Adobe Alternatives
There are numerous free and lower cost options that may replace some or all of the functionality in different Adobe products. The OIT Software Licensing Management group has reviewed and approved the Terms & Conditions of the licenses for the following applications. They can be used by all campus users unless otherwise noted.
Have suggestions or need help?
Please contact us at help@sciences.ncsu.edu
Software costs listed below are current as of May 21, 2019. Go to the product site for the latest pricing information as licenses costs and terms change.
Free and recommended
These tools are in wide use and have active online communities.
Image editing: Gimp
Gimp is a full featured image editing tool that essentially has feature parity with Adobe Photoshop. The interface is similar.
Cost: Free and open source
Site: https://www.gimp.org
Platforms: Windows 7 /8/10 , macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) or later , Linux, Solaris, BSD
Page design: Scribus
Scribus is a full featured page layout program that includes LaTeX and Lilypond support, and is a challenger to Adobe InDesign.
Cost: Free and open source
Site: https://www.scribus.net
Platforms: Windows, macOS X, Linux, FreeBSD, PC-BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OpenIndiana, Debian GNU/Hurd, , OS/2 Warp 4, eComStation, and Haiku
Vector graphics: Inkscape
Inkscape is a professional vector graphics editor that is an alternative to Adobe Illustrator.
Cost: Free and open source
Site: https://inkscape.org/
Platforms: Windows, macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or higher with MacPorts, Linux
Video editing: OpenShot Video Editor
OpenShot is a video editing package that is an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro. It does not have feature parity, but does have a strong feature set and is usually sufficient for the average user.
Cost: Free and open source
Site: https://www.openshot.org/
Platforms: Windows 7/8/10, macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) or higher, Linux
Other options
These applications are approved by Software License Management (ClickWrap approved) unless otherwise noted. They may have an associated cost or may not be cross-platform or approved for student use.
They may be viable alternatives for your specific needs.
PDF editing (Acrobat Pro alternatives)
See https://sciences.ncsu.edu/intranet/pdf-software-choices/
Image editing (Photoshop alternatives)
Photopea
A browser-based image editing application that provides a set of tools suitable for many needs. Supports Photoshop and Gimp files.
Site: https://www.photopea.com/
Cost: Free (ad-supported), Single user: $8/mo or $50/yr for Premium (no ads). Team rates available.
Platforms: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, possibly others
Krita
An open source painting program
Site: https://krita.org
Cost: Free
Platforms: Windows, Linux
Affinity Photo
Includes an application for iPad for an additional cost
Site: https://affinity.serif.com
Cost: $69.99 one time, $18.49 for iPad add on
Platforms: Mac, Windows (see system requirements)
Corel Paintshop Pro
Presents itself as a well designed, low-cost alternative to Adobe Photoshop
Site: https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/products/paintshop-pro/
Cost: $39.99 – $99.99 depending on version
Platforms: Windows
Page design (InDesign alternatives)
Canva
Perhaps closer to Microsoft Publisher than Adobe InDesign, offers many templates
Site: https://www.canva.com/
Cost:
Teachers and students: Free
Everyone: Free for basic version, Pro version available.
Vector graphics (Illustrator alternatives)
BoxySVG
Popular vector graphics manipulator
Site: https://boxy-svg.com/
Cost: $9/month
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux
Note: Approved for faculty/staff use only. Do not use in classrooms or student computer labs. May request an accessibility review if student use is desirable.
Affinity Photo
Includes an application for iPad for an additional cost
Site: https://affinity.serif.com
Cost: $69.99 one time, $18.49 for iPad add on
Platforms: Mac, Windows (see system requirements)
Video editing (Premiere Pro alternatives)
Note: Almost any product that uses FFMPEG, including most open source video editors, cannot be approved for use on campus due to a legal issue (patent violation).
DaVinci Resolve/DaVinci Resolve Studio
Full featured professional video editing application
Site: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/
Cost: Free for Resolve, $295 for perpetual license for Resolve Studio (all future versions at no additional cost)
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Videopad
A popular alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro
Site: https://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad
Cost: $69.95, one time charge for purchased version
Platforms: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Note: Approved for faculty/staff use only. Do not use in classrooms or student computer labs. May request an accessibility review if student use is desirable.
Camtasia
Screen recorder and video editor
Site: https://www.techsmith.com/video-editor.html
Cost: $169 for educational version, volume discounts available. This software can be purchased through Marketplace and should not be purchased on a PCard.
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Want to use an application that’s not listed above?
- All apps and software installed on university owned computers must be reviewed and approved by the university Software License Management group.
- Contact us at help@sciences.ncsu.edu and we will take care of the approval and installation processes.
- Please provide the name and version of the software and the URL to the vendor’s website.
- Let us know if you plan to have students use it as part of a class or for use by the general public because that will require an accessibility review as well. We will help with this process as well.