Introduction
If you’re looking for the best photo editing app, then look no further than one of the top photo editing tools on the market.
With professional editing tools and easy-to-use photo adjustment tools, our list of great photo editing apps is perfect for both beginners and professionals alike.
The best photo editing tools allow you to make non-destructive edits to your photos. So you can undo or redo changes as you go along.
With a range of powerful editing features and photo effects, including layers and blending modes, you can create stunning images with ease.
Whether it’s creating something new from scratch or enhancing existing photos, these photo editing apps provide everything you need to get professional results.
What is Photo Editing?
Photo Editing is the process of correcting and enhancing photos to make them look more professional and appealing to viewers.
It involves retouching blemishes, adding filters, and adjusting composition and color balance. Also improving contrast and sharpness, and adding special effects like vignetting or text overlays.
Photo editing can be done using Photoshop or another digital editing program, or even through an app on your phone or tablet.
Choose the Best Free and Paid Photo Editing Apps
When it comes to choosing the best free and paid photo editing apps for Android or iPhone, there is a long list of options available.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you’ll be able to find a range of editing tools that offer an extensive variety of photo corrections and adjustments.
For those who want to take their pictures to the next level, there are plenty of apps for editing photos with great effects and picture editing capabilities.
Whether you’re looking for basic functions like red eye reduction, contrast adjustment or more difficult tools like facial recognition, layers, text, and more, there is a list of the best editing apps out there that can help you get great results.
With so many options available for both Android and iPhone users, you’re sure to find something that will work for your needs.
1. PicsArt, Best Photo Editing Software
PicsArt is our go-to for the most impressive photo editing experience out there.
Providing an array of artistic tools, filters, and sticker selections to choose from, along with the ability to create captivating collages, add textual enhancements, and share amongst friends or the 150 million monthly active users.
This app is primed to help your creative vision come to life.
Pre-capture effects and photo tools are included in their full-featured camera module, as are in-depth tutorials and weekly challenges where users can submit their unique creations and stand a chance to win by popular vote.
Unfortunately, these ads for PicsArt Premium appear rather often while in the middle of editing processes and need to be purchased if you wish to access the video editor, additional filters, anymore content, and turn them off.
For $11.99 per month or $55.99 per year (student discount available), PicsArt offers up a selection of resources when it comes to enhancing one’s photos—all wrapped up in a dynamic and enjoyable package.
2. Adobe Lightroom Classic
Lightroom Classic from Adobe is a desktop-centric photo editing app tailored to optimizing your workflow.
With advanced change options such as Select Subject and Select Sky, users can make precise edits to color, luminance and depth with the help of AI-powered masking.
If you’re looking for creative tools, premium presets from experienced photographers are available for various industries, from food to architecture.
Additionally, the HDR Panoramic tool allows you to combine various shots into one sublime image. When you’re finished fine tuning, you can use the Metadata panel to quickly alter several pictures in batch form.
Plus, storage is hassle-free when Lightroom links to your computer, sorting images neatly into folders and files. For the artist on a budget, Adobe Lightroom Classic offers membership plans that come with hefty discounts for students.
Plus, each plan includes a complimentary 7-day trial! Choose from the different plans, depending on your needs:
Lightroom: 1TB of storage and access to both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, all for $9.99/month!
Photography Pro: Ramp up the features with 1TB of cloud storage plus Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop on both desktop and iPad for $19.99/month.
Full Adobe App Package: For maximum creativity, go big with the unlimited cloud storage and all the essential Creative apps – including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat Pro – for $52.99/month.
3. Pixlr
For the casual photographer who enjoys a bit of creative fun, Pixlr is the perfect photo-editing app. Its intuitive interface makes mastering it a breeze, giving you access to tons of playful options.
From selective darkening and undo brushes to delightful filters, overlays and borders, you can give your photos a snazzy makeover in no time.
If that’s not enough, with the paid version, you can enjoy an ad-free experience, plus extra content – fonts, stickers, and more. With Pixlr, get ready to bring out your inner artist!
4. BeFunky
BeFunky is a powerful, user-friendly image editing software suitable for creative projects like photo collages and unique edits.
