Adobe Photoshop vs ImageMagick
Adobe Photoshop
adobe.com
ImageMagick
imagemagick.orgSide by side
| Figure | Adobe Photoshop | ImageMagick |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 10 | 2 |
| Spec score · Photo Editing Software | 9.3 (#3) | 8.9 (#14) |
| Company | Adobe says it was founded in December 1982 by Charles Geschke and John Warnock and is headquartered in San Jose, California, USA. | ImageMagick Studio LLC is the organization that designs, maintains, and enhances the software. |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Security | Adobe’s September 2026 Photoshop security update addressed vulnerabilities that could result in arbitrary code execution on Windows and macOS. | ImageMagick is open by default, and the maker advises configuring a security policy for the local environment before use. |
Plans
Adobe Photoshop
- PhotographyPrice not published
- PhotographyPriced on request
- Creative Cloud ProPriced on request
- Creative Cloud ProPrice not published
- Creative Cloud Pro for students and teachersPrice not published
- Creative Cloud Pro for students and teachersPriced on request
- Creative Cloud Pro for teamsPrice not published
- Creative Cloud Pro for teamsPriced on request
- Photoshop$22.99 a month
- Photoshop for teams$37.99 a month
In their own words
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop provides tools for creating, editing, and designing images and graphics. Its listed capabilities include batch editing, RAW photo support, layers, masking, AI retouching, and cloud sync. Users can combine, edit, and blend images and graphics; Firefly-powered Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and Remove Tool are among its AI features. Harmonize matches lighting, shadows, colors, and other details when blending people or objects into backgrounds, and a Topaz Labs partner model is available for image upscaling. Photoshop runs on Android, iOS, macOS, the web, and Windows. The browser-based version is included in Photoshop plans, while standalone mobile apps for iPhone and Android are free, with premium features available by subscription. Photoshop can be purchased by itself or as part of a multi-app plan. The listed plans include cloud storage, app access, and generative credits in different combinations; prices are not provided. A 7-day trial is listed.
ImageMagick
ImageMagick is a free, open-source suite for creating, editing, composing, converting, and manipulating digital images. It reads more than 100 major image formats, including JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and Ultra HDR. Its tools cover animation, color management, rendering, resizing, rotation, cropping, compositing, and effects. Command-line tools support scripts and automated image-processing pipelines, while APIs let developers incorporate its image-processing capabilities into applications. The project identifies Magick.NET as a .NET wrapper. ImageMagick supports Windows, macOS, Linux, API, and self-hosted use. Linux users should note that the provided AppImage is the sole pre-built binary; other distribution builds or custom compile options require building from source. The software is open by default, so its maker advises configuring a local security policy before use. Policy options range from open to websafe and can limit memory, disk space, image sequence length, and processing time. Commercial use is permitted; redistribution requires attribution and a copy of the license.