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Add to SafariWhen comparing GIMP vs VSCO Cam, the Slant community recommends GIMP for most people. In the question“What are the best apps to edit photos before posting on Instagram?” GIMP is ranked 2nd while VSCO Cam is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose GIMP is:
GIMP is completely free and open source, meaning you can use GIMP and all of its features without spending a penny. This makes it an excellent case for artists or designers who may not have the budget to spend over 700 USD on Photoshop. It is also available for free on Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It's licensed under GPL with source code available [here](http://www.gimp.org/source/).
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Free, open source and cross-platform
GIMP is completely free and open source, meaning you can use GIMP and all of its features without spending a penny. This makes it an excellent case for artists or designers who may not have the budget to spend over 700 USD on Photoshop. It is also available for free on Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It's licensed under GPL with source code available here.
Pro Powerful
GIMP is the most feature rich free image editing tool. It has most image manipulation and workflow tools that you would expect from an image editing software and what it lacks it makes up with plugins.
Pro Content-aware tools with a plugin
There's a content-aware fill plugin available for GIMP.
Pro Modular & single-window interface options
By default GIMP splits out each window, but you can check to use the one screen mode in options if you prefer.
Pro Lightweight
Compared to to other photo editing software, GIMP is very light weight. In addition it isn't very resource-intensive, meaning you can put it on a flash drive and have it with you to load up on just about any computer.
Pro Beginner-friendly
Gimp has less features than programs like Photoshop, but for a beginner, or someone not needing complicated options, Gimp is the perfect choice. It allows you to quickly do basic photo manipulation so you can easily get the product you need without having to worry about complicated features getting in the way.
Pro Full channel support
Pro Adjustable filter intensity
Any filter can be applied on a scale of 1-12 and filters can be applied in layers over each other.
Pro Easy and polished UI
The VSCO cam has a minimalistic approach to the interface. The color scheme is mostly black and grey, and many buttons don't have labels.
Pro Option to tap any part of the screen to take a photo
With VSCO cam, a mode can be selected where a photo can be taken by touching anywhere on the screen, not just one specific button.
Pro 15 in app tools
This app has many of the tools users expect and more. These include exposure, temperature, contrast, saturation, sharpening, and more.
Pro Social media integration
VSCO Cam integrates with Titter, Instagram, Facebook, and G+ for quick sharing.
Pro In-app camera roll
The VSCO camera roll can be kept separate from the primary one, or combined.
Pro High quality filters
Pro Optional social network
VSCO Cam has an in-app sharing platform, but it doesn't force users to join. For those who opt in, the experience is much like Instagram but without spammy likes or ads.
Cons
Con Unintuitive interface
GIMP doesn't embrace OS X application design, thus Mac users might have a hard time wrapping their heads around GIMP's interface.
Con Less features than other programs
Being a free program, it shouldn't be surprising that it has limited features. For those needing more advanced features for something more professional, GIMP just isn't for you.
Con Lacks adjustment layers
Adjustment layers offer a non-destructive way of combining different photo manipulations. Without adjustment layers the only way to see changes is by irreversibly editing the image.
They are promised in future updates.
Con Poor performance
Con Lack of direction
Instead of doing a great job at one thing, this app spreads the focus over a number of mediocre features. Overall, everything is good, but this app doesn't stand out.
