Opening a layered PSD should not require a subscription or a multi-gigabyte install. Photopea runs a full editing workspace inside a browser tab, opens Photoshop files with their layers intact and saves them back. So this Photopea review answers one practical question: how far can a browser tab carry real image work before you need desktop software?
What this tool is useful for
Photopea is a free, ad-supported editor that covers the core of a desktop photo-editing workflow: layers, masks, layer styles, smart objects, adjustment layers, channels and pen paths. It opens and writes PSD, and additionally reads XD, Sketch, Figma, AI, EPS, PDF, TIFF, HEIC, WebP, SVG, AVIF, DDS, CDR, INDD and dozens of other formats, plus RAW files such as DNG, CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, RW2, RAF and ORF with exposure, white balance, highlights and shadows controls. Editing happens locally on your machine rather than on a server upload, which is the detail that makes it usable for client files under NDA. It also ships one-click background removal and a text-prompt generative fill for quick retouching jobs.
A practical workflow
1. Open the real source file
Drag the PSD or RAW file into the tab and check the layer stack before editing: smart objects, masks and adjustment layers usually survive the round trip, but unusual blend modes deserve a look. Keep the original untouched and work on a copy.
2. Edit with familiar shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts, the Layers panel and the tool bar mirror Photoshop closely enough that muscle memory mostly transfers. For repetitive cut-outs, use the built-in background removal and then clean the edges by hand; a dedicated tool such as remove.bg is faster when that is the only job.
3. Export deliberately
Save back to PSD when someone else will keep editing. For the web, export WebP or JPEG and check the file size before publishing — the Squoosh comparison workflow is a quick way to see whether quality per kilobyte is actually better than your current export.
What it costs
Editing is free and needs no account; the free tier shows ads and includes a small cloud allowance (about 0.5 GB of PeaDrive storage). A Premium pass — roughly $5 per month, or about EUR 8 for 30 days — removes the ads and raises that storage. If your work stays on your own disk, Premium is optional rather than required.
Who should consider it?
It suits people who receive PSD or design files and only need occasional edits: marketers, students, support teams, and freelancers on borrowed or locked-down machines where installing software is impossible. It is also a reasonable second editor on a machine that already runs desktop software, because nothing has to be installed.
Limitations to check
A browser tab has memory limits: very large, many-layered documents can slow down or fail to load, and performance depends on your device rather than a render farm. There is no plugin ecosystem comparable to Photoshop extensions, so scripted and specialised third-party workflows do not carry over. Print-oriented colour management, advanced automation and batch scripting are thinner than in desktop tools. Free-tier ads appear in the interface, and cloud storage is small, so treat it as a working space rather than an archive.
How to compare alternatives
Against GIMP, Photopea wins on convenience and PSD fidelity and loses on extensibility and offline-first workflows. For RAW-centric library work, darktable is a better fit, and for sustained professional editing Affinity Photo 2 is the paid one-off option worth weighing. If you only ever need one job — cutting a background or compressing an export — a single-purpose tool beats a full editor; our free photo editor roundup maps those cases side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Is Photopea really free? Yes: the editor is free and ad-supported, and Premium only removes ads and expands storage. Can it open Photoshop files? Yes, PSD is its primary format for both opening and saving. Are my files uploaded? No: editing runs locally in your browser using your own CPU and GPU, so files stay on your device. Does it work on a phone or tablet? It loads on any modern browser, though precise layer work is far easier with a mouse and a larger screen.
Verdict
Photopea is the most capable free image editor you can reach without installing anything, and for PSD files it is often the fastest route to a small change. Use it as your browser-side editor, keep a desktop tool for heavy layered documents and colour-critical print work, and judge it on one real file rather than a feature list.
Official product information: https://www.photopea.com/. Features and pricing can change; confirm current details before relying on them.
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