Adobe Photoshop Express vs GIMP: What Software to Choose

Adobe Photoshop Express is one of the most popular editing apps, while GIMP is considered to be its best alternative for desktop devices. This is why many users want to compare Adobe Photoshop Express vs GIMP to select an option that suits their needs best. Both solutions have comparable functionality and can be used by professionals. However, there are some important differences between them.

Adobe Photoshop Express is a widely used photo editing app that is popular among photographers, designers, and other creative professionals. It has a set of AI-based selection tools and supports non-destructive editing. Besides, it comes with other smart options that make it easier to create layouts, ads, web designs, etc.

GIMP is a free Photoshop alternative that comes with all the necessary tools for managing your photos. Besides a set of basic and advanced photo enhancement options, you can use its AI-driven selection tools. The most powerful of them lets you quickly select the background.

Adobe Photoshop Express is a limited version of Photoshop designed for iOS and Android devices. You can also find it in Windows Microsoft Store. It integrates with Facebook, allows you to log in with your Adobe ID and share files using the 3G connection.

The app has an intuitive interface and can be used even by people who don’t have any previous experience in photography and graphic design. You can use it free of charge, which makes it a perfect option for students, creative professionals, startup and small company employees.

On the main screen, you will see five buttons. “Adobe” allows you to learn more about its functionality, “Online” lets you get 2GB of storage after logging in with your ID, “Edit” contains image editing tools, “Upload” will come in handy for uploading files, while “Settings” allows you to adjust the settings and connect your account to your Facebook or Twitter profile. After importing photos, you can crop, straighten, tilt, or flip them.

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Creative Cloud integration. The Creative Cloud subscription allows you to use all the graphic editing programs released by Adobe, from photo correction to web design software. Thanks to the integration with Amazon Web Services, you can store your files in the cloud.

Streamlined interface with extensive functionality. Adobe Photoshop Express has a well-thought-out UI with a wide set of features. There, you will find a range of tools and dialog windows. You can drag them to any part of the canvas, which makes it perfect for those who have a tablet for photo editing. When selecting various tools, you will see different sets of settings.

Allows taking photos using. You can use Adobe Photoshop Express to take photos without leaving the app. With it, you can also edit images. There is no need to import pictures from the Gallery.

A great choice of filters and vignettes. One of the key advantages of Photoshop Express is its collection of artistic filters. If you compare GIMP vs Photoshop, you will see that the former has a huge number of overlays. You can adjust their intensity. Besides, you can add frames and vignettes to your images.

Allows managing layers. The «Layers» tool allows you to adjust various settings of your images. For instance, you can use it to raise sharpness, fix contrast, adjust shadows and saturation, minimize noise and blur.

Automatic adjustments. In the top part of the interface, you will see an icon that is somewhat similar to the Magic Wand icon in Photoshop. Click on it to automatically enhance your photos. This option isn’t available in most Adobe Photoshop Express alternatives.

The app automatically analyzes a photo and selects the most suitable parameters. In some cases, the result of this automatic adjustment is pretty decent.

The «Libraries» menu on the home screen. To open this menu, you can go to the Creative Cloud menu that allows you to access your files and libraries. While the dedicated button allows you to access this menu in one click, it is absolutely unnecessary.

Impossible to adjust the camera settings. To avoid any issues, it’s better to take photos beforehand without using the in-built camera extension.

GIMP allows you to perform a range of tasks with images. It supports many formats and has a variety of filters, brushes, and templates. You can extend its functionality by using additional modules. GIMP runs on many drawing tablets. If you don’t know which option is better, Adobe Photoshop Express or GIMP, keep in mind that the latter is supported by all the popular OS, such as Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. GIMP is a default software for Linux, so you don’t need to install it if you use this operating system.

This popular open source photo editor is often used for enhancing image quality. Most people start processing files by converting RAW to JPEG images. You can also adjust various settings of your image by changing its exposure, white balance, and other parameters. GIMP is a great free graphic design software that allows working with raster images and fixing the most common issues with exposure, red eyes, or tilted horizon.

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Doesn’t take up much space. GIMP takes up 200 MB on your hard drive. This software loads quickly and is easy to customize. If you aren’t sure whether it’s perfect for your needs, try comparing PhotoDirector vs GIMP to select the most suitable option.

Customizable interface. GIMP is a fully customizable software that runs under the UNIX system. You can hide the tools that you don’t use and arrange the rest so that you always have them at hand.

Unlike other similar software, the program allows you to use keyboard shortcuts. You can learn more about its advantages by reading the GIMP vs Procreate comparison.

Re-sizing feature. GIMP allows you to change the size of your photo to prepare it for printing or publishing online. You can make your image larger or smaller using the in-built interpolation tools.

When resizing your images, you can select their quality. To do it, go to the Image menu and use the Scale Image and Print Resolution options.

Supports layers. You can edit your images using layers and adjust each of them by changing their size, opacity, etc. If you want to continue editing your file in the future, save it in PSD or XCF format.

When you open an image in PNG or JPG format, it automatically becomes the first layer. You can add other layers on the top of it as well as apply masks to selected layers. A mask might cover the whole layer or its part.

A great set of drawing tools. You can use the Brush, Pen, and Airbrush tools to create your own images. The program lets you use a set of shapes, add brushes, draw curves, and connect dots with straight lines. If you are a digital artist, you can use this software to create a drawing and save it in any suitable format.

Difficult to master. This program might be difficult to use for beginners, which is why it’s better to read detailed GIMP tutorials to learn more about its features.

No mobile app. While GIMP is considered to be a cross-platform software, it doesn’t have versions for iOS and Android devices.

GIMP is a free, open-source software with an extensive set of brushes, gradients, filters, and other post-processing tools. Besides, it comes with a huge number of GIMP plugins that can be installed free of charge.

If you compare Adobe Photoshop Express vs GIMP, you will find out that the former has several download options. For instance, you can visit the official Adobe website to download a free version of Adobe Photoshop Express after indicating your phone number. You will get an SMS with a download link.

Besides, you can get this app by scanning the QR code. Adobe Photoshop Express is also available in Google Play. If you have a Windows-based PC, you can download this app by clicking on the button on the official website.

GIMP is a great photo editing software for working with images that can be used by people with any level of experience. With this free, cross-platform software, you can solve a variety of tasks. To master its features, you can read the available documentation or ask the community for help. This software is a great alternative to widely used paid programs.

Adobe Photoshop Express was created for users who want to quickly enhance their images without downloading and installing expensive software. This app comes with a set of easy-to-use tools and filters. With it, you can create collages using the available layouts and styles. Besides, it allows you to adjust exposure, perform color correction and other adjustments.

Both options come with similar features, so your choice should depend on your needs. If you are a professional photographer or designer, then Photoshop Express is what you need. However, if you are on a limited budget, use Linux, and don’t often need to edit images, then GIMP is the best choice.

Thanks to these plugins, you can extend the functionality of this software and facilitate various photo editing tasks. By using these plugins, you can save time and automatically edit several images at the same time.