# GIMP

Application: GIMP team

Also called gnu image manipulation program, gimp editor

GIMP team, Creative

A free raster editor. gimp.exe is the process. XCF is the native document. It is not Photoshop.

## What you need to know

GIMP is a free raster editor. XCF is native. It is not Photoshop.

GIMP edits pixels under a GPL license. Photoshop is Adobe's paid editor with a PSD document. Opening a PSD in GIMP does not install Photoshop.exe.

- **What is it?**: A free raster editor

  **Is it Photoshop?**: No. XCF is native, not PSD

  **Cost?**: Free. GPL

Feex says

If gimp.exe is the process, that is GIMP, not Photoshop. I would look at the XCF before I blamed Creative Cloud.

## What is GIMP?

GIMP is an open-source raster editor. Layers live in an XCF file. The Windows executable is gimp.exe.

## If you have never used it

GIMP is a free raster image editor. XCF is the native document. It is not Photoshop and it does not use a Creative Cloud login. Download the Windows build from gimp.org/downloads. A PSD can open. That does not make this Adobe Photoshop.

## What is it used for?

**Photo retouch**

Crop, heal, and color a camera file. Photoshop can do this too. The file and the license are different.

**Layer composites**

Stack images in an XCF. A PSD import is a compatibility path, not a Creative Cloud document.

**Export for web**

Write JPEG, PNG, or WebP. Save XCF if you still need layers.

## Who is it for?

- People who want a free raster editor
- Students who were told not to buy Photoshop
- Anyone who saw gimp.exe and thought it was Adobe

## Current status

GIMP (1996) is a current free raster editor from GIMP team. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.gimp.org/downloads/.

## How old is it?

GIMP started in 1996 as the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is older than many Creative Cloud apps and it is still a separate project. Current Windows builds are 2.10 and the 3.x line. Neither is Photoshop.

## Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Current Windows build

## System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

### Minimum

| Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| RAM              | 2 GB class machines run it. Large files want more, per GIMP docs     |

## Resource profile

- **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app

  **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

## Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

| gimp.exe | Main Windows executable |
| -------- | ----------------------- |

## Startup components

GIMP does not need to start with Windows.

## File locations

| Typical install | C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\\ |
| --------------- | ------------------------- |

## File formats

XCF, JPEG, PNG, PSD

## Common problems

### Expected Photoshop brushes and Firefly

Those are Adobe features. GIMP has its own brush engine. It is not a Creative Cloud clone.

### XCF will not open at a print shop

Export TIFF or PDF. XCF is the working file, not a press delivery format.

## Getting unstuck

### Confirm gimp.exe

Program Files\GIMP is the app. A gimp.exe in Downloads next to a crack is not the official build.

### Install from gimp.org

The official Windows installer is on gimp.org/downloads. Store reskins can lag.

### Reset the tool dock if the UI vanished

Windows > Recently Closed Docks. This is not a Photoshop workspace.

## Alternatives

Krita, Paint.NET, and Affinity Photo overlap. Photoshop is the paid Adobe sibling, not this project.

## Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

| Download      | [www.gimp.org/downloads/ ](https://www.gimp.org/downloads/)Official installer or vendor page |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Help          | [docs.gimp.org/ ](https://docs.gimp.org/)Vendor support                                      |
| Official site | [www.gimp.org/ ](https://www.gimp.org/)Start here, not a random exe host                     |

## Related hardware

RAM follows image size. A dedicated GPU is optional. GIMP is not a Feex sensor.

## Technical details

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[Adobe Photoshop: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/adobe-photoshop)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [GIMP official site ](https://www.gimp.org/)· Vendor product page
- [GIMP help ](https://docs.gimp.org/)· Vendor support
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

## Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.

Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Developer**: GIMP team

  **Category**: Free raster editor

  **Process**: gimp.exe

  **License**: GPL-3.0

  **First released**: 1996

  **Official site**: [gimp.org](https://www.gimp.org/)

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

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Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/gimp/)

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