By FreePortal Team · Reviewed by FreePortal Editorial Team · Last updated October 2026

How to Download and Install GIMP Free Guide

The free, open-source image editor that covers photo retouching, compositing, and graphic design — no subscription, no cloud lock-in, no watermark.

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Is GIMP Free?

Yes, permanently and unconditionally. GIMP is free and open source under the GNU General Public License (GPLv3). There is no paid tier, no subscription, no feature gate, and no watermark. Every tool — layers, masks, paths, filters, scripting, and the full plug-in ecosystem — is available to everyone on the same terms. The GPL is legally binding, so GIMP cannot be converted into a paid version.

System Requirements

OS: Windows 10 (version 1903 or later) or Windows 11; macOS 11 Big Sur or newer (Intel and Apple Silicon); most modern Linux distributions via AppImage, Flatpak, Snap, or your distro's package manager
Architecture: 64-bit only on Windows
RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB+ recommended for large images and many layers)
Storage: ~500 MB for the installation; 2 GB+ free space recommended because GIMP uses a scratch disk for undo history and large files
Display: 1024×768 minimum resolution

Current stable release: GIMP 3.2.6 (September 2026). Non-destructive link layers and vector layers arrived in the 3.2 branch.

How to Install GIMP

Go to the official site. Visit gimp.org/downloads. Avoid third-party "GIMP download" sites. Note that the official GIMP team does not publish on the Mac App Store — any listing there is from a third party.
Download the installer. The page detects your OS. On Windows, click the orange Download GIMP button for the 64-bit installer. On macOS, grab the .dmg for your chip (Intel or Apple Silicon).
Run the installer. Open the downloaded file and click through the prompts. Default options are fine; installation takes a few minutes.
Launch GIMP. Open it from your Start menu or Applications folder. On first launch GIMP scans for plug-ins and fonts, which can take a moment.

Getting Started

Open an image. Use File → Open (Ctrl+O) or drag a photo onto the GIMP window. Supported formats include JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, and GIMP's native XCF.
Learn the toolbox. The left panel holds the core tools: Move, Rectangle Select, Free Select, Crop, Paintbrush, Eraser, Clone, and Text. Hover any tool to see its shortcut key.
Work with layers. Open Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Layers (Ctrl+L). Layers let you stack edits non-destructively — keep the original image on one layer and make changes on layers above it.
Understand Save vs. Export. File → Save writes an .xcf project file that preserves layers. To produce a PNG, JPG, or WebP, use File → Export As (Ctrl+Shift+E). This is the most common point of confusion for Photoshop users.
Try a basic edit. Crop with Shift+C, resize under Image → Scale Image, and adjust brightness or contrast under Colors → Brightness-Contrast.
Use single-window mode. If the floating panels feel chaotic, enable Windows → Single-Window Mode to dock everything into one window — far easier for beginners.

Useful Tips

🧩 Install plug-ins carefully. GIMP's power comes from its plug-in ecosystem, but only download from the official gimp.org registry or well-known repositories. Random "GIMP plugins" sites are a common malware vector.
⌨️ Learn five shortcuts first. B for Paintbrush, Shift+C for Crop, Ctrl+Z to undo, Ctrl+Shift+E to export, and Ctrl+L to open the Layers dialog.
🖼️ XCF is your project file. Save as .xcf while you work, then export a PNG or JPG for sharing. Deleting the .xcf means losing your layer stack.
🧠 GIMP 3.2 adds non-destructive editing. Linked layers (similar to Photoshop smart objects, but external-file based) and vector layers are now native — you can apply filters and transformations without permanently altering the source pixels.
💾 Give GIMP breathing room. Under Edit → Preferences → System Resources, raise the undo steps and scratch disk size if you work with large files or many layers.
🪄 Use the "Export As" overwrite. Once you've exported to PNG/JPG, Ctrl+E re-exports to the same file instantly — much faster than repeating "Export As" every time.
🎨 Don't expect Photoshop parity. GIMP covers most editing and compositing work, but some Adobe-specific features (especially embedded smart objects and native CMYK) differ. Give yourself a day to adjust; the core tools are all there.
🖥️ On macOS, avoid the App Store. Download the official .dmg directly from gimp.org — the GIMP team explicitly warns that App Store listings are third-party builds and unsupported.

