A raster image editor with layers, masks, and filters is decades of deep, specialized engineering — color management, non-destructive editing, and performance on huge files, all at once. This sits alongside Figma as one of the clearest 'don't even try' cases on the register.
VIBE SCORE 67/100
The parts this build actually needs, each rated on its own — the average is the Vibe Score above.
| Landing page | 99 |
| File uploads | 87 |
| Custom canvas/rendering engine | 15 |
Don't feel like building it? These are already made, open-source, and free.
Just pay. A raster image editor with layers, masks, and filters is decades of deep, specialized engineering — color management, non-destructive editing, and performance on huge files, all at once. This sits alongside Figma as one of the clearest 'don't even try' cases on the register.
Adobe Photoshop costs $22.99/mo (about $276/yr) as of 2026-08. That's what a working rebuild would save you.
Non-destructive editing across dozens of adjustment layers, masks, and smart objects is a rendering-pipeline problem, not a feature list Color management (consistent color across devices and print) is a specialist field on its own Performance on multi-gigabyte files with GPU acceleration is systems engineering most solo builds never touch
Yes — GIMP, Photopea are open-source options worth trying before you build your own. Details are in the standard parts section on this page.