You Don't Need Adobe. Try These Alternatives Instead...
- Kyle Luong
- Oct 22, 2024
- 5 min read
It is no secret that Adobe has been dominating the photo and design software industry. The Adobe Suite, also known as Adobe Creative Cloud, is a comprehensive set of software applications created by Adobe Inc. for professionals in creative industries. It encompasses tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and After Effects, tailored for tasks such as graphic design, web development, video editing, and photography. Each program serves a distinct function, empowering users to craft and modify digital content with accuracy and innovation. While many students and professionals have access to the Adobe Suite, many others may need help finding an alternative.
This is a list of alternative applications for the many of the programs in the Adobe Suite. This list of software was originally collected by @XdanielArt and has since been improved by the community of software users. The most recent list has been taken from KenneyNL on GitHub. Please visit their page for the most up to date information.
Program List Shortcuts
Legend
✨ = Free and Open-source
⭐ = Free of charge
💵 = Single Purchase
🔒 = Subscription for More Functions
Acrobat
Editor
✨ LibreOffice Draw (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ PDF24 (Windows)
💵 PDF-XChange (Windows)
🔒 Xodo (Browser, Windows, Android, iOS)
Reader
✨ Zathura (Linux)
✨ Sioyek (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Sumatra PDF (Windows)
After Effects
Compositing and Effects
✨ Natron (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Blender (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (💵) DaVinci Resolve Fusion (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (💵) HitFilm (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 VEGAS Effects (Windows)
⭐️ Unreal Engine (Motion Graphics Tools) (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Motion Graphics
✨ Blender (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Friction (Windows, Linux)
✨ AstroFox (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (🔒) Fable (Browser)
⭐️ (🔒) Linearity Move (Mac, iOS)
💵 Final Cut Pro (Motion) (Mac, iOS)
🔒 Cavalry (Windows, Mac)
🔒 Rive (Browser, Windows, Mac)
🔒 Jitter (Browser)
Animate
General
✨ Tahoma2D (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Blender (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ OpenToonz (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Wick Editor (Browser)
✨ Synfig (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Glaxnimate (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (🔒) Linearity Move (Mac, iOS)
💵 CACANi (Windows)
💵 TVPaint (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android)
💵 Toon Boom (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 Clip Studio Paint (Windows, Mac)
💵 Moho (Windows, Mac)
💵 Tumult Hype (Mac)
Honorable Mentions
✨ Krita (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android)
✨ Pencil2D (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ FireAlpaca (Windows, Mac)
Audition
General
✨ Audacity (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ Ocenaudio (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (💵) DaVinci Resolve Fairlight (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 GoldWave (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 iZotope RX (Windows, Mac)
💵 Sound Forge (Windows, Mac)
DAWs
✨ (💵, 🔒) Ardour (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ LMMS (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ Cakewalk (Windows)
⭐️ GarageBand (Mac)
⭐️ (💵) Tracktion (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (🔒) Pro Tools (Windows, Mac)
💵 Reaper (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 Logic Pro (Mac, iOS)
💵 Ableton Live (Windows, Mac)
💵 FL Studio (Windows, Mac)
💵 FL Studio Mobile (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)
💵 Bitwig (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 Steinberg Wavelab (Windows, Mac)
💵 Steinberg Cubase (Windows, Mac)
💵 Steinberg Nuendo (Windows, Mac)
🔒 Studio One (Windows, Mac)
🔒 Cakewalk Next (Windows)
