Photopea
A full Photoshop-compatible editor built by one developer in Prague, running entirely in a browser tab for free
Quick Overview
| Company | Ivan Kutskir (independent) |
|---|---|
| Category | Design & Photo Editing |
| Headquarters | Prague, Czech Republic |
| Founded | 2013 |
| EU Presence | Yes - Czech Republic (EU) |
| Data Location | Your browser - files are processed locally |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No - but processing is client-side |
| Main Features | Opens and saves PSD with layers, masks and smart objects, supports XCF, Sketch, XD, AI files, layer styles, filters, browser-based, no installation |
| Pricing | Free with ads / Premium from about EUR 5/month, paid once per period |
| Best For | Opening and editing PSD files without an Adobe subscription |
| Replaces | Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo |
Detailed Review
Photopea is one of the more remarkable pieces of software on this site: a genuinely capable Photoshop-compatible editor, built largely by a single developer in Prague, that runs in a browser tab and costs nothing.
Its PSD support is better than any other non-Adobe tool — layers, masks, smart objects, layer styles and text all survive a round trip in a way that GIMP and most alternatives cannot manage.
PSD Compatibility That Actually Works
The practical scenario is common: a client or colleague sends a PSD and you do not have Photoshop. Photopea opens it, preserves the layer structure, lets you edit and export, and saves back to PSD. For anyone occasionally handling Adobe files, this alone justifies the tool.
It also reads Sketch, XD, Figma, Illustrator and GIMP files, which makes it a general-purpose file rescuer as much as an editor.
Processing Stays in Your Browser
Files are processed client-side in JavaScript and WebAssembly rather than uploaded to a server. That means an unreleased design or a confidential document is not being transmitted anywhere — an important and easily overlooked property for a free web tool.
Free, With a Cheap Upgrade
The free version is fully functional with advertising. A Premium account, a one-time payment of a few euros for a set period rather than an auto-renewing subscription, removes the ads and adds history depth. Against an Adobe subscription, the difference over a year is substantial.
Limitations to Consider
Photopea is a browser application and shows it on very large files, where memory limits and performance become real constraints. It is essentially a one-developer project, which is a bus-factor consideration for professional dependence. There is no offline mode, no collaboration, and the interface — deliberately Photoshop-like — inherits that tool's complexity.
Who Should Use Photopea
Anyone who occasionally needs to open, edit or export PSD files without an Adobe subscription, and designers wanting a capable editor on a machine where they cannot install software.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Best non-Adobe PSD compatibility available
- Runs in a browser with nothing to install
- Files processed locally, not uploaded
- Reads Sketch, XD, Figma and AI files
- Free, with a cheap ad-free tier
Cons
- Struggles with very large files
- Effectively a one-developer project
- No offline mode or collaboration
Alternatives to Photopea
Other European design & photo editing worth comparing before you decide:
Capture One
Denmark · Professional RAW processing and tethered studio capture
Krita
Netherlands · Open-source painting studio built for digital artists
darktable
Germany · Open-source RAW developer and photo workflow manager
Penpot
Spain · Open-source design and prototyping in the browser
See all European design & photo editing or compare them directly against Adobe Photoshop on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Photopea processes files client-side in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly, so an unreleased design is not transmitted anywhere.
The best available outside Adobe. Layers, masks, smart objects, layer styles and text survive opening, editing and saving back to PSD, which GIMP and most alternatives cannot manage.
Yes, fully functional with advertising. A Premium account, a one-time payment of a few euros for a set period rather than an auto-renewing subscription, removes the ads and increases history depth.
Up to a point. Browser memory limits make very large multi-layer files slow or unworkable, which is where desktop software remains necessary.
Photopea is built as a European alternative to Adobe Photoshop: A full Photoshop-compatible editor built by one developer in Prague, running entirely in a browser tab for free. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
Photopea is one of several European Design & Photo Editing tools we cover. It is most often compared with Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo.