➤ 20 Best Photo Editing Software (2024)

What is the best photo editing software?

Here are my picks for the best photo editing software to try this year:

1. Adobe Photoshop.

Best photo editor for Mac and PC.

‍Adobe Photoshop deserves a special mention in any article about the best editing software. After all, the name “Adobe Photoshop” is now synonymous with photo editing.

It is one of the most popular photo editing software on the market. Photoshop is the main tool for its legions of fans around the world, including designers, artists, and illustrators.

Unlike Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop is meticulously designed for professionals who need all the advanced features in a single piece of software. If you name a retouching feature, chances are good that Photoshop has it.

Features

It's nearly impossible to include all of the features Photoshop has to offer. Here are a few key features that will help you make a better decision:

Its masking and selection tools are the best in the business.
Incredible cloning and editing capabilities
Photoshop is incredibly fast, even with large images.
It supports depth maps for HEIF files and offers 360° editing tools.
Photoshop supports all major file formats like JPG, PNG, GIF, as well as raw files.
It uses local adjustment layers for non-destructive editing in order toimprove the quality of your image.

Pricing

Initially, you get a one-week free trial. Adobe Photoshop comes with 100GB of Creative Cloud storage. Its annual plan costs around $20 per month.

The Creative Cloud Photography plan includes Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom for the photo management.

Try Adobe Photoshop

2. Corel PaintShop Pro.

The best photo tool that's easy for beginners.

‍Corel PaintShop Pro is a powerful photo editing software and one of the cheapest on the market. Some photographers call it an alternative to Adobe Photoshop, but it lacks Photoshop's most advanced flagship features, including camera shake reduction, 3D modeling, face liquefaction, and detailed typography.

However, if you want basic but effective image editing software, then Corel PaintShop Pro is not a bad option. Just don't expect it to be as crafty as its more advanced counterparts.

Features

Here are some of its unique features that make it worth a try:

Perfect for beginners
360-degree image editing capability
The user experience is clean and smooth
Designers can start working from pre-existing graphic design models.
Extensive library of gradients, image tubes, colors, palettes, etc.

Pricing

The 2022 version of PaintShop Pro costs $79.99. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Try Corel PaintShop Pro

3. Skylum Luminar.

The best HDR and filters for photographers.

Skylum Luminar AI is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom. As a result, it has gained massive popularity among photographers.

It offers powerful image editing capabilities at a more affordable price. Its latest version, Luminar 4, is faster and offers a perfect blend of Lightroom and Photoshop. With just one piece of software, you get the best of both worlds.

Features

Here are some of its main characteristics:

Adjustment layers and masks
Offers 24/7 technical and commercial support
Fast editing controls with lower latency
Smart shortcuts for automatic photo management
Folders are always updated with the content available on the hard drive.
Display options include viewing the movie soundtrack, viewing the gallery, and viewing a single frame.
Improvement of the sky by AI, and accidental AI and sunbeams

Pricing

Unlike the recurring payment for Adobe editing tools, Luminar offers more affordable plans, as follows:

Luminar Neo + Movie Burn: $79
Luminar Neo+ Lumbinar X+ Film Burn Membership: $138

They also offer subscriptions.

Try Skylum Luminar

4. Adobe Lightroom.

Best online photo editing tool.

Adobe doesn't need to be introduced to the world of photo editing. In fact, the company continues to be a pioneer in releasing cutting-edge photo editing software updates over the years.

Adobe Lightroom is another editing software from Adobe. It's ideal for photographers who want a simpler but powerful tool for editing their images.

Unlike Photoshop's complicated and intimidating user interface, Lightroom Classic and CC both offer a more intuitive and user-friendly interface for image editing.

Features

Here are some of its incredible features:

The sliders are customizable
Blur and fixation tools
It syncs with multiple devices
Camera and lens corrections
Gradient and brush adjustment tools
Professional filters and numerous presets
Its face detection function allows photos to be organized more effectively.

Pricing

The cloud-based photo editing tool offers seamless editing capabilities across mobile, web, and desktop through a single subscription plan. The annual subscription for its basic plan starts at around $125.87 and goes up to $251.87 for 1TB of cloud storage.

Start with Adobe Lightroom

5. Skylum Aurora HDR

“The world's most advanced HDR photo editor for Mac and Windows.”