Available on web browsers, Android and iOS devices, BeFunky makes it simple to apply effects and tools to your images in real-time.
The selection encompasses basics such as exposure and contrast control, portrait touch-up, artsy filters, creative overlays, and textures.
While you can access premium features at a cost, the opportunities afforded by the free version are already plentiful, making it the ultimate choice for those seeking a comprehensive and cost-free image editing solution.
5. ACDSee Ultimate
Experience photo perfection with the latest version of ACDSee Ultimate. Transfer your photos from your iOS mobile to your Windows PC effortlessly with its easy-to-use Mobile Sync feature.
Jump into People Mode and find joy in combining face detection and recognition using the power of machine learning to help you out. Media Mode will amp up your organization with media folders that can be sorted and filtered for even easier access.
As for editing, features like Channel Selection, Channel Filtering, and Selection Basket make complicated tasks incredibly simple.
Enhance color and vibrancy with convenient parametric photo manipulation, HDR and Focus Stacking, Color Wheel and Luminance Range.
Enjoy noise reduction according to your exact settings—no more pesky distractions when you’re creating. It’s time to push vibrant, crafted perfection to its limit!
Discover your perfect fit for ACDSee Ultimate’s various membership plans. Home Plan offers four ACDSee products for up to five users with 50 GB of cloud storage for $8.90 per month or $89.00 annually.
With the Lifetime License, you can unlock all included ACDSee products without user limitations, while paying only $149.99 per year. If you’re not satisfied, simply take advantage of ACDSee’s 30-day money back guarantee.
6. Fotor, best free photo editing app
Bringing forth your best photos with just one click—Fotor, available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, packs a powerful image-enhancing punch with its tools and filters to make any picture shine.
This user-friendly software supports all the most frequently used image file formats and allows you to quickly enhance, retouch, erase the background, and even apply effects.
Moreover, Fotor offers an array of one-click filters designed to enrich your pictures depending on the conditions and content.
Illuminate your photos with artificial lighting, give them a beautiful sunset or portrait finish, capture scenes with the landscape or theater filter—the possibilities are endless! And that’s not all!
Business owners who wish to produce exquisite business cards, banners, invitations, or other visuals can also benefit from Fotor’s design assistance. Get this—it’s free!
7. Pixtica
Pixtica stands out amongst its peers in the field of photo editing applications. This app has a seemingly infinite range of features and tools available for use in one streamlined, easy-to-navigate platform.
Boasting options such as live filters, panorama, HDR, stickers, and hyperlapse modes, users of the free version can expect to benefit from most of what Pixtica offers.
Although opting for their paid version grants access to even more filters and resolutions. Those seeking total control over photography variables like ISO, shutter speed, and focus will find it here with Pixtica.
8. Afterlight
For those looking to get the most out of their photos, Afterlight is a powerful and feature-rich iPhone app that is surprisingly simple to use.
Although some basic editing features can be accessed for free – such as exposure, contrast, cropping, and saturation, it is the paid version that unlocks the full potential of the app.
For a nominal fee, you will gain access to tone curve editing, gradients, material and text overlays, sharpness, and HSL adjustments.
Plus, Afterlight has been offering an ever-changing range of exclusive films and VHS-look filters. While Android users have the option of downloading the Afterlight app from Google Play, this version hasn’t been updated since 2014 and isn’t recommended.
It’s available on the Apple App Store for $2.99 (monthly), $17.99 (annually) or a one-time payment of $35.99 (perpetual).
9. Foodie
Unlock a world of culinary creativity with Foodie! It’s free, available on iOS and Android, and ideal for transforming everyday food photos into unforgettable feasts for the eyes.
With thirty filters and editing features uniquely tailored to your dish, take your cuisine up a gastronomic notch.
Perfect bird’s-eye shots are made easy and vibrant hues will make every bite look bigger – and more delicious – than life! So don’t miss out, capture glorious images of your culinary creations and make your followers salivate with envy.
10. Canva
Canva is the go-to tool for creating attractive content quickly and efficiently. It can be used on Windows, Android and iOS, making it accessible to any user regardless of their device.
