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Adobe Photoshop vs Photopea: Privacy & Security Showdown

Discover how US-based Adobe and Czech-based Photopea compare in safeguarding your creative data. Your privacy matters—see which tool has the edge.

Last updated: February 6, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Photopea?

What You Gain

Gain full GDPR compliance and a freemium model with browser access.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Lose advanced features like 3D design and extensive filters.

Adobe Photoshop has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is a priority and you can work within feature limits.

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇨🇿CZ

GDPR protected

Pricing

Adobe Photoshop

Contact

Photopea

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty~2-4 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaAdobe PhotoshopPhotopea
Server Location
US (Adobe data centers), EU (optional)EU (CZ)
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Enterprise onlyOptional
Data Portability
PartialUnknown

CLOUD Act Notice

Adobe Photoshop is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Photopea is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Adobe Photoshop logo

Adobe Photoshop

🇺🇸

Adobe Inc.

VS
Switching to
Photopea logo

Photopea

🇨🇿

Photopea

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

GDPR Compliant
EU-Based

Reasons to Switch

  • Photopea runs in a browser, eliminating installation requirements.
  • Free tier available, with no subscription fees like Photoshop's $20/month.
  • Supports PSD files, allowing easy import/export from Photoshop.
  • GDPR compliance ensures user data protection within EU jurisdiction.

Things to Consider

  • !Limited advanced features compared to Photoshop's extensive toolset.
  • !Learning curve for users accustomed to Photoshop's interface.
  • !Performance may vary based on browser and internet connection speed.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~2-4 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~2-4 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create Photopea account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Adobe Photoshop

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to Adobe Photoshop

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Photopea today and take control of your data privacy.