In 2023, people took a whopping 4.7 billion photos daily. People take photos to capture moments and memories and want them to look good, even if they have suboptimal conditions like poor lighting. This is where photo editing software makes a difference.
Photo editing software includes all the tools used to organize, crop, and refurbish images. It also includes software for scanning old film photographs and digitally restoring them.
As the photo editing market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.2%, the competition is intense. Read on to know the best photo editing software and how you can pick the one that best meets your needs.
We evaluated several factors, including ease of use, editing features, affordability, and additional useful features, to choose the best photo software. Based on our analysis, here are the top photo editor software for 2024.
Adobe Photoshop – The Best Overall Photo Editing Software
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular choices for creating and editing images and photos. It is an advanced tool that offers layers for editing, masking, and filters to edit photos how you want.
Photoshop has many features for professional photographers and designers, like gradients, shape tools, light and color adjustments, and retouches. A highlight of this tool is its use of AI, especially the Generative Fill and Expand capabilities, as they boost productivity.
Who is it for?
This tool is ideal for professionals and enthusiasts passionate about creating the best-looking images. However, its many features and tools could take some time to learn.
This tool is not for those who want to edit RAW files. It’s also not for traditional photo editing, but it helps with retouching and creating digital images.
Pros
- Unparalleled editing options
- Eases the process of cropping and resizing
- Integrates AI features
- Easy transfer of files across programs
- Well-designed templates
Cons
- Can be overwhelming for beginners
- Expensive
- Takes up a lot of space
Pricing
Many of Adobe’s Cloud Creative plans include Photoshop. You can also buy it as a standalone app for $22.99 per month or $263.88 per year. With this subscription, you also get 100 GB of free cloud storage.
Corel PaintShop Pro – Best Budget-friendly Image Editing Software
Corel PaintShop Pro has been the budget-friendly alternative to Photoshop for many years. With this tool, you can create layers for editing raster and vector images and use many filters – all at an affordable price.
The 2023 version has many additional capabilities, like a frame tool that blends the mode preview to improve overall usability. Additional brushes, color palettes, and gradients add more depth to the editing process. It also integrates AI for background replacement, style transfer, and change to the portrait mode.
Who is it for?
This tool is a good choice for professional and amateur photo editors who need extensive image editing capabilities. Its support for RAW files, layers, and AI fixes is another draw for all users. It is also compatible with the plugins of many popular third-party tools.
Pros
- Affordable
- Powerful features for editing
- Supports HEIC, HEIF, and RAW formats
- Automatically removes noise
- Extensive tutorials and documentation
Cons
- Clunky and outdated interface
- No support for Mac devices
- Inefficient workflow
Pricing
The selling point of Corel PaintShop Pro is its affordability. There are no monthly subscription fees, only a one-time fee of $79.99. This makes Corel PaintShop Pro a budget-friendly photo editing software.
Affinity Photo – Best Subscription-free Picture Editing Software
Affinity Photo is another good alternative to Adobe Photoshop. This powerful photo editing tool supports RAW and JPEG XL files. It has extensive masking features, layer options, HDR merge, panoramic editing, and batch processing capabilities.
Affinity Photo is noted for its customized toolsets that provide all the tools you need to edit photos efficiently. Besides Windows and Mac, this tool offers a dedicated app for iPads. You can transfer files across programs easily.
Who is it for?
Affinity Photo is well-suited for creative professionals and photography enthusiasts. Its speed, versatility, and support for Windows, macOS, and iPad make it appealing to Millennials.
Pros
- Highly customizable user interface
- Extensive tutorials from the markers, but nothing much beyond it
- Responsive drawing and painting tools
- Complete RAW workflow
- Affordable with no subscriptions
Cons
- No photo library management
- Limited AI capabilities
- No mobile app for Android
Pricing
It costs a one-time payment of $69.99, making it the cheapest alternative to Photoshop. Moreover, you get free upgrades when you subscribe to version 2.0+.
