Best Free Online Photo Editor 2019
Best Free Photo Editors
Best Easy Free Photo Editor
Editing your photos can be a real pain. And finding the best free photo editor among so many design tools just adds to the problem. Fortunately, weve gathered the best free photo editing software in one place for you.
Free online photo editor. Crop, retouch, and add filters to your images right from your browser with the Adobe Photoshop Express online image editor. Pixlr.com is one of the best free online web app which provide you the quick photo editing. Pixlr is also available for desktop and mobile version. It provide you simple tools for select, cut, crop, color effects etc. We have to just go to the website and lunch pixlr web app.
In this article, you will find photo editors, image editors and even a photo collage maker. For your convenience, the article was broken down into two sections, casual photo editors for beginners and advanced photo editing software if you want to take your photo editing to the next level. Tune in! Best Free Photo Editing Software For Beginners: Candidates Pixlr X
Platform : web application
Link : pixlr.com
Pixlr X is a free photo editor developed by 123RF, a company that also stands behind Pixlr Editor (a free image editor well explore in the advanced section of the article) Pixlr Express. In a way, Version X is a replacement of Pixlr Express, which is being superseded due to its outdated flash technology.
PIxlr X works directly in your browser. However simple, it allows you to perform a wide range of the most popular photo-editing tasks, such as adjusting colors, cropping, adding vignettes, blurring etc. It also comes with 80+ ready-to-use photo-filters that you can try with a single click.
You can also add several images to your project, which enables you to create photo collages. The photo editor supports layers, transparency controls, and multiple blending options just like in Photoshop. You can also add text to your photos, e.g. for your social posts and meme creating adventures.
Photo by Moose
The app works very smoothly with no lags. It also has a mobile version that works in a browser as well, just open the link on your mobile gadget. Pixlr X requires no registration, export is one click away and no ads were detected on both devices. What else could you ask for?
Pros:
Modern, minimalistic design
No registration, no ads
Layer blending
Mobile-friendly
Cons:
No drawing tools Icons8 Photo Creator
Platform : web applicaion
Link : photos.icons8.com/creator
Strictly speaking, Icons8 Photo Creator is not a photo editor [yet]. However, it offers something others services dont a fully customizable photo composition. A photo collage maker that comes with a twist you dont combine different photos, you combine objects in them.
Instead of editing photos, you create them. Dozens of models and each one of them has dozens of poses, outfits, and angles to fit every scenario. Add to that backgrounds and objects, and creative capabilities are limitless.
Any object can be positioned, rotated and scaled. You can add text to your collages and set custom dimensions for your projects. Default social media presets (e.g. Instagram story Facobook cover) are also available.
The key aspect is that Icons8 Photo Creator uses its own, custom made photos from the Icons8 Moose project. All the photos are shot in matching style, which allows you to combine them in whatever fashion you want. Some models and objects have several shadow options available if you want to better fit them into the picture. The number of objects you can insert into a single composition is limited only by your creativity or willpower.
Pros:
Rich library of photos objects shot by a professional photo crew
Objects are shot in one style and can be easily combined
Photos are ready to use retouched, cleaned
Constant updates with new features (adding your own assets, shadow generation, auto-adjustments, etc.)
Cons:
No adjusting
Cant add your own photos yet (the feature is in development) Pizap
Platform : web application
Link : pizap.com
Pizap is yet another free editing software for photos and images that operates in the browser. It has all the standard operations that you would expect from a program of this kind: filters, text, adjustments. However, theres also a collection of stickers, borders, and textures that you can easily add to your photos.
There are some basic adjustment panels to fine-tune your image, like brightness or contrast. Also, you may find several premade filters textures, but you can only use one at a time. Overall, the editing is pretty basic, take it or leave it.
However, a couple of tools within the software hint at the idea that Pizap is a meme-creators dream come true: text cut-out.
Cut-out is a rare, interesting feature to find in online photo editors, however, its here and it works:
There is a special Meme text option that only solidifies this fact: this tool is perfect for creating memes of all kinds. Add a few stickers from the library, maybe a border, and here we go:
Pizap is a great tool for creating fun social posts, trolling your friends or creating memes. The amount of out-of-box assets is enough, and theres a pro version ($2.50) to unlock more. Drawing mode is a plus, even though it comes with only one brush and two settings. Ads can be irritating, but creators gotta make money somehow. There are no watermarks, no worries.
Pros:
Cut-out
Meme creation tools
Stickers
Collage mode
Design presets
Cons:
Simplified layer blending
Ads
Performance issues my project died right in front of me Adobe Photoshop Express Editor
Platform : web application
Link : photoshop.com/tools
If you are looking for a one-button solution for fine-tuning your photos, APE should be your choice. The tool has nothing redundant (apart from the unnecessarily long name) just a handful of the most popular photo filters to enhance your images.
With Adobe Photoshop Express, you can perform common photo-editing tasks, like red-eye correction, touchup, crop, etc. There are a few special effects available as well, e.g. Pixelate, Crystalize, Sketch. They work exactly like their Photoshop counterparts. However, you dont have tweaking options for either effects or tools. Every adjustment comes in seven or eight presets, and all you can do is choose the one you like the most. However, you can combine effects from different categories and apply them at the same time, coming up with interesting combinations a rare thing to see in online editors.
Burn, dodge and a few other tools that require manual control, but the controls are simplified.
Photo by Moose
Speaking of nothing being redundant in the tool, it has a Decorate section with stickers that seem a bit over the top. After all, the tool gives off a vibe as an express version of Photoshop, not a meme-creator, but it depends on the user. Adding text and text bubbles can be useful to marketers, presenters or social media creators.
Overall, APE is a great quick tune-up tool. Dont try to compare it with full-fledged Photoshop or other Adobe products though, and you wont be disappointed. Theres also a free mobile version of the app for Android and iOS devices.
Pros:
Mobile versions for iOS and Android
Quick fixes for common problems out of the box
Photoshop-like interface
Cons:
Edits only JPEG files
Works on flash (security performance issues)
Cant add more than one image, so no photo collages possible Paint.net
Platform : Windows
Link : getpaint.net
Its hard to properly categorize Paint.NET because its either the most advanced among simple photo editors or the most simple among advanced. But Ive decided to include the editor under the Casual section for its pleasing ease of use.
Paint.Nets interface is a mix of good old Windows paint and Adobe Photoshop. If youve ever used one of these programs, youll feel at home instantly. It works as a desktop program and, unfortunately, theres no version for Mac that has been released so far.
This free editor allows you to perform all photo editing tasks and more. Useful features you wont find in other online editors are edit history, gradients advanced selection options like magic wand combined selections. Of course, several adjustments effects can be combined in whatever fashion you like. Unfortunately, Paint.NET does not support adjustment layers, but then again, were just talking about casual photo editing software right now.