Skylum Aurora HDR facilitates the efficient fusion of images to create final shots that look natural and stunning at the same time. It works as a standalone application and can be plugged directly into other tools like Adobe Photoshop.

You can also integrate it as an Apple Photo extension. In addition to traditional methods of creating HDR images, Aurora allows photographers to create HDR images from a single file using its AI-based neural network.

Features

Aurora HDR is a boon for HDR photography because it offers several cutting-edge features for creating cutting-edge images. Here are some of its main characteristics:

It comes with over 20 tools that help you create stunning HDR images.
It cleans noise intelligently and enhances depth and detail.
Its HDR clarity function optimizes clarity and enhances localized contrast for better results.
You can take advantage of its 80 unique presets to turn RAW images into creative masterpieces in seconds.
You can also use manual mode to take full control in your own hands.

Pricing

It costs around 99 dollars and comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Start with Skylum Aurora HDR

6. Canva.

The best tool for business models and designs.

Canva is one of the most popular tools to help you design beautiful photo templates. Its simplistic user interface has allowed millions of people to edit graphics without any substantial technical knowledge.

Its user-friendly drag-and-drop editor can be used to add multiple layers to your photos. Plus, it allows you to easily add fonts and other graphics to your photos to post on social media or on your website.

Features

Canva is a must-have tool for professionals who want to create photographic designs for websites, social networks, flyers, brochures, and marketing materials.

Here are some of its main characteristics:

You can download its mobile app to edit photos and create designs on the go.
It offers over 8,000 templates, photos, icons, and maps to make it easy to create visual content.
Rectifying and cropping images
Offers an expression bubble generator
It's online and can be used on decent computers and laptops.
Access its huge library of images and drawings.
Store your photos and drawings in the cloud

Pricing

Canva runs on a freemium model. The Pro version is priced at $12.99 per month. Canva also offers a version with quotation for teams.

Start with Canva starting today

7. Stencil.

Great for beginners who don't have any graphic design skills ($9 per month).

Stencil is a web-based graphic design and photo editing tool that helps you create and edit images for your social networks and website. It has a user-friendly interface and is suitable for social media marketing professionals, bloggers, and small business owners.

Features

It helps you easily design images for social media, including banner ads, headers, profile photos, messages, and more.

Here are some of its main characteristics:

Instant image scaling.
Possibility to store and download multiple logos.
Easy-to-use add-ons for Chrome, firefox and Safari.
Identify safe areas to put content into your image.
Share images on various social platforms directly from your dashboard.
Keep all of your “favorite” icons, logos, and images separately for quick access.

Stencil comes with a bank of over 5 million royalty-free, high-resolution images that you can edit in your Stencil dashboard. In addition, you have over 1400 templates to create different designs such as quotes, banners, etc.

In addition, Stencil offers numerous filters to beautify images and download them in high resolution. You can also share your creations as a Bit.ly link with anyone on a variety of platforms.

Integration with social platforms helps you share images directly on social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Buffer, etc. In addition, it allows you to schedule your posts with Buffer.

Pricing

Stencil is offered with three subscription plans:

Free: $0 per month (always free)
Pro: $9 per month (if paid annually)
Unlimited: $12 per month (if paid annually)

The free plan lets you save up to 10 images per month; the Pro plan lets you save 50 images per month, while you can save an unlimited number of images with the Unlimited plan. Additionally, all paid plans come with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

Remember to use my promo code ENFROY10 to get a 10% discount on all plans.

Try Stenci

8. PicMonkey.

The best for online ads and social messages.

PicMonkey is recommended for beginners who want to improve their photo design and editing skills. It offers a full range of photo editing tools, including retouching, cropping, collages, and more.

You can take advantage of its free trial version to test its photo editing capabilities before upgrading to the paid version. One of the best things about PicMoney is its user interface, which is simple and easy to use. It's also a perfect alternative for professionals who are overwhelmed by the complex features of other heavy photo editing software.

Features

A good selection of models
Advanced editing tools for stunning images
Adding features and tools through constant updates
You can retouch your images easily thanks to its feature-rich smartphone application for iPhone and Android.
Sophisticated graphic design tools for creating images for online publishing
You don't need to be a publishing wizard to use this photo editing software.

