Alternatives to Photoshop?

I'm very familiar with Adobe Photoshop, but don't like the monthly fee. And I'm totally fed up with seeing adverts for Photoshop everywhere I go... So what alternatives would you highly recommend? If they are paid, I only want to pay once, and then never again! ;) Thanks

I'm very familiar with Adobe Photoshop, but don't like the monthly fee. And I'm totally fed up with seeing adverts for Photoshop everywhere I go...

So what alternatives would you highly recommend?
If they are paid, I only want to pay once, and then never again!

Thanks

Affinity ! I have an old version of Lightroom I still use, but all my proper editing is in Affinity

Affinity !
I have an old version of Lightroom I still use, but all my proper editing is in Affinity

Affinity. I have recently migrated there from Adobe. Affinity is very, very similar to PS so you won't have any problems finding your way round. Indeed, it is deliberately put together to imitate PS in a way in order to capture CC customers. A shame you didn't think of this a few weeks ago as there was 50% off for ePz members - even so, today's price is only £50 or thereabouts. Nik Collection works as a plug-in, if you use it as well... I have found it to be as good as PS - and don't forget if you use Bridge and ACR you can keep them as they are free standalones separate from the CC package. I still use Bridge.

Affinity.
I have recently migrated there from Adobe. Affinity is very, very similar to PS so you won't have any problems finding your way round. Indeed, it is deliberately put together to imitate PS in a way in order to capture CC customers.
A shame you didn't think of this a few weeks ago as there was 50% off for ePz members - even so, today's price is only £50 or thereabouts.
Nik Collection works as a plug-in, if you use it as well...

I have found it to be as good as PS - and don't forget if you use Bridge and ACR you can keep them as they are free standalones separate from the CC package. I still use Bridge.

I downloaded Affinity when it was half price just to try it out. It was better than I expected but did not match PS in a few areas but I could not manage without LR, so no contest. I am very happy to pay the month fee to Adobe which is still slightly less p.a. than I used to pay when it was stand alone and you paid for upgrades. If I was an occasional user, it might not be worth it, but I use LR/PS several time a week at minimum (probably every day). Bridge is too slow for me though I think you could use an older stand alone LR with Affinity (as suggested by Mark above). Dave

I downloaded Affinity when it was half price just to try it out. It was better than I expected but did not match PS in a few areas but I could not manage without LR, so no contest. I am very happy to pay the month fee to Adobe which is still slightly less p.a. than I used to pay when it was stand alone and you paid for upgrades. If I was an occasional user, it might not be worth it, but I use LR/PS several time a week at minimum (probably every day). Bridge is too slow for me though I think you could use an older stand alone LR with Affinity (as suggested by Mark above).

Dave

[quote]Nik Collection works as a plug-in, if you use it as well... [/quote] I have just bought the Nik Collection 3 as it is on special offer at the moment (although I have used Nik collection from the time Nik first created it) the new set up I have found astounding - but I understand that it will work as a stand alone ( although I use it with Photoshop). Personally I do not think that there is anything to come close to the depth and breadth of Photoshop everytime I use it I find something which staggers me in its usability and productivity. It has long been said that raw files hold all the detail of the image you took and I believe that PS gets to that detail.

Quote:Nik Collection works as a plug-in, if you use it as well...



I have just bought the Nik Collection 3 as it is on special offer at the moment (although I have used Nik collection from the time Nik first created it) the new set up I have found astounding - but I understand that it will work as a stand alone ( although I use it with Photoshop). Personally I do not think that there is anything to come close to the depth and breadth of Photoshop everytime I use it I find something which staggers me in its usability and productivity. It has long been said that raw files hold all the detail of the image you took and I believe that PS gets to that detail.

Another vote for Affinity. Many professionals have switched. But don't rule out Paintshop Pro, DxO and OnOne.

Another vote for Affinity. Many professionals have switched.
But don't rule out Paintshop Pro, DxO and OnOne.

Moved from photoshop to Affinity about 3 weeks ago, as above like Malc says it’s very very similar to photoshop. So I am finding it very easy to use, and produces great results. I bought it for £23 when ephotozine had the offer on, pay once and that’s it

Moved from photoshop to Affinity about 3 weeks ago, as above like Malc says it’s very very similar to photoshop. So I am finding it very easy to use, and produces great results.
I bought it for £23 when ephotozine had the offer on, pay once and that’s it

Having got Capture One and Affinity I could survive without P/S; Adobe have at last got some very fierce competition; Skylum's Luminar and Aurora is also worth considering, the latter being very effective for HDR.

Having got Capture One and Affinity I could survive without P/S; Adobe have at last got some very fierce competition; Skylum's Luminar and Aurora is also worth considering, the latter being very effective for HDR.

[quote]Skylum's Luminar is also worth considering,[/quote] Is anyone actually considering Luminar as serious contender? I used its trial and it was useless. An opinion shared in more than a few forum posts elsewhere. A friend of mine, who actually bought it, was so unimpressed that he's uninstalled it and given me his serial number! I suppose it would work but I'm in no rush to use it. I agree that Capture One's a step forward.

Quote:Skylum's Luminar is also worth considering,

Is anyone actually considering Luminar as serious contender?
I used its trial and it was useless.
An opinion shared in more than a few forum posts elsewhere.
A friend of mine, who actually bought it, was so unimpressed that he's uninstalled it and given me his serial number!
I suppose it would work but I'm in no rush to use it.
I agree that Capture One's a step forward.

[quote]Personally I do not think that there is anything to come close to the depth and breadth of Photoshop [/quote] I think that may be generally accepted and probably only worth getting if that is what you need.

Quote:Personally I do not think that there is anything to come close to the depth and breadth of Photoshop

I think that may be generally accepted and probably only worth getting if that is what you need.

