While Adobe is a powerhouse in the graphics industry with programs like Photoshop and Illustrator being considered standards, there are several alternatives out there in 2023, both free and commercial. In this guide we will look at my personal recommendations for several Adobe products, with both a commercial and paid option for each. If you are looking for additional alternatives to an even wider range of Adobe products be sure to check out this list by KenneyNL.
Adobe Photoshop Alternatives
Paid: Affinity Photo
Free: Krita (Digital Painting) [Open Source]
Free: GIMP (Image Manipulation) [Open Source]
Online: Photopea
Adobe Illustrator
Paid: Affinity Designer
Free: Inkscape [Open Source]
Adobe Animate
Paid: Moho (Currently Available on Humble Bundle)
Free: Open Toonz [Open Source]
Adobe Premiere / Adobe After Effects
Paid: (AE) Hitfilm Pro
Free: (Pr) Davinci Resolve
Free: Blender [Open Source]
Free: (AE) Natron [Open Source]
Substance Designer/Painter
Free: Quixel Mixer
Free: (Designer) Material Maker [Open Source]
Free: ArmorPaint [Open Source — Paid Unless Built from Source]
You can learn more about alternatives to Adobe products in 2023 in the video below. If you are looking for an alternative to another Adobe application, be sure to check out Kenney’s list.