Without a doubt, the best online photo editors are an essential aspect of today’s media and marketing. Provided by an extensive range of companies and individuals, a plethora of free and paid-for services for editing photos have been created to take care of a variety of needs in terms of improving quality, altering dimensions and vectorizing pictures. It is a vast field that encompasses amateur level options to professional ones. In this list, we’re going to look at 10 examples of the best photo editing software out there.
Photo editing software has come a long way. These days, there are tons of options out there in the market ranging from the professional to the amateur. … With all that said, I wanted to create this post which is a list of 10 best photo editing software for both beginners and experts.
Is it Worth Editing Your Photos?
If you’re a professional photographer, you’ll need to edit photos as part of your job. Editing allows you to fine-tune aspects of your images such as exposure, white balance, and color to get the perfect shot.
When you edit your images, you can make them smaller without losing quality. If you want to share your photos online, whether on a photographic portfolio site or social media, this is crucial. WordPress sites that use smaller images load faster, which is good for search engine rankings. Plus, social media platforms favor smaller file sizes for images because they load faster and retain more detail.
It is possible to save time and effort when altering photos by using a program that is both user-friendly and effective.
Some unique benefits of editing your photos:
Brand Building: Images are crucial for branding. To develop a brand-aware altered image, businesses might focus on color saturation, cropping pattern, image nature, subjects employed, focusing patterns, etc. This improves customer recall and confidence in your business offerings.
Better Sales: Photo editing improves image quality, which boosts sales. Businesses don’t want substandard product images. Good photo editors may immediately modify the complexion and quality of an image to make it look enticing to the audience. One of the best examples is fast-food marketing and how brands like McDonald’s use high-quality photos for higher sales.
Build Respectability and Credibility: Photo editing can help start-up enterprises gain credibility in a challenging industry. 46% of customers trust a business more if they use authentic images on their website over stock photos. By retouching images professionally, a modest office can look spacious and inviting without misleading viewers.
Photo-intensive Tasks Become Easier: If your firm relies largely on photographs and product images, like e-commerce websites, you must provide a constant supply of high-quality images. 67% of buyers say a product’s picture quality is “very important” when buying it. Photo editing makes it easier to specify editing parameters and apply them to other images, saving time. You can swiftly handle comparable photographs by grouping them and using pre-defined editing parameters.
Robust Social Media Strategy: Most firms today use social media for marketing. Social media has brought customers and brands closer than ever, from Facebook to Instagram. By professionally editing your images before uploading, adding visual cues, beautiful word-art, etc., you can give your business a competitive edge.
Best Free Image Editing Software
Canva
Canva – Best for quick editing.
There are many powerful image editing applications and software available on the market today, but Canva is one of the most powerful. Additionally, the application provides you with quick tilt and angle adjustments that will help you take an amazing snapshot. Canva is very popular with most people because it has an instant drag and drop feature that makes it easy for them to build their own designs. Regardless of whether you want to add some text, a filter, or any other type of feature on the fly, you can do this.
With this tool, you can also crop your images for trimming and even use them as trim controls.
Features:
- Make your photos sparkle with Stellar photo effects
- Adding text to your photos is as easy as 1-2-3
- Your photos can be enhanced with stickers
Based on customer reviews, Canva has been rated one of the best tools for making changes quickly, editing quickly, and working together as quickly as possible. Creating social media posts is easier with Canva, as it offers you a variety of new design and graphics options that are perfect for improving your design and graphics. Canva is a great way for both professionals and beginners to create better designs and have better performance when it comes to creating graphics.
It is available for free of charge. It costs $119.99 a year to subscribe to Premium.
GIMP
Best for entry-level editing.
With the GIMP, you’re going to have access to an extensible editing platform that allows you to have an amazing editing experience. A number of animation filters can also be applied to the video editing software. Generally, the majority of users have found that it is useful for editing animations as well as for other purposes. This platform also offers easy file handling with its easy-to-use interface and can be used on a much easier level than other platforms. This application is specially developed for the GNU image, and as such it takes up very little space on the computer.
Features:
- Photo manipulation of the highest quality
- Creating original artwork from scratch
- Elements of graphic design
According to customer reviews, the GIMP comes with a full set of painting tools that are very useful for the majority of users. In terms of its handy tools and editing requirements, it has almost everything you could be looking for when it comes to an application. From brushes to pencils, there are a lot of editing options in the GIMP, which makes it the perfect choice for every professional editor.
It is available for free of charge.
Fotor
Best for online editing.