Pros:
Quick download install
Desktop version no internet required
More features than online counterparts
Stays simple
Cons:
No mobile version
No browser version
No Mac version Canva
Platform : web application
Link : canva.com
Canva is not an editor as much as a visual constructor. With thousands of graphic assets, from icons and images to fonts and backgrounds you can come up with countless variations for your needs. However, some of the assets are not free and need to be purchased separately. On the bright side, you can upload your own images.
Photo by Moose
You can create social media posts, book covers, infographics, flyers, magazine covers, the list goes on If your future creation has a name, Canva probably has a library of presets to kick off your project.
It also has adjustments filters to tune up your whole project. However, you cant adjust the impact of each filter, its either on or off. You cant combine them either youd have to save your project and re-upload it, and then apply the next filter as a workaround.
Overall, Canva is a great visual builder with some editing features for your photos in stock, but not to the point where it could be considered a fully-functional photo editor. But then again, its not supposed to be.
Pros:
Great for social media posts
Rich text graphical assets library
Cons:
No layers
No blending
Not many photo-editing features Snapseed
Platform : iOS, Android
Link : play.google.com; Itunes
This list would be incomplete without a fully mobile photo editing app.
Snapseed works exactly like your standard mobile photo app. Download windows 10 pro 64 bit iso free. Only on steroids. If yours has 10 filters, Snapseed has 100. It also has plenty of specific tools, like tilt-shifting, perspective, grain, glow, etc. It also has a healing tool to help you get rid of blemishes scratches on your pictures in a simple manner.
You can also save your own custom filters as presets and use them in the future.
Its easy to import your photo to any social network or save it for future reference. If youre using your phone camera often and want to enhance your photos before uploading them somewhere, Snapseed is a great choice, available both for iOS and Android.
Pros:
Mobile
Easy to use filter-based app
Cons:
Mobile only
Cant combine several images edit only one at a time Best Free Photo Editing Software For Advanced Users: Candidates GIMP
Platform : Windows, macOS, Linux
Download link : gimp.org
How can there be an article about free photo editing tools without mentioning GIMP, the Photoshop of free editors? Released in 1996 exclusively for UNIX systems, this photo editor became widely adopted among the design community and subsequently was released for Windows and macOS systems.
The program was developed by a wide community of volunteers and has been updated dramatically since its first release. Even though the development stagnated for a while (there were no major updates since 2012), GIMP was still widely used and appreciated for its stability and editing potential. However, the last April update was a huge boost to all aspects of the program, from user interface to new tools and hardcore improvements to its performance. After addressing all the community feedback from the last few years, the program is now back in the race among the most up-to-date free editing software on the market.
GIMP includes everything you need to edit your photos: layers, masks, channels, blending modes, filters, and color adjustment tools. In the latest update, color management was added as a core feature of GIMP, not an extension as it was before. Advanced transformation tools like warping and handle transform also allow you to employ all sorts of distortion and correction in your photos.
Talking about extensions plugins are one the hallmarks of GIMP. As there is a wide community of developers and designers working on the project, there are countless plugins that you can add to the editor, expanding its capabilities. Another advantage is a highly customizable UI you may go as far as replicating Photoshop UI if you prefer working in a similar environment.
You can also draw in GIMP, and in the recent update the brush engine was updated, smoothing the brushwork and adding more advanced features like symmetry painting.
Lastly, the community offers a wide range of educational resources for beginners and experienced users. The program is hard to master, just like any advanced photo editing software, however, the learning curve is sweeping learn things as problems arise and you wont be overloaded with information.
Pros:
Customizable UI
Lots of educational videos articles
Plugins that expand functionality
Cons:
Rare updates
Rare performance issues (on non-Linux systems) RawTherapee
Platform : Windows, macOS, Linux
Download link : rawtherapee.com
The primary purpose of RawTherapee is to convert from RAW photo formats to other, more popular formats, e.g. JPG. However, even experienced photographers admit that they can have a blast with this editors functionality.
If you browse the photographers forums, youll find that many people like certain, specific functions of this program. For example, vignetting or rendering of fine tonality. Given the simple interface and workflow of the editor, you may find that certain things you are used to doing with Photoshop or any other advanced editor are much simpler and more fun to do with RawTherapee.
Another advantage of RawTherapee, perhaps due to its close connection to raw formats, is that its great at retaining a natural look of the photos. Many other photo editors use heavy algorithms to process your image, which often results in an unnatural look. If you want to convey the atmosphere of your original photo while still being able to fine tune it, you should try using RawTherapee.
This free photo editor is regularly updated, and it has a version for macOS, Linux, and Windows. The installation is easy and straightforward it wont take more than a few minutes to tune in and try the editor for yourself.
Pros:
Supports most raw formats (like Pentax, Sony Pixel Shift, Canon Dual-Pixel)
Preserves the natural look of your photos even after heavy editing
Convenient history of edits
Cons:
Not all features are explained on the website and tutorials
No layers, no drawing only photo editing Photo Pos Pro
Platform : Windows
Download link : photopos.com
Photo Pos Pro is a free photo editor with a common-looking UI that resembles that of a GIMP, Paint or Photoshop. It has a staggering amount of buttons in it, which might cause confusion for non-experienced users. However, theres nothing new to what the program does in terms of editing and you will find many functions working exactly like they do in other photo editors.
The editor comes with plenty of features for both basic photo editing (red-eye reduction, filters, auto-corrections) and advanced editing (magnetic selection, layer blending, color adjustment).
It also offers a layer system similar to that of Photoshop with opacity control and a lot of blending modes. However, as with all Photoshop analogs, the biggest limitation of Photo Pos Pro is the absence of adjustment layers.
Extensive tutorials available on the website are a plus. However, the amount of restrictions in the free version is upsetting: you can only export 1024 x 1014 pictures many advanced features and brush presets are only available after purchasing the premium version.
Pros:
Extensive user guide from creators of the program
Ready-to-use tools for common problems (e.g. red-eye reduction, auto-correction)
Cons:
No keyboard shortcuts
No adjustment layers
Many functions are unlocked after purchasing the premium version
Occasional freezes
Many advanced editing features are not available with the free version
Outdated UI PhotoScape
Platform : Windows
Download link : photoscape.org
This free photo editor has a very confusing UI when you use it for the first time. Its really far from your typical Photoshop Paint like programs. Dont let that discourage you. This editor is a gem. It was developed precisely for photo editing and its surprisingly easy to use.
What are the most popular photo editing tasks fixing red-eye? Theres a button Red-Eye Correction. Click it, select red-eye on the photo, and PhotoScape fixes it. A mole? Same thing. If you need to cover some nasty stuff with Mozaic Well, you got the idea.
80 of usual photo editing tasks are grouped together in buttons that you can use right away. There are 35 film effects, several editing brushes (smooth, blur darken), a paintbrush (kind of primitive, though) and a collage maker.
Basically, this free photo editing software is not super advanced, but not too simple to be included in the casual section of this article. If you often do basic stuff with your photos and nothing too serious, PhotoScape is for you.
