| Software | Cost | Best for | Notes | |----------|------|----------|-------| | | Free | Advanced editing | Supports PSD files, plugins, layers | | Photopea | Free (browser) | Photoshop-like UI | Works on any device, reads/writes PSD | | Paint.NET | Free | Basic to intermediate | Windows only, very fast | | Krita | Free | Painting & illustration | Great brush engine | | Affinity Photo | $70 (one-time) | Pro alternative | Modern, fast, no subscription | | Adobe Photoshop (current) | $10–20/month | Full pro features | 7-day free trial available |

It’s legally gray, technically obsolete, and potentially risky. The only exception: if you’re a retro-computing enthusiast running Windows XP in an offline virtual machine.