18 years helping Israeli businesses
choose better software

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Reviews

4.4 (3,499) Write a Review!

About GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Graphics manipulation platform that enables designers to develop images, icons and more by using various design elements and tools.

Learn more about GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Pros:

Its functions allow for a wide range of designs and customisations to fit certain colour themes and integrates nicely with our thumbnails on video.

Cons:

3 separate boxes initially, which can rapidly grow, jumble the screen up. The vast array of buttons make clicking the wrong thing too easy, especially if you are trying to work at pace.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) ratings

Average score

Ease of Use
3.9
Customer Service
4.0
Features
4.3
Value for Money
4.8

Likelihood to recommend

8.4/ 10

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has an overall rating of 4.4 out 5 stars based on 3,499 user reviews on Capterra.

Have you used GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) before?

Share your experiences with other software buyers.

Filter reviews (3,499)

Robert
Robert
Head of IT in Uganda
Verified LinkedIn User
Education Management, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

GIMP, a free wholesome graphics manipulation program

4.0 9 months ago

Comments: I have enjoyed using it and while I have other options, the fact that it is free means we can deploy it on all our computers and that is what our students are not using for all their graphics work and no one has complained about it.

Pros:

The biggest advantage to GIMP is that is that it is free and a worthwhile alternative to Photoshop and illustrator.

Cons:

IT can be heavy on the system and so it tends to be slow. Also, if one is not used to the interface, it takes some getting used to work with it.

BONNIE
Owner in US
Graphic Design Software, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Try It...I dare you!

5.0 4 months ago

Comments: I actually really like the program, and I REALLY like the price! Gimp makes editing photos fun and makes my design process much easier.

Pros:

Gimp is a great alternative to Adobe Photoshop! I did use Adobe Photoshop but to renew was expensive. After looking at cheaper alternatives, I went with Gimp. It has every feature that I have needed and I can export to many different file format. I use this in combination with my vector programs and you won't find a better deal with as many features as Gimp. There is also a wide array of tutorials to be found online. If you need a photo editor and don't want to spend alot, this is the program to try.

Cons:

It took a little bit to learn some of the features, but you can find numerous videos on how to use different features. It was no worse than learning to use Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Fernando
CEO and Producer in US
Graphic Design Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

GIMP, Great Affordable Image Editor

3.0 2 months ago New

Comments: I have used GIMP as my backup image editor for many years. When I can't use Photoshop I fall back on GIMP.

Pros:

Great open source/free image editing software

Cons:

Great software but not as feature rich as Photoshop. Clunky to use.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Marketing & Advertising, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

GIMP - A great Graphic Design Tool

4.0 6 months ago

Comments: I use GIMP instead of Photoshop for my everyday Graphic Design work
It is a good substitute for Photoshop, mimicking nearly all of its features, but the UI appearance is noticeably poorer. Still, for free and open-source software, this is a respectable fix.
Everyday microtasks like resizing, blurring, cropping, managing layers, rotating, scaling, and background erasing can be accomplished with GIMP.
- Simple installation
- Free and open-source software
Comprised nearly all of the necessary Photoshop tools

Pros:

It is not expensive. The fact that it is open-source is just another fantastic feature. The money you would have to pay for a subscription is saved. There are many intriguing tools available for image manipulation. Its UI is incredibly interesting to customise. The reason I'm such a big admirer of it is because it updates often and constantly has the newest features, which practically satisfy the needs of any user.

Cons:

The learning curve's steepness for novices is the only disadvantage. Certain plugins are incompatible with the most recent version.

Vasilis
Vasilis
Web Developer in Greece
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Probably the best free photo editor

4.0 3 months ago

Comments: Overall I had a good experience with GIMP especially when considering that it's free. It gets the job done but sometimes the interface can fill a bit overwhelming.

Pros:

The most obvious thing that I like about GIMP is that it's free. But, despite that it also offers a lot of powerful features like the healing tool, scripts, batch processing etc.

Cons:

What did you like least about GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)?* The user interface feels too old for my taste but I like that it's customizable.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

GIMP - GNU Image Manipulation Program

4.0 9 months ago

Comments: I have user another popular (paid) program for years before using GIMP.
Nothing to regret.
I use it to retouch and resize my photos and also when I need to create some graphics for web sites (logos, banners).
It runs smootly, and you will learn very fast how to use it (especially if you come from similar programs.
Try it :-)

Pros:

Gimp is free and allows you to retouch/edit your photos and images, create logos, applying filters and effects, convert in other formats. The installation is easy, of course you will need to learn how to use the program, as it has a lot of functions. I suggest to use levels while creating/editing photos or images. Gimp never hangs

Cons:

the zoom suddenly increase or decrease to maximum if you want to overwrite your jpeg file don't click on save

Abe
Founder in US
Utilities, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Gimp > photoshop

5.0 3 months ago

Comments: Overall my experience has been positive and more than satisfied.

