Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 20, 2026

Seashore (software)

Seashore is a free and open-source image editor designed specifically for macOS, similar to Photoshop/GIMP, with a simpler user interface. Seashore uses GIMP's native file format, XCF, and has support for a handful of other graphics file formats, including full support for TIFF, PNG, JPEG, JPEG2000, and HEIC and read-only support for BMP, PDF, SVG and GIF. Seashore offers fewer features than Photoshop/GIMP, but is intended to be easy to use and to run natively on macOS. It includes layers, alpha channel support, gradients and transparency effects, anti-aliased brushes, tablet support and plug-in filters.

Last revised
Jun 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
376 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Seashore
Original authorMark Pazolli
DeveloperRobert Engels
Release16 January 2003 (2003-01-16)
Stable release
3.411 Edit this on Wikidata / 4 August 2025 (4 August 2025)
Written inObjective-C
Operating systemmacOS
TypeRaster graphics editor
LicenseGPL-2.0-only
WebsiteAppStore
Repositorygithub.com/robaho/seashore

Seashore is a free and open-source image editor designed specifically for macOS, similar to Photoshop/GIMP, with a simpler user interface.23 Seashore uses GIMP's native file format, XCF, and has support for a handful of other graphics file formats, including full support for TIFF, PNG, JPEG, JPEG2000, and HEIC and read-only support for BMP, PDF, SVG and GIF. Seashore offers fewer features than Photoshop/GIMP, but is intended to be easy to use and to run natively on macOS. It includes layers, alpha channel support, gradients and transparency effects, anti-aliased brushes, tablet support and plug-in filters.

After several years without maintenance, development was restarted by Robert Engels in 2017 to allow it to run on newer versions of macOS.3 Seashore version 3.41 was released in August 2025 and is considered stable.4

The latest release is distributed via the Apple Mac App Store.53

Features

Seashore has many of the basic features found in graphics editing software, including:

  • Full support for the XCF file format
  • Reading and writing TIFF, PNG, GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000 and HEIC file formats
  • Reading BMP, PDF, SVG, PICT, and XBM file formats
  • Layers and layer merging effects
  • Text layers
  • Individual editing of layer channels
  • Transparency effects and transparency in gradients
  • Arbitrary selection regions (i.e. through a lasso tool)
  • Anti-aliased paint brushes
  • User defined brushes and textures
  • 6 gradient effects
  • Graphics tablet support
  • Plug-in filter effects
  • Core Image Filters
  • Color levels and histograms
See also

See also

References

References

  1. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/seashore/id1448648921. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. Sahag, Isaac (31 December 2015). "9 Ways to Get by Without Photoshop on Your Mac". Gadget Hacks. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. Prokoudine, Alexandre (17 January 2019). "Meet Seashore, free image editor for macOS with GIMP roots| Libre Arts". librearts.org. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  4. "GitHub: Seashore". GitHub. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  5. "Download Seashore on the Mac App Store". Retrieved 26 November 2018.
External links