Design
Photopea
Provenance unknown Report an error0–5 in half steps. 5 means the rubric's top anchor is met on the evidence.
by Photopea · www.photopea.com
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Photopea at a glance
- Vendor
- Photopea
- Headquarters
- Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 3 Nov 2026
- Data hosting
- Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 3 Nov 2026
- Free plan
- Yes, per the vendor’s own page source, captured 3 Nov 2026
- Panel verdict
- The AI panel rates Photopea 2/5, the mean of 6 judges. Photopea is a browser-based image editor whose scoring concentrates on one strength: file ownership and portability at 6-8, the highest band awarded. how scores are made
- As of
- Vendor pages captured 3 Nov 2026; evaluated by the panel 4 Nov 2026. all sources
Read this page as one judge. Each weighs the same scores by what they care about.
The panel's verdict
Photopea is a browser-based image editor whose scoring concentrates on one strength: file ownership and portability at 6-8, the highest band awarded. PSD is the main format with full opening and saving, imports span Figma, INDD, CDR, AI, EPS and 40 other formats, and the vendor states there are no uploads — files run on your device and never leave it. Everything team-facing sits at the bottom: collaboration and handoff scores 0-1 and brand asset governance 0, the captured page describing a single-user editor with no sharing, comments, permissions or handoff views documented. Design and prototyping sits at 3 — deep editor craft in layers, masks, smart objects and Liquify, with reusable components, tokens and prototypes not described. Sovereignty scores range 0-3: some judges declined to score for want of public information, others crediting proven on-device processing; we found no public information on the contracting entity, a DPA or subprocessors. AI and content rights scores 2-3, with no public information on training or commercial-use rights. Pricing appears only as the free tier — "Enjoy all the premium features without spending a dime."
Speaks for it
- PSD is the main format with full opening and saving, so finished files leave with layer structure intact.
- Imports span Figma, INDD, CDR, AI, EPS and 40 other formats, plus nine RAW camera formats from DNG to FFF.
- Runs in the browser with no installation, processing locally on your CPU and GPU with no uploads, so the vendor never holds working files.
- Editing depth covers layers, masks, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels, paths, vector editing, Liquify and Puppet Warp.
Held against it
- Collaboration and handoff scores 0-1, with no public information on sharing, comments, guest access or a developer handoff view.
- Brand asset governance scores 0, with no public information on a shared brand library, templates or licence metadata.
- Design and prototyping sits at 3, with reusable components, tokens and clickable prototypes not described on the captured page.
- AI and content rights scores 2-3, with no public information on model providers, training on customer content, admin controls or commercial-use rights for generated output.
- Sovereignty attributes on record: none — we found no public information on the contracting entity, a DPA or subprocessors, though editing is proven to run on the customer's device.
Best for
- You need a full PSD editor in the browser, opening and saving the main format with no installation required.
- Your files must stay on your own hardware — editing runs locally on your CPU and GPU with no uploads.
- You need to open varied or legacy formats — Figma, INDD, CDR, AI and EPS imports plus nine RAW camera formats — without owning the original applications.
Avoid if
- Your team needs to co-edit, comment or hand off to developers — the captured page describes an on-device single-user editor with work passed on as saved files.
- You need brand consistency across a team — the captured page presents individual image editing only.
- You need reusable components, tokens and clickable prototypes — the documented toolset is single-artwork craft, with design and prototyping at 3.
- Your compliance review must know where generative AI runs and on what terms output can be used — the on-device statement covers the editing engine, and we found no public information on the AI features' processing location or commercial-use rights.
The scores
| Criterion | Panel median |
|---|---|
| Design, prototyping & design systems | 1.5 of 5 |
| Collaboration, review & developer handoff | 0 of 5 |
| Files, formats & portability | 3.5 of 5 |
| AI features & rights to the work | 1.5 of 5 |
| European sovereignty | 1.5 of 5 |
Design, prototyping & design systems
Show reasoningHide reasoning
How this is scored
The making itself: vector and layout tools, interactive prototypes, and the shared components, styles and tokens that keep a company's products and materials consistent — judged on what the feature and help pages document, not on showcase images.