Pros:
Easy to use once you get through clumsy UI
Fast
Install within 2 minutes
Cons:
Outdated, clumsy UI
No layers
No updates the latest update dates back to 2014 Pixlr Editor
Platform : web application
Link : pixlr.com
Pixlr Editor is another product from Pixlr company, a free web-based photo editor with some advanced features you wont find in a more simplified Pixlr X.
First of all, it supports layers and editing tools, like brushes, stamp tool and fills to name a few. The second advancement comes from filters there are more of them and you can fine-tune their strength and combine them in a linear fashion one after another. The history of edit will allow you to return to any of your previous edits without constantly having to press the Undo button.
Photo by Moose
Overall, Pixlr Editor is an online version of Paint.Net with a modern look and more filters adjustments available. It also has a red-eye reduction tool and spot-healing that prove useful in most photo edits. Dont let the simplicity of UI deceive you this free photo editor is extremely powerful and has features you wouldnt usually expect from a web-based application, like layer blending modes and layer masks.
However, it comes at a price the app has ads. A small price to pay, considering its free otherwise.
Pros:
Simple, intuitive modern UI
Powerful features in a simple shell
Web-based no install required, only internet connection
Cons:
Works on flash consider performance security issues
Ads Krita
Platform : Windows, macOS, Linux
Download link : krita.org
Strictly speaking, Krita is a free drawing software (and a great one) and was not specifically designed for photo editing. However, if you already have it or draw a lot why not use it for both?
It has everything you need for an advanced photo editing layers, adjustment curves, filters, selections tools Come to think of it, its a photo-editor hidden in a painting program because nowadays digital art has a lot to do with both drawing and image-editing.
The layer system in Krita is so advanced its the closest to premium image editing programs you can find. Better yet, Krita has a staggering amount of blending modes that allow you to create all kinds of special effects in your projects. Talking about effects Krita has a bunch of filters and adjustments and you can use filter masks with all of them for non-destructive editing.
If you want to create artistic projects based on your photos Krita is your choice. There are plenty of tutorials available for you on the website, although most of them are dedicated to digital painting and you will have to transfer the knowledge to your photo projects.
Pros:
Strong brushwork
Plenty of selection tools
Non-destructive edits with layered adjustments
Cons:
You wont find many photo-editing tutorials for a drawing-oriented program Try tools for creators by the Icons8 team Icons8 , a library of about 130K+ icons and clip art images Offline app and plugins to dragndrop icons and clip art to any design tools Moose , the big collection of high-quality stock photos Ouch! , a library of vector illustrations and collages Photo Creator , free collage maker with AI technologies to make custom photos Vector Creator , free collage maker to make custom illustrations for your designs Lunacy , free graphic design software with built-in design resources Smart Upscaler , image upscaler to enlarge and enhance images using AI Generated Photos , unique, worry-free model photos generated by AI Also, get the lists of free vector software and free photo editing software. Magazine resources
There are lots of high quality free photo editors available online if you know where to look. We've rounded up some of the best options here. Are you looking to improve your photographs but unsure which online photo editor to use? Weve created a handy guide to help you decide which one is right for you.
No matter your skill level as a photographer or how good a shot is pre-editing, there are almost always things that can be improved or retouched in some way. Thats where photo editing apps come inquality matters, and you shouldnt need to break the bank in order to achieve the level of polish you want for your work.
When it comes to photo editing apps, Lightroom is undoubtedly the paid tool of choice thanks to its unrivaled power and accessibility Your success as a photographer hinges on great quality photographs, an eye-catching portfolio to showcase your work, and the right equipment to shoot withand this can add up. When all is said and done, a tight budget might make it tough to spend more on paid photo editors, especially when there are great free programs out there.
Rather than focus on well-known, higher-priced editors such as Photoshop or Lightroom, were going to point you towards the best lesser-known options for free online photo editors. With the vast array of photo editing apps available on the market, making a choice can be difficult if you dont know the benefits and features of each app. Multi-Platform Photo Editors GIMP
When it comes to free photo editors, GIMP is king. Short for GNU Image Manipulation Program , GIMP is the closest you can get to Photoshop without paying a dime. It comes equipped with an impressive number of professional-quality functions, a completely configurable interface, allows fine-tuning of images, and contains a fully-integrated toolset that allows the creation of professional quality original artwork.
If you can do it in Photoshop, you can almost certainly do it in GIMP. If you want even more options, you can also use Photoshop plugins, which provide you with unmatched flexibility compared to any other free photo editor. GIMP is also open-source, which means that if you have the know-how, youll be able to add your own filters and features should you desire.
If you are experienced in image editing software you should get the hang of GIMP relatively quickly, but those not well versed in image editing software may find the interface cluttered or non-intuitive. A fair compromise for the sheer editing power you get at no cost!
Best for : Experienced users and those wanting powerful processing and art tools for a zero dollar price tag. Photoscape X
For a free program, Photoscape is actually quite impressiveits fantastic for editing and managing your personal photo archive. While Photoscape is a bit lacking in the interface department (it can be somewhat confusing), it contains an image viewer, batch processing, a screen-capture tool, and a great selection of filters and effects to take your photographs to the next level.
The photo editing portion of this app is where it truly shines, and even new users will be able to produce exceptional, professional-looking shots in moments. Photoscape even has some handy little functions to make your photographs look like analog shots, a decent cut-out feature, image transformation capability; it also gives access to over 240 figures, frames and borders, and more than 1000 patterns to use in your creatives.
Best for : Batch processing and experimentation. Online Photo Editors Pixlr
Are you looking to apply quick changes to your photos with very few headaches? While youre required to sign up before you can utilize Pixlrs myriad features, the extra few minutes of setup are well worth the effort.
This online photo editor is available via your browser, the iPhone and Android platforms, and provides a number of simple one-click functions and a relatively robust toolset. Perhaps the best feature of this app is just how easy it is to use: it contains tutorials to guide you through the more complicated features and can be mastered very quickly once you get the hang of things. If you are familiar with photo editing apps, then this is a fantastic choice for you.
In addition to this great little program, the company also provides Vectr (a free vector graphics editor), some free graphics that you can use in your creatives, and a nice selection of free stock images should the need arise.
A tiny little caveat: While this app is free to use, the best features are locked behind a paywall. Youll need to go Pro if you intend to take advantage of the more advanced functionality. Even so, it remains one of the most popular iPhone photo editors in the world.
Best for : Beginners; quick and simple image processing Instasize Photo Editor + Video
Available on both iOS and Android, Instasize is built for mobile editing. Its sleek design is user-friendly and doesnt cut corners on features and tools. Cropping and resizing are the apps bread and butter, but when it comes to image editing, the app lets you get into the nitty-gritty: manipulating exposure and brightness, tint and warmth, shadows and highlights, contrast, sharpness and saturation. Not everyone has the time for that, so Instasize also has over 130 professional-grade, photographer-inspired filters for you to choose from. Youre bound to find a filter that fits the aesthetic youre looking for.
