What is the difference between Adobe XD and Photopea?

Adobe XD is best for Designers in the Adobe ecosystem, while Photopea is best for Anyone needing Photoshop-like editing in the browser. Adobe XD starts at $9.99/mo and Photopea starts at Free.

Is Adobe XD or Photopea cheaper?

Adobe XD starts at $9.99/mo. Photopea starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Adobe XD?

Yes, Photopea offers a free tier (Free with ads).

Adobe XD vs Photopea

Adobe XD is UI/UX design and prototyping tool from Adobe, integrated with Creative Cloud, while Photopea is free online photo editor compatible with PSD, XCF, Sketch, and other formats. The biggest difference up front: Photopea is free, while Adobe XD starts at $9.99/mo. Adobe XD is built for designers in the adobe ecosystem, whereas Photopea targets anyone needing photoshop-like editing in the browser.

At a glance

	Adobe XD	Photopea
Best for	Designers in the Adobe ecosystem	Anyone needing Photoshop-like editing in the browser
Starting price	$9.99/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Auto-Animate	✓	—
Browser-Based	—	✓
Components	✓	—
Creative Cloud	✓	—
Layers	—	✓
PSD Support	—	✓
Prototyping	✓	—
RAW Support	—	✓

Adobe XD

Strengths

Interactive prototyping with transitions so stakeholders can click through realistic mockups
Auto-Animate creates smooth transitions between artboards without manual keyframing
Affordable at $9.99/mo — one of the lower-priced options in the design category
Includes components alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

No free plan — you need to pay $9.99/mo from day one to use it
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Output quality depends on your design skills — templates only go so far
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Adobe XD → Full review

Photopea

Strengths

PSD file support lets you open and edit Photoshop files directly
Includes Browser-Based as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows
Free with ads — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 13+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Output quality depends on your design skills — templates only go so far
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Photopea → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Photopea is completely free (Free with ads), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Adobe XD starts at $9.99/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Adobe XD offers Auto-Animate, Components and Creative Cloud that Photopea lacks. Photopea brings Browser-Based, Layers and PSD Support that Adobe XD does not have.

Team fit: Adobe XD is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Photopea is aimed at individual users and small setups. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Adobe XD's biggest strengths are: interactive prototyping with transitions so stakeholders can click through realistic mockups. auto-animate creates smooth transitions between artboards without manual keyframing. Photopea's biggest strengths are: psd file support lets you open and edit photoshop files directly. includes browser-based as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows.

Watch out for: With Adobe XD, users commonly note that no free plan — you need to pay $9.99/mo from day one to use it. With Photopea, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Adobe XD if...

You need a tool built for designers in the adobe ecosystem
You specifically need Auto-Animate and Components
You care about auto-animate creates smooth transitions between artboards without manual keyframing
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Adobe XD is designed for

Choose Photopea if...

You need a tool built for anyone needing photoshop-like editing in the browser
Budget is a hard constraint — Photopea is free, Adobe XD is not
You specifically need Browser-Based and Layers
You care about includes browser-based as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows
Your team size fits the individuals profile Photopea is designed for