Pros:

I appreciate the tools it offers for free unlike adobe so I can choose if it’s the right editing software for me.

Cons:

I would like more tutorials to be available but other than that, no complaints.

Timmy
Owner in US
Apparel & Fashion, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Not easy to learn

2.0 4 months ago

Pros:

Program was not easy to use. I tried to learn it but was not able to get it to work like I have with other programs.

Cons:

I was not able to get this program to work like other programs that I have.

Rebecca
Graphic Designer in UK
Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

I really love it

4.0 2 months ago

Comments: I was pleasantly surprised by GIMP. It's a powerful tool with a lot of advanced features, and I love that it's free.

Pros:

I really like the range of tools, including things like layer masks and bezier curves. It lets me achieve professional results for my design projects. The interface is customizable, which is helpful.

Cons:

It took me a little time to get used to the interface. It's not as intuitive as some other programs, but there are tutorials available.

Kimb
Owner in Canada
Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Solid Free Editing Tool

4.0 3 weeks ago New

Comments: I've tried GIMP on different projects and I believe it can be a solid free alternative to other Graphics software

Pros:

It's free and customizable. Enabled me to retouch photos, make elaborate designs in the time it takes

Cons:

The interface is becoming too outdated and requires a coat of paint

James
Consumer in US
Construction Software, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

GIMP at a glance

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: I use GIMP on a daily basis. It comes in very handy since I work with a lot of images. This is a hobby of mine

Pros:

I like the thousands of tools and images offered.I like the ease of use The help files and the tutorialThe fact that it is free and a very good competitor to Adobe Photoshop

Cons:

The loading time that it takes the program to open. That is the only thing I dislike about GIMP.It is basically a very good program

taylor
owner in Canada
Wholesale, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

could be better

3.0 last year

Comments: i just did not find this to be a well executed art program. it didnt have the features that i thought it would, and it was frustrating trying to figure where features were that i felt should have been standard and easy to find for quick access.
it may be good for some, but not for me.

Pros:

i cant really pin point any one particular thing i liked about the program, sorry.

Cons:

the fact that overall it was just not user friendly.

Tavaris
Head of Software Development in US
Computer Games, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Using gimp to for any designer needs

4.0 last year

Comments: I had a wonderful experience using the software.

Pros:

Gimp is a lot easier to use than some of the other software's that's on the market. You can create many different things and there are tons of videos on how to use the software.

Cons:

That you have to dock most of the UI stuff.

Amed
Senior Full -Stack Engineer in Australia
Leisure, Travel & Tourism, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Experience magic 24/7 by choosing GIMP.

5.0 7 months ago

Comments: GIMP is very much affordable and reliable. For the years of working with it,it has done it's job perfectly. Kudos GIMP.

Pros:

With GIMP you can add and customize text within your designs and you can easily remove flaws and enhance details. GIMP has a wide range of tools and incredible features. It is easy to use even for the new employees.

Cons:

It lacks some advanced illustrator tools, but all in all it's an amazing software.

Manuel
Manuel
IT Technical Specialist in Italy
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer & Network Security, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

A tool worth learning to use

4.0 7 months ago

Comments: I use GIMP quite often and it has become an indispensable tool for me in everyday work.
It is worth initially dedicating a little patience in understanding where to find all the various functions, and then making the best use of them quickly.

Pros:

I find GIMP perfect for quick image editing operation such as scaling the size or merging multiple layers into a single image. I also find it to be a great solution for compiling and editing pdf files.

