Convert a PSD without Photoshop
You do not always need a Photoshop license to get a PNG out of a .psd. The right option depends on whether you need to edit the file, whether you are willing to upload it, and how close the result must be to Photoshop’s renderer.
This page compares four practical paths. Prices and limits were checked on 13 November 2026. Please re-check the cited pages if you are reading this later; vendors change plans.
1. A full in-browser editor: Photopea
Photopea is a capable browser editor. It can open PSD files, let you change layers, and export PNG or JPG. There is a free tier with ads. Photopea Premium exists; Photopea’s official account documentation describes the upgrade inside the app’s Account window and does not publish a single official euro or dollar price on that page. We will not invent a number here. See Photopea accounts and Premium.
Choose Photopea if you need to edit, retouch, or rebuild layers, and you are comfortable using a full editor in the browser.
Choose something else if you only want a convert button, or you do not want to work in a large editor UI.
Layerzip is not a Photopea alternative in the “editor” sense. It is a narrower converter.
2. Upload-based converters: CloudConvert and Convertio
These sites take the file on a server, convert it, and return a download.
CloudConvert
According to CloudConvert’s pricing page (checked 13 Nov 2026):
- Free usage includes 10 credits per day.
- Free-plan file size up to 1 GB, 5 concurrent conversions (as stated on that pricing page at the time of the check).
- Paid plans add more credits and features; see their page for current package prices.
CloudConvert is a strong general converter (many formats, APIs). The trade-off is that the file is uploaded.
Convertio
According to Convertio’s official help article Free tier limit for file conversions and Convertio pricing (checked 13 Nov 2026):
- Official free tier: 10 credits per 24 hours, max 1 GB per file, 10 concurrent conversions.
- Paid Lite plans started at $6.99/month when billed yearly, or $11.99/month billed monthly, on the pricing page that day. Always confirm on their site; promotions change.
Same trade-off: convenient, many formats, the PSD is sent to their service.
3. Layerzip: convert in the tab, no upload
Layerzip runs the conversion in your browser:
- Free: one flattened PNG or JPG under a size cap.
- Paid: $9/month, or a roughly $9 credit pack, for batch jobs, larger files, and exporting all layers as a PNG ZIP.
Choose Layerzip if you want a PNG (or a layer ZIP) and you do not want the file to leave the machine.
Do not choose Layerzip if you need Photoshop-accurate rendering of adjustment layers and smart-object filters, you need to edit the document, or the file is so large that the browser runs out of memory. We use the composite and layer bitmaps stored in the file; we do not reimplement Photoshop.
Quick comparison
| Photopea | CloudConvert | Convertio | Layerzip | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upload the PSD? | Processing happens in the Photopea app (see their privacy terms); it is a full web editor, not a “no-server converter” claim from us | Yes | Yes | No — parse in the browser |
| Edit the file? | Yes | No (convert) | No (convert) | No (convert) |
| Flatten to PNG | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, when a composite or flatten path exists |
| Export every layer | Yes, as an editor | Depends on the tool/options | Depends on the tool/options | Yes, paid ZIP of stored layer rasters |
| Free tier (13 Nov 2026) | Free with ads; Premium sold in-app | 10 credits/day, 1 GB, 5 concurrent, per their pricing page | 10 credits / 24 h, 1 GB, 10 concurrent, per official help | One flattened export under a size cap |
| Best for | Editing without Photoshop | Many formats, APIs, server rendering | Many formats, simple upload UI | Private, in-tab flatten / layer pack |
Sources: CloudConvert pricing, Convertio pricing, Convertio free-tier help, Photopea accounts.