Can GIMP Do It? 100+ Photoshop Features Checked
A searchable, honest database of Photoshop features and their GIMP equivalents, workarounds, or plugins. Use the filters below to find what you need — no marketing spin, just the real answer.
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104+
Features Checked
51
Work Natively
7
Via Plugin
32
Workaround / Limited
14
Not Possible
| Photoshop Feature | GIMP Equivalent / Workaround | Category | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Magic Wand (Select by Color) | Select by Color tool | Selection | Yes | |
| Quick Selection | Fuzzy Select (lasso) | Selection | Yes | Similar to Quick Selection with threshold control |
| Select and Mask workspace | Refine Edge via Colors > Color to Alpha + mask refinement | Selection | Workaround | |
| Object Selection (AI) | No native equivalent | Selection | No | Requires GIMP 3.x with AI plugins |
| Grow / Shrink / Feather Selection | Select > Grow / Shrink / Feather | Selection | Yes | |
| Save Selection as Channel | Select > Save to Channel | Selection | Yes | |
| Color Range Selection | Select > By Color | Selection | Yes | |
| Rectangular / Elliptical Marquee | Rectangle / Ellipse Select | Selection | Yes | |
| Lasso / Magnetic Lasso | Free Select / Scissors Select | Selection | Yes | |
| Inverse Selection | Select > Invert | Selection | Yes | |
| Layer Groups | Layer Groups (since GIMP 2.8) | Layers & Masking | Yes | |
| Layer Masks | Layer Masks | Layers & Masking | Yes | |
| Clipping Masks | Clipping Layers (since GIMP 2.10) | Layers & Masking | Yes | |
| Smart Objects | No direct equivalent | Layers & Masking | Workaround | Use linked layers or XCF groups |
| Adjustment Layers | No native adjustment layers | Layers & Masking | Workaround | Use GEGL operations or Script-Fu |
| Layer Effects (Drop Shadow etc) | Script-Fu drop shadow, Filters > Light and Shadow | Layers & Masking | Workaround | |
| Non-destructive filters | Available in GIMP 3.2+ | Layers & Masking | Limited | Only for specific filter types in 3.2 |
| Pass-through blend mode on groups | Yes since GIMP 2.10.18 | Layers & Masking | Yes | |
| Blend modes (all 27+) | Full blend mode support | Layers & Masking | Yes | |
| Layer Comps | No equivalent | Layers & Masking | No | |
| Artboards | No equivalent | Layers & Masking | No | |
| Link / Lock layers | Lock Layer (position, alpha, visibility) | Layers & Masking | Yes | |
| Curves | Colors > Curves | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Levels | Colors > Levels | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Hue / Saturation | Colors > Hue-Saturation | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Color Balance | Colors > Color Balance | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Vibrance | No direct Vibrance | Color & Tone | Workaround | Use Hue-Saturation selectively or GEGL Saturation |
| Selective Color | Colors > Selective Color | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Channel Mixer | Colors > Components > Channel Mixer | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Gradient Map | Colors > Map > Gradient Map | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Color Lookup (LUT) | GEGL LUT operations / Hald CLUTs via Script-Fu | Color & Tone | Plugin | G'MIC plugin has LUT support |
| Black & White (advanced) | Colors > Desaturate > By Luminosity, or Channel Mixer method | Color & Tone | Workaround | |
| Shadow / Highlights | Colors > Shadows-Highlights | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Photo Filter | Colors > Color Balance or Color Tint | Color & Tone | Workaround | |
| Exposure | Colors > Exposure (GEGL) | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| CMYK mode | Partial CMYK via Separate+ plugin | Color & Tone | Plugin | Separate+ plugin for CMYK output |
| Lab color mode | Edit > Convert to Color Profile | Color & Tone | Limited | Conversion only, not native editing mode |
