It may be like trying to find a needle in a digital haystack when trying to find the finest image editing software to make adjustments to your work. The correct software may make a world of difference, regardless of your level of experience with photography. You don’t need to be an expert to master a lens.
With its wide array of functions and tools, photo editing software may turn your casual photos into artistic masterpieces. There is something for everyone when it comes to picture editing software, ranging from the finest drag-and-drop programs to the best professional programs with sophisticated tools for fine-tuning. Discovering the ideal fit is the tricky part.
Top Image Editors Software
1. Adobe Express
Why would you utilize Adobe Express if Photoshop is already available to you as a member of Adobe Creative Cloud? Express’s online and mobile applications let you access Photoshop’s power from anywhere.
Additionally, Adobe just upgraded this image editing software with a ton of helpful AI-powered features, including one-click text effects, smart object replacement and removal, and generative AI to generate graphics from text prompts. Express’s AI tools are among the finest and most user-friendly that we have tested, which is a hard combination to accomplish.
Features:
- Templates and Adobe Stock photos.
- Font library.
- Quick actions.
- Resize images.
- Remove backgrounds.
- File format conversion.
- Trim and edit video clips.
- Convert videos to GIFs.
- Crop & resize video clips.
- Share templates, libraries, and many more.
Price:
- Free plan available.
- Premium: $9.99/month.
2. Canva
Even though Canva caters primarily to novice or amateur designers, it nevertheless does a fantastic job of offering most of the picture adjustments that a professional would perform. Canva has always been a well-liked “all-arounder” picture and graphic editing program, but with the release of the AI-powered Magic Studio, the company upped the ante.
Magic Studio is the greatest AI picture editing toolkit now on the market. Although Adobe is still a powerful tool, this one is more sophisticated than Adobe Express and lets you create professional-caliber documents, videos, graphics, animations, and more.
Magic Studio has generative AI capabilities beyond editing, such as text-to-image and even text-to-video suggestions. Yes, Canva allows you to type what you want to see and creates a movie entirely using AI without the need for a camera. This is revolutionary for social media content when done well.
Features:
- Artwork Management.
- Asset Categorization.
- Asset Library.
- Asset Sharing.
- Audio File Management.
- Barcode/Label Management.
- Brand Guidelines.
- CAD Tools.
- CMS Integration.
- Change Management.
- Collaboration Tools.
- Content Import/Export.
- Content Library.
- Content Management.
- Content Sharing.
- Custom Fonts.
- Customizable Branding.
- Customizable Templates.
- Customization and many more.
Price:
- Free plan available.
- Canva Pro: $12.99/month for the first user, then $6.99/month for each additional user.
3. Pixlr E and X
This one of the best image editing software is a neat online application that mimics the architecture and user interface of the original Photoshop (or download the desktop Windows version). Or, to be more precise, two apps: Pixlr X and Pixlr E, which at first seem a little odd. Though Pixlr E appears to be intended as the “more complex photo editor” and Pixlr X as the “beginner-friendly” alternative, they could simply merge both into one program.
Photoshop looks like Pixlr E. All of your usual tools are located along the left side, while menu choices are located above. Photoshop users will also recognize the Layers panel. Pixlr’s layer system is really good; it has all of PS’s blending modes and opacity settings, including Soft Light.
With their most recent generative AI version, Pixlr X is where things get a bit spicier: you can now make artwork using text-to-image suggestions. The straightforward button menu on the right allows you to fine-tune the style, size, and other aspects of your created picture, making it an excellent option for beginners to AI prompting. You receive five pictures per day with the free plan.
Features:
- CAD Tools.
- Content Import/Export.
- Content Sharing.
- Customizable Templates.
- Data Storage Management.
- Design Templates.
- Drag & Drop.
- File Management.
- Image Editing.
- Image Library.
- Multi-Language.
- Pre-built Templates.
- Real-Time Editing.
- Search/Filter.
- Secure Data Storage.
- Social Media Integration.
- Text Editing.
- Watermarking.
Price:
- Free plan available.
- Pro plan: $5/month.
4. Photopea
With features to match, Photopea has a very authentic Photoshop-inspired interface. It can read PSD files, edit RAW files, and export whatever content you create to PSD. Also, you can import ABR files to utilize custom brushes, which sets this software apart from all the others on this list.
User’s particular favorite? To access other option menus, you may right-click. What magic is right-clicking in a web application? Furthermore, notice how similar the Layer Style panel is to Photoshop. Photopea has an amazing level of detail-oriented design. The objective is that it doesn’t feel like a web application at all.
Although Photopea lacks AI-powered capabilities and one-click effects, it is still the most feature-rich Photoshop substitute available online. You can obtain extra online file storage and ad elimination by upgrading to a premium membership, but really, you don’t need to. Finding an app that offers all of its editing tools on a free plan is a welcome change.
Features:
- API.
- CAD Tools.
- Collaboration Tools.
- Commenting/Notes.
- Content Import/Export.
- Content Management.
- Data Visualization.
- Design Management.
- Design Templates.
- Drag & Drop Editor.
- Image Editing.
- Pattern, Color, and Art Storage.
Price:
- Free plan available.
- Premium: $8/month.
5. GIMP
GIMP is one of the most well-known and highly recommended free image editing software. Similar to ‘Paint.Net’, you may download extensions for GIMP to get new file formats and more editing tools. A large number of these extensions are made by GIMP users who are aware of the capabilities that other users want. The software supports GIF, TIFF, PNG, PSD, and JPEG files without the need for any plugins.
