10 Photo Editing Software Options for Memorable Images

Whether you’re a budding amateur who wants to go pro or you simply love to take photos in your spare time, photography is one of the best ways to explore and express your creativity.

While you can take a great picture with only a camera and some good lighting, photo editing software can truly elevate your images. We’re here to give you a rundown on the best photo editing software around, from beginner-level tools all the way up to professional-grade platforms.

Free Photo Editing Software

If you’re a beginner or just dipping your toes into the world of photo editing, it’s a good idea to start with free platforms before committing to higher-cost software. In fact, many free editors have all the features you need to touch up your pictures without ever having to move into paid tools.

1. Canva

You may have heard of Canva if you’ve made social media post templates. But alongside all the creative features Canva offers is a robust photo editor that’s easy to learn and use.

While there is a premium version available, most non-business users will be fine at the free level. There are nearly 10,000 templates and filters you can apply to your photos, along with basic features like brightness and saturation adjustments, contrast, and sharpening.

2. GIMP

If you’re looking for premium-level software for free, GIMP is the tool to use. From basic features to the more technical flaw reduction tool, perspective shifter, and isolation options, there’s almost nothing you won’t be able to do using GIMP.

GIMP is an open source editor, meaning there’s a huge online community of users and developers who are always available to answer questions or share tips and tricks for using the software.

Easy Photo Editing Software

As a beginner or hobby photographer, you probably want to spend your time taking pictures, not editing them. With easy tools, there’s less of a learning curve, which means you can dive right in and quickly touch up your pictures.

3. Adobe Photoshop Elements

While the full version of Photoshop is better suited for experienced photographers, Photoshop Elements is perfect for beginners. The features make editing quick and simple, while the interface is specifically designed to be intuitive and user-friendly.

There are plenty of effects and textures you can add to your photos with a single click, which means less manual editing for you. While you can certainly play around with all the basic features, Photoshop Elements gives you plenty of templated options to save you time.

4. Pixlr

If you’re pushing yourself creatively by shooting in RAW, Pixlr is an excellent editing tool that’s easy to use as a beginner. Pixlr has all of the features you would expect from a photo editor, along with a mobile app that makes editing on the go simple.

You can use the free or paid version, depending on your needs—though if you go with the former, be prepared to see ads pop up in the software (which may be a distracting deal breaker).

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Best Photo Editing Software for Mac

Macs are known for their attention to detail when it comes to color accuracy and retina display—two essential features when it comes to creating the best photo possible.

5. Luminar

Source: skylumLuminar’s AI tools make it one of the best photo editors out there.

At $89.99, Luminar is one of the best photo editing software options for Macs under $100. The software contains more than 60 built-in filters, some of which use artificial intelligence to adjust and edit your photos in a single click.

If portraits or scenic photography is your style, you can’t get much better than Luminar. Add a preset filter and keep it as-is, or make your own adjustments to the filter using one of the hundreds of sliders for brightness, saturation, contrast, or tone.

6. Photolemur

When it comes to one-click editing, Photolemur is a steal at a flat fee of $35. Unlike many other editors, Photolemur exclusively uses AI to adjust your images without you having to do a thing. Simply drag and drop your photo into the software, and enhancements to scenes, colors, and faces will be made automatically.

While you don’t have control over what is being edited, the tool is incredibly accurate. Most online reviewers give the software a 4 or 4.5 out of 5 stars and find that the auto-adjustments are exactly what they’re looking for, without the need to make further edits in another software.

Best Photo Editing Software for PC

For PC users, there are hundreds of options when it comes to photo editing software. While many tools now work across multiple operating systems, there are a handful that still perform best on a PC over a Mac.

7. PhotoWorks

PhotoWorks is an all-in-one image editing software. Its AI retouching tool is one of the best in the industry and uses one-click presets and sliders to give your photos the most natural look possible.

For under $30, the software comes with hundreds of HDR filters, color correction tools, and a batch processing feature that’s great for saving time when you have multiple images to edit.

8. CyberLink PhotoDirector

If your photography includes non-standard images like panoramas or highly detailed photos like portraits or street scenes, PhotoDirector is the best photo editing software for you. Within the platform, you can create GIFs from your images, stitch multiple photos together in a panoramic view, or use the AI sky replacement filter to adjust your outdoor scenes.

While PhotoDirector doesn’t have as many features as a professional tool like Adobe Lightroom, there are plenty of options to keep both amateur and experienced photo editors satisfied.

Best Professional Photo Editing Software

If you’re confident in your skills as a photo editor, Adobe products are widely accepted as the industry standard when it comes to professional photo editing software.

9. Adobe Photoshop

Consistently rated 5 stars by software review sites and photographers around the world, Adobe Photoshop has every feature you could ever need. The tool does come with an ongoing subscription fee, currently $19.99 a month for the Creative Cloud suite, but that also means you’ll have access to updates and new features whenever they’re rolled out.

From quick black-and-white to color conversions to a retouching brush to clean up your images, you can achieve nearly anything you want with Photoshop’s features. All those options can be overwhelming if you don’t have image editing experience, but if you know what you’re doing, you can’t do better than Photoshop.

10. Adobe Lightroom Classic

Not to be confused with the consumer-targeted Lightroom, Lightroom Classic is geared toward professionals and experienced photo editors. This tool has hundreds of presets to choose from, along with the option to create and save your own.

The smoothness of the workflow in Lightroom Classic makes it easy for photographers to quickly edit hundreds of photos in a short amount of time. With face recognition tools, panorama stitching, and a powerful mobile app, Lightroom Classic is an excellent alternative to Photoshop.

Level Up Your Photography

Transform your photos from good to great using some of the world’s best photo editing software. If you’re a beginner, don’t let your lack of experience hold you back! From free tools to professional-level editors, there’s something out there for everyone.

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