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Design 56.5%

How to Switch from Adobe Photoshop to Photopea

You stop paying
$10/mo
= $120/seat every year
Realistic effort
a weekend
including a 2-week pilot
Alternatives verified
3
link-checked weekly

The migration, step by step

  1. 1
    Prepare

    Inventory your design system

    List the components, styles and libraries your team actually reuses in Adobe Photoshop. That subset is what you'll rebuild first in the new tool.

  2. 2
    Prepare

    Export frames and assets to open formats

    Export key frames as SVG (vectors) and images as PNG. Export design tokens (colors, type scale) to JSON or CSS variables so they survive the move.

  3. 3
    Pilot

    Rebuild one real project

    Open Photopea and recreate one live project — components, styles and all. Skip toy files; real work reveals the real gaps.

  4. 4
    Pilot

    Run a two-week pilot in parallel

    New work goes to Photopea; the old tool stays read-only. Expect the first week to feel slower, then to even out.

  5. 5
    Migrate

    Import or rebuild your library

    Bring SVG exports into Photopea and rebuild shared components/styles from your exported tokens. Archive originals for reference.

  6. 6
    Cut the cost

    Cancel at the renewal boundary

    Cancel Adobe Photoshop before the next renewal — with prices rising yearly, timing the cancellation IS part of the savings.

Export tip: Export frames as SVG and assets as PNG/SVG from the paid tool — open formats almost every free design tool imports.

Your destination: Photopea

Photopea

Free online photo editor that runs in your browser with a Photoshop-like interface.

Open Photopea
CapabilityPhotopea
Free / open source
Free online photo editor that runs in your browser with a Photoshop-like interface.
Real-time collaboration
Not mentioned in the verified description — check the project docs.
AI-assisted features
Not mentioned in the verified description — check the project docs.
Works offline / desktop app
Not mentioned in the verified description — check the project docs.
Self-hosted option
Not mentioned in the verified description — check the project docs.
Plugin / extension ecosystem
Not mentioned in the verified description — check the project docs.
No watermarks or limits
Not mentioned in the verified description — check the project docs.
Team permissions & admin
Not mentioned in the verified description — check the project docs.

Feature rows are derived from the verified project description — treat ✓ as confirmed and check the project docs before you commit.