Adobe has been the industry standard for years because few other free programs can measure up. One of those solid competitors is Photopea, which offers many similar tools with the same capabilities for free. But its true strength lies in its hidden capabilities; a handful of advanced tools that put the program on par with Photoshop. I think these tools deserve to be spotlighted.

6 Puppet Warp

Warp and distort specific parts of your image

One of the most underrated features in Photopea is the Puppet Warp tool, which I thought was unique to Photoshop when I first got into editing. This tool allows for complex and very precise manipulation of images. You can warp and distort specific parts of an image, which can be utilized to fix perspective issues caused by the camera lens or angle. It can also be used to create unique effects, such as turning straight lines into interesting-looking squiggles.

You'll find it by going to Edit -> Puppet Warp. Make sure you have the Move tool selected, then start pinning dots on your image in the areas you want to warp. By clicking and dragging the dots, your image will start warping. The toolbar at the top allows you to adjust the warp settings, such as density and expansion size.

5 Vanishing Point

Add elements to your subjects with the right perspective

Depending on what version of Photoshop you use, you might not be able to access its Vanishing Point filter anymore. It was removed as part of the removal of the Legacy 3D features, and instead, the launch of Substance 3D gave users more advanced 3D features, but you need to install the Substance 3D viewer to access them. I can't be bothered to do this, so I use Photopea's Vanishing Point for free (found via Filter -> Vanishing Point).

Vanishing Point is for adding a perspective layer within an image. It lets you define an area in the image and then place elements on specific subjects. For example, if there's a wall in your image, it lets you create a grid where you can place text with the right perspective in relation to the wall.

There are different ways to utilize the Vanishing Point tool. Still, I simply copy my element from the editing window and paste it into the Vanishing Point window. This tool is like a shortcut to perspective editing.

4 Vector masks

Scale your shape masks without losing quality

Vector masking is something even many paid editors lack, so some Photopea users might not realize they have access to it for free. Unlike traditional raster masking that becomes blurry when resized, vector masks use precise paths that let you reshape and scale them infinitely without losing quality. This non-destructive editing ability is perfect for creating crisp, editable designs that require sharp edges, such as logos.

All you need to do is draw your shape using the Pen tool and go to Layer -> Vector Mask -> Current Path. From there, you can continue editing and making adjustments without worrying about your design getting blurry.

3 The "Snap To" tools

Align elements with precision

The Snap To tools are incredibly useful for aligning your design elements with precision. Photopea's snap tools include Guides, Grid, Layers, and Documents Bounds. Guides and Grids provide a visual framework for consistent spacing and alignments. Layers lets you snap objects to nearby layers, which is good for placing multiple elements relative to one another. And Document Bounds lets you snap to the edges of your canvas.

Utilizing the Snap To tools is easy. Go to View -> Snap to enable snapping. Then go to View again and tick the applicable snapping tools. Toggle these as you need throughout your workflow; it will streamline everything by reducing misalignment.

2 Smart Object editing

Work on Smart Objects without any issue

This one is not exactly a hidden feature, but it's most certainly an underappreciated one. Unlike Photoshop's most popular alternative, GIMP, Photopea does support Smart Object editing. Whereas GIMP will typically rasterize or flatten Smart Objects, Photopea preserves them, allowing you to continue working on them without a hitch. This is a big deal for anyone who is used to Photoshop's layer system.

You can import your PSD file and edit the Smart Objects right away, and also convert existing layers to Smart Objects by right-clicking and selecting Convert to Smart Object. They work the same as in Photoshop, letting you edit non-destructively and also link assets.

1 The Noise filters

Fix the flaws with one click

Photopea's Noise filters might not seem like much, and they're not quite as advanced as Photoshop's, but they're more powerful than we give them credit for. These filters are valuable assets for getting a clean and polished look on your images without painstakingly trying to fix every error manually. They let you remove artifacts like chroma noise and grain in one click.

Head to Filter -> Noise to find Photopea's collection of Noise filters — they include Add Noise, Despeckle, Dust & Scratches, Median, and Reduce Noise. Each of these filters is designed for specific issues you might find in an image, and it does a pretty good job of correcting them. They're especially useful for fixing up old digitized photographs.

Photopea deserves a spot in your editing toolbox

Photopea may not boast the same long-standing reputation as Photoshop, but these nifty hidden features really elevate its capabilities, making it a powerful Photoshop competitor. With tools like Puppet Warp, Vanishing Point, and Smart Object editing, you get a surprising depth of functionality that rivals industry standards.