Graphic Design Software

Adobe Photoshop vs Penpot

Both are graphic design software. The short answer: choose Adobe Photoshop if you are professional photo editing and compositing; choose Penpot if you are open-source UI design and prototyping.

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Adobe Photoshop logo Adobe PhotoshopPenpot logo Penpot
Best forProfessional photo editing and compositingOpen-source UI design and prototyping
Free planNo (trial may exist)Yes
PricingSee providerSee provider
Built for IndiaGlobalGlobal
CategoriesAI Photo Editing Tools, Graphic Design SoftwareGraphic Design Software
Strengths
  • Industry standard
  • Generative Fill
  • Free and open source
  • Self-hostable
Watch out for
  • Subscription cost
  • Learning curve
  • Smaller plugin ecosystem than Figma
Visit Adobe PhotoshopVisit Penpot

Which should you choose?

Adobe Photoshop: Industry-standard image editor with generative AI features.

Penpot: Open-source design and prototyping platform.

The best way to decide is to run the same week of real work through both — most offer a free plan or trial — and compare how long tasks take, what your team prefers, and the total cost for your number of users including renewal pricing.

Not sure either fits? See all graphic design software compared.