[quote][i]probably only worth getting if that is what you need.[/i][/quote] A valid point and in reality, I could probably get by without it but there's also the question of familiarity to consider. All the (so-called) alternatives that I've tried, including the much-lauded Affinity, simply feel like poor relations by comparison. There was a reason that Photoshop, when you could buy it, cost ten times as much as most of the others.

Quote:probably only worth getting if that is what you need.

A valid point and in reality, I could probably get by without it but there's also the question of familiarity to consider.

All the (so-called) alternatives that I've tried, including the much-lauded Affinity, simply feel like poor relations by comparison.

There was a reason that Photoshop, when you could buy it, cost ten times as much as most of the others.

[quote][quote][i]probably only worth getting if that is what you need.[/i][/quote] A valid point and in reality, I could probably get by without it but there's also the question of familiarity to consider. All the (so-called) alternatives that I've tried, including the much-lauded Affinity, simply feel like poor relations by comparison. There was a reason that Photoshop, when you could buy it, cost ten times as much as most of the others.[/quote] I talked to a friend about this. She is a Senior Retoucher in a Norwegian agency specializing in image post-production. She has a degree in digital image production from the university of Stockholm and uses PS every day for client work. According to her, the average amateur enthusiast has no need for PS as there are alternatives which do all the average user needs. PS is mainly aimed at professional users and amateurs will probably only ever use tops 10% of its potential. The only people who really use its potential full out are pros like herself who make a living using it. That's her opinion. As for the familiarity point, Affinity is deliberately built to resemble PS, and of all alternatives I have tried, is the only one that felt familiar from day one.

Quote:
Quote:probably only worth getting if that is what you need.

A valid point and in reality, I could probably get by without it but there's also the question of familiarity to consider.

All the (so-called) alternatives that I've tried, including the much-lauded Affinity, simply feel like poor relations by comparison.

There was a reason that Photoshop, when you could buy it, cost ten times as much as most of the others.

I talked to a friend about this. She is a Senior Retoucher in a Norwegian agency specializing in image post-production. She has a degree in digital image production from the university of Stockholm and uses PS every day for client work.
According to her, the average amateur enthusiast has no need for PS as there are alternatives which do all the average user needs. PS is mainly aimed at professional users and amateurs will probably only ever use tops 10% of its potential. The only people who really use its potential full out are pros like herself who make a living using it. That's her opinion.

As for the familiarity point, Affinity is deliberately built to resemble PS, and of all alternatives I have tried, is the only one that felt familiar from day one.

[quote] I talked to a friend about this. She is a Senior Retoucher in a Norwegian agency specializing in image post-production. She has a degree in digital image production from the university of Stockholm and uses PS every day for client work. [b]According to her, the average amateur enthusiast has no need for PS as there are alternatives which do all the average user needs. PS is mainly aimed at professional users and amateurs will probably only ever use tops 10% of its potential. The only people who really use its potential full out are pros like herself who make a living using it. That's her opinion.[/b] As for the familiarity point, Affinity is deliberately built to resemble PS, and of all alternatives I have tried, is the only one that felt familiar from day one.[/quote] Wouldn't that be why they brought out Elements?

Quote:
I talked to a friend about this. She is a Senior Retoucher in a Norwegian agency specializing in image post-production. She has a degree in digital image production from the university of Stockholm and uses PS every day for client work.
According to her, the average amateur enthusiast has no need for PS as there are alternatives which do all the average user needs. PS is mainly aimed at professional users and amateurs will probably only ever use tops 10% of its potential. The only people who really use its potential full out are pros like herself who make a living using it. That's her opinion.

As for the familiarity point, Affinity is deliberately built to resemble PS, and of all alternatives I have tried, is the only one that felt familiar from day one.


Wouldn't that be why they brought out Elements?

I have and occasionally use Affinity. As far as it being built to resemble Photosop, Ive yet to see that. I find it a steep learning curve to go from Photoshop to Affinity to be honest, and it feels in no way familiar to me.

I have and occasionally use Affinity. As far as it being built to resemble Photosop, Ive yet to see that. I find it a steep learning curve to go from Photoshop to Affinity to be honest, and it feels in no way familiar to me.

I migrated from LR after Adobe took the decision to rent their software. I tried Affinity, but it didn't work as well as LR at the end of the free trial period I went back to my old ver of LR6. The lack of updates eventual forced me back to look at the non Adobe contenders, I was hoping Affinity had improved in the intervening period - quite by chance I happened upon ACDSEE, over 2 years later I would say this is a real alternative to LR. Not only does it provide photo management, but it gives me non-destructive layer editing and allows me to access my PS plugins (Topaz Sharpen and Nik software). One of the things I liked about ACDSEE is it did not force you to import/catalogue before you could view or edit your files - just point it at the drive with your images and instant access! There was no steep learning curve and everything is is in one app. At the end of the day the choice of software is like the choice of cameras - whatever you feel meets your needs/style, go with that! I only put this here as another photo editor to consider!

I migrated from LR after Adobe took the decision to rent their software. I tried Affinity, but it didn't work as well as LR at the end of the free trial period I went back to my old ver of LR6.
The lack of updates eventual forced me back to look at the non Adobe contenders, I was hoping Affinity had improved in the intervening period - quite by chance I happened upon ACDSEE, over 2 years later I would say this is a real alternative to LR.
Not only does it provide photo management, but it gives me non-destructive layer editing and allows me to access my PS plugins (Topaz Sharpen and Nik software). One of the things I liked about ACDSEE is it did not force you to import/catalogue before you could view or edit your files - just point it at the drive with your images and instant access!
There was no steep learning curve and everything is is in one app. At the end of the day the choice of software is like the choice of cameras - whatever you feel meets your needs/style, go with that!
I only put this here as another photo editor to consider!