Professional-grade free and open-source alternatives to expensive commercial software
Pro Tip: Most of these applications are completely free and open-source. Some offer free versions with premium upgrades available. A easy way to download these applications in bulk is through ninite!
| Commercial Software | Free Alternative | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Photoshop | GIMP, Krita, Photopea | Photo editing, digital art |
| Adobe Illustrator | Inkscape, Vectr | Vector graphics, logos |
| Adobe Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut | Video editing |
| Adobe InDesign | Scribus, Canva | Page layout, publishing |
| Adobe Audition | Audacity, Ocenaudio | Audio editing, podcasts |
| Maya/3ds Max | Blender | 3D modeling, animation |
| Microsoft Office | LibreOffice, Google Workspace | Documents, spreadsheets |
Alternative to: Adobe Photoshop
Powerful image editor with advanced features for photo retouching, image composition, and graphic design.
File Support: PSD, XCF, PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF
Alternative to: Adobe Photoshop (Digital Painting)
Professional digital painting application with excellent brush engines and illustration tools.
File Support: KRA, PSD, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Alternative to: Adobe Photoshop (Web-based)
Free online photo editor that works directly in your browser with PSD file support.
File Support: PSD, XCF, Sketch, XD, CDR
Alternative to: Adobe Illustrator
Professional vector graphics editor perfect for logos, illustrations, diagrams, and web graphics.
File Support: SVG, AI, EPS, PDF, PNG
Alternative to: Adobe Illustrator (Simplified)
Simple yet powerful vector graphics software for creating logos, presentations, and designs.
File Support: SVG, PNG, JPG
Alternative to: Adobe Premiere Pro
Professional video editing, color correction, and audio post-production software used by Hollywood.
Note: Free version available; Studio version requires purchase
File Support: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, ProRes
Alternative to: Adobe Premiere Pro
Free, open-source, cross-platform video editor with a wide range of features and format support.
File Support: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, many more
Alternative to: Adobe Premiere Pro (Beginner-friendly)
Easy-to-use video editor with powerful features, perfect for beginners and quick projects.
File Support: MP4, AVI, MOV, WebM, FLV
Alternative to: Adobe InDesign
Professional page layout application for creating magazines, newsletters, posters, and more.
File Support: SLA, PDF, EPS, SVG
Alternative to: Adobe InDesign (Simplified)
User-friendly design platform with thousands of templates for social media, presentations, and print.
Note: Free version available; Pro features require subscription
File Support: PNG, JPG, PDF, MP4, GIF
Alternative to: Maya, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D
Complete 3D creation suite supporting modeling, animation, rendering, and video editing.
File Support: BLEND, FBX, OBJ, STL, GLTF
Alternative to: Adobe Audition
Multi-track audio editor and recorder for podcasts, music, and sound effects editing.
File Support: MP3, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, OGG
Alternative to: Adobe Audition (Simplified)
Fast and easy-to-use audio editor with real-time preview of effects and VST plugin support.
File Support: MP3, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, OGG
Alternative to: Microsoft Office
Full-featured office suite with word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and more.
File Support: odt, doc, docx, rtf, txt, html, pdf, ods, xls, xlsx, csv, odp, ppt, pptx
Alternative to: Microsoft Office
Cloud-based productivity suite with Docs, Sheets, Slides, and real-time collaboration.
File Support: doc, docx, odt, rtf, txt, pdf, html, xls, xlsx, csv, ods, ppt, pptx, odp, jpg, png, gif, svg, tif, tiff