Other useful features include robust beauty tools, unique borders, a collage creator and text editor. With Instasize, anyone at any skill level can add a personal and professional touch to the photos they post online. The only limit is your creativity!
Best for : Mobile editing and influencers. Permute 2 1 7 download free . Design Wizard
Design just got easy! You can create impressive videos and image designs in minutes with Design Wizards easy to use software.
The free features allow you to magically resize your designs. You can also upload your fonts, photos, logos and create custom color palettes! The library holds over 1 million premium images, thousands of high quality videos, illustrations and graphics and more. Every video and image has also been licensed for commercial use.
While there is plenty of value on the Free plan, you can also go Pro or Business. The Pro plan gives you 60 image design downloads per month, image uploads, font uploads, free previews and 1GB storage. On the Business plan, you get unlimited standard video downloads, 1 premium video per month, unlimited image design downloads. video uploads, add text and images to videos and 10GB storage.
Best for : Social media marketers and business owners. Fotor
Free photo editor Fotor (for Windows or web browsers) is an excellent tool with an extremely easy-to-understand UI that makes it simple to use. Considering how choppy some browser-based programs can be, Fotors performance is fantastic and wont hog system resourceswhich can cause your computer to start chugging along like a broken locomotive and waste precious time.
Fotor provides a wonderful set of Smart Filters and effects, as well as an engaging photo collage tool, and can handle RAW files without much issue. Fotor also allows some limited design functionality in the form of business cards, social media images, posters, banners, documents, and invitations, which should be useful to bloggers and digital marketers.
While Fotor lacks any actual art features such as a paintbrush, and is not suitable for really high-end effects like other apps in this list, it does what it does very well and is good for general photo editing for those who dont need advanced functions.
Best for : Hobbyists and beginners, social media influencers, and digital marketers. Befunky
Befunky is simple, intuitive, and one of the best options for performance on this list. It features a variety of awesome elements to boost your image quality as well as a nice and simple collage feature. Like Fotor above, Befunky also contains many design elements that allow you to create lovely postcards, brochures, posters, slides for Powerpoint presentations, and invitations with only a few simple steps.
If your goal is social networking posts, printable assets, or a presentation for a client, then Befunky is a good option for you. While it may lack features as wide-ranging as other options on this list you would be hard pressed to find a faster and more efficient option for cranking out simple creatives in a reasonable time frame.
Best for : Bloggers and people looking to create social media assets. PicMonkey
PicMonkeys best feature is its ease-of-use compared to more advanced options on our list. Its straightforward and the UI is friendly and intuitive (so much so that my eight-year-old can handle it in a few short moments), laid out logically and without clutter. Featuring a great collage maker that outshines most other simple photo editors, PicMonkey is accessible to everyone.
It also has all sorts of really useful templates that help speed up your workflow as well as facilitate the creation of headers and banners for blogs, websites, and marketing materials. While PicMonkey can only process one file at a time, it is still a great option for an online photo editor app.
As with several other entries on this list, PicMonkey has additional features hidden behind a paywall. You can still ride out a 7-day free trial to access the added functionality but are required to select a billing option to do so.
Best for : Web designers and bloggers. Google Photos
A recent replacement for Picasa, Google Photos is extremely simple and intuitive and allows you to edit your photographs with very little fuss. You can easily browse your photo library and organize your work without headaches. It has a limited feature set for actual photo editing, but does provide the key functions you would expect (crop, redeye, auto contrast, color correction, etc.).
That isnt to say it cant do anything fancywith Google Photos youre able to make animations, photo booth-style photo arrangements, holiday-themed effects, interactive stories, and apply frames and filters to your photos.
Google Photos can be accessed via your Google account literally anywhere with internet. With one-click sharing options for Google+, Blogger, and YouTube, and integrated sharing with Facebook, Flickr, and other social networks, youve got a lot of flexibility at your fingertips.
Best for : Hobbyists. Photoshop Express
An excellent browser-based online photo editor, Photoshop Express is extremely well-designed (which one should hope, coming from Adobe) and comes with all the features you would expect from image editing software.
Everything is immediately accessible regardless of your previous experience. Another bonus: no plugins are required so long as you have Flash installed, and you can simply drag and drop your images onto to start working.
The downside: Photoshop Express currently only supports JPG files and contains no social media sharing features. This might be a crippling limitation to some now that PNG is a much more commonly used extension.
Best for : On-the-fly editing via any browser; JPG fans. iPiccy
Boasting one of the easiest-to-use interfaces of any editor on this list, iPiccy is a good choice for anyone looking for a free photo editor without learning a complicated interface. With many one-click tools and a fantastic zoom feature, youll certainly be able to create compelling final photographs with minimal time invested.
Youll also have access to more advanced features; with curve adjustments, clone tools, background erasers, and other options, there is more than enough here to satisfy pros and novices alike. Note: you will require Flash to use iPiccy in-browser.
While iPiccy has limited options for saving your files (JPG and PNG only) and limits sharing only to Facebook (sorry Twitter and Tumblr users), the ability to upload multiple files simultaneously and the WYSIWYG interface will keep your productivity high.
Best for : Novices and intermediates looking for robust features. Ribbet
Ribbets main strength is in how easy it is to use. Even the most unskilled novice can master Ribbet quickly thanks to the fantastic UI and attention to great user experience. Like other options on this list, it contains a collage feature as well as a variety of different tools allowing you to add over 70 different fonts, create stickers, and so much more.
Featuring great sharing options as well as free cloud storage to help save and sort your photographs so they are available at all times, you really cant go wrong with Ribbet. Its a solid package that is pleasant to look at and can only get better as time passes.
One thing that is important to note: using Ribbets more advanced features is going to require an upgrade to the Premium version. Despite this, you have access to the bulk of the program features with the free option and its a great platform for making the most out of your images. Available for iPhone and iPad and with an Android build launching soon, you can take it anywhere you go.
Best for : Casual and professional users. iPhone Photo Editor Photo Editor by Aviary Best Free Photo Editors
This free iPhone photo editor is widely lauded for its variety of photo editing tools and effects, clean interface, and wealth of sharing options that make posting your shots online a breeze. Photo Editor by Aviary contains more correction and enhancement tools than nearly any other mobile-based competitor on the market. Similar to Instagram, creative filters are available to improve more lacklustre images.
It is important to note that its only available on iOS, so youll have to look elsewhere if you want something on your PC, Linux box, or Android phone.
Best for : Mobile photographers using iPhones. Which Photo Editor is Right For You?
There are a multitude of options available to anyone with a camera, and youre going to want to play with a few of them before you settle on the best photo editing app for your purposes. Whether you are a power user aiming to batch-process a thousand photos you have had on backlog for a year, or a total neophyte looking to cut their teeth in the blogosphere, theres a tool on this list that will do exactly what you need.
More resources for photographers:
How to Make and Sell Your Own Lightroom Presets
How To Make More Money With Your Editorial Photography
How to Price Stock Photography Best Easy Free Photo Editor Get the best of Format Magazine delivered to your inbox.
