$10 to $20 a month is $360 to $720 over three years. A $50 to $70 one-time purchase pays for itself in about half a year. That gap is the entire argument.

- Affinity: serious Photoshop-grade power, though pricing has shifted since the Canva acquisition, so check current terms. - Pixelmator Pro: a one-time buy on the Mac. - Luminar and DxO PhotoLab: perpetual licenses still sold. - GIMP, Krita, and Photopea: free forever, which beats every price on earth. - Snapseed: free on your phone, full stop, for social-first work.

But cheap is not suitable. A $50 editor you fight daily costs more than a subscription you enjoy, measured in hours and frustration. Price divided by actual use: edit weekly and a one-time purchase wins; edit twice a year and just use a free tool. For converting and compressing the images you make, PicConvert does it free forever.