Overview

Photopea handles image resizing, cropping, photograph processing, illustration and webpage design. It runs in a browser across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, rather than requiring separate native applications. The maker, Photopea, was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic.

The editor's main format is PSD, which it can open and save. It also supports PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, WEBP, SVG, PDF, AI, AVIF, HEIC, TIFF, MP4, INDD and Figma files. That breadth is useful when a team receives assets from several tools or needs to hand layered work to Photoshop users.

Key features

Layered image and design work

Layers, masks, blending, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels, paths and filters provide the control needed for compositing and precise corrections, while vector tools cover illustration and graphic layouts. RAW support and batch editing make it more suitable for recurring photo work than a basic browser retoucher.

AI assistance

One-click background removal can speed up common cutouts. A text-description tool replaces selected parts of an image, giving targeted edits a shortcut while leaving conventional layer and mask controls available for manual work.

Privacy, offline use and integrations

Photopea says files are processed on the user's device and do not leave it. Documents can be opened, edited and saved after the internet is disconnected, which is valuable for privacy-sensitive or unreliable connections. Optional Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive connections let users browse, open, edit, save and copy files through the editor.

An API can embed Photopea in an iframe, pass files and resources, and send saved document data to a configured server; API use is free. The self-hosted package runs on a customer's server or local network without internet access or server-side technologies. A browser installation adds a homescreen icon and reduced browser interface, but it remains browser software. Logging in stores a name, email, settings copy and Premium payment details on Photopea's server; personal data is deleted after six months without login.

Pricing

Plan	Price and terms	Best fit
Free account	Free. Free editor access.	Individuals, students, educators and small businesses that can accept the free editor.
School ad-free access	450.00 USD per year, billed for the whole school. Requires a school website and a Distributor account/domain listing.	Schools that need ad-free access across the institution.
Self-Hosted Version	5002000.00 USD per month, paid a whole year (12 months) in advance. Two updates during a year are included; each additional update costs $300.	Organizations requiring an offline deployment on their own server or local network.
Premium account	Custom pricing; one-time payment. The opened page gives 90 days as an example. Requires login and removes advertisements.	Users who want an ad-free personal account.

The free account is the clear starting point, while the school and self-hosted offers involve organization-wide commitments rather than inexpensive per-seat upgrades. Premium removes advertisements but requires an account.

Platforms

Photopea is available on the web and can be used on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows through a supported browser. Self-hosting is also offered for customers that need a local-network or server deployment without internet access.

Who it's for

Choose Photopea for layered PSD work, mixed raster and vector projects, RAW images, batch editing or broad import and export needs. Its local processing and offline capability are especially relevant when files should remain on the device. It is less compelling for readers who specifically require native mobile software or a photography-first catalog workflow.

Pros and cons

Pros

Broad editing scope: Raster, vector, layers, masks, smart objects and paths cover both image correction and design work.
Strong file compatibility: PSD open-and-save support and an extensive format list ease exchange with other applications.
Local and offline processing: Files can stay on the device and remain editable without an internet connection.
Flexible deployment: Free API use, embedding and a self-hosted package support custom environments.

Cons

Organization plans have demanding terms: School access requires a school website and distributor listing, while self-hosting is paid annually in advance.
Premium requires login: Ad-free personal use is tied to an account that stores identifying and payment-related data.
Browser dependency remains: The installable homescreen version still runs in a browser rather than as a native editor.

Alternatives

Adobe Photoshop is the better choice for readers seeking a paid, trial-backed product across desktop, web and mobile with cloud-storage plans and monthly generative credits.

Adobe Lightroom fits photographers who prefer a freemium, trial-backed workflow centered on photo management and 1 TB cloud-storage plans.

Retouch4me is an alternative for users seeking a paid retouching-focused service with annual credits.

PhotoFlare is a free, open-source desktop option for basic image editing on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Airbrush suits users wanting freemium mobile, desktop and web editing with a capped free tier and credit packs.

ON1 Photo RAW is a paid, trial-backed alternative for users who want a dedicated photo application.

Photomator is a paid option limited to Apple's platforms, with a $7.99 monthly subscription.

RawTherapee is a free GPLv3 desktop editor for RAW work, without digital asset management, printing or uploading features.

Browse more options in Photo Editing Software and AI Photo Editors.

Verdict

Photopea is the right choice for anyone who wants a capable, format-friendly editor at no cost, especially for PSD, layered compositing, vector work and offline local processing. Look elsewhere if you need native apps, a simpler photography-first workflow or organizational pricing without the school and self-hosting conditions.

	Photopea	Wondershare Fotophire
Free plan	Yes
Free trial		Yes
Paid from	$37.50/mo
Platforms	Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, Web, Windows	macOS, Windows
Free plan	Yes	No
Platform	web	multi-platform
RAW photo support	Yes
Layer editing	Yes
Masking tools	Yes	Yes
Batch editing	Yes	Yes
Cloud sync	Yes
AI retouching	Yes

Photopea vs Wondershare Fotophire

Photopea

Wondershare Fotophire