0 — Not a design tool: a file viewer, a stock library or a single-purpose converter in which nothing is laid out or drawn.
3 — A canvas or editor with templates, shapes, text and images; reusable components, shared styles and prototyping are basic or not described.
5 — Reusable components or styles shared across files, responsive or auto layout, and clickable prototypes or presentations linking screens.
8 — A design system managed in the tool: team libraries that update where they are used, variables or tokens for colour, type and spacing with modes or themes, component variants and properties, prototypes with transitions and conditional logic, and library changes published with versions.
10 — The design system is a governed product: library releases versioned and reviewable, token export in a documented format for development, usage analytics per component, and accessibility checks such as contrast built into the editor.
The Product Designer
The page documents a serious raster and vector editor — layers, masks, layer styles, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels and paths, plus Levels, Curves, Liquify and Puppet Warp — but says nothing about reusable components, shared styles, tokens, auto layout or clickable prototypes. I see an editing tool, not a system product: no team libraries, no variants, no versioned library releases are described anywhere. 1
The Frontend Engineer
The captured page documents a deep editor — layers, masks, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels, paths, vector editing, Liquify and Puppet Warp — but all of it is single-file craft. We found no public information on reusable components shared across files, variables or tokens, or clickable prototypes, so this is a capable canvas without the design-system layer I look for. 1
The Brand Marketer
This is a genuine editor: layers, masks, layer styles, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels, paths, vector work and a fully supported PSD format, which covers solid single-file image editing. We found no public information on team components, shared styles across files, or clickable prototypes, so it reads as a capable canvas editor rather than a design-system tool. 1
The Agency Owner
This is a real editor, not a viewer: layers, masks, layer styles, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels and paths, vector editing for logos and icons, and filters from Levels and Curves through Liquify and Puppet Warp. But it is single-artwork craft; we found no public information on reusable components, shared team libraries, tokens or clickable prototypes, so it sits at the basic-canvas level for a studio like mine. 1
The Data Protection Officer
The captured page documents a full raster and vector editor — Layers, Masks, Layer Styles, Smart Objects, Adjustment Layers, Channels, Paths, Levels, Curves, Liquify and Puppet Warp — plus RAW opening for nine camera formats and vector editing for logos and icons. We found no public information on shared components, team libraries, tokens or clickable prototypes, so this sits at the editor-with-tools level. 1
The Skeptic
A deep editor is documented — layers, masks, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels, paths, vector editing, RAW development, Liquify and Puppet Warp — but it is raster and vector editing depth, not a design-system product. Reusable components, shared styles and interactive prototypes are not described on the captured page. 1
Collaboration, review & developer handoff
n/r
n/r
n/r
Show reasoningHide reasoning
How this is scored
Working on the same files with colleagues, clients and developers: comments and review, permissions for internal and external people, and the handoff that gives engineering measurements, assets and code rather than screenshots.
0 — A single-user tool: files are worked on alone and passed on as exports.
3 — Files shared by link with comments or real-time co-editing; guest access, permissions and a developer view are basic or not described.
5 — Real-time co-editing, comments with mentions, sharing with view or edit rights per file or project, and an inspect or developer view with measurements and asset export.
8 — Guests and reviewers who comment without a paid seat, version history with restore, branching or review of changes before they reach the main file, a developer mode that links components to code, a documented API and plugins, and named integrations with issue trackers and code tools.
10 — Handoff is a contract between design and code: component properties mapped to code components, token and asset export automated through the API, an audit log of access and sharing, and external access governed by domain, expiry and admin policy.
