GIMP

Our verdict: GIMP remains the most capable fully free image editor — open source, checksum-verified, and tracker-free, with a learning curve as its only real cost.

GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program, has anchored open-source image editing since 1998. It delivers a professional toolkit — layers, masks, channels, advanced selection tools, color management, and a deep plugin ecosystem — across macOS, Windows, and Linux, all without accounts, subscriptions, or upsells. The 3.x series brought a long-awaited modernization: a GTK3 interface with HiDPI support, native Apple Silicon builds, and markedly better PSD compatibility.

The current 3.2 line adds non-destructive layer effects and steady UX refinements, with releases arriving on a regular cadence from a fully public GNOME GitLab repository. Every build ships with published SHA256 checksums, and the project's community governance means its behavior is open to inspection down to the last line of code. It asks more patience of newcomers than commercial rivals, but gives away nothing in return — not your money, and not your data.