Top 14 Photo Editing Software (2022): Compared & Reviewed
Introduction
Photos today have become a part of everyone’s lives. Whether you click a picture from your phone or camera, it has become more accessible to everyone to take pictures and make something out of them.
Not just the people who have photography as part of their careers, social media too plays an important role in making photos extremely significant to people.
Apart from uploading images on social media for personal benefits, brands also require users to maintain their feeds. Blogs have become another source of full-time income today. Additionally, photo editing software might also be of use to graphic designers and in other fields of communication.
The photos can get more nuanced when editing is done. This might be merely adjusting a few things in the photo, to make an impact. However, with the wide range of options that are available today, it can become hard to understand which of the available software can actually provide you with benefits.
It is important to understand that photo editing software do more than simply editing the pictures. There are features such as photo organizing and creating your own artwork that designers might require.
This article explores 14 types of photo editing software. Each of the software explores different kinds of functions. These functions and features are analyzed and their pros and cons measured. This will help you get a better insight into each of the software and enable you to make a good decision.
According to the kind of use you have for the editor what will be the best for you will differ. You don't need to find all the features of a particular software useful. There is software mentioned that is used along with other software. A lot of times professionals use more than one software.
We have also looked into aspects such as why you should opt for a photo editor and how to identify which software should you choose.
This will further narrow down the decision that you would like to take. When it comes to photo editing software, there is some amount of cost available, hence that does factor in the decisions as well.
Other factors are studied below.
The article is to help you understand everything that you might need to know. Hopefully, it helps you make the decision that you are required to by the end of reading it.
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popularly known photo editing software.
A lot of people even use the words ‘Adobe Photoshop’ to simply say they need to edit photos.
That itself speaks for the kind of brand that is created.
If you are an amateur photographer or a professional, you might know that this is the software you will inevitably use.
However, at the same time, it becomes important to note that Adobe Photoshop CC is subscription based.
Not everyone might be able to afford it. This can act as a hindrance for some users.
Features:
There is a wide range of features that are offered by Adobe Photoshop. There are pop-ups on the screen itself while using Photoshop to understand how to use each tool. Simultaneously, it is important to note that the user interface itself is intuitive.
It can be said that Photoshop has the best masking tools in the business of photo editing software. The speed is also high. Photoshop is known to support all file types that are regular users.
Adjustment layers are used for editing. Photoshop also offers incredible retouching and cloning capabilities. These are some of the features of a wide array of things that Photoshop has to offer.
Pros
Cons
Adobe Photoshop is an extremely good software when it comes to graphics, tools, or the functions it has to offer. If someone requires professional photo editing, it is one of the best options even today. It is definitely a good investment if you need editing software regularly.
If you are looking for a photo editing software that is simple in nature and does not require you to be extremely professional or tech-savvy to use, then Corel PaintShop Pro should be your answer.
Not only it is inexpensive in terms of money as compared to others, but it is also very straightforward in terms of use. It might not provide advanced features as 3D modeling or detailed typography.
However, it does provide the basic features that one might require. It is a Windows only program and is touchscreen compatible.
The newest version also comes with a new photography space that is specifically designed for photographers.
Features:
When it comes to Corel Paintshop Pro, it offers a good range of features. Firstly, it is extremely beginner-friendly. The user experience that you might have will be clear and crisp. It also offers features such as 360-degree editing and the newer version has also incorporated the feature to copy to one’s layer.
There are predesigned graphic tablets that are there on Corel PaintShop Pro. These can be used to create designs. The Library that it has to offer for gradients, colors, palettes is extensive and has a large variety of options to choose from.
Pros
Cons
Corel PaintShop Pro is a photo editing software that is great for general use. It is also a cheaper alternative to adobe versions.
Photographers can use it to enhance their pictures and there are a good amount of graphics that are offered as well. It is a beginner-friendly alternative to photo editing software.
Adobe is known for bringing out the best photo editing software. One of them is Adobe Lightroom. It is cataloging, raw-processing, and an editing program.