Best Easy Free Photo Editor
Editing your photos can be a real pain. And finding the best free photo editor among so many design tools just adds to the problem. Fortunately, weve gathered the best free photo editing software in one place for you.
Free online photo editor. Crop, retouch, and add filters to your images right from your browser with the Adobe Photoshop Express online image editor. Pixlr.com is one of the best free online web app which provide you the quick photo editing. Pixlr is also available for desktop and mobile version. It provide you simple tools for select, cut, crop, color effects etc. We have to just go to the website and lunch pixlr web app.
In this article, you will find photo editors, image editors and even a photo collage maker. For your convenience, the article was broken down into two sections, casual photo editors for beginners and advanced photo editing software if you want to take your photo editing to the next level. Tune in! Best Free Photo Editing Software For Beginners: Candidates Pixlr X
Platform : web application
Link : pixlr.com
Pixlr X is a free photo editor developed by 123RF, a company that also stands behind Pixlr Editor (a free image editor well explore in the advanced section of the article) Pixlr Express. In a way, Version X is a replacement of Pixlr Express, which is being superseded due to its outdated flash technology.
PIxlr X works directly in your browser. However simple, it allows you to perform a wide range of the most popular photo-editing tasks, such as adjusting colors, cropping, adding vignettes, blurring etc. It also comes with 80+ ready-to-use photo-filters that you can try with a single click.
You can also add several images to your project, which enables you to create photo collages. The photo editor supports layers, transparency controls, and multiple blending options just like in Photoshop. You can also add text to your photos, e.g. for your social posts and meme creating adventures.
Photo by Moose
The app works very smoothly with no lags. It also has a mobile version that works in a browser as well, just open the link on your mobile gadget. Pixlr X requires no registration, export is one click away and no ads were detected on both devices. What else could you ask for?
Pros:
Modern, minimalistic design
No registration, no ads
Layer blending
Mobile-friendly
Cons:
No drawing tools Icons8 Photo Creator
Platform : web applicaion
Link : photos.icons8.com/creator
Strictly speaking, Icons8 Photo Creator is not a photo editor [yet]. However, it offers something others services dont a fully customizable photo composition. A photo collage maker that comes with a twist you dont combine different photos, you combine objects in them.
Instead of editing photos, you create them. Dozens of models and each one of them has dozens of poses, outfits, and angles to fit every scenario. Add to that backgrounds and objects, and creative capabilities are limitless.
Any object can be positioned, rotated and scaled. You can add text to your collages and set custom dimensions for your projects. Default social media presets (e.g. Instagram story Facobook cover) are also available.
The key aspect is that Icons8 Photo Creator uses its own, custom made photos from the Icons8 Moose project. All the photos are shot in matching style, which allows you to combine them in whatever fashion you want. Some models and objects have several shadow options available if you want to better fit them into the picture. The number of objects you can insert into a single composition is limited only by your creativity or willpower.
Pros:
Rich library of photos objects shot by a professional photo crew
Objects are shot in one style and can be easily combined
Photos are ready to use retouched, cleaned
Constant updates with new features (adding your own assets, shadow generation, auto-adjustments, etc.)
Cons:
No adjusting
Cant add your own photos yet (the feature is in development) Pizap
Platform : web application
Link : pizap.com
Pizap is yet another free editing software for photos and images that operates in the browser. It has all the standard operations that you would expect from a program of this kind: filters, text, adjustments. However, theres also a collection of stickers, borders, and textures that you can easily add to your photos.
There are some basic adjustment panels to fine-tune your image, like brightness or contrast. Also, you may find several premade filters textures, but you can only use one at a time. Overall, the editing is pretty basic, take it or leave it.
However, a couple of tools within the software hint at the idea that Pizap is a meme-creators dream come true: text cut-out.
Cut-out is a rare, interesting feature to find in online photo editors, however, its here and it works:
There is a special Meme text option that only solidifies this fact: this tool is perfect for creating memes of all kinds. Add a few stickers from the library, maybe a border, and here we go:
Pizap is a great tool for creating fun social posts, trolling your friends or creating memes. The amount of out-of-box assets is enough, and theres a pro version ($2.50) to unlock more. Drawing mode is a plus, even though it comes with only one brush and two settings. Ads can be irritating, but creators gotta make money somehow. There are no watermarks, no worries.
Pros:
Cut-out
Meme creation tools
Stickers
Collage mode
Design presets
Cons:
Simplified layer blending
Ads
Performance issues my project died right in front of me Adobe Photoshop Express Editor
Platform : web application
Link : photoshop.com/tools
If you are looking for a one-button solution for fine-tuning your photos, APE should be your choice. The tool has nothing redundant (apart from the unnecessarily long name) just a handful of the most popular photo filters to enhance your images.
With Adobe Photoshop Express, you can perform common photo-editing tasks, like red-eye correction, touchup, crop, etc. There are a few special effects available as well, e.g. Pixelate, Crystalize, Sketch. They work exactly like their Photoshop counterparts. However, you dont have tweaking options for either effects or tools. Every adjustment comes in seven or eight presets, and all you can do is choose the one you like the most. However, you can combine effects from different categories and apply them at the same time, coming up with interesting combinations a rare thing to see in online editors.
Burn, dodge and a few other tools that require manual control, but the controls are simplified.
Photo by Moose
Speaking of nothing being redundant in the tool, it has a Decorate section with stickers that seem a bit over the top. After all, the tool gives off a vibe as an express version of Photoshop, not a meme-creator, but it depends on the user. Adding text and text bubbles can be useful to marketers, presenters or social media creators.
Overall, APE is a great quick tune-up tool. Dont try to compare it with full-fledged Photoshop or other Adobe products though, and you wont be disappointed. Theres also a free mobile version of the app for Android and iOS devices.
Pros:
Mobile versions for iOS and Android
Quick fixes for common problems out of the box
Photoshop-like interface
Cons:
Edits only JPEG files
Works on flash (security performance issues)
Cant add more than one image, so no photo collages possible Paint.net
Platform : Windows
Link : getpaint.net
Its hard to properly categorize Paint.NET because its either the most advanced among simple photo editors or the most simple among advanced. But Ive decided to include the editor under the Casual section for its pleasing ease of use.
Paint.Nets interface is a mix of good old Windows paint and Adobe Photoshop. If youve ever used one of these programs, youll feel at home instantly. It works as a desktop program and, unfortunately, theres no version for Mac that has been released so far.
This free editor allows you to perform all photo editing tasks and more. Useful features you wont find in other online editors are edit history, gradients advanced selection options like magic wand combined selections. Of course, several adjustments effects can be combined in whatever fashion you like. Unfortunately, Paint.NET does not support adjustment layers, but then again, were just talking about casual photo editing software right now.