GIMP makes picture editing simple by allowing you to work directly on the primary canvas without the toolbox or brush panels getting in the way. In this manner, you can still easily access all of the editing tools with all of the capabilities you need. GIMP and Photoshop are often compared by users because of their almost identical features. Furthermore, all Photoshop-specific add-ons are also compatible with GIMP.
Features:
- API.
- CAD Tools.
- Design Management.
- Image Editing.
- Pattern, Color, and Art Storage.
- Search/Filter.
Price: Free.
6. Fotor
Fotor is photo-editing software used for digital picture manipulation and enhancement. It has several editing tools and capabilities, ranging from simple ones like brightness/contrast adjustment, scaling, and cropping to more sophisticated ones like filters, effects, and retouching tools.
Fotor is a fantastic tool for both amateur and expert editors since it offers templates for building picture collages, cards, and even social media images. To produce or improve photographs according to your tastes, use their AI image production tool.
Features:
- Animations & Transitions.
- Batch Processing.
- Blockchain Support.
- Content Import/Export.
- Content Library.
- Content Management.
- Content Sharing.
- Custom Fonts.
- Customizable Templates.
- Data Storage Management.
- Data Visualization.
- Design Management.
- Design Templates.
- Drag & Drop.
- Drag & Drop Editor.
- File Conversion.
- File Sharing.
- File Storage and many more.
Price:
- Free plan available.
- Monthly billing: $8.99/user/month.
- Annual billing: $39.99/user/year.
7. PhotoScape
PhotoScape is the program to use if you prioritize ease of use. You may quickly access several editing choices, such as Viewer, Combine, Editor, and Create GIF. Additionally, you have the option to add your text and objects or utilize those included in the editing program.
With this program, you can edit with a brush that produces interesting effects. They also come with a clone stamp tool and a spot and red-eye remover. Furthermore, you can work with photo frames by modifying their borders and lines. and even turning them around.
Features:
- Animations & Transitions.
- Batch Processing.
- CAD Tools.
- Collaboration Tools.
- Commenting/Notes.
- Content Import/Export.
- Content Library.
- Content Management.
- Content Sharing.
- Custom Brushes.
- Custom Fonts.
- Customizable Templates.
- Data Storage Management.
- Design Management.
- Design Templates.
- Drag & Drop.
- Drag & Drop Editor.
Price: Free.
8. Inkscape
Although Inkscape is not a picture modification program but rather a vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, it nonetheless offers many helpful functions. When users need to edit SVG files, they always use this. Although there are a lot of tools available, the UI may be a little disorganized. For convenience, almost every tool you’ll use is often positioned on both sides of Inkscape.
You can draw stars, spirals, polygons, ellipses, circles, arcs, and 3D boxes. Additionally, you may draw freehand or straight lines. Many different file formats are supported, both when loading and saving; Inkscape allows extensions, much like other photo editing software; you can work with layers; add a plethora of effects to an image; and utilize spell check in addition to the text tool, among many other helpful functions.
Features:
- 2D Drawing.
- CAD Tools.
- Data Import/Export.
- Design Management.
- Design Templates.
- For Vector Illustrations.
- Image Editing.
- Rendering.
- Text Editing.
Price: Free.
9. Krita
Although Krita is a sophisticated image editor, we don’t think using it is that tough. Layers are only one of several tools in a floating toolbox off to the side of the program, much as in some of these other programs.
A plethora of other functions are also available, including sophisticated selection, masking tools, brushes and blending modes, drawing tools, filters, symmetry tools, and effects. As you get started with this program, there is one thing we would like to point out: the Tab key. To eliminate all menus and tools and create a large workspace free of interruptions, use the button to maximize the canvas to fill your screen.
Krita is compatible with Windows 8, 10, 11, and 11; a portable version is also available. It is compatible with Linux and macOS 10.12 or later.
Features:
- 2D Drawing.
- Animation.
- Animations & Transitions.
- Categorization/Grouping.
- Custom Development.
- Customizable Templates.
- Data Import/Export.
- Design Management.
- Drag & Drop.
- Image Editing.
- Labeling.
- Media Import.
- Synchronous Editing.
- Tagging.
- Templates.
- Text Editing.
- WYSIWYG Editor.
Price: Free.
Some Basic Image Editing Software
If all you need to do is crop, resize, or rotate a picture, there are plenty of free image editing software out there for you to use. This comprises some third-party applications in addition to the software that comes preinstalled on your device.
Built-in software: Basic picture editing software is included with the majority of PCs and mobile devices. To find out more about the tools on your device, go through the list below:
Windows: Windows computers almost always come with Microsoft Paint. Paint is a straightforward painting tool, as you may already be aware, but it can also be used to make simple picture modifications. Another choice is Microsoft Photos, a free program with more sophisticated editing features and photo organization capabilities.
macOS: Preview is a feature on every Mac. Although the main purpose of this program is to examine photos and PDF files, it also comes with a few rudimentary editing features. Additionally, Apple Images, which you can use to organize and edit images, is pre-installed on new Mac computers.
iOS: Images captured with an iPad or iPhone will show up in the Photos app. From here, any picture may be adjusted with a few simple steps.
Android: You can edit photos taken with the majority of modern Android smartphones using either the Gallery or Google Photos app.
FAQ
Q: Can I use image editing software for free?
A: Most of the options mentioned here offer a free plan or version.
Q: What is the purpose of software for editing images?
A: Using photo editing software, one may digitally modify photographs, often improving their quality. Discover the most popular picture editing tools and the many photo editing software packages.
Q: Why is image editing software necessary?
A: Images must be optimized by photographers. A high-quality picture may be enhanced by photo editing to get rid of undesirable flaws, wrinkles, and shadows.
