If you don’t need to use a particular type of software regularly, it can be very expensive to buy top-line software. Luckily there are plenty of free options out there. Yes, some are free trials and I’ve avoided putting any of those on the list below. Instead I’ve focused on software that is available for free. A couple of them do have options for a paid version with more features or content, but there is still an option that is completely free.

Are these software titles the perfect option for you? Honestly, that’s up to you to decide. But if you don’t need to spend the big bucks for a particular category, they may be just what you need.

Photo Editing

Polarr — Can be used online as well as native apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and more. While free, there is a paid option with more features

Image Editing

GIMP — Full featured software available for Linux, Mac, Windows and more.

Pixlr — Online editor with a paid option with a large asset library

Image Processing

Irfanview — Windows software for converting between formats, batch processing and more.

Digital Painting

Krita — Digital painting software available for Windows, Linux and Mac.

Vector Art

Inkscape — Linux, Windows and Mac versions for creating and editing vector artwork.

Gravit Designer — Mac, Windows and Linux as well as working online.

Photo by Austin Distel