This site began as a google doc for my students. I use Adobe software, and it’s great, but the cost (even with the educational discount) puts a strain on student’s budgets, so I began documenting replacements for Adobe products.

My goal is to pick software that is either free or affordable. All paid software I have listed has a one-time fee (no subscription) associated with it, and I have documented where educational pricing is available. I have tried to test as many of these software packages as I can, and post a short comment about each one.

Some software is an imperfect match – the Adobe software can sometimes do things that competing software can’t. I have also looked at software that can do similar things as Adobe’s software, but has additional functionality.