This free web-based image editor gives Photoshop a run for its money

AI image editing may be all the rage, but good old-fashioned image editors are still essential. There’s a problem, though: Windows PCs, Chromebooks, and Macs don’t include exceptional image editors that go beyond the most basic editing needs. Sure, you can pay for Photoshop or hunt down another image editor—but what if you just want to do something quick? Well, then you’re left searching the web—and maybe you come across a reasonably decent online image editor, but perhaps it forces you to sign into an account or pay for a subscription. Or maybe it just doesn’t do what it promises to do in any especially impressive way. Let’s skip all that. Today’s tool is an easy, free, and completely browser-based image editor that doesn’t need any accounts or payments. You can access it from any type of device, too, and start editing images almost instantly. Psst: If you love these types of tools as much as I do, check out my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. You’ll be the first to find all sorts of simple tech treasures! Photoshop for the rest of us Allow me to introduce you to Photopea. ➜ Photopea is a powerful tool that many of our Cool Tools newsletter readers have recommended over time. ⌚ You can get started with it in roughly 10 seconds. It’s simple: Just head to the Photopea website. (The first time you load it, you’ll want to click the “X” in the top-right corner to hide the welcome banner.) Then choose the “Open From Computer” button and select an image from your device’s storage—or, if you’re on a PC, drag and drop an image from your computer’s file manager directly onto the Photopea page. Photopea makes it easy to import files from your phone or computer. You’ll then see an image-editing interface that’ll look immediately familiar if you’ve ever used Adobe Photoshop. Photopea is packed with professional-grade tools that are normally limited to costly, complex, and at-times clunky desktop image editors. You’ll find layers, filters, a clone stamp for touch-ups, a background removal system, and even batch resizing and image-converting options. Whenever you’re made the modifications you need, click the “File” menu and select “Save” to download your final file. That’s it. Photopea looks and feels a lot like Photoshop, but it’s completely free and runs entirely in your browser. Now you’ve got a Photoshop-caliber image editor at your fingertips whenever you need it—for free, usable without signing in, and without any software installation required. What’s not to love? You can use Photopea on its website in your browser. (It’s technically compatible with both desktop and mobile browsers, but the desktop experience tends to be best. If you see a Photopea app in the Android or iOS App Store, know that it isn’t official or associated with this same site.) Photopea is free with ads. You can sign up for an account and pay $5 per month to remove the ads and get access to AI photo-editing tools, if you like, but it absolutely isn’t required. Photopea’s privacy policy says all your photos are stored on your device and never sent to any remote servers or shared in any way. Keep the geeky goodies coming with my free Cool Tools newsletter. You’ll get an instant introduction to an incredible audio app and a new off-the-beaten-path gem in your inbox every Wednesday!

Mar 15, 2025 - 11:16

This free web-based image editor gives Photoshop a run for its money

AI image editing may be all the rage, but good old-fashioned image editors are still essential.

There’s a problem, though: Windows PCs, Chromebooks, and Macs don’t include exceptional image editors that go beyond the most basic editing needs. Sure, you can pay for Photoshop or hunt down another image editor—but what if you just want to do something quick?

Well, then you’re left searching the web—and maybe you come across a reasonably decent online image editor, but perhaps it forces you to sign into an account or pay for a subscription. Or maybe it just doesn’t do what it promises to do in any especially impressive way.

Let’s skip all that. Today’s tool is an easy, free, and completely browser-based image editor that doesn’t need any accounts or payments. You can access it from any type of device, too, and start editing images almost instantly.

Psst: If you love these types of tools as much as I do, check out my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. You’ll be the first to find all sorts of simple tech treasures!

Photoshop for the rest of us

Allow me to introduce you to Photopea.

➜ Photopea is a powerful tool that many of our Cool Tools newsletter readers have recommended over time.

⌚ You can get started with it in roughly 10 seconds.

It’s simple: Just head to the Photopea website. (The first time you load it, you’ll want to click the “X” in the top-right corner to hide the welcome banner.)

Then choose the “Open From Computer” button and select an image from your device’s storage—or, if you’re on a PC, drag and drop an image from your computer’s file manager directly onto the Photopea page.

Photopea makes it easy to import files from your phone or computer.

You’ll then see an image-editing interface that’ll look immediately familiar if you’ve ever used Adobe Photoshop.

Photopea is packed with professional-grade tools that are normally limited to costly, complex, and at-times clunky desktop image editors. You’ll find layers, filters, a clone stamp for touch-ups, a background removal system, and even batch resizing and image-converting options.

Whenever you’re made the modifications you need, click the “File” menu and select “Save” to download your final file. That’s it.

Photopea looks and feels a lot like Photoshop, but it’s completely free and runs entirely in your browser.

Now you’ve got a Photoshop-caliber image editor at your fingertips whenever you need it—for free, usable without signing in, and without any software installation required. What’s not to love?

You can use Photopea on its website in your browser. (It’s technically compatible with both desktop and mobile browsers, but the desktop experience tends to be best. If you see a Photopea app in the Android or iOS App Store, know that it isn’t official or associated with this same site.)
Photopea is free with ads. You can sign up for an account and pay $5 per month to remove the ads and get access to AI photo-editing tools, if you like, but it absolutely isn’t required.
Photopea’s privacy policy says all your photos are stored on your device and never sent to any remote servers or shared in any way.

Keep the geeky goodies coming with my free Cool Tools newsletter. You’ll get an instant introduction to an incredible audio app and a new off-the-beaten-path gem in your inbox every Wednesday!