Pricing

PicMonkey offers a 7-day free trial, which allows you to test the product before upgrading to a paid version. The basic plan is $7.99 per month, the Pro plan is $12.99, and the Team plan is $33.99.

9. Capture One.

The most powerful tool for advanced users.

Created by a camera company called Phase One, Capture One is a great addition to this list. At first glance, this RAW image editor looks like any other image editing software, but it actually offers a lot of unique features. If you are a photographer who is primarily interested in improving RAW images, then this is a better option than Adobe Lightroom.

Features

Capture One offers a number of robust features that make image editing a breeze.

Here are some of its main characteristics:

Its masking capabilities make it unnecessary to use Photoshop.
Performance is faster and sharper, even with massive images.
The advanced color editing feature provides greater flexibility in adjusting colors and white balance.
You can customize the interface according to your preferences.
Allows multiple adjustments to be made to each layer without slowing them down

Pricing

Its monthly subscriptions start at $24 per month. You can also buy it directly by paying $299, which includes support for over 500 cameras. The annual subscription is valued at $179.

10. DesignWizard.

Best image template library.

DesignWizard is a tool that offers thousands of pre-designed image design templates for everything from social media posts to birthday cards and gift certificates to YouTube channel art.

Features

A library of over a million images, thousands of high-quality videos, graphics, and illustrations.
All images and videos are licensed for commercial use
You can share content instantly on social media
Marketing templates including Facebook ad templates, LinkedIn ad templates, sales posters, loyalty cards, and more.
A simple photo editor where you can resize images, add text, logos, and more

Pricing

DesignWizard pricing includes one free plan and two paid plans at $9.99 and $49.99/month.

Their free basic plan allows you to check out their entire library, but you need to pay $1 for each image design download. You can also add text, resize images, and download designs in JPEG, PNG, and PDF.

Their $9.99/month Pro plan allows you to upload up to 60 images per month, as well as upload your own custom images and fonts.

Finally, their most popular business plan, at $49.99/month, gives you access to unlimited image downloads and opens up all of their video features to you. You can download an unlimited number of standard videos, upload your own videos to edit, and add text, images, and logos to your video assets.

Ultimately, your choice depends on how many images you need each month and whether or not you want to start video marketing.

Overall, DesignWizard is a great tool if you're looking for thousands of templates to use for personal or professional purposes.

11. ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate.

Best photo editor for creative functions.

ACDSee Photo Studio has been present on the photo editing software market for a long time. This versatile photo editing tool offers impressive features that make it a reliable alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Furthermore, it is also very useful for beginners thanks to its user-friendly interface.

The new version, ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate, offers the latest features and advanced tools for a better photo editing experience.

Features

Let's take a look at some of the key features that make this photo editing program worth considering:

A facial recognition capability that allows better management of photographs.
You can use the Black and White tool in “develop and edit” mode.
Take advantage of powerful LUTS presets to achieve different colors.
There is no need to import the files. Edit source files directly
Deforms the objects in the image using the Liquify tool without compromising their quality.

Pricing

You can buy its lifetime license for $79.95. ACDSee also offers a year of free updates and technical support with the plan.

12. One RAW photo.

The best software that includes training courses.

RAW photo is a fairly popular option among photographers as it offers state of the art photo editing capabilities for free. The software comes with a 30-day free trial that can be upgraded later.

Photo RAW is an effective tool for photographers who want to create stunning images without spending too much time on the editing table. It can be used as a photo organizer or as an editing tool.

Features

Some of its key features are unique compared to other popular photo editing programs on the market.

Here they are:

Its dual mode is a boon for photographers, as it allows them to browse or edit photos from the same tool.
You can view each stage of the edit in the change history.
It's integrated with Apple Photos to handle comprehensive RAW data and achieve stunning results.
You can make adjustments and live previews
Available for download on any device

Pricing

On1 Photo RAW is priced at $99.99 for new customers and $79.99 for customers who have already used an On1 product. You can also get Photo RAW 2022.1 + all Plugins + Cloud Sync as a monthly or annual package.

13. Pixlr.

Best easy online photo editor.

Pixlr is an online photo editor that is more powerful than several desktop photo editing applications. Pixlr is a full-fledged photo editing web application that offers impressive customization capabilities with a simple user interface.