Pros:
Quick download install
Desktop version no internet required
More features than online counterparts
Stays simple
Cons:
No mobile version
No browser version
No Mac version Canva
Platform : web application
Link : canva.com
Canva is not an editor as much as a visual constructor. With thousands of graphic assets, from icons and images to fonts and backgrounds you can come up with countless variations for your needs. However, some of the assets are not free and need to be purchased separately. On the bright side, you can upload your own images.
Photo by Moose
You can create social media posts, book covers, infographics, flyers, magazine covers, the list goes on If your future creation has a name, Canva probably has a library of presets to kick off your project.
It also has adjustments filters to tune up your whole project. However, you cant adjust the impact of each filter, its either on or off. You cant combine them either youd have to save your project and re-upload it, and then apply the next filter as a workaround.
Overall, Canva is a great visual builder with some editing features for your photos in stock, but not to the point where it could be considered a fully-functional photo editor. But then again, its not supposed to be.
Pros:
Great for social media posts
Rich text graphical assets library
Cons:
No layers
No blending
Not many photo-editing features Snapseed
Platform : iOS, Android
Link : play.google.com; Itunes
This list would be incomplete without a fully mobile photo editing app.
Snapseed works exactly like your standard mobile photo app. Download windows 10 pro 64 bit iso free. Only on steroids. If yours has 10 filters, Snapseed has 100. It also has plenty of specific tools, like tilt-shifting, perspective, grain, glow, etc. It also has a healing tool to help you get rid of blemishes scratches on your pictures in a simple manner.
You can also save your own custom filters as presets and use them in the future.
Its easy to import your photo to any social network or save it for future reference. If youre using your phone camera often and want to enhance your photos before uploading them somewhere, Snapseed is a great choice, available both for iOS and Android.
Pros:
Mobile
Easy to use filter-based app
Cons:
Mobile only
Cant combine several images edit only one at a time Best Free Photo Editing Software For Advanced Users: Candidates GIMP
Platform : Windows, macOS, Linux
Download link : gimp.org
How can there be an article about free photo editing tools without mentioning GIMP, the Photoshop of free editors? Released in 1996 exclusively for UNIX systems, this photo editor became widely adopted among the design community and subsequently was released for Windows and macOS systems.
The program was developed by a wide community of volunteers and has been updated dramatically since its first release. Even though the development stagnated for a while (there were no major updates since 2012), GIMP was still widely used and appreciated for its stability and editing potential. However, the last April update was a huge boost to all aspects of the program, from user interface to new tools and hardcore improvements to its performance. After addressing all the community feedback from the last few years, the program is now back in the race among the most up-to-date free editing software on the market.
GIMP includes everything you need to edit your photos: layers, masks, channels, blending modes, filters, and color adjustment tools. In the latest update, color management was added as a core feature of GIMP, not an extension as it was before. Advanced transformation tools like warping and handle transform also allow you to employ all sorts of distortion and correction in your photos.
Talking about extensions plugins are one the hallmarks of GIMP. As there is a wide community of developers and designers working on the project, there are countless plugins that you can add to the editor, expanding its capabilities. Another advantage is a highly customizable UI you may go as far as replicating Photoshop UI if you prefer working in a similar environment.
You can also draw in GIMP, and in the recent update the brush engine was updated, smoothing the brushwork and adding more advanced features like symmetry painting.
Lastly, the community offers a wide range of educational resources for beginners and experienced users. The program is hard to master, just like any advanced photo editing software, however, the learning curve is sweeping learn things as problems arise and you wont be overloaded with information.
Pros:
Customizable UI
Lots of educational videos articles
Plugins that expand functionality
Cons:
Rare updates
Rare performance issues (on non-Linux systems) RawTherapee
Platform : Windows, macOS, Linux
Download link : rawtherapee.com
The primary purpose of RawTherapee is to convert from RAW photo formats to other, more popular formats, e.g. JPG. However, even experienced photographers admit that they can have a blast with this editors functionality.
If you browse the photographers forums, youll find that many people like certain, specific functions of this program. For example, vignetting or rendering of fine tonality. Given the simple interface and workflow of the editor, you may find that certain things you are used to doing with Photoshop or any other advanced editor are much simpler and more fun to do with RawTherapee.
Another advantage of RawTherapee, perhaps due to its close connection to raw formats, is that its great at retaining a natural look of the photos. Many other photo editors use heavy algorithms to process your image, which often results in an unnatural look. If you want to convey the atmosphere of your original photo while still being able to fine tune it, you should try using RawTherapee.
This free photo editor is regularly updated, and it has a version for macOS, Linux, and Windows. The installation is easy and straightforward it wont take more than a few minutes to tune in and try the editor for yourself.
Pros:
Supports most raw formats (like Pentax, Sony Pixel Shift, Canon Dual-Pixel)
Preserves the natural look of your photos even after heavy editing
Convenient history of edits
Cons:
Not all features are explained on the website and tutorials
No layers, no drawing only photo editing Photo Pos Pro
Platform : Windows
Download link : photopos.com
Photo Pos Pro is a free photo editor with a common-looking UI that resembles that of a GIMP, Paint or Photoshop. It has a staggering amount of buttons in it, which might cause confusion for non-experienced users. However, theres nothing new to what the program does in terms of editing and you will find many functions working exactly like they do in other photo editors.
The editor comes with plenty of features for both basic photo editing (red-eye reduction, filters, auto-corrections) and advanced editing (magnetic selection, layer blending, color adjustment).
It also offers a layer system similar to that of Photoshop with opacity control and a lot of blending modes. However, as with all Photoshop analogs, the biggest limitation of Photo Pos Pro is the absence of adjustment layers.
Extensive tutorials available on the website are a plus. However, the amount of restrictions in the free version is upsetting: you can only export 1024 x 1014 pictures many advanced features and brush presets are only available after purchasing the premium version.
Pros:
Extensive user guide from creators of the program
Ready-to-use tools for common problems (e.g. red-eye reduction, auto-correction)
Cons:
No keyboard shortcuts
No adjustment layers
Many functions are unlocked after purchasing the premium version
Occasional freezes
Many advanced editing features are not available with the free version
Outdated UI PhotoScape
Platform : Windows
Download link : photoscape.org
This free photo editor has a very confusing UI when you use it for the first time. Its really far from your typical Photoshop Paint like programs. Dont let that discourage you. This editor is a gem. It was developed precisely for photo editing and its surprisingly easy to use.
What are the most popular photo editing tasks fixing red-eye? Theres a button Red-Eye Correction. Click it, select red-eye on the photo, and PhotoScape fixes it. A mole? Same thing. If you need to cover some nasty stuff with Mozaic Well, you got the idea.
80 of usual photo editing tasks are grouped together in buttons that you can use right away. There are 35 film effects, several editing brushes (smooth, blur darken), a paintbrush (kind of primitive, though) and a collage maker.
Basically, this free photo editing software is not super advanced, but not too simple to be included in the casual section of this article. If you often do basic stuff with your photos and nothing too serious, PhotoScape is for you.