Cons:

Some features may be too hidden when first approaching the application, and the interface appears not very user friendly

Michael
Michael
Game Developer in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Entertainment, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Good for Programmer Art, Somewhat Confusing

3.0 last year

Comments: GIMP is my go-to drawing program for quick placeholder art, at least when I can't afford Adobe Animate. It's not easy to generate sprite sheets or animations (there's no timeline -- you need plugins or many, many layers), but it's good for individual sprites or sequences that contain no more than a few frames. Drawing line is weird -- you have to hold down shift between brush or pen clicks. Rotating sprites can sometimes pixelate them. Changing the canvas size often involves wondering why your sprites are disappearing when moving them out of bounds, then doing some complicated layer manipulation and flattening to get everything working the way it should. The bottom line is that a user should be able to resize a canvas and have everything work seamlessly right away. Still, as free art programs and cheap special effects go, I depend on it quite a bit. I recommend it if you can't afford something better, like Animate or Photoshop.

Pros:

-Free -Makes easy programmer art -Layers are easy to manipulate and understand -Interesting and nice looking artistic filters

Cons:

-Drawing Tools are somewhat counterintuitive, especially lines and pens -No apparent Vector capabilities -Not easy to generate sprite sheets -Resizing canvases can have awkward side effects

Cindy
Content Creator in Canada
Marketing & Advertising, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

GIMP Gets the Job Done- For Free

3.0 last year

Comments: Overall GIMP is an excellent program. Especially since it's free to use.

Pros:

Gimp is a very well made FREE alternative to Photo Shop. I downloaded it to use while I was taking a Photo Shop course, and have used it ever since.

Cons:

I really wish the had a CMYK colour option. I'm not good with plug ins and extras. I have to use a different program when I'm creating for print rather than online.

Brian
Librarian in US
Education Management, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Almost Photoshop, but not Quite

4.0 9 months ago

Comments: My overall experience with this graphic design tool was quite positive-like a free, slightly less powerful version of Photoshop

Pros:

Photoshop-like features and ease of use.

Cons:

It has many similarities to photoshop but is not quite as flexible

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

A useful tool but not the best in industry

3.0 10 months ago

Pros:

The whole program is easy to use and light on the system using it.

Cons:

The overall interface, look and feel are not up to the industry standard and similar highly used products.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Hospital & Health Care, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: Free Trial
Reviewer Source

Enhancement Operations Cleansing connect

4.0 11 months ago

Comments: Contained database iteration is far broader in context of integration with SQL file auditing and code analysis snippets

Pros:

Live migration import/export database for vendor endorsement

Cons:

Back up support Analysis Assurance level

Jessica
Office manager in France
Computer Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

A very good tool for a first use to advanced

5.0 10 months ago

Pros:

I like the fact that anyone can use Gimp without true knowledge of graphic designing. It is easy to use, and allow to learn very fast.

Cons:

Some features might be missing sometimes, but honestly it is a very good tool.

Rafael
CSR in Philippines
Telecommunications, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

My Review about GIMP

5.0 last year

Comments: Overall if you can't afford any premium image editing software, I highly recommend GIMP

Pros:

I like that it's free and very easy to use.

Cons:

I don't have any dislike about GIMP software

Adam
Project Manager in UK
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

GGreat for getting started

5.0 9 months ago

Comments: I loved using GIMP as starting point in the early days of my career

Pros:

It is free so can be a great starting point for new designers without needed to subscribe adobe

Cons:

some of the features are limited when compared to adobe but still a great piece of free software

Annalisa
Arts Coodinator in South Africa
Arts & Crafts, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

It's Great for a Free Software

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: When it comes to editing images, GIMP fulfills my needs. I recommend it to people who don't have the budget to pay for image processing software.

Pros:

GIMP offers easy-to-use tools for resizing and scaling images without losing quality. It's a free, open-source image editor that's available for almost any operating system, including Windows. It offers advanced image-editing features making it the correct free substitute for Adobe Photoshop. There are several great features of GIMP, including the transparency layer that allows you to draw anything with an alpha background. You can crop images to fit your needs effortlessly and remove borders from images. Numerous recoloring features are available, including highlights, shadows, hues, lightness, and saturation.

Cons:

I do not have any problems with the software. GIMP is a powerful free, open-source image editor I use to edit all my images. Most open-source and free tools look similar, so I don't mind its outdated interface.

Eddie
CEO and designer in Sweden
Graphic Design Software, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Best GNU program

5.0 last year

Pros:

As an avid designer, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has been an essential tool in my creative arsenal. The software's extensive range of advanced editing features, including layers, filters, and customizable brushes, allows me to bring my creative vision to life. The intuitive user interface ensures a smooth and seamless editing experience, while the active open-source community is a great source of inspiration and support. With GIMP, I can confidently create professional-quality designs and artwork without breaking the bank.

Cons:

Miss some features but for the price its awesome