It can also be used with Adobe Photoshop to create the best work of art. Lightroom is a multi-use photo editing software. Apart from photo editing, it can also assist in organizing photos.
Not only it is available on both iOS and android, but it is also available across all devices.
You can access Adobe Lightroom on mobile, laptops, or PCs. An editor with any skill set can use it and make the most of it.
Features:
There are a variety of features that Adobe Lightroom has to offer. It comes with face detection for photo organizers and has customizable slides. It also has great fixing and blurring tools. Lightroom has the ability to make the camera and lens-based corrections as well. It is compatible with all the operating systems, not just one.
Lightroom comes along with presets. Preset as the name suggests can be created as per your liking and you can use them to save time. Lightroom is an expansive market in this area. There are various presets that are available to buy as well.
Pros
Cons
Adobe Lightroom is a simpler and more convenient option for photo editing. If you are looking for a photo editing software that can be perfect for editing social media content, Adobe Lightroom is perfect.
It can be used by everyone, on all devices. The presets can help you set a theme for the feed as well.
If you are looking for an alternative to Adobe Lightroom software, Skylum Luminar is definitely a good option for the same.
It is affordably priced and comes with features that are extremely useful for photographers especially.
Skylum Luminar does not have subscription fees for every month. Rather there is a one-time payment. You can use it on its own or use it as a plug-in along with other photo editing software.
It is a massively popular software among photographers. It can help you edit pictures, organize, and provide more than one function.
It can be considered as an all-in-one photo editing software.
Skylum Luminar offers 24x7 technical support which can be very useful for users. There are features such as adjustment layers and masks. It is known to have fast editing and does not lag a lot.
The folders get updated with whatever content is available on the hard disk as well. It is also key to mention that the keyboard shortcuts are the same as Adobe Lightroom, they can work well together.
All the images you want to edit can be saved in the Luminar library. All the workflow is centralized and the ability to organize photos can make the work easier and save more time.
Pros
Cons
Skylum Luminar is an extremely good alternative for Adobe Lightroom at a good price. It can be very useful for beginners and offer various features that can enhance the quality of your pictures.
The fast-editing pace is also another reason why this software is considered one of the best editing software.
5. Affinity
If you are looking for an affordable option that is not photoshop, Affinity might be exactly what you are looking for.
It works on both platforms- Mac and iOS. Apart from this, Affinity also offers a version that can work on an iPad as well.
It has a one-time fee and you do not need to pay regularly for the same.
However, it is no beginner friendly and there is some amount of technical knowledge that one might require to make the most of this software.
Features:
When it comes to Affinity, apart from being compared to Photoshop in terms of budget, it also offers various features that can compete with Adobe Photoshop. It provides exposure controls, paintbrushes, layers to name a few. It can also read and edit files from Photoshop or with the extension PSD.
It also provides many features that focus on tools allowing retouching, cloning, and healing. It also enables panorama stitching and allows digital painting. 360-degree editing, color correction, and RAW editing are also other features that are provided by this photo editing software.
Pros
Cons
Affinity photo editing software is a really good alternative to Adobe Photoshop. If you are someone who has been using editing software then it might just be the perfect one for you. For professional editing as well, it does the job by providing the required features.
6. Capture One
Capture One is a photo editing software that is created by a camera company called Phase one. It is mainly popular as a RAW photo editing software.
Hence, if you are a photographer and use RAW photo editing mostly, this might be an ideal option for you.
However, apart from RAW, it offers other functions as well. You can either pay a monthly subscription fee or purchase the software at a fixed amount of $299 and then get benefits such as 500+ camera support.
Capture One allows you to create your own layout, which can enrich your user experience further.
Features:
As mentioned above, Capture One is known for its RAW photo editing feature. It masking capabilities are one of the best. Even if you are editing larger images, the functioning does not slow down.
Capture One photo editing software offers advanced editing features and offers greater flexibility to also adjust the colors and white balance. One can also customize the layout. This is a very beneficial feature. There are layer-based adjustments that one can make. Apart from helping in photo editing, it also doubles up as a photo organizer.