Pros:
Easy to use once you get through clumsy UI
Fast
Install within 2 minutes
Cons:
Outdated, clumsy UI
No layers
No updates the latest update dates back to 2014 Pixlr Editor
Platform : web application
Link : pixlr.com
Pixlr Editor is another product from Pixlr company, a free web-based photo editor with some advanced features you wont find in a more simplified Pixlr X.
First of all, it supports layers and editing tools, like brushes, stamp tool and fills to name a few. The second advancement comes from filters there are more of them and you can fine-tune their strength and combine them in a linear fashion one after another. The history of edit will allow you to return to any of your previous edits without constantly having to press the Undo button.
Photo by Moose
Overall, Pixlr Editor is an online version of Paint.Net with a modern look and more filters adjustments available. It also has a red-eye reduction tool and spot-healing that prove useful in most photo edits. Dont let the simplicity of UI deceive you this free photo editor is extremely powerful and has features you wouldnt usually expect from a web-based application, like layer blending modes and layer masks.
However, it comes at a price the app has ads. A small price to pay, considering its free otherwise.
Pros:
Simple, intuitive modern UI
Powerful features in a simple shell
Web-based no install required, only internet connection
Cons:
Works on flash consider performance security issues
Ads Krita
Platform : Windows, macOS, Linux
Download link : krita.org
Strictly speaking, Krita is a free drawing software (and a great one) and was not specifically designed for photo editing. However, if you already have it or draw a lot why not use it for both?
It has everything you need for an advanced photo editing layers, adjustment curves, filters, selections tools Come to think of it, its a photo-editor hidden in a painting program because nowadays digital art has a lot to do with both drawing and image-editing.
The layer system in Krita is so advanced its the closest to premium image editing programs you can find. Better yet, Krita has a staggering amount of blending modes that allow you to create all kinds of special effects in your projects. Talking about effects Krita has a bunch of filters and adjustments and you can use filter masks with all of them for non-destructive editing.
If you want to create artistic projects based on your photos Krita is your choice. There are plenty of tutorials available for you on the website, although most of them are dedicated to digital painting and you will have to transfer the knowledge to your photo projects.
Pros:
Strong brushwork
Plenty of selection tools
Non-destructive edits with layered adjustments
Cons:
You wont find many photo-editing tutorials for a drawing-oriented program Try tools for creators by the Icons8 team Icons8 , a library of about 130K+ icons and clip art images Offline app and plugins to dragndrop icons and clip art to any design tools Moose , the big collection of high-quality stock photos Ouch! , a library of vector illustrations and collages Photo Creator , free collage maker with AI technologies to make custom photos Vector Creator , free collage maker to make custom illustrations for your designs Lunacy , free graphic design software with built-in design resources Smart Upscaler , image upscaler to enlarge and enhance images using AI Generated Photos , unique, worry-free model photos generated by AI Also, get the lists of free vector software and free photo editing software. Magazine resources
There are lots of high quality free photo editors available online if you know where to look. We've rounded up some of the best options here. Are you looking to improve your photographs but unsure which online photo editor to use? Weve created a handy guide to help you decide which one is right for you.
No matter your skill level as a photographer or how good a shot is pre-editing, there are almost always things that can be improved or retouched in some way. Thats where photo editing apps come inquality matters, and you shouldnt need to break the bank in order to achieve the level of polish you want for your work.
When it comes to photo editing apps, Lightroom is undoubtedly the paid tool of choice thanks to its unrivaled power and accessibility Your success as a photographer hinges on great quality photographs, an eye-catching portfolio to showcase your work, and the right equipment to shoot withand this can add up. When all is said and done, a tight budget might make it tough to spend more on paid photo editors, especially when there are great free programs out there.
Rather than focus on well-known, higher-priced editors such as Photoshop or Lightroom, were going to point you towards the best lesser-known options for free online photo editors. With the vast array of photo editing apps available on the market, making a choice can be difficult if you dont know the benefits and features of each app. Multi-Platform Photo Editors GIMP
When it comes to free photo editors, GIMP is king. Short for GNU Image Manipulation Program , GIMP is the closest you can get to Photoshop without paying a dime. It comes equipped with an impressive number of professional-quality functions, a completely configurable interface, allows fine-tuning of images, and contains a fully-integrated toolset that allows the creation of professional quality original artwork.
If you can do it in Photoshop, you can almost certainly do it in GIMP. If you want even more options, you can also use Photoshop plugins, which provide you with unmatched flexibility compared to any other free photo editor. GIMP is also open-source, which means that if you have the know-how, youll be able to add your own filters and features should you desire.
If you are experienced in image editing software you should get the hang of GIMP relatively quickly, but those not well versed in image editing software may find the interface cluttered or non-intuitive. A fair compromise for the sheer editing power you get at no cost!
Best for : Experienced users and those wanting powerful processing and art tools for a zero dollar price tag. Photoscape X
For a free program, Photoscape is actually quite impressiveits fantastic for editing and managing your personal photo archive. While Photoscape is a bit lacking in the interface department (it can be somewhat confusing), it contains an image viewer, batch processing, a screen-capture tool, and a great selection of filters and effects to take your photographs to the next level.
The photo editing portion of this app is where it truly shines, and even new users will be able to produce exceptional, professional-looking shots in moments. Photoscape even has some handy little functions to make your photographs look like analog shots, a decent cut-out feature, image transformation capability; it also gives access to over 240 figures, frames and borders, and more than 1000 patterns to use in your creatives.
Best for : Batch processing and experimentation. Online Photo Editors Pixlr
Are you looking to apply quick changes to your photos with very few headaches? While youre required to sign up before you can utilize Pixlrs myriad features, the extra few minutes of setup are well worth the effort.
This online photo editor is available via your browser, the iPhone and Android platforms, and provides a number of simple one-click functions and a relatively robust toolset. Perhaps the best feature of this app is just how easy it is to use: it contains tutorials to guide you through the more complicated features and can be mastered very quickly once you get the hang of things. If you are familiar with photo editing apps, then this is a fantastic choice for you.
In addition to this great little program, the company also provides Vectr (a free vector graphics editor), some free graphics that you can use in your creatives, and a nice selection of free stock images should the need arise.
A tiny little caveat: While this app is free to use, the best features are locked behind a paywall. Youll need to go Pro if you intend to take advantage of the more advanced functionality. Even so, it remains one of the most popular iPhone photo editors in the world.
Best for : Beginners; quick and simple image processing Instasize Photo Editor + Video
Available on both iOS and Android, Instasize is built for mobile editing. Its sleek design is user-friendly and doesnt cut corners on features and tools. Cropping and resizing are the apps bread and butter, but when it comes to image editing, the app lets you get into the nitty-gritty: manipulating exposure and brightness, tint and warmth, shadows and highlights, contrast, sharpness and saturation. Not everyone has the time for that, so Instasize also has over 130 professional-grade, photographer-inspired filters for you to choose from. Youre bound to find a filter that fits the aesthetic youre looking for.
