Photopea

Photopea is the free, browser-based Photoshop alternative that has become one of the most remarkable single-developer software stories of the past decade. Built by Czech developer Ivan Kutskir since 2013 as a solo project, Photopea offers ~80% of Photoshop's functionality entirely in the browser — no install, no subscription, no account required. Tens of millions of users monthly, fully ad-supported (or $5/month to remove ads), and Ivan continues to ship updates as a solo developer. It's an unusual product story and a genuinely useful tool. What makes Photopea remarkable is the file format compatibility + feature depth. Photopea opens and edits .psd files natively — you can hand off Photoshop files between Adobe users and Photopea users without conversion. It also handles .ai (Illustrator), .sketch, .xd, .pdf, .raw, and dozens of other formats. The layer system, brushes, adjustment layers, masks, smart objects, and most Photoshop concepts work identically. For 95% of common Photoshop use cases (resize, retouch, layered design work, masking, color correction), Photopea is a complete drop-in replacement. The core feature set: • **Photoshop-equivalent UI** — the interface deliberately mirrors Photoshop, so designers transition without retraining • **Layer support** — full layer system with masks, adjustment layers, smart objects, layer effects • **PSD compatibility** — open and save .psd files natively without conversion • **Multi-format support** — opens .ai, .sketch, .xd, .pdf, .raw, .heic, plus standard image formats • **Brushes + drawing** — full brush engine with custom brushes, pressure sensitivity on tablet • **Selection + masking** — magic wand, lasso, magnetic lasso, quick selection, refine edge • **Color correction** — curves, levels, hue/saturation, color balance — all Photoshop adjustments • **Smart objects + filters** — non-destructive editing workflows • **Text + vector tools** — full type tools and vector shape tools • **Plugins** — limited plugin support compared to Photoshop, but growing ecosystem • **AI features** — generative fill, background removal, AI-assisted selection (added 2023-2024) • **Offline mode** — works offline via service worker after first load For designers + founders + casual editors the use cases: • **PSD viewing + light editing without Photoshop subscription** — open and edit client PSDs without paying Adobe • **Quick image edits without installing software** — resize, crop, color correct from any browser • **Solo founders + makers** — replace Photoshop for indie marketing work that doesn't justify $22/month subscription • **Students + budget-constrained designers** — free Photoshop replacement during learning phase • **Cross-platform teams (Linux, Chromebook)** — Photoshop has no Linux version; Photopea works everywhere • **Emergency edits when away from your Photoshop machine** — borrow any computer with a browser • **Open .psd files received from clients** — view + extract assets without subscription The pricing is the disruption story. Photopea is free with ads (small banner ads in the interface). Premium at $5/month or $40/year removes ads — easily the cheapest serious image editing tool on the market. Compare to Photoshop's $22.99/month. Solo developer Ivan Kutskir lives off this revenue + sustains development. There's no enterprise tier, no upsell, no acquisition (he's turned down offers). Where Photopea wins clearly: free + browser-based + Photoshop-compatible is a remarkable combination that doesn't exist elsewhere; covers 95% of common Photoshop use cases; the cross-platform nature (works on Linux + Chromebooks + iPad browsers) is uniquely valuable; the file format support is unmatched among free alternatives. Where it loses: not feature-equivalent to Photoshop for serious work (no advanced video editing, limited 3D tools, performance lags on very large files, plugin ecosystem is tiny); ads in the UI feel less polished than paid alternatives; sustainability question — what happens to Photopea if Ivan stops developing it? (he's been at it 12+ years, so the answer so far is 'nothing'); the AI features lag Photoshop's Firefly significantly. My take: Photopea is one of the best free productivity tools on the internet. For any founder, indie maker, student, or casual editor who needs Photoshop occasionally but can't justify the $22/month subscription, Photopea is the obvious choice. For professional designers doing daily Photoshop work for client billing, the productivity gain from Photoshop's polish + ecosystem + AI features still justifies the cost. But for the 80% of users who 'occasionally need Photoshop' — Photopea is the tool. Pay the $5/month to remove ads + support Ivan's ongoing development — it's a remarkable business and the support matters.