Softwr

Print & Publishing · head to head

GIMP vs Shopkeep

GIMP logo

GIMP

Print & Publishing

Free and open-source image editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-commerce & Retail

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GIMP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GIMP gPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed; Shopkeep unreliable inventory control across multiple locations
  • They diverge on capability: GIMP covers Photo editing, Shopkeep covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GIMP and Shopkeep actually diverge.

Attributes where GIMP and Shopkeep differ
AttributeGIMPShopkeep
Starting priceFree$49/month
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGNU/Linux, macOS, WindowsiPad, Web
CategoryPrint & PublishingE-commerce & Retail
Founded19952008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in GIMP

  • Photo editing
  • Digital painting
  • Image processing
  • Batch editing
  • Filters
  • Color correction
  • Layer support
  • Script-fu automation

Only in Shopkeep

  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Employee management
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GIMP

  • Photo editing and retouching with professional colour managementnot Shopkeep
  • Digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformationnot Shopkeep
  • Icon and UI element design for application developmentnot Shopkeep
  • Batch image processing through Python, C, C++, and Scheme scriptingnot Shopkeep

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GIMP

  • GPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed
  • Community-driven development with no commercial support tier
  • No native CMYK support for professional print workflows
  • Ecosystem depends on community plugins and scripts for advanced features

Shopkeep

  • Unreliable inventory control across multiple locations
  • Cloud-dependent with no offline transaction processing capability
  • Dropped Bluetooth connections cause lost sales and payment processing failures

Pricing, plan by plan

GIMP

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GIMP review.

Shopkeep

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Shopkeep review.

Which should you pick?

Choose GIMP if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want digital painting.
GIMP review

Choose Shopkeep if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopkeep review

Questions people ask

Is GIMP or Shopkeep better?
Neither clearly leads. GIMP starts at Free and Shopkeep at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GIMP or Shopkeep?
GIMP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GIMP and $49/month for Shopkeep.
Does GIMP or Shopkeep run on more platforms?
GIMP runs on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows. Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web.
Can I use GIMP for free?
Yes. GIMP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopkeep starts at $49/month.
What is GIMP best used for?
GIMP is most often used for photo editing and retouching with professional colour management, digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformation, icon and ui element design for application development, batch image processing through python, c, c++, and scheme scripting. Of those, photo editing and retouching with professional colour management and digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformation are not what Shopkeep is typically brought in for.
What can GIMP do that Shopkeep cannot?
GIMP covers Photo editing, Digital painting, Image processing, Batch editing. Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Payment processing, Inventory management, Customer profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shopkeep: How much does Shopkeep cost?

Shopkeep by Lightspeed pricing varies by plan. Customers must request quotes for current pricing, which has shifted since the Lightspeed acquisition.

Source
Shopkeep: What hardware does Shopkeep require?

Shopkeep operates on iPad tablets, cloud-based systems, and traditional cash register setups, requiring third-party hardware integration.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on GIMP

More on Shopkeep

Keep looking

Other head to heads