Photopea vs Spline
Pricing
Photopea: Free with ads, Premium $5/mo
Spline: Free tier, Pro from $7/mo
Description
Photopea: Free browser-based image editor that supports PSD, XD, Sketch, and AI files (no install, no account needed)
Spline: 3D design tool that runs in the browser and exports interactive 3D for websites
Pros
- Opens real PSD files with layers intact, the only free tool that does this reliably
- Runs entirely in the browser with no signup, no download, no waiting
- Supports an absurd range of formats: PSD, XD, Sketch, AI, WEBP, SVG, PDF
- Browser-based 3D editor with no install, much lower barrier than Blender
- Exports interactive 3D scenes you can embed directly on a webpage
- Free tier includes unlimited projects and real-time collaboration
Cons
- Ad-supported free tier shows banner ads that can distract during work
- Performance drops with large files (200MB+) since everything runs client-side in the browser
- Built by one developer: bus factor of one for a tool you might rely on
- Exported 3D embeds can be heavy (adds 1-3MB to page load if not optimized)
- Not suitable for production 3D work like game assets or product renders
- Smaller community and fewer tutorials compared to Blender or Three.js
Details
Photopea is what you reach for when someone sends you a PSD file and you do not have Photoshop. It opens in a browser tab and handles Photoshop files with layers, masks, and effects intact. It also opens Sketch, XD, and Illustrator files, which makes it the universal translator of design file formats.
Built and maintained by a single developer, Ivan Kutskir, Photopea earns roughly $1M per year from ads alone. The $5/month premium removes ads and gives you higher-resolution export options. For solo founders who need occasional image editing but cannot justify Adobe’s $23/month Photography plan, this covers 90% of what Photoshop does at a fraction of the cost, or free.
Spline brings 3D design into the browser the same way Figma brought 2D design into the browser. You can model objects, add materials, set up lighting, and animate, all without installing anything. The real selling point for web developers is the export: you get an embed code or React component that drops an interactive 3D scene directly into your site.
The free tier is generous enough for most use cases. Pro at $7/month adds private projects and removes the Spline watermark from exports. The main limitation is scope: this is for hero sections, interactive product showcases, and landing page eye candy. If you need serious 3D modeling, you still need Blender. But for the “I want a spinning 3D object on my homepage” use case, Spline gets it done in an afternoon instead of a week.
Verified
