Free Photoshop alternative in your browser
Picstea gives you the core of a Photoshop-style workflow — layers, masks, adjustment layers, selections, retouching and PSD files — in a browser tab. Nothing to install, nothing to sign up for, and your images stay on your device.
Open the editor — free, no sign-up
What feels familiar
- Menu bar, toolbar with grouped tools, options bar, and Properties, History and Layers panels.
- Pixel, shape, text, fill and adjustment layers; groups, 16 blend modes, layer masks, vector masks and clipping masks.
- Layer styles in a Layer Style dialog: drop shadow, glow, inner shadow, bevel, overlays and stroke.
- Selections with marquee, lasso, magic wand and Color Range; healing, clone stamp, dodge and burn.
- Pen tool and paths, smart objects with smart filters, actions and batch processing.
How they differ
| Picstea | Adobe Photoshop | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Any current browser | Desktop app (installed) |
| Price | Free, no account | Paid subscription |
| Your images | Stay on your device | On your computer; cloud documents optional |
| Files | PSD (8-bit), PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, SVG in; PSD, PNG, JPEG, WebP, SVG, PDF out | Many more formats, including CMYK and 16/32-bit |
| Depth | Core editing and retouching | Far more features, including AI tools |
When to stay with Photoshop
If you prepare files for commercial print in CMYK, work with 16- or 32-bit images or RAW files every day, or rely on generative AI features, Photoshop remains the better tool. Picstea is honest about its limits: see what it opens and exports and the frequently asked questions.
Questions
- Is Picstea a replacement for Photoshop?
- For everyday photo editing, retouching and layered design work, often yes. For print production in CMYK, 16/32-bit images, AI generation or advanced 3D and video, Photoshop is still the right tool.
- Will my Photoshop habits work?
- Mostly. The tools, panels and shortcuts follow the same conventions: V move, M marquee, L lasso, B brush, J healing, Ctrl/Cmd+J duplicate, Ctrl/Cmd+E merge down, X and D for colours, Shift plus a tool key to switch tools in a group.
- Can I open my PSD files?
- Yes, 8-bit RGB and greyscale PSDs with their layers, groups, masks, editable text, adjustment layers, shapes, smart objects and common layer styles. You can save layered PSDs back.
- Does it cost anything?
- No. Picstea is free, needs no account and adds no watermark. It is funded by advertising on the website and blog — never inside the editor.