The Product Designer not rated — no public information
We found no public information on sharing, comments, real-time co-editing, guest access, permissions or any developer inspect view; the captured page describes single-user editing tools and a support email only. 1
The Frontend Engineer not rated — no public information
We found no public information on sharing, comments, co-editing, permissions for guests, or any developer or inspect view in the captured page. The one data-flow statement it makes is that files never leave the user's device, which describes a local workflow and says nothing about working on files together or handing them to engineering. 1
The Brand Marketer
The vendor states there are no uploads and that files never leave the device, which describes a single-user architecture where work is passed on as saved files. We found no public information on sharing, comments, guest or reviewer access, or any developer handoff view with measurements. 1
The Agency Owner not rated — no public information
We found no public information on sharing links, comments, co-editing, guest or client access, or a developer view with measurements and code; the captured homepage is written around one person opening the browser and editing alone. I cannot score a capability the page never touches. 1
The Data Protection Officer
The captured page positions the product as an on-device editor — "There are no uploads" and files "never leave your device" — with work passed on as PSD and image exports in dozens of formats. We found no public information on sharing, comments, guest access, permissions or a developer handoff view, and the documented working model is a single-user editor. 1
The Skeptic
The vendor's own page states the working model: no uploads, files run on the device and never leave it, then travel onward as PSD or other exports. We found no public information on sharing, comments, guest access, permissions or a developer handoff view. 1
Brand assets & governance
n/r
n/r
n/r
n/r
n/r
n/r
Show reasoningHide reasoning
How this is scored
Keeping a brand usable and correct across a company: a central library for logos, images and templates, brand guidelines people can find, locked templates that let non-designers produce material, and rights and expiry metadata on every licensed asset.
0 — No shared assets of any kind; the product has no library, kit or template that a team uses together.
3 — A shared folder, brand kit or template set with logos, colours and fonts; locking, guidelines and asset metadata are basic or not described.
5 — A central brand kit or library with logos, colours and fonts, team templates that non-designers can fill, and the ability to lock brand elements or restrict who edits templates.
8 — Brand guidelines published in the tool, tagging and search across assets, approval workflows for new assets and template output, version control on assets, rights, usage and expiry metadata with warnings on expiry, and access per team, market or partner.
10 — Brand governance is auditable: every asset carries its licence, owner and permitted use, usage of each asset is tracked across files and channels, distribution to external partners is logged, and the whole library with metadata is exportable in a documented format.
The Product Designer not rated — no public information
We found no public information on brand kits, shared asset libraries, templates, locked brand elements, approval workflows or licence metadata; the captured page documents image editing features only. 1
The Frontend Engineer not rated — no public information
We found no public information on brand kits, shared asset libraries, team templates, guidelines, or licence and expiry metadata in the captured page. It presents an image editor, and nothing in the feature list touches brand governance. 1
The Brand Marketer not rated — no public information
We found no public information on a central brand library, locked templates non-designers could fill, guidelines inside the tool, or rights and expiry metadata on licensed or generated assets. The only captured page, the vendor homepage, is entirely about individual image editing. 1
The Agency Owner not rated — no public information
We found no public information on a shared brand library, brand kit, locked templates for non-designers, guidelines, or licence and expiry metadata on assets. Nothing on the captured page addresses how a company keeps a brand consistent across a team. 1
The Data Protection Officer not rated — no public information
We found no public information on a shared brand library, templates, brand guidelines, locking of brand elements or rights and expiry metadata; the captured page describes editing features, formats and support contact only. 1
The Skeptic not rated — no public information
We found no public information on a shared brand library, team templates, guidelines, locked elements or asset rights metadata. The captured vendor page describes editing tools only and bears no governance capability. 1
Files, formats & portability
Show reasoningHide reasoning
How this is scored
Whether the work can leave: open or documented file formats, export that keeps layers, vectors and components, offline or self-hosted options, and what happens to files after a downgrade, a removed seat or a cancelled contract.
0 — Work cannot leave the product: no export or download of designs is offered.
3 — Export of designs as images or PDF per page or frame; export of whole files with structure and access after cancellation are basic or not described.
5 — Export to PNG, PDF and SVG with vectors and text kept, whole files downloadable to a local copy, and files of a downgraded or cancelled account addressed in the help centre or terms.
