When I find a free graphics editing app, I have to try it, and unfortunately, most of them don’t last long. They either feel too stripped down to be useful or too clunky to replace the paid tools they’re mimicking. But every now and then, one of these apps stands out.

That’s been my experience with Photopea. It runs in your browser, opens PSDs natively, and handles advanced features like masking, blending, and smart objects without a hitch. It’s my go-to for any project that requires Photoshop-level editing. Here’s why Photopea keeps beating the rest of the free design tools, and the kinds of edits I’ve been able to pull off with it.

Realistic mockups

Turn any flat design into a realistic product shot

Photopea has all the tools you need for realistic product mockups. Here, I added a pattern to an aluminum tube the same way I would have in Photoshop. I started by using the selection tools to create a new layer mask in the shape of the tube. The Lasso tool comes in super handy for detailed selections of real objects. Then I created a new fill layer that would hold the pattern, and converted it into a Smart Object.

Smart Objects is what made this edit possible, which isn’t a feature you’ll find in many other free graphics tools. This makes Photopea one of the few truly non-destructive editors out there. I imported my pattern and created a clipping mask to apply the pattern. Once the Smart Object was updated, I went back to the layer mask and played around with the blending options until the light and shadows looked more realistic.

The end result was a clean mockup that looked like it came out of Photoshop, but was done in my browser and entirely for free. This process applies to any object you want to add an image or pattern to, not just products.

Double exposures and composites

Mask and blend just about anything

Double exposures are one of the oldest editing techniques, but I still love creating and applying them in new ways. The Photopea toolkit handles this like child’s play. I started by using the Magic Wand tool to select the background and remove it (hold Shift to remove multiple parts at once). You can also use the Remove BG or Select Subject features, but keep in mind that they require watching a 5-second ad or donating to Photopea. Then I imported my second image and made it a clipping mask.

From there on, you can adjust the mask however you want. I wanted this cityscape pattern to show up on the blue parts of the Spider-Man suit, so I added an adjustment layer to erase part of the mask with a black brush and played around with the blending. This is not the most innovative edit, but you get the idea. These techniques can be used for masking and blending just about anything to create silhouettes, reflections, and other types of composites.

Texture and perspective edits

Making text hug the surface of real-world objects

Another one of my favorite things to edit is textured text on real objects. First, I started by adding and customizing my text using the Text tool — here I just went with a Poster font in a white color. After copying the text pixels, it was time to make perspective adjustments, which is what Vanishing Point is for. This feature lets you create a plane at the same angle and perspective as whichever object you select in the photo. I pasted my text onto the shipping container at that same, slightly backward angle.

For the texture, all you have to do is play around with the blending options, found in the effects icon on the bottom panel. Hold Alt and drag the Background sliders until you get some texture. This method is applicable beyond text — it’s very handy for poster illustrations, mockups, and anything where you want an object to take on the texture of the object underneath it.

Image refinement

The everyday corrections and enhancements

Lastly, for the non-editors who just need a free tool to refine their images, Photopea has you covered. I had recently acquired a little dent in my wall after moving a bookcase. So when I take a picture of my computer screen in front of this wall now, I remove the dent with Photopea’s Spot Healing tool. The lighting in this room is also very warm-toned, so I use the Color and Levels adjustments to change the hue to something more neutral.

These tools can be used for any real-life photos with objects or people, the same way you’d use Lightroom or Photoshop to level up your shots. Photopea has those same features to produce high-quality corrections and enhancements.

Photopea reigns supreme

I’ve tried dozens of free graphics apps, but most of them fall short when you start pushing beyond basic editing. Photopea is different — it’s not just a “good enough” Photoshop alternative; it’s a fully stacked graphics app that happens to be free. Between Smart Objects, adjustment layers, blending modes, and Vanishing Point, it keeps proving itself in real creative work, and I've only scratched the surface with these editing styles. It’s more than versatile enough to handle advanced graphics projects, yet also familiar and easy to use, and that’s why it keeps beating all the options I’ve tried.