Photopea runs in your browser, opens .psd files cleanly, and looks almost exactly like Photoshop. For people who occasionally need to edit a PSD a designer sent them, it’s the cheapest path that doesn’t require relearning anything.

What you gain

• Layers, masks, adjustment layers, smart objects, all the familiar Photoshop names
• Reads .psd, .ai, .sketch, .xd, .fig formats with surprisingly good fidelity
• Zero install, runs anywhere with a browser, including Chromebooks
• Free tier with light ads, premium removes them

What you give up

It’s web-based, so no offline access and no integration with native macOS or Windows tools. No Generative Fill or Photoshop’s AI features. Performance on huge files (4K+ multi-layer composites) lags the native app. The free tier shows ads in the sidebar.

The math

Photopea is free with ads or $40/year ad-free as Photopea Premium. Photoshop is $263/year as a single app or $120/year on the Photography plan.

Who should switch

Anyone who opens a PSD a few times a month and doesn’t need Adobe AI. The familiar UI means almost no retraining. If your daily work is in Photoshop or you depend on Generative Fill, Photopea won’t replace it yet.