Although it is a browser-based application, you can make simple changes to its images from anywhere.

Features

Pixlr comes with amazing key features including:

You can use this online photo editing application from any computer and anywhere.
It supports masks and layers
Allows you to choose from over 2 million effects
You can also download their desktop photo editing software or mobile application.
You can customize the user interface according to your preferences.
Allows you to open photos from the desktop, URLs, or simply import them directly from social media platforms.

Pricing

Pixlr offers a free version. However, it's cluttered with ads, which is a major distraction for any photo editing professional. Pixlr is currently offering significant discounts on its business subscriptions. You can get a monthly subscription for $5 and a quarterly subscription for $12.

14. Gimp.

Best free and open source photo editing software.

Gimp is the acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. This free, open-source image editing software comes with professional-grade features that can help you create amazing images. It also allows developers to modify the source code and distribute the updated version. This means that they continue to release improved versions frequently.

This free photo editing software is great for designers, illustrators, and photographers who are just starting out.

Features

Gimp is free, but it offers professional-level features to meet all essential photo editing needs.

Here are some of its main characteristics:

Its high-quality photo manipulation capabilities allow you to effectively retouch or restore images.
You can create beautiful original works of art
allows you to create professional-level graphic design elements
Offers a greater level of customization thanks to integration with several plugins
You can integrate multiple programming languages, including Perl, Scheme, Python, etc.

Pricing

Completely free.

15. Exposure.

Best professional RAW photo editor.

Exposure is equipped with a fantastic range of tools for professional photo editing. It's also billed as a perfect combination of Photoshop and Lightroom CC.

From its support for layers and masks to multiple one-click presets, it has a lot to offer.

Features

It is equipped with a multitude of key functions that allow photographers to achieve the desired results.

Here are some of its main characteristics:

Clean and user-friendly interface
Loading multiple presets and filters in one click
Facilitates faster image transfer
Offers an effective printing option
Offers smart collection features to organize the library more effectively
Enhanced light effects for better exposure

Pricing

You can buy Exposure X7 for around $129 or the Exposure X7 Bundle for around $149.

16. Adobe Photoshop Elements

Best simple image editor for PC.

Adobe Photoshop Elements, specially designed for beginners, has a clear, user-friendly user interface and powerful photo editing features.

If you're a non-professional or a beginner who wants to get into Adobe's photo editing ecosystem, then Elements is a great option.

You can run professional-level Photoshop effects with Elements without having to have professional skills. It also performs basic photo editing tasks at a steady pace.

Features

Its “Auto Curate” function uses the power of artificial intelligence to classify the best images in your gallery.
The “Open with your eyes closed” function is able to fix a closed eye, a common problem in photography.
It is capable of more guided edits, including background replacement, double exposure, layering shapes, watercolor, and more.
Create professional collages in a few steps
Its “Guided Edits” function allows you to create partial image sketches, memes, and multi-photo texts.
Its AI capabilities alone cover a large number of editing tasks.

Pricing

You can buy Adobe Photoshop Elements for $99.99. You can also get Photoshop and Premiere Elements as a bundle for $149.99.

17. Snappa.

The best solution for creating online charts quickly.

Snappa is a cloud-based photo editing tool. It perfectly meets the requirements of professionals who typically need images and designs for social media posts, marketing, and personal purposes.

The image editing tool offers collaboration with various professionals to help you finish a project more quickly. Additionally, Snappa's user-friendly interface allows photographers to turn their images into stunning art. It also allows you to add unique effects and a new dimension to your images.

Features

Snappa's core features offer professional photo editing capabilities.

Edit images using its powerful drag-and-drop editor
Start quickly changing image dimension models for social networks, blogs, and other online publications.
Use thousands of free stock photos to create beautiful designs.
Share edited photos directly on social networks
Fast and clear assembly
Download custom fonts

Pricing

Snappa runs on a freemium model that allows 5 free image design downloads per month. You can buy a monthly subscription for one user for $10. The subscription for teams is $20, which allows 5 users to work from the account. Both packages are billed annually.

18. PortraitPro.

Best portrait editing software.

