Need to replace Photoshop Elements

[Por_sha911]

This is an old topic but new to me.
My old computer runs PS Elements (scaled down version of the full program) and it worked for me for 15 years. The software obviously won't run on Windows 11. I went to buy the latest edition but it is only a license for 3 years is NOT renewable.

So, is there a free version (like Libre is available instead of MS Word) that some one is using on Win 11? (I suspect that Win 10 programs will work on 11 as well). If not, what other software options are there where I don't 'rent' it but can 'own" it?

[wswartzwel]

I switched from photoshop to Affinity Photo. Think it was like $50. works great and I own it not renting like adobe products

[id10t]

The GIMP has Windows builds/installers available.

https://www.gimp.org/downloads/?pubDate=20250317

[gchappel]

One real question- what are you actually doing in Photoshop?
Most people only use 10% or so of the programs capabilities. If all you are doing is cropping and changing exposure, almost any of the above mentioned programs will work fine. If you are doing work with dozens or hundreds of layers, complex masking, etc--- photoshop is still the king. (IMHO)
I guess I do not really see the issue with only licensing a program. Yes you can "own" the right to use the program long term- but at what cost?
There is the cost of relearning a new program- which for some is a real cost.
Legacy programs still work on some systems- but will not read the raw images from newer cameras. You can shoot in jpg and they will be fine.
It is so little money- like a $10expresso a month, I just continue to use what I am comfortable with.
Depends on how you want to spend your time/money
gary

[GH85Carrera]

I just rent the full Photoshop. Sine I have been using it since the 1980s, it is familiar. I hate some of the new way some things work. We work with gigantic images, and often exceeds the limits of saving a file as a tiff or JPG. The RAW import is vital as well, as we shoot in RAW, and tweak the exposure and color before import.

As far as a replacement, there is nothing that can do what we need except Photoshop. I have played with GIMP and even paint, and I just don't know how to do what I want. I have had files that are 20 GB sue do multiple layers, and huge pixel numbers.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by gchappel

One real question- what are you actually doing in Photoshop?
Most people only use 10% or so of the programs capabilities. If all you are doing is cropping and changing exposure, almost any of the above mentioned programs will work fine. If you are doing work with dozens or hundreds of layers, complex masking, etc--- photoshop is still the king. (IMHO)
I guess I do not really see the issue with only licensing a program. Yes you can "own" the right to use the program long term- but at what cost?
There is the cost of relearning a new program- which for some is a real cost.
Legacy programs still work on some systems- but will not read the raw images from newer cameras. You can shoot in jpg and they will be fine.
It is so little money- like a $10expresso a month, I just continue to use what I am comfortable with.
Depends on how you want to spend your time/money
gary

Since he is using PS Elements, the two above will do what he needs. I am sure others will as well.

[berettafan]

Photoshop scares me and makes me feel stupid.

So i use Lightroom Classic. If you're just tweaking RAW photos it surely seems to me the perfect platform. I do hate Adobe on a deep level but Capture One (had that before as well) wasn't quite as smooth. And while i'm sure C1 probably has it as well this new 'denoise' business in LRC is just amazing.

i think i own LRC?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by berettafan

Photoshop scares me and makes me feel stupid.

So i use Lightroom Classic. If you're just tweaking RAW photos it surely seems to me the perfect platform. I do hate Adobe on a deep level but Capture One (had that before as well) wasn't quite as smooth. And while i'm sure C1 probably has it as well this new 'denoise' business in LRC is just amazing.

i think i own LRC?

I get what you're saying. Years ago, I got a "copy" of photoshop, and read tutorials and did things to learn how to use it. Then lightroom came out and I thought, "that should be a better option for what I do, so I'll download that and use it instead of PS." But after I downloaded LR, I discovered that the workflow was very different (surprising since it's the same vendor doing the same sort of work), so I never used it because the learning curve to get the same work done was a pain.

Fortunately, if I'm just tweaking raw out of my camera, I have the program from Canon that makes that workflow easy, so I use that for that sort of thing.

[Steve Carlton]

You can do a lot with Photoshop pretty quickly. A good tutorial for a specific chore helps a lot. For example: