I think GIMP is still limited to 8-bit, though.
Nope.
// Here comes the novella.. // 8-bit what, pixel mapping,; color support; flying monkeys ?
I can do pretty much anything in GIMP that can be done in Photoshop. (I've used CS5 & CS6, until I kicked Doze to the curb)
Hell, GIMP even does some things better than Photoshop, and things Photoshop can't, just depending on what you want to do.
The PS color engine pretty much beats anything else if you need extremely high definition, for example, printing high def., large posters.
But, you can import ICC color profiles into GIMP if you need to preview, or print to CMYK.
(As far as I'm concerned, the color engine and if you're a professional graphic artist - the PS customer support, are the only advantages of PS. Yes, you can do multi layer effects much easier in PS, but they can also be done in GIMP. )
PS is more for professional graphics designers that want plug and play. GIMP is more for photo editing, and those that want to learn.
Both support a plethora of plugins. For me though, PS is a bloated program.
I use color to alpha, and layers, quite a bit in GIMP. In fact, I find the color to alpha (not available in PS, as far as I know,) indispensable.
Here...
https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/114222/q-gimp-vs-photoshopSince GIMP ver. 2.10:
" High bit depth support allows processing images with up to 32-bit per color channel precision and open/export PSD, TIFF, PNG, EXR, and RGBE files in their native fidelity. Additionally,
FITS images can be opened with up to 64-bit per channel precision. "
https://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-2.10.htmlWhat it comes down to , is what are you going to use the program for.
If you need native CMYK support, go with PS (and be forced into a proprietary product made by a company notorious for security flaws).
If you want (or need) integration with other adobe tools, PS is for you also. Pay the price.
BUT, GIMP is adding native CMYK support soon.
You can also add ICC color profiles in GIMP for CMYK support ever since GIMP 2.3.
GIMP does run better on a 'nix system than on Doze, though, (but XP was the last Doze system I used GIMP on as a daily driver, so there probably have been improvements.) Any native program will generally run better than one that is ported.
Both programs have a steep learning curve, but are loaded with features.
Additional comparisons:
PS Pros: Cons:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Integrates with other Adobe products. Proprietary - can disappear at any time.
You can be hit with additional costs for updates.
Built for professional designers - Forced upgrades.
full product support. Expensive.
Dedicated team of developers. Resource hog - you need a powerful system to run it.
Minimum of 2 GB RAM (8 GB recommended,) and it cannot run on a case
4 healing tools. sensitive file-systems. (Doze & Mac only)
3D features are disabled on computers having less than 512MB of VRAM
RAW (file support ( plugin)). No longer supports 32-bit operating systems.
Non-destructive editing. Needs an Internet connection to activate the software.
Native CMYK support. Certain features won't work without a dedicated graphics processor.
(3D, Oil Paint, Render – Flame, Picture Frame, and Tree,
Wide range of online tutorials. Scrubby Zoom, Birds Eye View, Flick Panning, & Smooth Brush Resizing)
Content aware tools. Latest versions are subscription only.
Affinity Photo is giving PS, competition - for a one time fee.
(Best for casual users)
Can handle both Raster and Vector graphics. Batch editing is convoluted, but can be done.
Video editing tools. Needs 'Bridge' for asset management
========================================================================================================
GIMP Pros: Cons:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free, open source, and completely hackable. Lacks adjustment layers (non-destructive editing - but coming in future versions -
Roadmap .
(Using Python scripts)
Content aware fill (plugin). Needs some tweaking to get CMYK support working.
Modular & single window interface Less plugins, and some may be quirky.
Light weight. Raster graphics only. (Use Inkscape for Vectors)
(can run from a flash drive)
A truly stand-alone program. Steep learning curve.
Beginner-friendly. (Lots of online tutorials) Unintuitive interface if you are used to PS, or Mac.
Can import PS brushes (plugin).
Cross-Platform.
The most powerful, free editor around.
(Newer versions allow dedicated memory allocation.)
Can use certain PS plugins.
(Support not guaranteed)
Excellent transparency support.
Excellent RAW file support.
Can export to CMYK (plugin).
Can be run on older systems.
Simple image conversion. (Export as...)
Designed for image editing.
Full Channel support.
PDF import (plugin) - including password-protected files.
Batch Processing.
In program editing, of Exif, XMP, IPTC, GPS, and DICOM metadata.
(Can set defaults to preserving or not preserving metadata in all affected file format plug-ins at once.
This is excellent for preserving your privacy, or adding copywrite info, if you post pictures online.)
WORK-AROUND:
As far as non destructive file management goes, there is a way to do it .
(I see this mentioned on so many comparisons between PS and GIMP - it's annoying.)
(It seems people have no imagination or problem solving abilities - it's simple with a little experimentation and research.)
Simply 'Save As...' or 'Export' under a
different file name, and then upon closing, do
NOT save changes - they are already in the saved / exported (Save as...) XCF file, or the (Exported) image.
OR...
Create a copy of the image you want to work on, and open that one in GIMP.
Not too hard to figure out, eh ?
GIMP 2.10 release notes (Features) .====================================================================================================
Probably the best comparison article I've seen to help you decide which is best for you...
(Although they get some stuff wrong - as mentioned above.)
https://expertphotography.com/gimp-vs-photoshop/ From 2011 - answers the bit support question from that time.
...and " ...most users have reported that they rarely feel the absence of this feature."
( GIMP 2/10.x has 32 bit depth, if it's important for your work-flow.)
https://www.unixmen.com/13-reasons-to-choose-gimp-over-photoshop/