Almost everyone has heard of Fotor and clearly understands how beneficial it can be for you and how it can help you achieve the best results. Using Fotor, you will be able to edit an image both from the basic level and more advanced level that will help you achieve the best results.
In addition to the online editor option, Fotor also comes with a photo editor. The advantage of this feature is that it will allow you to make quick edits from anywhere, even from your PC or from another device. With Fotor’s image editing features, you can easily edit images in a very short time and with very little effort.
Features:
- Content that is classic in nature
- Technics of HDR in a nutshell
- The best 100+ photo effects available in one place
As per customer reviews, Fotor is one of the best editing apps for your needs if you are looking to enhance the quality of your images. The application is compatible with all platforms, and you can always use it to get full access to the editing requirements you may have. For any user, the possibility of having multiple photo frames is one of the most appealing features of the app. It is a feature that can be very useful for every consumer so that they can edit their photos more quickly.
It is available for free of charge. There is an option to upgrade to Premium for $8.99/month.
Corel PaintShop Pro
For a one-time, budget-conscious price, Corel has continued to add new photo editing capabilities to its PaintShop Pro software, making it a worthy Photoshop alternative on Windows for budget-conscious, one-time users.
PROS
- A lower-cost Photoshop
- Editing and effects
- Help and tutorials
- Tools for vector drawing
- Removes noise automatically
CONS
- UI inconsistency
- There is no macOS version available
- A few operations are slow
Adobe Photoshop Express Editor
Best for professional editing.
The Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is one of the best online editing tools you can use if you are looking for an editing tool that has almost all the features you may need. It does not matter that it is a free editing program, the Adobe Photoshop Express Editor provides you with almost all of the features you would be looking for in a professional editing program. You can use special crop presets for social media images for anything from creative edits to horizontal and vertical perspective distortions.
Features:
- Photos can be rotated and flipped by using this tool
- Adjust the exposure of the camera if necessary
- Editable and easy to use
Based on customer reviews, we can safely say that Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is one of the best editing tools on the market today. There are a lot of people who feel that Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is a complete tool for professionals to be able to use. This tool is capable of doing a wide range of tasks for you, from image editing to a little video editing as well. As a free editor, this tool seems to be the epitome of what an editor should be when it comes to editing.
It is available for free of charge. There is a premium version available for $34.99.
Darktable
Best for premium features.
With Darktable, you will be able to open multiple formats at the same time. With this software, you will be able to edit pictures or even support a variety of different image formats. Darktable makes it much easier to filter and sort images, and editing them takes a short amount of time. One of the most amazing aspects of zero-latency is that you can get an amazing experience as a result of it. Aside from that, Darktable has also introduced the possibility of displaying images in multiple tones that allow for a more enjoyable experience while working with it.
Features:
- Management of color in a professional manner
- User interface with zero latency and zoomability
- Communicates with you in your own language
According to customer reviews, Darktable is an amazing choice to make if you are looking for an editor that is fast to use and that you are looking for an editor that you can make your own. Using this tool, you will be able to reduce the amount of time you spend on the internet. As far as tethered shooting is concerned, the Darktable tool has been found to be an amazing option by several users who have used it. As far as professional features go, this tool has almost everything that is required to be used by professionals.
It is available for free of charge.
Photo Pos Pro
Best for frames and collages.
If you are looking for a tool that you would love to use for immediate editing needs, then the Photo Pos Pro is the tool for you. Using this tool, you will be able to edit images as well as create graphic content as required as this tool allows you to edit pictures. With this, you could even get precision repairs and editing which makes a great deal of difference when it comes to sharpening and emphasizing your work. With Photo Pos Pro, you will also be able to complete computer graphics and other editing tasks much more easily than ever before.
Features:
- Computer graphics tools
- Patterns, gradients, and textures
- Operation in batches
As per customer reviews, the Photo Pos Pro comes with multiple editing options that allow you to get easy editing at the click of a button. Also, this tool is equipped with the bath operation mode that will allow the users to complete their work much faster and edit multiple types of pictures, making it easier for them to accomplish their tasks. In terms of gradients and textures, you will have the option of selecting from a wide variety of formats to make your choice.
It is available for free of charge. The Premium version of the software is available for $49.90.
DxO PhotoLab
Best for Noise Reduction and Camera Profile Corrections
Bottom Line:
Even though it isn’t a complete workflow solution for photographers, DxO PhotoLab is capable of delivering image corrections that are way beyond what can be done in other software packages.
PROS
- Easy to use
- Noise reduction at its best
- Camera and lens-based autocorrection
- Removes haze
- Corrections to geometry
- A powerful local adjustment system
CONS
- A few workflows
- Slow noise reduction
PhotoScape
Best for easy editing.