PortraitPro is one of the best photo editing software on this list. It was created specifically for professionals who specialize in portrait photography. The software has all the features you need to create beautiful portraits.

This photo editing software allows you to correct skin tone, eliminate wrinkles, correct sagging cheeks or blemishes, add eyeshadow, among others. It also allows you to correct poor lighting errors.

Features

PortraitPro is equipped with advanced features to ensure breathtaking portraits, such as:
It allows manual adjustments to correct almost any facial feature.
It is equipped with an advanced stratification option
Advanced makeup tools can effectively transform a face
Skin smoothing and wrinkle removal functions make it possible to create amazing portraits.
All adjustments are made in real time, with no lag.

Pricing

PortraitPro is offering a 50% discount right now, bringing the cost down to $54.95.

19. Fotor.

Best collage maker and designer.

Fotor is a perfect option for photo editing enthusiasts and beginners who usually edit images for personal use. This online photo editor and collage maker also comes in the form of a full-fledged desktop application. Additionally, it supports converting RAW photos, which is a valuable feature for free software.

The software also comes with image enhancement tools, including numerous filters to create stunning images. Its user interface is fairly simple to use and offers amazing filters at the click of a button, which can improve your images instantly.

Features

Fotor can rival some of the highest-paying photo editing software, thanks to its smart features. Here are some of its main characteristics:

Its stunning filters, including portrait, theater, landscape, and sunset, help you improve the quality of your photos.
Allows you to add frames or borders and apply special effects to improve image quality.
Take advantage of its smart photo collage tool to create intuitive collages in the shortest amount of time.
It supports the main RAW formats and also offers a switching algorithm in an improved version.
The free version of Fotor won't bother you with aggressive ads

Pricing

The Pro version of Fotor costs $39.99, while Fotor Pro+ costs $89.99 for an annual subscription.

20. Inkscape.

The best for Linux and vector graphics.

Inkscape is primarily designed for vector illustration and can be downloaded for free. It's a perfect software tool for aspiring designers and illustrators who don't want to invest in expensive software early in their careers.

In addition, it is an open source photo editing software that allows coders to further develop it and improve its functionality.

Features

Although it is a free software for photo editing, Inkscape offers great added value to designers.

Here are some of its new features:

Converts bitmap images to vectors in a variety of ways.
It's available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Multiple text formats and color picker
It offers a vast extension ecosystem and a large community that is working on its continuous development.
Its placement and layout tools work like professional software.
You can choose or remove tools based on your needs.

Pricing

It's completely free.

Other photo editing software worth mentioning are Affinity Photo, DXO Photolab, Cyberlink, and Photodirector.

FAQs

Is photo editing a difficult skill to learn?

There are hundreds of online resources that teach you how to edit photos.

The process is easy and editors like Photoshop have simple menus and buttons for beginners.

There are also plenty of free editors out there, making it easy to try new photo editing techniques without having to shell out a cent.

How do I get started with photo editing?

To get started with photo editing, all you have to do is open an application and do it.

If you're a beginner, you can read tutorials and watch videos that teach you techniques and features that will help your personal or professional images stand out.

The possibilities for creativity are endless.

What are examples of photo editing?

An easy way to edit your photos is to use the filters that many applications offer. You can choose from effects like vintage, muted colors, or black and white.

Other changes may include cropping objects in the background, changing the color of an object, or even adding new text to the image.

What are the benefits of photo editing?

Photos can be taken in all sorts of lighting situations, but that doesn't always mean they'll be exactly the way you want them to be.

Editing photos allows you to adjust exposure, color, and sharpness.

It also allows you to crop and add new elements to your images.

Summary

All of these photo editing software programs mentioned above are impressive in their own right.

However, choosing the best photo editor depends on your preferences, budget, and photo editing skills, among other things.

For example, GIMP might be the most appropriate option for professionals who are looking for a powerful and free photo editing tool.

However, for the best photo editing features, I recommend choosing one of my top choices:

So what photo editing software did you choose? Let me know about your experience in the comments section below.

Plus, as most of these photo editors offer free trial versions, there's no harm in trying out a few before making a final decision.

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Other recommended reading: To go further, check out my reviews on, the best software to enlarge images without losing quality, the best software to improve image quality, the best video editing software And dThe animation to test your video editing and design skills.

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