Honest comparison · 2026-10
A free Photoshop alternative that opens PSD files
If you need Photoshop's core workflow without the subscription, Kiln Photo covers layers, masks, adjustment layers, layer styles, type, retouching and PSD files, free in your browser. Here's an honest look at where it fits.
Try Kiln Photo free Runs in your browser. No account.
At a glance
| Kiln Photo | Photoshop | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, open source | Subscription |
| Install | None (runs in the browser) | Desktop app |
| PSD files | Open and save, layers intact | Native |
| Layers, masks, adjustment layers | Yes | Yes |
| Layer styles | Yes | Yes |
| Content-Aware Fill, healing | Yes (patch-based) | Yes (plus generative AI) |
| Select Subject | Classic segmentation | AI model |
| Generative AI fill | No | Yes (credits) |
| Privacy | Files stay on your device | Cloud features upload files |
Where Kiln Photo is a good fit
- Editing PSDs someone sent you without paying for a subscription.
- Everyday photo editing: crop, resize, adjust, retouch, add text.
- Thumbnails, social graphics and web images.
- Working on a locked-down or shared computer where you can't install software.
Where you may still want Photoshop
- Generative AI features (Generative Fill, AI background removal).
- Some advanced or rarely used features, such as 3D layers and certain filters.
- Very large files on low-memory machines: the browser has less memory than a native app.
Questions
Is it a Photoshop clone?
It's an independent, clean-room open-source editor designed to feel familiar to Photoshop users. It doesn't contain Adobe code.
Can I use Photoshop shortcuts?
Most of the familiar ones: V, M, L, W, C, B, E, T, P and Ctrl/Cmd+J, T, Z.
Guides
Resize an imageResize a JPG, PNG, WebP or PSD to exact pixels, inches or a percentage in your browser. Ke…Crop an imageCrop photos to any size or aspect ratio, 1:1, 4:5, 16:9 and more, straighten as you crop, …Remove a backgroundMake a photo's background transparent with Select Subject and a layer mask, then export a …Remove a white backgroundTurn a logo's or product photo's white background transparent in a few clicks with Color R…Make a transparent PNGCreate a PNG with a transparent background: start on a transparent canvas or mask out a ba…Change canvas sizeAdd space around an image or make it square without stretching it: set the new canvas size…