Photoshop is definitely best suited for the PSD file format. It saves the complete state of an image that is still being edited, allowing users to close and continue work later. When working with such images, it's a good idea to keep a copy of the PSD somewhere, just in case you need to edit the image later.
The problem is that PSD is not an open format. While PNG, JPG and BMP can be opened in almost any image editor, PSD can only be opened by certain applications that accept this file format. What is the best choice for you? Pay for an Adobe Photoshop CC subscription, or use one of the many free options below. Are these options as good as Adobe Photoshop? The answer is no. In fact, most alternative applications cannot edit PSD files. They can only view PSD as a “flat” image. That is the strength of proprietary software. But if viewing “flat” images is all you need, these options will help!
7 best ways to open PSD files
Opening PSD files is one of many ways photographers can use Canva. To do this, you just need to create a new design before dragging and dropping the PSD file. Or, choose Upload > Upload files.

You can then edit the PSD file like a normal image in Canva by changing colors, adjusting lighting, and anything else you deem necessary.
You cannot export your file from Canva as PSD. Therefore, the article recommends that you use the application to perfect, resize photos or use images in designs. Select JPEG, PNG or other suitable format to export when you're ready by going to the tab Share.
2. GIMP
Honestly, GIMP should be your first choice if you want to open and edit PSD files for free. Not only is it the best free alternative to Photoshop, but it's also available on platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux, so you can try to learn it once and use it on all systems. yours.
PSD support is built right into the app. No need to mess around with third-party plugins or anything else. Just do the following:
- Go to section File > Open.
- Find and select the PSD file you need to open.
- Click Open.
The great thing about GIMP is that it can actually process individual layers of a PSD file. The downside is that some layers are not readable with GIMP, or need to be converted to pixels for GIMP to work with them. Saving PSD format in GIMP can corrupt the file if you plan to open it again in Photoshop later.
GIMP is open source software, which comes with a number of benefits (like being able to see the source code whenever you want).
Download GIMP (Free).
Paint.NET has always been clear about what it wants to achieve: An image editor that's better than Microsoft Paint without being too cumbersome or intimidating like learning GIMP and Adobe Photoshop. It is average.
But if you want to make it more powerful, you can install various third-party plugins. And if you're going to do that, there's one plugin you should absolutely use: PSD Plugin.
- Download the PSD plugin (Free).
- Extract the contents of the ZIP file.
- Copy the file PhotoShop.dll.
- Navigate to the installation directory Paint.NET (in this example, that folder is located at C:/Program Files/paint.net).
- Paste the file PhotoShop.dll into the subfolder FileTypes.
- Launch Paint.NET.
With the plugin installed, you will be able to open PSD files without any trouble. Note that although Paint.NET can usually handle PSD layers very well, you will occasionally encounter some problems because Paint.NET does not support all Photoshop features.
4. Photopea Online Editor
If you have never heard of Photopea.com before, now is the time to learn about it. This little-known web application is essentially like an online version of Adobe Photoshop or GIMP. In reality, it's clear that web apps can rarely compare to desktop apps, but this is still a useful tool nonetheless.
The steps in Photopea are similar to those in Photoshop or GIMP, so you will immediately feel familiar with its interface. Want to open PSD files? It's easy! Do the following:
- Go to section File > Open.
- Find and select the PSD file you want to open.
- Click Open.
And the interesting thing is that Photopea can read each individual layer. This is probably a feature that many users never thought would appear in a free web application. It's amazing, allowing you to edit your PSD without any cost, no matter where you are. Just use it with any computer. For more information on how to edit photos with Photopea, please refer to the article: How to use Photopea to edit photos online.
5. Google Drive
It may seem strange to use Google Drive as a file viewer, but you can absolutely do it and the good news is that it works quite well. See the articles about Google Drive above Quantrimang to learn more about this tool, but it's important to know that PSDs are viewable through Google Drive on the web. Do the following:
- Visit the Google Drive page.
- Click MyDrive and choose Upload files…
- Find and select the PSD file you want to open.
- Click Open.
- Double-click the file to view its contents.
There are several other methods you can use to upload images to Google Drive, but this is the easiest if you only want to view a single file. When should you use Google Drive to open PSD files? Maybe when you are not on your PC and cannot install any other software.

Convertio lets you convert PSD files to other formats like PNG and JPG, but unlike Canva, you can't edit your photos. However, this is an ideal tool if you have finished editing or just want to view the file.
- Click Choose Files.
- Navigate and select your PSD file.
- Choose a new file format.
- Click Convert.
- Once conversion is complete, click Download.
File conversion won't take more than a few minutes, and everything you convert will be stored online for 24 hours. You don't need to register an account; This converter is free.

If you're a Mac user, you don't need to download any software – you already have a built-in PSD file opener. The Preview app will open the PSD quite easily.
- Find your PSD file and right click on it.
- Select Open With > Preview.

You can make minor edits and save to different formats, but any PSD files you open in Preview will be flattened. So you will lose the layer information in the file. Keep this in mind if you plan to edit the photo later; creating a copy might be a better idea.
These solutions definitely work, so if you're happy with them, keep using them. But if you plan to do serious PSD editing in the future, you should really consider purchasing an Adobe Photoshop CC subscription.
You can choose GIMP for a similar price, but again, the tool has certain limitations compared to Photoshop. GIMP is pretty good for the average user, but objectively speaking, Photoshop is better. See our comparison article Quantrimang about GIMP and Photoshop for more details.
Wish you success!
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