8 — An open or publicly documented file format, import from and export to other named tools documented, bulk export of a team’s files, an API that reads full file structure, files of removed users transferred to the organisation by policy, and a stated retention and deletion timeline after the contract ends.
10 — Portability is built in: an open-source or openly specified format, self-hosting or a local-first option, round-trip export without loss of components and prototypes, and the customer’s ownership of all files and their export rights written into the terms.
The Product Designer
Portability is the strongest story here: PSD is the main format with full opening and saving, PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, AI, INDD, EPS, CDR and Figma are among the supported import formats, and the vendor states there are no uploads and files never leave the device — local-first work by default. What we did not find is a documented open file format, an API for file structure, or any statement on retention after cancellation. 1
The Frontend Engineer
PSD is the main format with full open and save, and the page names roughly sixty import and export formats including Figma, Illustrator, InDesign, EPS and CDR — real interchange with structure, not image dumps. The page also states files never leave the user's device, which makes the local copy inherent; we found no public information on a documented API that reads full file structure, bulk export, or what happens after a downgrade. 1
The Brand Marketer
Portability is unusually strong for a browser tool: PSD is the main format with full opening and saving, it opens and edits Figma, AI, INDD, EPS and CDR among twenty-plus formats, and the vendor states there are no uploads and files never leave the device. We found no public information on bulk export of a team's files, an API reading file structure, or retention terms after a contract ends, which keeps this below the highest levels. 1
The Agency Owner
This is the part I care about most, and it is genuinely strong: PSD is the main format with both opening and saving, so finished work leaves with layers and structure intact, and it opens Figma, INDD, CDR, AI, EPS and more than fifty other formats. Better still, the page states all processing runs locally on the customer's CPU and GPU and files never leave their device, so there is no vendor custody to argue over when a contract ends. We found no public information on bulk export, an API reading file structure, or ownership terms in writing. 1
The Data Protection Officer
PSD is the main format with full open and save support, import spans Figma, AI, EPS, INDD, CDR and roughly forty other formats, and the page states files never leave the device, so the working copy is local by default. We found no public information on a documented file format specification, an API reading file structure, or bulk export for a team, which keeps this short of the higher level. 1
The Skeptic
PSD is the main format with full opening and saving, the format list names imports from Figma, InDesign, Illustrator, CorelDRAW and EPS plus dozens of export formats, and the local-first statement means the vendor never holds the work, making retention-after-cancellation questions moot. We found no public information on an API reading file structure, bulk export, or terms stating export rights, which keeps it below the top band. 1
AI features & rights to the work
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How this is scored
What the vendor's AI does with the customer's files and what the customer may do with the AI's output: training on customer content and the opt-out, the models and where they run, commercial use of generated images, stock licences and indemnity.
0 — The terms state that customer files train the vendor’s models with no opt-out, or that generated output may not be used commercially.
3 — AI features described on an AI or help page with a general statement on responsible use or data handling; training on customer files, admin controls and output rights are basic or not described.
5 — A statement on whether customer content trains the models (excluded, or with a documented opt-out), AI features that an admin can switch off for the organisation, and commercial use of generated output addressed in the terms or AI page.
8 — Training excluded by default for business plans, model providers and the processing location of AI features stated, generated content labelled or carrying content credentials, stock and template licences stated per asset type, and an IP indemnity for generated output on a named plan.
10 — AI is governed in writing: a per-feature list of models, providers and locations, admin controls per team and feature, a log of AI use, training exclusion and output ownership in the contract terms, and indemnity and licence limits published in full.