CyberLink PhotoDirector – Best AI-Powered Photo Editing Software
CyberLink is one of the best picture editors available today, as you can make enhancements with just one click. You can enhance the portraits and improve shapes with advanced retouching tools. Also, PhotoDirector offers extensive customization options to help you make detailed edits.
A highlight of this tool is its AI capabilities. You can use generative AI to frame words and phrases that accurately depict your photo. Also, you can use CyberLink to convert your photos into creative art pieces.
Who is it for?
PhotoDirector is well-suited for photography and editing enthusiasts who want a simple workflow to edit their images. Its features are not overwhelming. Plus, its interface is intuitive to create and edit content and improve photos.
Pros
- Extensive AI-powered tools
- Good library management
- Guided edits to help beginners
- Many automated options and workflows
- Supports masks and layers
Cons
- Slow performance, especially the brush-based tools
- Technical glitches when switching modes
- Limited tutorials and documentation
Pricing
PhotoDirector offers many pricing options. If you want the non-subscription one, pay a flat fee of $99.99. If you prefer a subscription-based option, it costs $54.99 per year or $14.99 per month. This subscription option includes regular updates, 50 GB of online storage, and additional content packs.
Capture One Pro – Best Video Editor Software for Raw Files
Capture One Pro is a photo editor for PCs, iPads, and iPhones. It offers a complete photo editing workflow to edit photos from anywhere. This tool is easy to use, as you can adjust filters and even auto-apply them on your next shots.
Another salient aspect is the seamless movement across devices. You can start with the camera and finish editing on your desktop. Plus, its many filters ensure high-quality images with the right blend of colors.
Who is it for?
This tool is for professional photographers and photo editors. It has all the capabilities you need to improve photos just the way you want. Its interface can be intimidating, and this is why it’s better suited for those with some tech experience in using similar tools.
Pros
- A comprehensive app for editing, organizing, and tethering photos
- Comprehensive image adjustment capabilities
- Supports multi-shot imaging for both HDR and panoramic photos
- Includes advanced features like browsing, tagging, keywording, and rating
- Ideal for collaboration.
Cons
- App only for iOS devices
- Expensive
- Overwhelming interface for beginners
Pricing
The perpetual license costs a one-time payment of $299. You can also opt for the subscription-based option, which costs $24 per month or $179 per year. If you want to include the iOS app, the subscription cost goes up to $34 per month.
Skylum Luminar Neo – Best User Interface
Skylum Luminar Neo is an easy-to-use tool that works well on both Windows and macOS. The best part is that you can use this tool as a plugin with similar tools like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Its extensive editing capability is powered by AI, and it comes with numerous presets to save time and effort. Skylum Luminar Neo also has a wide array of manual controls if you prefer to edit the traditional way. It even supports multi-shot techniques, including HDRs and panoramas. Furthermore, you can leverage its AI-powered tools for removing backgrounds, reducing noise, and upscaling.
Who is it for?
Skylum Luminar Neo is ideal for users of all skill levels, ranging from beginners to pros. Its simple interface and extensive features make Luminar Neo the perfect choice for all Windows and Mac users. Plus, Luminar Neo is reasonably priced, making it appealing for photo enthusiasts who want to try editing.
Pros
- Simple interface
- Works as a standalone tool or as a plugin for Adobe Photoshop
- Comes with advanced AI tools that can automate most tasks
- Reasonably priced
- Well-suited for Mac and Windows devices
Cons
- Basic image management
- Can’t import images directly from your camera or flash card
- The Face Enhancer functionality can be better.
Pricing
The perpetual license costs $250. There’s also a subscription plan that costs $14.95 per month when billed monthly and $8.25 per month when billed annually. A two-year subscription further brings down the monthly cost to $6.21.
ON1 Photo RAW – Best for AI Effects
ON1 Photo RAW is a comprehensive photo editing software for enhancing and retouching photos and images. This is a non-destructive editing program, which means any changes you make will not modify the original program. However, there’s no import process, and you’ll have to locate images through a file management system.
