GIMP

Pros

Gimp is an open-source image manipulation program what means it is absolutely free to use. Also, you will receive regular updates which add new features and fixes bugs including security issues. It has all the abilities that for example Adobe Photoshop and other commercial programs have. It can offer even more because it is easily extensible and flexible for every environment with lots of great community plugins and scripts.

Cons

The user interface of Gimp is not the most beautiful one but its function is very good. It has a lot of menus and submenus so for beginners it may be a little harder to achieve some more complex operations such as retouch of a face or double exposure. Also, compatibility with Adobe file formats exists but don't except that it works perfectly. Most of the time it works flawlessly if you are opening the document from older versions of Photoshop because newer version needs some updating and updates occur approximately every 2 months which is still faster than what Adobe is doing with their Photoshop.

Pros

Gimp is a great entry-level software for users that are just getting into things like photo-editing and photo manipulation. It has multiple tools that the user needs to edit photos. For example, a user can use this software to color correct a photograph. If a user wants to get into photo-editing but doesn't want to spend the money to use higher-end software, this is a great place to start.

Cons

One con is that it doesn't have the exact same tools as a software such a photoshop. There also would a learning curve when switching to a higher-end software because even though a lot of the tools do the same things, they'll have different icons and different placements. The user is also limited to what they can exactly do. The software is designed to do basic tasks.

Pros

GIMP has been quite the program that I have used for the past 8 years. Before I dived into Photoshop (for school), I used GIMP for all of my art projects. Not only is it free, but it's an incredible learning tool for people that want to get into learning about digital art, design, and photo editing activities.

Cons

I wish the UI (User Interface) was a bit more cheerful, but the important content matter while using GIMP is the piece of work itself!

Pros

For most everyone in the photography world, GIMP is an obvious go to for free editing software. For a long time, before Adobe had created the cloud, it was the only real affordable way to edit images. The universal OS deployment is also a huge plus! With adobe you're stuck with windows or Mac, but with Gimp you can use it on a linux machine! This in itself is why GIMP is still in the running and consideration for a Photoshop alternative photo editing software.

Cons

The first and most obvious is the strange and un-user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI tends to be spread out, and it has no background window frame, so your windows desktop peeks through around all of the edges. To me this is a huge con, because as I am editing I want a high contrast single color background that doesn't distract me from my work. Some may say, then make your desktop background black, and yes this is an alternative, but it is an unnecessary step, that the software engineers and developers can easily remedy.

Pros

For people who may not have the money for Photoshop, GIMP is the perfect program for you to learn how to manipulate images! I have been using GIMP for 10 years now, and I feel like the opportunities to learn more are ENDLESS! I have done some amazing art pieces with GIMP, things that I would have never imagined to be able to create. The easy interface helps with learning quickly on how to make use of layers and coloring. I first used gimp for making transparent images and coloring, but it soon became a business tool for me!

I still use this program faithfully!

Cons

Script-Fu has been my favorite add on script, but with recent updates and versions of GIMP, it hasn't been blending well with the new software. So I have 2 versions of GIMP to handle those issues.