Our take

GIMP is a great tool on many fronts and it’s a perfect example of the power of open-source. Even so, to call it a Photoshop alternative is a little disingenuous - awesome as it is, it is simply not as powerful a tool.

One question - who, exactly, is going to use GIMP? If you have serious or professional photo or image editing needs, you’re definitely going to opt for a paid alternative, because GIMP just doesn't offer a full selection of editing options.

If your photo/image editing needs are less intense, GIMP is likely to be too complex and have too steep a learning curve for most people to bother with it. That makes us think that the typical GIMP user is a rare beast and probably not the average user. Even so, if you think YOU are that rare beast, go ahead. GIMP is a great tool and should be given the respect it deserves.

Should you download it?

Like we said, if you’re serious about your image editing, but can’t stretch to a paid tool, a little bit of effort with GIMP will give you awesome results - download with confidence.