Photopea
FreeFull-featured photo editor in your browser — opens and saves PSD, XCF, Sketch files. Layers, masks, filters, blend modes. A genuinely free Photoshop replacement that needs no install.
How to install Photopea as a PWA
Why we recommend Photopea
Photopea is the closest browser-based clone of Photoshop's interface that exists — and that's the deliberate point. The keyboard shortcuts are identical, the panels (Layers, Channels, Paths, History) sit exactly where you'd expect, and the file-format support is genuinely impressive: native PSD read/write (including layer styles, smart objects, masks, adjustment layers), GIMP's XCF, Sketch's .sketch, Affinity's .afphoto, plus the obvious PNG/JPEG/SVG/AI/PDF. For freelancers, students, and anyone who needs to open a client's PSD once a quarter without paying $20.99/month for a Creative Cloud subscription, it's a genuine replacement. The single creator (Ivan Kutskir) has maintained it solo since 2013 — that's both the charm and the risk: no roadmap committee, but everything ships when one person decides. As a PWA, it caches the entire 7MB app on first visit, so subsequent loads are offline-capable. The only limitation is that the codebase is closed-source (it's free as in beer, ad-supported), which differentiates it from GIMP/Krita.
Best use cases
Best for: opening a PSD a client sent you when you don't own Photoshop, making quick layer-based edits to product photos, batch-resizing images with the script panel, removing backgrounds with the magic-wand+refine-edge workflow, and teaching a Photoshop class without making students pay for licenses. The PWA installs cleanly on Chromebooks, which is a unique fit for K-12 design education.
Honest limitations
Not for: anyone needing the latest AI features (Generative Fill, Neural Filters) — Photopea's AI tools are competent but lag Adobe by a generation. Not for: agency teams who need shared libraries, version history, or commenting (no collaboration features). Performance on huge files (>4GB PSDs with hundreds of layers) is constrained by browser memory limits, typically maxing around 2-3GB. The site is ad-supported on the free tier — Premium ($5/mo) removes ads.
More in Design & Creative
Open-source design and prototyping tool — the Figma alternative that you can self-host. Vector editor, component system, interactive prototypes. Based on SVG standards, not proprietary formats.
Procedural vector graphics editor built in Rust and WebAssembly. Node-based non-destructive editing — like a free Illustrator with a radically different creative workflow.
Pixel art editor and animation tool in the browser. Draw pixel art, create sprite animations, export as GIF or PNG. Perfect for game developers and retro art enthusiasts.
Visual CSS gradient generator with code output. Radial, linear, conic gradients with real-time preview. Copy the CSS and use it directly — no sign-up, no fuss.
Lightning-fast color scheme generator. Press spacebar to generate palettes. Lock colors you like, adjust hues, export to CSS/SVG/PDF. Millions of designers use it daily.
Create mockup screenshots of your app or website in beautiful device frames. Mac, iPhone, iPad, browser frames. Used by indie developers to make stunning product screenshots.