| 16-bit and 32-bit per channel | Full support since GIMP 2.10 | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| HDR editing | Yes via GEGL pipeline | Color & Tone | Yes | |
| Healing Brush | Heal Tool | Retouching & Healing | Yes | |
| Patch Tool | No direct equivalent | Retouching & Healing | Workaround | Clone + Heal combination |
| Content-Aware Fill | Resynthesizer plugin | Retouching & Healing | Plugin | Install Resynthesizer, use Heal Selection |
| Content-Aware Move | No equivalent | Retouching & Healing | No | |
| Clone Stamp | Clone Tool | Retouching & Healing | Yes | |
| Red Eye Reduction | Filters > Enhance > Red Eye Removal | Retouching & Healing | Yes | |
| Liquify | Filters > Distorts > IWarp (interactive warp) | Retouching & Healing | Yes | Less powerful than Liquify but covers basics |
| Warp Transform | Warp Transform tool | Retouching & Healing | Yes | |
| Smudge | Smudge Tool | Retouching & Healing | Yes | |
| Dodge / Burn | Dodge and Burn tools | Retouching & Healing | Yes | |
| Frequency Separation | Manual method with High Pass filter approach | Retouching & Healing | Workaround | See GIMP.cc frequency separation tutorial |
| Face-Aware Liquify | No equivalent | Retouching & Healing | No | |
| Neural Filter | No equivalent | Retouching & Healing | No | AI features not built into GIMP |
| Sky Replacement (AI) | No equivalent | Retouching & Healing | No | |
| Text Tool | Text Tool | Text & Typography | Yes | |
| Character / Paragraph Styles | No style system | Text & Typography | Limited | Basic font/size/spacing controls only |
| Text on Path | Filters > Text > Text along Path | Text & Typography | Yes | |
| Warp Text | Script-Fu text effects | Text & Typography | Workaround | |
| OpenType features | Limited OpenType support | Text & Typography | Limited | |
| Multiple text threads | Each text layer is independent | Text & Typography | Limited | |
| Find / Replace text | No find/replace | Text & Typography | No | |
| Smart Sharpen | Filters > Enhance > Unsharp Mask / Sharpen | Filters & Effects | Yes | |
| Surface Blur | Filters > Blur > Selective Gaussian Blur | Filters & Effects | Yes | |
| Gaussian Blur | Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur | Filters & Effects | Yes | |
| Motion Blur | Filters > Blur > Motion Blur | Filters & Effects | Yes | |
| Lens Blur | Filters > Blur > Focus Blur | Filters & Effects | Yes | |
| Radial Blur | Filters > Blur > Zoom Motion Blur | Filters & Effects | Yes | |
| Lens Correction | Filters > Distorts > Lens Distortion | Filters & Effects | Limited | |
| Camera Raw / Adobe Raw | No equivalent | Filters & Effects | Workaround | Use RawTherapee or darktable to process RAW first |
| Perspective Warp | Perspective Transform + Cage Transform | Filters & Effects | Workaround | |
| Emboss | Filters > Distorts > Emboss | Filters & Effects | Yes | |
| Oil Paint | G'MIC has oilify filter | Filters & Effects | Plugin | Install G'MIC plugin |
| HDR Tone Mapping | Colors > Tone Mapping (GEGL) | Filters & Effects | Yes | |
| Neural filters / AI upscale | No native | Filters & Effects | Plugin | GIMP 3.x supports some AI plugins |
| High Pass filter | Filters > Enhance > Unsharp Mask at 0 strength | Filters & Effects | Workaround | Script-Fu method available |
| Photomerge / Panorama | Hugin (external) | Filters & Effects | Workaround | Use Hugin then open result in GIMP |
| PSD open / save | Yes, read/write PSD | File Formats | Yes | Some advanced features (Smart Objects) may not transfer |
| RAW (CR2, NEF, ARW) | Via GIMP RAW import plugin or pre-process externally | File Formats | Plugin | Use RawTherapee/darktable for full RAW control |
| HEIC / HEIF | Yes since GIMP 2.10.22+ | File Formats | Yes | |
| WebP | Yes since GIMP 2.10+ | File Formats | Yes | |
| AVIF | GIMP 3.x with libavif | File Formats | Limited | Support depends on build |
| TIFF (16/32-bit) | Yes | File Formats | Yes | |
| PDF export (multi-page) | File > Export As > PDF (single page only) | File Formats | Limited | Multi-page PDF needs Script-Fu |
