[Darth-Apple]

Undoubtedly, photoshop has pretty much become the leader in graphics design. However, many people have either been unable to afford the price tag, or found it to be too expensive for what it is.

I'd personally love to purchase photoshop, but I haven't really had a lot of spare cash to spend right now, so I've stuck with GIMP and Inkscape for the time being. What's your opinion? Is Photoshop worth its price tag?

[Acko]

Eh... GIMP is a good FOSS alternative, but it is not as supported as Photoshop. But I still wouldn't say PS is worth the cost atm.

[bench91]

l love photoshop but l am scared of that price too, l just cannot be paying that kind of price for it even though l know it's good, l've never tried GIMP but l think l will now as l have not being able to find a alternative.

[Darth-Apple]

I like GIMP personally. The UI is a bit of a mess, but the once you get the hang of it, the tools are pretty powerful.

[Warwick]

I honestly think that all Adobe products (including Photoshop) are ridiculously overpriced. I would never pay such sum of money to purchase them. GIMP is a really good alternative.

[sqquares]

There are good, cost-free (or low cost) alternatives to every aspect of Photoshop. I use SAI for digital painting, I see GIMP recommended for post-processing work, etc. but I think Photoshop is the only program that has all of the functions and that's so polished regarding the UI. I have used it before, and used the alternatives, and I can frankly say nothing can come even close to it. That is not to say it's not overpriced - it is, but there are even some ways to get Photoshop for a lot less money (student and school contracts, older versions with a lot lower price etc.).

[TRUE LIBERTY]

Photoshop elements is worth every penny for my photography. $110 dollars is a bargain for what it gives you and the ability to add plugins.

[RuthB]

I think it is worth paying for Photoshop if you are going to use it professionally. You can use cheaper alternatives if you just want to experiment with images for fun, but if you have some creative ideas that require you to use it as a tool for an online project, it is probably worth the cost.

It also depends on available funds and how much use you think you will get from it. Most creative projects require some financial investment to get started. When you can afford it and can put it to good use, then of course it will be a good investment.

[zingaling]

What Ruth said is accurate, you invest in the equipment you need. Photoshop is expensive (I've never been able to afford it) but so is even a fairly basic set of decent quality brushes plus oils plus canvas (for example) or a decent camera if photography is more your speed. I think we tend to get a bit more sticker shock at an intangible product like software, but what it actually can provide you with in terms of results is certainly worth it.

That said, you might want to try Photoshop Elements first to get a feel for it, PS has a bit of a learning curve.

[TheJason]

I suppose it's worth it - assuming you want more advanced features. Nonetheless, I think most people can handle Paint Shop or some other cheaper alternative. I mean, those programs can do enough for most people!

Oh, by the way, I haven't tried Photoshop. This is sort of just an educated guess.

[Kyng]

Not for me personally: I don't do a whole lot of graphics work, and when I do, GIMP (or even MS Paint) is usually enough.

I believe it's well worth it for professionals - but, I'll almost certainly never be in that position .

[Thomas]

It's only 9.99 a month. Probably.

[Darth-Apple]

It's only 9.99 a month. Probably.

That's a much better deal than times of the past. I might consider it today.

[SpookyZalost]

I don't like subscription software, like at all so it's a hard pass for me.

I've been using gimp and inkscape for years with blender for 3D modeling and shotcut for video editing and I've had no need for any part of the adobe creative suite/creative cloud.

ntm the all work on whatever OS I chose unlike photoshop's lack of support for nix.

[Megan]

I've tried it, but always felt overwhelming to me. XD But I'm also more used to Paint Shop Pro. I do however like Photoshop Elements. It works great with my drawing tablet.

[SpookyZalost]

See I had the opposite experience, my wacom bamboo wouldn't work on photoshop or windows for that matter at first. But worked out of the box on gimp without any special setup.

[Megan]

See I had the opposite experience, my wacom bamboo wouldn't work on photoshop or windows for that matter at first. But worked out of the box on gimp without any special setup.

I had a Wacom bamboo too. Oddly it worked okay for me. I always used it with Photoshop Elements.