The Product Designer
Two AI features are described — one-click background removal and generative replacement from a text description — alongside a general data-handling statement that files never leave the device. There is no statement on whether customer content trains any model, no admin switch-off, and nothing in the captured material on commercial use rights for generated output. 1
The Frontend Engineer
The page names exactly two AI features — one-click background removal and generative replace from a text description — with no accompanying statement on data handling. We found no public information on whether customer content trains any model, admin controls, or commercial rights to generated output; the claim that files never leave the device covers the editor and says nothing about where the generative features run. 1
The Brand Marketer
AI features — one-click background removal and generative replace through a text description — are described, alongside a general statement that there are no uploads and files never leave the device. We found no public information on whether customer content trains models, on admin controls, or on commercial-use rights for generated images, which is exactly the answer my teams need before a generated image goes on a trade-fair stand. 1
The Agency Owner
Two AI features are documented — one-click background removal and replacing part of an image through a text description — but we found no public information on training on customer content, admin off-switches, or commercial rights to generated output. The local-processing statement covers the editing engine's files; where the generative features run is not stated. 1
The Data Protection Officer
One-click background removal and generative replace via text description are described, alongside a general statement that there are no uploads and files never leave the device — but no model, provider or processing location is named for the AI features. We found no public information on training on customer files, admin controls, commercial use of generated output, stock licences or indemnity. 1
The Skeptic
Two AI features are described — one-click background removal and generative replace through a text description — next to a general statement that files never leave the device. We found no public information on model providers, AI processing location, training on customer content, admin switches, commercial-use rights or indemnity for generated output. 1
European sovereignty
panel opinion
n/r
n/r
Show reasoningHide reasoning
How this is scored
Who the contracting entity is, where design files, brand assets and AI prompts are stored and processed, and which subprocessors touch them. Independently sourced by the sovereignty pipeline.
0 — Proven non-EU on every dimension the evidence covers: non-EU contracting entity and non-EU hosting, with no EU option stated.
3 — One European element proven: an EU contracting entity or EU representative, EU data residency (even if only on an enterprise plan), or a published DPA, with the rest of the chain unstated.
5 — EU hosting stated for files as standard or selectable and an EU contracting entity or EU representative, with a DPA offered; the subprocessor chain (AI, rendering, support) is unstated or partly non-EU.
8 — EU contracting entity, files, assets and backups stored in the EU on named infrastructure, subprocessor list published with locations and purposes, and the processing location of AI features stated.
10 — Sovereign end to end and evidenced: European ownership, EU entity, every hosting, AI and support subprocessor European or optional, self-hosting or a European cloud offered, and certifications published.
The Product Designer
The vendor states there are no uploads and that files are processed on the customer's own CPU and GPU and never leave the device, which removes vendor hosting from the picture for core editing entirely. Nothing is documented on the contracting entity, on where the generative AI features run, or on any subprocessor list, DPA or EU residency option. 1
The Frontend Engineer not rated — no public information
No sovereignty attributes are on record: we found no public information on the contracting entity, hosting locations, or subprocessors behind the AI features. The only location statement on the captured page is that edited files are processed on the user's own device, which speaks to the editor's architecture and not to the vendor's chain. 1
The Brand Marketer
One dimension of the chain is proven: storage and processing run on the customer's own device with the CPU and GPU, no uploads, so our files stay on our own hardware. We found no public information on the contracting entity, hosting for any cloud services, a published data processing agreement, or the subprocessors behind the AI features. 1
The Agency Owner
The page states files are processed on the customer's own device and never uploaded, which settles where design work sits — with the customer rather than on the vendor's infrastructure — and that is the one proven dimension. We found no public information on the contracting entity, a published DPA, a subprocessor list, or where the AI features process prompts. 1
The Data Protection Officer
The one proven data-location fact is that editing runs on the customer's own device with files never uploaded, which answers where design files are processed for editing. We found no public information on the contracting entity, EU residency, a DPA, the processing location of the AI features, or any subprocessor list, so no European element is proven. 1
The Skeptic not rated — no public information
No sovereignty attributes are on record and the captured page proves no European element in either direction: we found no public information on the contracting entity, hosting, the processing location of the AI features, or any subprocessor. 1
Pricing transparency
not rated — the vendor publishes no price
Show reasoningHide reasoning
How this is scored
Whether a buyer can compute the annual cost for their team from public pages alone — which seat types exist and what each may do, how viewers and guests are billed, how seats are added and trued up, AI credits, and the plan where SSO, admin controls and brand features begin.
