIF, TIFF
• Layers, masks, blend modes, filters, and adjustment layers

It’s essentially a professional layer-based editor running entirely in your browser tab.

How PhotoPea works

PhotoPea works like a desktop editor, but simpler to start:

1. Open photopea.com — nothing to install or sign up for.
2. Open a file — PSD, XCF, Sketch, or any standard format, from your device or a URL.
3. Edit with layers — the interface mirrors Photoshop: layers panel, tools, filters.
4. Use the pro features — masks, blend modes, adjustment layers, smart objects.
5. Export — save as PSD, PNG, JPG, WebP, SVG, and more.

Because it runs in the browser, it works on any modern computer — Windows, Mac, Linux, even Chromebooks — with no downloads or license keys.

Key features of PhotoPea

Full PSD support

Open and edit real Photoshop files — layers, masks, styles, and effects all preserved. This alone makes PhotoPea invaluable for anyone who receives PSD files but doesn’t have Photoshop.

Professional layer-based editing

A complete layers system with masks, blend modes, adjustment layers, and smart objects — the professional workflow that simple editors lack.

Free and instant

No installation, no account, no cost. Open the website and edit. It’s the fastest path to a full-featured editor on any computer.

Broad format support

PSD, XCF, Sketch, PNG, JPG, SVG, WebP, GIF, TIFF, and more — it’s a universal format bridge for designers.

Regular updates

PhotoPea is actively maintained, with frequent feature additions tracking professional editor capabilities.

PhotoPea vs. GIMP vs. Photoshop

	PhotoPea	GIMP	Photoshop
Price	Free	Free	$20+/month
Installation	✅ None (browser)	Requires install	Requires install
PSD compatibility	✅ Excellent	Good	✅ Native
Interface	Like Photoshop	Unique (steep)	Photoshop
Best for	Quick, free PSD work	Full offline editor	Professionals

PhotoPea wins on accessibility — zero setup and native PSD handling. GIMP (and its Photoshop-look patch PhotoGIMP) is a full offline editor with a steeper learning curve. Photoshop remains the professional standard for advanced workflows, plugins, and support. For the full price-versus-power breakdown, read our PhotoGIMP vs Photoshop comparison. For most free editing needs, PhotoPea is unbeatable.

Who is PhotoPea for?

• Anyone who receives PSD files without owning Photoshop.
• Students learning layer-based editing.
• Freelancers and designers on a budget.
• Chromebook and Linux users who can’t run Photoshop.

It’s not for users who want a simple one-click editor (try Microsoft Designer or Canva), or for professional workflows needing 3D, video, or extensive plugin ecosystems.

How to get started with PhotoPea

1. Open photopea.com in your browser.
2. Open a PSD or image file — or start a new document with preset sizes.
3. Explore the layers panel — this is where the power lives.
4. Try the tools — selection, brush, clone, text, and filters.
5. Save your work — export as PSD to keep editing later, or PNG/JPG to share.

If you know Photoshop, you already know PhotoPea — the layout is nearly identical. If you’re new, the layers panel is the key concept to learn first.

The bottom line

PhotoPea is proof that professional editing doesn’t have to cost money or require installation. It opens real PSD files, handles layers like a pro tool, and runs anywhere in a browser — completely free. For anyone who needs capable image editing without the Adobe subscription, it’s the definitive choice.

For AI-powered design and image work, pair it with Microsoft Designer and Remini, and explore the full AI Tools directory.

For lighter editing tasks, BeFunky offers one-click photo effects and collages, Auto Draw uses AI to help you sketch ideas quickly, and PhotoGIMP is a free plugin that gives GIMP a Photoshop-like interface for offline work.

Official resource: PhotoPea.