| SVG import | Yes (import as raster) | File Formats | Limited | Imports as rasterized image, not editable paths |
| EPS / AI | Import only, no native editing | File Formats | Limited | |
| Actions (recorded macros) | Script-Fu macros / Procedure recording | Automation | Workaround | No GUI macro recorder; must write Script-Fu manually |
| Batch processing | Script-Fu batch scripts | Automation | Workaround | No GUI batch processor; use Script-Fu or BIMP plugin |
| Droplets | No equivalent | Automation | Workaround | Script-Fu scripts can be run from command line |
| Variables / Data-Driven Graphics | No equivalent | Automation | No | |
| BIMP batch plugin | BIMP (Batch Image Manipulation Plugin) | Automation | Plugin | Free plugin with GUI batch processing |
| Brush dynamics | Full brush dynamics | Drawing & Painting | Yes | |
| Mixer Brush | No equivalent | Drawing & Painting | Limited | Smudge + Color Burn blend mode approach |
| Pattern Stamp | Clone with patterns | Drawing & Painting | Workaround | |
| History Brush | No equivalent | Drawing & Painting | No | GIMP's undo history doesn't allow painting from history state |
| Art History Brush | No equivalent | Drawing & Painting | No | |
| Pencil / Brush / Airbrush | All present | Drawing & Painting | Yes | |
| Custom brushes | Full custom brush support (.gbr, .gih) | Drawing & Painting | Yes | |
| MyPaint brushes | Yes since GIMP 2.10 | Drawing & Painting | Yes | |
| Symmetry painting | Yes since GIMP 2.10 | Drawing & Painting | Yes | |
| 3D extrusion | No native 3D | 3D & Advanced | No | |
| 3D text | Script-Fu workarounds or Inkscape | 3D & Advanced | Workaround | |
| Timeline / Video editing | No native video | 3D & Advanced | No | Use GIMP for frame editing, Kdenlive for video |
| Panorama stitching | Via Hugin external tool | 3D & Advanced | Workaround | |
| Focus stacking | Via Enfuse external tool | 3D & Advanced | Workaround | |
| Generative Fill (AI) | No native AI generation | 3D & Advanced | No | GIMP 3.x plugin ecosystem growing |
How to Read This Table
Each entry in the database gets one of five status labels. Here's what they mean:
Yes
Native GIMP feature
GIMP has this built in and it works essentially the same as Photoshop.
Plugin
Available via free plugin
Not built in, but a free plugin adds this capability. Usually one install, then it works.
Workaround
Achievable with extra steps
No direct equivalent, but you can get the same result using a combination of tools or an external application.
Limited
Partial support
GIMP has something similar but with meaningful limitations — missing options, version restrictions, or reduced quality.
No
Not currently possible
There is no known way to replicate this in GIMP right now. Typically AI-dependent features or architectural gaps.
The Honest Assessment
GIMP covers roughly 80% of what most Photoshop users actually do. The core editing toolkit — selection tools, layer management, color correction, healing, filters, and custom brushes — is fully capable and handles everyday photo editing, graphic design, and illustration without compromise.
The gaps are real but narrow. If your work involves native CMYK workflows, complex Smart Object pipelines, AI-powered features like Generative Fill or Neural Filters, or professional video-layer compositing, Photoshop remains the stronger tool. But if you're a photographer, hobbyist, educator, student, or open-source advocate, GIMP handles the workflow well — and it's completely free.
GIMP 3.x closes the gap further with improved non-destructive editing via GEGL, better layer effects, expanded blend mode compatibility, and a growing plugin ecosystem that includes early AI integration. The trajectory is clearly upward.
Bottom line: For the 14 features listed as "Not Possible," most are AI-powered Photoshop-exclusive features added in 2021-2024. For the core image editing tasks photographers and designers do daily, GIMP gets the job done — and the plugin ecosystem fills many remaining gaps for free.