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An open-source desktop image workspace
Quick content creation with Adobe assets
Prices & plans
Published prices keep their original currency and billing terms. Taxes, promotions and checkout prices can differ.
Adobe Express
Free
Free
No subscription charge
AvailabilityUS public page
No credit card required; limited assets and AI.
SourcePremium
USD 9.99/month
Monthly subscription; no annual commitment
AvailabilityUnited States
Automatically renews. Includes 250 monthly generative credits in the current comparison.
Source 1Source 2Teams — standard
USD 7.99/month
Annual commitment billed monthly per license
AvailabilityUnited States
Two-seat minimum. Current first-year promotion displays $4.99 per license monthly, then this standard rate.
SourceEnterprise
Check current price
Sales quote
AvailabilityRegion dependent
Organization-specific administration and terms.
SourceFeatures and limits
14 features
Documented differences. An unverified answer means we do not have enough evidence.
Platforms
Offline use
GIMP
The desktop workflow opens local images and saves working documents as XCF.
Vendor documentedSource
Adobe Express
The mobile technical requirements specify an internet connection and Adobe ID for activation and use.
Vendor documentedSource
Export
GIMP
Save preserves the GIMP project as XCF; Export produces delivery formats. XCF does not preserve undo history.
Vendor documentedSource
Adobe Express
The plan table lists JPEG, PNG, PDF, GIF and PPT export, including transparent PNG on Free.
Vendor documentedSource
Project portability
GIMP
Other formats preserve only some project properties, so an exported image is not a full XCF replacement.
Vendor documentedSource
Free plan limits
Adobe Express
Free lists 5 GB storage, 10-day version history and 10 PDF Quick Actions per month.
Vendor documentedSource
AI output terms
GIMP
The project FAQ permits commercial work without restrictions on the kind of work produced.
Vendor documentedSource
Adobe Express
Adobe generally permits commercial AI output use, with exceptions for beta features explicitly marked personal-use-only.
Vendor documentedSource
Current nondestructive tools
GIMP
GIMP 3.2 adds link and vector layers and expands nondestructive filter workflows.
Vendor documentedSource
Adobe Express
Not yet verified for this product.
Camera RAW
GIMP
The project documents darktable and RawTherapee integration for RAW processing.
Vendor documentedSource
Adobe Express
Not yet verified for this product.
CMYK scope
GIMP
The FAQ describes CMYK import/export through RGB storage and soft proofing rather than a native CMYK editing mode.
Vendor documentedSource
Adobe Express
Not yet verified for this product.
Current release
GIMP
The download page lists GIMP 3.2.6. Older 2.x comparisons do not describe the current feature set.
Vendor documentedSource
Adobe Express
Not yet verified for this product.
Collaboration
GIMP
Not yet verified for this product.
AI features
GIMP
Not yet verified for this product.
Adobe Express
Premium lists 250 generative credits per month. Free has limited daily generations for selected features.
Vendor documentedSource
Brand setup
GIMP
Not yet verified for this product.
Adobe Express
Full brand setup is currently on web; the resulting assets can be used across supported devices.
Vendor documentedSource
Premium storage
GIMP
Not yet verified for this product.
Adobe Express
The current individual feature table lists 10 GB for Premium and 100 GB for the Firefly Pro bundle.
Vendor documentedSource
| Feature | GIMP | Adobe Express |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Official downloads cover GNU/Linux, Windows and macOS. Vendor documentedSource | Desktop browsers and supported iOS, iPadOS and Android devices; mobile system requirements vary. |
| Offline use | The desktop workflow opens local images and saves working documents as XCF. Vendor documentedSource | The mobile technical requirements specify an internet connection and Adobe ID for activation and use. Vendor documentedSource |
| Export | Save preserves the GIMP project as XCF; Export produces delivery formats. XCF does not preserve undo history. Vendor documentedSource | The plan table lists JPEG, PNG, PDF, GIF and PPT export, including transparent PNG on Free. Vendor documentedSource |
| Project portability | Other formats preserve only some project properties, so an exported image is not a full XCF replacement. Vendor documentedSource | Premium supports linked PSD and AI assets; Photoshop or Illustrator membership is required for that linked workflow. |
| Free plan limits | GIMP is free and open source without a paid editing tier. Vendor documentedSource | Free lists 5 GB storage, 10-day version history and 10 PDF Quick Actions per month. Vendor documentedSource |
| AI output terms | The project FAQ permits commercial work without restrictions on the kind of work produced. Vendor documentedSource | Adobe generally permits commercial AI output use, with exceptions for beta features explicitly marked personal-use-only. Vendor documentedSource |
| Current nondestructive tools | GIMP 3.2 adds link and vector layers and expands nondestructive filter workflows. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Camera RAW | The project documents darktable and RawTherapee integration for RAW processing. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| CMYK scope | The FAQ describes CMYK import/export through RGB storage and soft proofing rather than a native CMYK editing mode. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Current release | The download page lists GIMP 3.2.6. Older 2.x comparisons do not describe the current feature set. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Collaboration | Not yet verified for this product. | Free and Premium both list real-time co-editing and comments. Vendor documentedSource |
| AI features | Not yet verified for this product. | Premium lists 250 generative credits per month. Free has limited daily generations for selected features. Vendor documentedSource |
| Brand setup | Not yet verified for this product. | Full brand setup is currently on web; the resulting assets can be used across supported devices. Vendor documentedSource |
| Premium storage | Not yet verified for this product. | The current individual feature table lists 10 GB for Premium and 100 GB for the Firefly Pro bundle. Vendor documentedSource |
This workspace aligns existing research. It does not declare a winner or treat missing evidence as a missing feature. Read the methodology.