Pros
Capture One also comes along with styles and they work similarly to the presets of Lightroom. There is a wide range of styles available.
Cons
Capture One is a really good option when it comes to photo editing software. It does offer a variety of functions that can be useful to people who are professional photographers or editors.
It also offers functions such as photo organization which make the whole process easier for you.
Photo RAW is an important tool that can be useful for photographers. It offers cutting-edge photo editing capabilities.
This allows you to create images that stand out and makes the editing process easier by not taking toomuch effort or time.
It can be used as both photo editing software and organization software.
The 2021 version of ON1 Photo RAW has new tools for color selection, replacement tools along with healing tools.
There is a 30-day free version that you can try and it can enable you to try out whether or not you are comfortable with the software first.
Features:
If you decide to go for ON1 Photo RAW, there are a wide range of features that you will receive. These will include stackable filters and custom presets.
This can help one to add their own taste and at the same time, save time as well. It has a built-in hybrid browsing and cataloging module that can help you explore simply.
It can be downloaded on any device. This feature can turn out to be of major benefit. Each and every step of editing can be viewed from the editing history feature. This can help you identify your mistakes if any.
Pros
Cons
The On1 Photo RAW is a really good photo editing software option for people who are photographers and are looking for photo editing software.
If you are someone who has some amount of technical knowledge this might be a really good option for you.
ACDsee is a photo editor that has been there for a long time. It can be called a tool that has multiple purposes. It also has a newer version called ACDsee photo studio ultimate which has come around only recently.
However, being new has nothing to do with how helpful it can be for photo editing.
If you want to opt for this editor, you will have to choose a lifetime license.
Along with the lifetime plan, it offers updates free of cost.
This software is beginner-friendly and you might not need technical knowledge to be able to use it.
Features:
When it comes to ACDsee photo editors, there are a wide number of features that are available. There is a facial recognition feature that enables better management of photographs because it helps in identifying photos for that face. The edit also sources files directly.
When you distort objects the quality of the images is not compromised. You also have the option to insert and export presets. This can also help editors save more time. You can copy and paste masks.
Apart from using it for editing, you can also use it as a photo organizer which can enable you to help you work efficiently.
Pros
Cons
The ACDsee photo editing software is a beginner-friendly alternative for various photo editing software. It provides a wide range of functions. One will have to subscribe in order to get access to these functions. The software can be used by both professionals and amateurs alike.
9. Canva
Unless you are living under a rock, you might have heard of the software called Canva.
Canva is a designing application that is widely used on social media and other platforms.
There are various templates for different sizes and topics as well. These can be very useful both for beginners and people who have advanced knowledge.
Canva is very easy to use. From a price perspective also, it is one of the best software to use.
It operates on a model that is freemium in nature. That is, it has a free version and premium version features are paid.
Features:
Canva is an application that you can use on your phone as well as on a laptop or a pc. The application is extremely user-friendly. They are popular for creating photo designs for putting up on a brochure, flyer, etc. It offers more than 5000+ templates that could come of use to you.
Storage is also not a hassle when it comes to Canva. There is cloud storage available. Various elements of your image can also be adjusted on the application. This includes aspects such as photo blurring and adding effects such as a vignette.
Pros
Cons
Canva is a software that you can use even if you plan to use other software. It can be of great help with smaller projects as well.
10. Gimp
Gimp is an open-source photo editing software that is an acronym. It stands for the GNU Image Manipulation program.
Benign an open-source platform, this means that it allows the developers to make changes in the code and share versions. This also means that there are frequent updates that are there.
Gimp is a free application. This means that there is no cost involved even to access the pro features on this application.
However, this does not mean that the application does not have much to offer.
It is a great application for illustrators and designers to start out with. This can help them explore their creativity.
Features:
When it comes to features, gimp has a lot to offer. It enables high-quality photo manipulation and helps you retouch or restore the images as well. Apart from editing, you can also create original work with Gimp. This can help you get a high level of customization and there is a possibility to integrate several plugins.