0 — No public prices at all; every plan is a sales conversation.
3 — A public "from" price or one priced plan, per seat or flat.
5 — Per-seat prices public for the main plans with the billing period stated and the main features per plan listed.
8 — Every plan and seat type priced, free viewers and guests stated with their limits, how and when added seats are billed explained, AI credits and storage priced or included explicitly, the plan that unlocks SSO and admin controls named, and VAT treatment stated.
10 — Complete cost computability: annual cost derivable for a given mix of editors, viewers and guests, true-up and auto-upgrade rules published, every add-on priced publicly, and contract term, renewal and downgrade conditions stated.
The Product Designer
The only pricing statement captured is that users can 'Enjoy all the premium features without spending a dime' — a free offering is public, but no paid plans, seat types, viewer or guest billing, AI credits or VAT treatment are described. A buyer cannot compute a team's annual cost beyond the free claim from this page. 1
The Frontend Engineer
The captured page states "Enjoy all the premium features without spending a dime" and prices nothing else, which reads as a free product on this page. It names no paid plans, seat types, viewer or guest limits, or billing terms, so beyond the free tier a buyer cannot see what, if anything, costs money. 1
The Brand Marketer
The only pricing statement captured is the free tier: "Enjoy all the premium features without spending a dime." We found no public information on paid plans, seat types, how viewers or guests are billed, or VAT treatment, so an annual cost for twelve offices cannot be derived from this page. 1
The Agency Owner
The only public price I can find is the free tier — 'Enjoy all the premium features without spending a dime' — which tells a buyer the entry cost is nothing. We found no public information on paid plan prices, seat types, billing periods, VAT treatment, or where paid features begin, so I could not compute what a fifteen-person agency would pay. 1
The Data Protection Officer
The captured page states a free tier — "Enjoy all the premium features without spending a dime" — which gives a buyer a zero-cost baseline for everything described. We found no public information on paid plans, seat types, viewer or guest billing, AI credits, storage limits or VAT treatment. 1
The Skeptic
The only pricing fact is a free tier plus the claim of "all the premium features without spending a dime", which implies a premium tier exists while showing no price for it. No plan, seat type, billing period, VAT treatment or any price figure appears on the captured page. 1
Questions about Photopea
Is Photopea European?
Not determined: the vendor’s pages as captured do not say where Photopea is based.
Where does Photopea store data?
Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 3 Nov 2026.
Does Photopea have a free plan?
Yes. Photopea has a free plan, per the vendor’s page captured 3 Nov 2026.
What are the best alternatives to Photopea?
As of 4 Nov 2026, the panel rates Penpot (3.5/5), Sketch (3/5) and Collaboard (3/5) highest among the other 21 Design products evaluated. Ratings that look equal are rounded to half stars; the order uses the unrounded rating, then the name. The highest-rated European alternative is Penpot (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: how scores are made. The full list, with European products first: Photopea alternatives.
Where this could be wrong
- Evidence ages. The oldest capture behind this page is from 3 Nov 2026. Vendors change pricing and policies without notice; every fact reflects its source as of the capture date shown in the registry.
- AI can misread a source. Extraction and judgement are automated; a citation guarantees traceability, not infallibility. If something here is wrong, say so — no account needed, every report is decided within 5 business days, and accepted corrections are published.
What we left out
A claim that does not survive our checks costs us the claim, not the page. This is what was taken off this one.
- We found no public information on pricing on the pages we read (photopea.com). If the vendor publishes it somewhere else, send us the page. Know more? Tell us
- We found no public information on compliance on the pages we read (photopea.com). If the vendor publishes it somewhere else, send us the page. Know more? Tell us
Sources (1)
The pages every claim on this page was read from — each one checked, dated, and kept verifiable.
- 1 Vendor page www.photopea.com Checked 3 Nov 2026 Details →