The highlight of this tool is its AI capabilities that make photo enhancements easy. In particular, the AI presets provide incredible control with minimal effort from you. AI masking and Super Select AI are other excellent features for reading the image and making suggestions and changes accordingly. The Sky Swap AI changes the image’s atmosphere quickly to meet your needs.
Who is it for?
ON1 Photo is well-suited for all users who want to improve their existing photos. Since it relies heavily on AI, all that you need is creativity and not a ton of expertise. Due to this feature, it can work well even for organizations involved in photo and video editing.
Pros
- Lots of filters
- Ability to edit RAW files
- Extensive AI capabilities
- Non-destructive editing
- Comes with face-tuning tools
Cons
- The interface can be better.
- No geo-tagging
- Requires resources
Pricing
The one-time price is $99.99 for new users and $79.99 for those upgrading from previous versions. There’s also a subscription model priced at $7.99 per month or $89.99 per year.
Pixlr – Best Browser-Based Photo Editing Software
Pixlr is a suite of software applications for editing photos, adding color grading, and creating graphics. Its many tools differ in terms of functionality. Pixlr X is a simple and automated tool ideal for beginners, while Pixlr Pro offers the same look and feel as Photoshop.
A standout feature of Pixlr is its web-based support. You can edit photos from anywhere without worrying about the operating system. It even comes with layers and masks for advanced editing. You can integrate it with Dropbox as well.
Who is it for?
Pixlr is another tool that’s well-suited for a wide range of users. The free plan is sufficient if you use these tools occasionally while the paid options offer capabilities similar to Photoshop. Regardless of which plan you choose, no downloads are required, as you can access them directly through the browser.
Pros
- Easy to use
- No downloads or installations
- Can be accessed from anywhere
- The free plan comes with good capabilities.
- Integrates with Dropbox
Cons
- Annoying ads on the free version
- RAW photos can take a long time to load
- Not customizable workspace
Pricing
Pixlr offers three plans:
- Plus – $1.99 per month.
- Premium – $7.99 per month.
- Team – $12.99 per month.
GIMP – Best Open Source Image Editing Software
The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is a free and open-source tool that offers many Photoshop-like features, including layers, masks, and filters. It has image enhancement tools and customizable brushes that make editing images easy.
This tool is backed by a vibrant community. Many developers use its code to create other editing apps, with Glimpse being a notable example. Due to its popularity, there are also many plugins created by developers to extend its capability to other platforms.
Who is it for?
GIMP is well-suited for experienced developers and photo editors who want to tweak GIMP’s code for more customization. It’s also a good choice for those who need a free, decent editor.
Pros
- Free
- Open-source and lends itself to customization
- Vibrant community
- Good editing capabilities
- Strong support for layers
Cons
- Cluttered interface
- Slow
- No advanced features like face recognition
Pricing
FREE
inPixio Photo Studio – Best Photo Editor Software for Beginners
inPixio is another well-designed photo editing software. You can crop, edit, straighten, and add effects to photos with inPixio, as well as remove backgrounds and adjust brightness.
With this tool, you can restore old photos and remove the red-eye effect in photos of older cameras. If you choose, you can even remove unwanted items from your photos. Sharing photos on social media through this platform is easy.
Who is it for?
inPixio’s simple and easy-to-use interface makes it a good choice for beginners. It also works well for businesses and studios that deal with photo editing. Using its presets, editors can also add cinematic and natural effects, making it ideal for freelance editors.
Pros
- Simple to use
- Includes RAW editing tools
- Extensive image editing tools
- Low resource consumption
- Simplifies workflow
Cons
- Limited photo management
- Only two free effects
- Sky replacement can be better.
Pricing
inPixio Photo Studio comes in three editions:
- inPixio Photo Studio 12 costs $49.99 per year.
- inPixio Photo Studio 12 Pro costs $59.99 per year.
- inPixio Photo Studio 12 Ultimate costs $99.99 per year.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Photo Editing Tool
Having the right tool for photo editing can help you create and share more memories. When choosing a photo editing tool, consider factors like its ease of use, your expertise, cost, value for money, and the editing features you need. With the above list, you can get started on this exciting journey of photo editing.