It also offers features such as photo enhancements and color corrections. Cloning and touch-ups are also possible with Gimp. Gimp can be used across all operating systems and also allows one to create work that fits all file types as well.
Pros
Cons
Gimp is ideal for users who want to professionally edit but need some practice. Being free software with so many functions can enable it to be a good practice option before jumping to professional level editing applications. One must definitely give it a try because it is very beginner friendly.
11. Pixlr
Pixlr is an online photo editing software that is also very popular. This software can be accessed from both mobile and web applications.
It has a very simple user interface. Pixlr also has various customization options and can be used for free.
It has a free version. But along with it, there is an ad-free version where there is some payment required.
The cost is very low as compared to what we have seen in the more professional software.
There are three versions- free, premium, and professional versions. Naturally, the pro and professional versions have more features.
Features:
Pixlr comes with a lot of features that can be helpful for someone looking for photo editing software. It supports masks and layers and that can be very helpful. There are a lot of options provided for filters. The number goes up to 2 million. The user interface is inherently beginner-friendly but you can also customize it based on your preference.
Pixlr allows you to share pictures on social media easily. You can also export and import photos from computers. There are a variety of pixlr versions to choose from. Based on your uses and preferences you can choose.
Pros
Cons
Pixlr is another great option for online photo editing software. It can provide a learning curve for people who are barely starting out.
The layout of pixlr is similar to that of photoshop, hence it can act as a base. The variety of versions also provide more options to the users.
12. PicMonkey
PicMonkey is another software that is mainly recommended for people who are starting. It can help them brush up on their editing and designing techniques.
It offers a free version before you are required to pay for it. There is a basic plan, a pro plan, and a team plan for PicMonkey users.
It is software that provides a variety of functions. It can act as a complete graphic designer package.
Like canva, it also is simple to use and can add beautiful artwork to regular stories or posts you are planning to put.
Features:
PicMonkey has a really good selection of templates and advanced tools are also available for photo editing. The software constantly updates and hence new features are introduced with those updates. It can be used on both operating systems.
You can also create images that can be used for online publishing using sophisticated graphic tools. The user interface is extremely simple and easy to work with.
This means one does not have to be a professional to be able to use it. It is beginner-friendly. It has various templates and collage features as well which can enhance the photos you want to edit.
Pros
Cons
PicMonkey is beginner-friendly software and if you are someone who does not want to get too overwhelmed with photo editing this might be what you require.
It's always better to try simpler software to develop confidence and understand your style. You can always upgrade as per your preference.
The whole of Adobe can be hard to contain. However, if you would like to get an Adobe photo editor, you can always opt for Adobe photoshop elements.
It is designed for people who are starting out and has a user-friendly interface.
Adobe photoshop elements can help you to produce images that look like they have been professionally created on photoshop without having to go through the hassle of it. It works on both android and mac.
This editing software requires you to pay for it. It has a guided mode and comes along with tutorials that can help in understanding the functioning of this software.
Adobe photoshop elements come along with various features that make it one of the best photo editing software out there.
It has auto curated features that enable AI to help you distinguish the best images. The AI capabilities themselves ensure that the editing tasks can be performed on their own.
It has the ability to create more professional colleges also in simple steps. It has a friendly interface which makes it easy for the user to navigate and explore their own creativity. Apart from this it also has powerful tools for photographers. It also has tools such as smooth skin which can help you easily edit your images.
Pros
Cons
Adobe photoshop elements are excellent software if you are willing to spend some amount of money to get the effects of photoshop on your edited pictures. This can also be useful for those who want to pursue photo editing professionally but at the same time, it can also be beginner-friendly.
14. Snappa
Snappa is a cloud-based editing tool for photos and is also popular for how it can mainly help professionals. There are professionals who might need photo editing software to enhance their social media.
This can help them do. It can also offer you various collaborations along with other editors.
Snappa works on a freemium model. Along with the free option, it can also be premium.