🔒 Cakewalk Sonar (Windows)
Bridge
⭐️ XnView MP (Windows, Mac, Linux)
🔒 Anchorpoint (Windows, Mac)
Dreamweaver
✨ Netbeans (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ VSCodium (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ Visual Studio Code (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ PageFabric (Windows)
💵 (🔒) Nova (Mac)
🔒 WebStorm (Windows, Mac, Linux)
🔒 PHPStorm (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Illustrator
General
✨ Inkscape (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ Boxy SVG (Browser)
⭐️ (🔒) Linearity Curve (Mac, iOS)
💵 CorelDRAW (Windows, Mac)
💵 Affinity Designer (Windows, Mac, iOS)
💵 Xara Designer (Windows)
🔒 Corel Vector (Browser)
Live Trace
✨ SVGcode (Browser)
✨ VTracer (Browser, Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ CR8tracer (Windows)
💵 Vector Magic (Windows, Mac, Linux)
InDesign
✨ Scribus (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Laidout (Linux)
💵 Affinity Publisher (Windows, Mac, iOS)
💵 QuarkXPress (Windows, Mac)
Lightroom
✨ RawTherapee (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Darktable (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ digiKam (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 (or 🔒) Darkroom (Mac, iOS)
💵 On1 (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 FastRawViewer (Windows, Mac)
💵 Capture One (Windows, Mac)
💵 Dx0 PhotoLab (Windows, Mac)
💵 Luminar Neo (Windows, Mac)
💵 Aurora HDR (Windows, Mac)
Photoshop
Photography
✨ GIMP (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (💵, 🔒) Sumo Paint (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (💵) Photopea (Browser)
⭐️ Paint.NET (Windows)
⭐️ (🔒) Pixlr (Browser)
💵 Pixelmator Pro (Mac)
💵 PaintShop Pro (Windows)
💵 Affinity Photo (Windows, Mac, iOS)
💵 Photoline (Windows, Mac)
💵 Acorn (Mac)
Painting
✨ Krita (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android)
✨ MyPaint (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ IbisPaint (Windows, Android, iOS)
⭐️ (💵) Sketchbook (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)
⭐️ FireAlpaca (Windows, Mac)
⭐️ Medibang (Windows, Mac, Android)
💵 Paintstorm (Windows, Mac, iOS)
💵 Corel Painter (Windows, Mac)
💵 Rebelle (Windows, Mac)
💵 (🔒) Clip Studio Paint (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)
💵 PaintTool SAI (Windows)
💵 Procreate (iOS)
💵 Artstudio Pro (iOS)
💵 Infinite Studio (Android, iOS)
💵 Realistic Paint Studio (Windows, Mac, iOS)
💵 ArtRage (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)
Pixel Art
✨ (or 💵) Aseprite (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Pixelorama (Browser, Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi)
✨ PixiEditor (Windows)
✨ LibreSprite (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ GrafX2 (Windows, Linux, Android)
✨ Pixilart (Browser, Android, iOS)
⭐️ Lospec Pixel Editor (Browser)
⭐️ Pixel Studio (Windows, Mac)
⭐️ Microsoft Paint (Windows)
⭐️ GraphicsGale (Windows)
💵 Pro Motion NG (Windows)
💵 Lightcube (Windows)
💵 Pyxel Edit (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 Pixquare (Mac, iOS)
Premiere
✨ Olive (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Kdenlive (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ OpenShot (Windows, Mac, Linux)
✨ Shotcut (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ (💵) DaVinci Resolve (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 (or 🔒) VEGAS Pro (Windows)
💵 Final Cut Pro (Mac, iOS)
🔒 Kapwing (Browser)
🔒 CapCut (Browser, Windows, Android, iOS)
Substance
Designer
✨ Material Maker (Windows, Mac, Linux)
⭐️ Quixel Mixer (Windows, Mac)
⭐️ InstaMAT (Windows, Mac)
Painter
✨ ArmorPaint (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android)
⭐️ Quixel Mixer (Windows, Mac)
💵 3DCoat (Windows, Mac, Linux)
💵 (or 🔒) Marmoset Toolbag (Windows, Mac)
XD
While KenneyNL's GitHub is the most up to date list of programs, feel free to contact us with any recommendations. We plan on adding a resources tab (if not already there when you read this) at the top of our site that will contain an updated database of resources and links for everyone to benefit from.
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