GIMP vs Photoshop vs Affinity vs Krita

GIMP: Free, open source, covers most photo editing and compositing work. No subscription, no cloud dependency. Weaker than Photoshop at native CMYK and some advanced features, but GIMP 3.2’s link layers close part of the non-destructive gap. Best free option for general photo editing on desktop.
Adobe Photoshop: Subscription only. The single-app Photoshop plan is $22.99/month; the Photography plan ($19.99/month) includes Photoshop + Lightroom and is the cheaper route for most photographers. Industry standard for photo editing, with the deepest feature set, native CMYK, and tight integration with Lightroom, Illustrator, and Creative Cloud. Best for professional photographers and designers who already pay for Creative Cloud.
Affinity (by Canva): Free since October 2025. Canva merged Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher into a single app simply called Affinity. The free tier includes the full professional toolkit (layers, RAW support, non-destructive editing, masking) and requires only a free Canva account; only Canva’s generative AI Studio sits behind Canva Pro. Best for users who want a Photoshop-like workflow at zero cost without GIMP’s interface differences.
Krita: Free, open source, focused on digital painting and illustration. Weaker than GIMP for photo retouching, but far stronger for drawing and concept art. Best free choice for digital artists.

For most users who want free general photo editing, GIMP is still the strongest default. For digital painting, Krita is better. Affinity is now a serious free alternative with a more Photoshop-like workflow — worth trying alongside GIMP if the interface is the sticking point. Photoshop remains the industry standard if you already subscribe to Creative Cloud.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

🐌 GIMP takes a long time to launch. First launch scans plug-ins and fonts, which can take a minute. Subsequent launches are faster. If it stays slow, Edit → Preferences → Folders → Plug-ins and remove any unused plug-in folders.
🎨 Colors look wrong in exported images. GIMP's default colour management sometimes differs from other apps. Enable Image → Color Management → Color Profile Assign and match your working profile to sRGB (most common for web).
💾 Exported JPEG quality is too low or too high. During File → Export As → JPEG, the quality slider appears in the export dialog. 85–90 is good for general use; 95+ for archival; 60–75 for web thumbnails.
🧩 Plug-ins not appearing after installation. Plug-ins must be installed to a folder GIMP scans. Check Edit → Preferences → Folders → Plug-ins and confirm your plug-in is in one of the listed paths. Restart GIMP after installing.
🖥️ Pen tablet not working correctly. In Edit → Preferences → Input Devices → Configure Extended Input Devices, ensure your tablet is set to "Screen" mode (not "Disabled" or "Window"). On Windows, also install the manufacturer's driver, not just the generic Windows driver.
❌ "Plug-in crashed" error. Usually a plug-in incompatible with your GIMP version. Check the plug-in's official page for GIMP version compatibility, or disable the plug-in by renaming it in the plug-ins folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GIMP as good as Photoshop?

For most editing tasks, yes — GIMP covers photo retouching, compositing, layers, masks, paths, filters, and scripting. It still falls short of Photoshop on native CMYK support (important for print), some advanced filters, and integration with Adobe’s ecosystem. GIMP 3.2 adds non-destructive link layers and vector layers, closing part of the gap. For the price ($0), it is exceptionally capable.

Can GIMP open PSD files?

Yes, mostly. GIMP opens Photoshop .psd files with layers and masks preserved. Embedded smart objects are still flattened to raster layers, but GIMP 3.2 supports linked smart objects as “link layers” (external file references). Complex Photoshop layer styles may not translate perfectly, but for most files GIMP opens them correctly.

Does GIMP work on Mac?

Yes. GIMP runs on macOS 11 Big Sur or newer, including on Apple Silicon Macs natively (separate arm64 and Intel builds are provided). Download the official .dmg directly from gimp.org — the App Store version is not official and is not supported by the GIMP team.

What is the difference between Save and Export in GIMP?

Save writes a .xcf project file that preserves all your layers, masks, and edits. Export produces a flattened file (PNG, JPG, WebP, etc.) for sharing or publishing. This is different from Photoshop, where .psd files serve both purposes.

Is GIMP good for beginners?

It is functional for beginners but has a steeper learning curve than some paid alternatives. GIMP’s interface differs from Photoshop in places, and some basic tasks require more steps. Once you learn the core workflow (layers, selection, export), it is fast and capable. There is extensive free documentation and tutorials on gimp.org.

Can I use GIMP commercially?

Yes. GIMP’s GPLv3 licence allows unlimited commercial use — no restrictions on selling edited images, using GIMP in a business, or producing commercial work. The licence only governs the software itself, not the output.

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