That means that you could either use the free option or you could choose to go premium and make use of more features and also upgrade the way you edit your photos.
Features:
There are various features that Snappa offers as a photo editing software. It allows the option for drag and drop editing and has an intuitive user interface.
The software also has various image dimension templates and high-resolution photos are available in stock.
The software is easy to use for people who are already professionals in this field. You can add graphics and texts in merely seconds and this can not only save time but also be extremely convenient.
You can also share these graphics on social media. You can make templates for places such as blogs or other posts.
Pros
Cons
Snappa is a really good software if you are looking for one that is mainly for social media purposes. You can learn this one software and not require anything else.
It can also be used for professional purposes. You can choose to use the free version before deciding whether you like it or not as well.
Why do you need photo editing software?
One might think why would I need a photo editing software when they can merely click good pictures. While some people might think it might be enough, it is not.
The process of creating an image is much more than simply taking it. There are various reasons why the process ends after editing it.
1. To retouch photos
While there have been debates as to whether or not one should be allowed to retouch photos, it is important to understand that the model you choose may not be perfect and would like to hide their blemishes. Photo retouching can also allow people to use digital makeup and enhance the overall appearance of that person.
2. Backgrounds
There might be times when the picture might be perfect but something in the background might be disturbing. Instead of retaking the whole picture where you might have to set the light, work with the mood you can choose to change the background with the help of editing. This will save time and resources.
3. Color correction
There might be times when after taking pictures you might pay attention to the lightning faults in that picture. The regular color might get altered when this happens. Instead of changing the lighting and retaking pictures, you can use color correction.
4. Masking and shadows
If you take pictures of animals there might be fur or taking pictures in the winds might have hairs flying around. You can avoid this by masking. Sometimes these elements can be disturbing and ruin the entire impact of the image. Shadows can enhance your pictures in ways where it is possible for you to make the image look unique.
These are some of the ways by which photo editing can add small tweaks in order to complete your image. This can be extremely useful.
Things to consider before choosing a photo editing software
Like we have established earlier, there are a huge number of options that are available in the market when it comes to photo editing software. This is why it can get confusing to decide how you should go about selecting your software. These are the ways you can choose to do so.
1. Paid or Unpaid
The primary thing to note is whether or not you would be ready to make a payment for the photo editing software. There are paid as well as free options when it comes to this software.
We have explored both of them. If you are willing to pay, you also must decide your budget. There is software available which is cheaper as compared to others. Stick to the budget.
2. Use
This is an extremely important factor to consider. Some people are professional and require a high amount of tools to bring out the best in their images. However, others might need it for social media or for making blog templates.
They are not required to download software that requires technical knowledge. However, if you are someone who is planning to take this up professionally you can opt to learn from the basics of software that requires technical knowledge.
3. Experience
You must understand and notice how experienced you are with photo editing software. A lot of times people might pay a lot of money for advanced software but might not know how to use it. While one can learn in the learning curve, it is not always necessary.
If you are someone who is not sure about how far they want to go with this, you can try out the free versions of the software that have free trials. This will give you insight and a better idea as to what you should choose.
These are the primary things to consider when looking for photo editing software. Without these, when you look at each of the software it can be hard to identify whether or not you require this software.
You can choose to work on these aspects first. Then you can also choose to explore the features that you specified. However, if you are starting, you might not know these aspects. Then you can choose to decide based on the level of difficulty.
Conclusion
We have analyzed 14 different software that is one of the best photo editing software that is there. These offer different functions and features. Based on what you want to do, you have to identify what software will suit your requirements.
It is important to keep in mind that you need not use one photo editing software only. You can use multiple combinations and make the best artwork that you have. This software is not only for adding minor changes but can change everything about your photos. These also save the time of relicking pictures till you get the best one.
Photos have seeped into our life where there is increased importance. Apart from memories, they signify a lot of aspects such as a person’s personal brand today.
Even if you are someone who does not require editing professionally, on your own. You might need them in your personal life. For that, you can go for options such as Canva that can enhance your social media at a low cost.