GIMP vs PhotoPad
GIMP
gimp.orgPhotoPad
nchsoftware.comSide by side
| Figure | GIMP | PhotoPad |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 9 |
| Spec score · Photo Editing Software | 8.6 (#30) | 9.3 (#6) |
| File formats | GIMP 3.2 adds support for formats including APNG, JPEG 2000 export and Photoshop PSB export. | The maker lists JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, and BMP among supported image formats and says PhotoPad supports RAW editing. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Layer editing | Yes | Effects are kept in a reorderable, undoable, non-destructive layers list with visibility and opacity controls. |
| RAW photo support | No | Yes |
| Support | The webmaster page recommends forums or IRC for questions and comments, and the issue tracker for software bugs and feature requests. | NCH offers email support; telephone and live chat support are listed for customers with Platinum support. |
Plans
PhotoPad
- Pro Edition Annual PlanPrice not published
- Home Edition Annual PlanPrice not published
- Pro Edition Quarterly PlanPrice not published
- FreeFree
- Free editionFree
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Pro Edition Quarterly Plan$9.99 a month
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Home Edition Annual Plan$34.99 a year
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Pro Edition Annual Plan$39.95 a year
- Pro LicensePrice not published
In their own words
PhotoPad
PhotoPad edits and enhances digital photos and images, with tools for cropping, rotating, resizing, retouching, and adjusting color and exposure. Blur and sharpening controls complement its non-destructive editing: users can undo, reorder, or change effects in a layers list. It can also make collages, photo mosaics, calendars, greeting cards, and photo montages. The maker lists AI-assisted super-resolution resizing, object and background removal, and colorizing black-and-white photos. PhotoPad supports RAW editing and formats including JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, and BMP; HDR/exposure blending is also listed. A project can contain up to eight images, and panorama types include wide. Edited pictures can be uploaded directly to Twitter, Flickr, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. It is listed for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, Windows, and as an extension. The free edition costs nothing and is limited to non-commercial use; no signup is required. Desktop requirements are Windows 7 to 11 or macOS 10.5 or later.