It is not a secret that PhotoScape is one of those tools you would go gaga over when it comes to editing your photos in a quick and easy manner. There are a number of features that you can access through this software, and it is available on all platforms. It is possible to get a true representation of the color and contour of a tool using the animated option, as well as the color picker.
Additionally, you can take advantage of the splitter in order to make posters that are easy to make. Using the screen capture mode is also a very efficient way to take screenshots.
Features:
- Take portraits
- Edit photos in bulk
- JPG from RAW
According to customer reviews, the PhotoScape software is one of the best tools to use for professional level editing that you can find. In contrast to other software programs, customers find PhotoScape’s batch editor tool to be easier to use than other similar tools. There is also a combined feature that comes with this product. To create a final copy of the photo, users liked that they could attach multiple photos vertically or horizontally to the document.
It is available for free of charge. The premium version of the software is available for $39.99.
Inpixio
Best for automatic image correction.
Inpixio is one of the best photo editing tools that will help you make quick edits like a pro in no time at all. With the help of this tool, you will be able to remove unwanted objects and erase backgrounds within minutes. On top of that, Inpixio offers automatically corrected images as well. Using this feature, you will be able to make immediate changes to the image you are working on as soon as you tap on it.
Features:
- Color adjustment
- Templates for photos
- Backgrounds with transparency
According to customer reviews, the Inpixio application comes with a wide range of options for changing the background, which makes it easy to customize. This is one of the most precise and smooth background image controls found in any such tool. With Inpixio it’s easy to change backgrounds for everyone regardless of whether they are a novice or an expert user. Clearing out the background images is as simple as taking a few seconds and it will be done in no time at all.
It is possible to change the background of the images as well as the focus of the images as well.
The price of the software is free of charge. There is a premium version available for $49.99 per year.
Paint.net
Best for beginners.
It is a well-known fact that Paint.net is an excellent platform for enhancing editing skills for beginners. This tool comes with a simplistic interface which makes it easy for you to use, as well as it helps you to achieve decent performance with it. Featuring a rich image composition mechanism, you will be able to achieve fast performance with every click of your mouse. In addition to this tool, you will also be able to enjoy performance improvements along with automatic bug fixes that will help reduce any kind of latency.
Features:
- User-friendly, intuitive, and innovative
- Community online
- Auto-updates
Based on customer reviews, it is clear that Paint.net has a very high level of performance and setup available and offers excellent support. There are quite a few editing options available on this platform, so even beginners can get a decent editing experience. Generally, they believed the Paint.net platform would be easy to use for beginners and that consumers would find the platform quick to use. A fast image editor with a simple interface will be easier for most people to use than the option of a more complicated image editor.
It is available for free of charge. For $8.99, you can upgrade to Premium.
BeFunky
Best for background remover.
In terms of regular editing requirements, BeFunky offers you a lot of features. With its AI-powered background remover, the application is truly one of a kind. Using this feature, you will be able to detect any kind of background and remove it quickly and easily. You can think about it much easier if you want to retouch portraits with BeFunky if you are retouching portraits with it.
The software allows you to create collages in a matter of seconds with just a few clicks of the mouse. In addition to this, the online editor version has a very simple interface and is easy to use.
Features:
- Colorful background
- Transparency
- Retouching
According to the customer reviews, BeFunky seems to be the right tool when it comes to quick editing of your video. As a user of BeFunky, you will have the option of editing multiple templates and tools that will help you get your work done faster if you are interested in social media integrations. BeFunky is popular among people because of its simplicity in editing requirements, as well as its ability to post graphic content. BeFunky can also make photo collages in just a few easy steps, so most people believe it is just a matter of following a few steps.
It is available for free of charge. You can purchase the Premium version for $34.68.
The Best Ways to Edit Your Photos Like a Pro
- Make your style your own
- Choose a photo editing program
- Take raw photographs
- Take advantage of HDR photography
- Ensure that chromatic aberrations are removed
- Make adjustments to the white balance
- Make adjustments to the contrast
- Make the colors stand out
- Photo cropping and straightening
- Make the photos sharper
- Organize your workspace
- Vignettes should be added
- Make use of local adjustments
- Think outside the box
- Make use of presets
Final Thought
Though the options are abundant, there are a few that stand out for their ease of use and amazing features. If you are looking for an affordable, highly-acclaimed photo editing software, I hope this list has helped you make a decision. By trying one or all of these options, you will learn something new and gain some inspiration to create art that moves people.