Other useful features include robust beauty tools, unique borders, a collage creator and text editor. With Instasize, anyone at any skill level can add a personal and professional touch to the photos they post online. The only limit is your creativity!
Best for : Mobile editing and influencers. Permute 2 1 7 download free . Design Wizard
Design just got easy! You can create impressive videos and image designs in minutes with Design Wizards easy to use software.
The free features allow you to magically resize your designs. You can also upload your fonts, photos, logos and create custom color palettes! The library holds over 1 million premium images, thousands of high quality videos, illustrations and graphics and more. Every video and image has also been licensed for commercial use.
While there is plenty of value on the Free plan, you can also go Pro or Business. The Pro plan gives you 60 image design downloads per month, image uploads, font uploads, free previews and 1GB storage. On the Business plan, you get unlimited standard video downloads, 1 premium video per month, unlimited image design downloads. video uploads, add text and images to videos and 10GB storage.
Best for : Social media marketers and business owners. Fotor
Free photo editor Fotor (for Windows or web browsers) is an excellent tool with an extremely easy-to-understand UI that makes it simple to use. Considering how choppy some browser-based programs can be, Fotors performance is fantastic and wont hog system resourceswhich can cause your computer to start chugging along like a broken locomotive and waste precious time.
Fotor provides a wonderful set of Smart Filters and effects, as well as an engaging photo collage tool, and can handle RAW files without much issue. Fotor also allows some limited design functionality in the form of business cards, social media images, posters, banners, documents, and invitations, which should be useful to bloggers and digital marketers.
While Fotor lacks any actual art features such as a paintbrush, and is not suitable for really high-end effects like other apps in this list, it does what it does very well and is good for general photo editing for those who dont need advanced functions.
Best for : Hobbyists and beginners, social media influencers, and digital marketers. Befunky
Befunky is simple, intuitive, and one of the best options for performance on this list. It features a variety of awesome elements to boost your image quality as well as a nice and simple collage feature. Like Fotor above, Befunky also contains many design elements that allow you to create lovely postcards, brochures, posters, slides for Powerpoint presentations, and invitations with only a few simple steps.
If your goal is social networking posts, printable assets, or a presentation for a client, then Befunky is a good option for you. While it may lack features as wide-ranging as other options on this list you would be hard pressed to find a faster and more efficient option for cranking out simple creatives in a reasonable time frame.
Best for : Bloggers and people looking to create social media assets. PicMonkey
PicMonkeys best feature is its ease-of-use compared to more advanced options on our list. Its straightforward and the UI is friendly and intuitive (so much so that my eight-year-old can handle it in a few short moments), laid out logically and without clutter. Featuring a great collage maker that outshines most other simple photo editors, PicMonkey is accessible to everyone.
It also has all sorts of really useful templates that help speed up your workflow as well as facilitate the creation of headers and banners for blogs, websites, and marketing materials. While PicMonkey can only process one file at a time, it is still a great option for an online photo editor app.
As with several other entries on this list, PicMonkey has additional features hidden behind a paywall. You can still ride out a 7-day free trial to access the added functionality but are required to select a billing option to do so.
Best for : Web designers and bloggers. Google Photos
A recent replacement for Picasa, Google Photos is extremely simple and intuitive and allows you to edit your photographs with very little fuss. You can easily browse your photo library and organize your work without headaches. It has a limited feature set for actual photo editing, but does provide the key functions you would expect (crop, redeye, auto contrast, color correction, etc.).
That isnt to say it cant do anything fancywith Google Photos youre able to make animations, photo booth-style photo arrangements, holiday-themed effects, interactive stories, and apply frames and filters to your photos.
Google Photos can be accessed via your Google account literally anywhere with internet. With one-click sharing options for Google+, Blogger, and YouTube, and integrated sharing with Facebook, Flickr, and other social networks, youve got a lot of flexibility at your fingertips.
Best for : Hobbyists. Photoshop Express
An excellent browser-based online photo editor, Photoshop Express is extremely well-designed (which one should hope, coming from Adobe) and comes with all the features you would expect from image editing software.
Everything is immediately accessible regardless of your previous experience. Another bonus: no plugins are required so long as you have Flash installed, and you can simply drag and drop your images onto to start working.
The downside: Photoshop Express currently only supports JPG files and contains no social media sharing features. This might be a crippling limitation to some now that PNG is a much more commonly used extension.
Best for : On-the-fly editing via any browser; JPG fans. iPiccy
Boasting one of the easiest-to-use interfaces of any editor on this list, iPiccy is a good choice for anyone looking for a free photo editor without learning a complicated interface. With many one-click tools and a fantastic zoom feature, youll certainly be able to create compelling final photographs with minimal time invested.
Youll also have access to more advanced features; with curve adjustments, clone tools, background erasers, and other options, there is more than enough here to satisfy pros and novices alike. Note: you will require Flash to use iPiccy in-browser.
While iPiccy has limited options for saving your files (JPG and PNG only) and limits sharing only to Facebook (sorry Twitter and Tumblr users), the ability to upload multiple files simultaneously and the WYSIWYG interface will keep your productivity high.
Best for : Novices and intermediates looking for robust features. Ribbet
Ribbets main strength is in how easy it is to use. Even the most unskilled novice can master Ribbet quickly thanks to the fantastic UI and attention to great user experience. Like other options on this list, it contains a collage feature as well as a variety of different tools allowing you to add over 70 different fonts, create stickers, and so much more.
Featuring great sharing options as well as free cloud storage to help save and sort your photographs so they are available at all times, you really cant go wrong with Ribbet. Its a solid package that is pleasant to look at and can only get better as time passes.
One thing that is important to note: using Ribbets more advanced features is going to require an upgrade to the Premium version. Despite this, you have access to the bulk of the program features with the free option and its a great platform for making the most out of your images. Available for iPhone and iPad and with an Android build launching soon, you can take it anywhere you go.
Best for : Casual and professional users. iPhone Photo Editor Photo Editor by Aviary Best Free Photo Editors
This free iPhone photo editor is widely lauded for its variety of photo editing tools and effects, clean interface, and wealth of sharing options that make posting your shots online a breeze. Photo Editor by Aviary contains more correction and enhancement tools than nearly any other mobile-based competitor on the market. Similar to Instagram, creative filters are available to improve more lacklustre images.
It is important to note that its only available on iOS, so youll have to look elsewhere if you want something on your PC, Linux box, or Android phone.
Best for : Mobile photographers using iPhones. Which Photo Editor is Right For You?
There are a multitude of options available to anyone with a camera, and youre going to want to play with a few of them before you settle on the best photo editing app for your purposes. Whether you are a power user aiming to batch-process a thousand photos you have had on backlog for a year, or a total neophyte looking to cut their teeth in the blogosphere, theres a tool on this list that will do exactly what you need.
More resources for photographers:
How to Make and Sell Your Own Lightroom Presets
How To Make More Money With Your Editorial Photography
How to Price Stock Photography Best Easy Free Photo Editor Get the best of Format Magazine delivered to your inbox.