Perfect for social media accounts, this software also offers a wealth of templates for e-commerce store owners who wish to edit product photos with ease.
Canva boasts various functions, such as adjustable preset sizes for all manner of digital content, also impressive layering tools and font capabilities to create captivating visuals.
Also, it’s has built-in support so you can find answers to any questions that may arise. Best of all, basic Canva is free!
11. Facetune 2
With Facetune 2, you have the power to revamp any portrait and make it perfect. The app’s advanced technology has made skin-smoothing, toning and teeth whitening look like child’s play.
You can even switch between a serious expression and an alluring smile with just a few swipes of the slider control tool. And that’s not all — you can turn a regular photo into a work of art with glossy makeup tools, contours and highlights.
But if you really want to get your creative juices flowing, you should definitely opt for the app’s premium version, which costs only $1.99 per month (or $35.99 annually).
This version will provide you access to amazing features like changing the background, eye, and sky colors, removing blemishes, reshaping your face, and erasing under-eye bags.
Plus, its skin glow feature makes it worth every penny! So, don’t wait any longer —download Facetune 2 and start creating those picture-perfect selfies today!
12. Gimp
The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is an open-source image editing platform, offering amazing quality and versatility for digital and printed media alike.
With numerous customization options and the ability to utilize multiple languages such as C, C++, Perl, Python, and Scheme, GIMP is perfect for sophisticated users like graphic designers, photographers, and scientists, as well as those just starting out.
It runs on Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux systems, making it ideal for workflows that involve other software like Scribus, Inkscape, and SwatchBooker.
Furthermore, its source code can be both changed and shared for free. Thus, it’s a wallet-friendly choice for casual and committed users alike.
13. PhotoScape
Perfect for newbies seeking something special, Photoscape is an exciting and free photo editing software that comes with loads of useful features – but it’s still straightforward to use. Whether you need to touch-up a picture or apply filters, you’ll find all the necessary tools at your fingertips.
Impress your friends with quirky cartoon effects, reduce noise, create slideshows and GIFs from scratch, or pick from dozens of fun and funky frames, all for no cost!
With such a breadth of color and tone adjustments, you’re sure to craft unique photos in no time.
14. Crello
If you need your social media posts and marketing material to have an impressive, eye-catching edge, check out Crello – a browser-based tool that enables you to create stunning content quickly and easily.
Featuring tools for image and photo editing within a canvas-based workspace, Crello provides access to thousands of modern, professionally-made templates, which you can edit on the spot.
15. Inkscape
For those looking to make quick, basic photo edits without dealing with the difficulties of vector graphics, Inkscape is the perfect fit.
Available on both Windows and Mac, it boasts features like cropping, background removal, colour adjustments and sharpening.
For complete novices looking to break into the art of photo editing, the array of circles, arcs, 3D boxes, ellipses, stars, spirals and polygons may be overwhelming.
16. Collage Maker
Collage Maker is the perfect app for iPhone users looking to create impressive photo collages. With thousands of different layouts and options to customize, this free editing tool offers a vast variety of creative possibilities.
Its selection of backgrounds, text customization features and basic editing tools makes it an excellent choice when you want your collage to stand out.
17. Lens Distortions
Lens Distortions is the perfect tool for creating powerful, cinematic images. This app was inspired by advertising and film and provides an endless opportunity to customize your image.
With over 400 effects, including lens flare and fog, you can layer colors, adjust the intensity and light balance of each effect, and even erase parts of an image.
Plus, with their automatic portrait mode, you can get creative with your edits! Best of all? It’s free! However, if you want to take full advantage of its features, you can subscribe to Lens Distortions Unlimited for total access. Now get ready to make works of art!
18. Instasize
If you’re looking to make Instagram posts stand out with compelling alterations, Instasize is the perfect app for you.
This versatile photo and video editor provides several features for putting together a stunning post from start to finish, such as filters and sliders for post-processing, text and borders for more customization, and beauty tools to give portraits and selfies an extra touch-up before uploading.
Additionally, updates that roll out periodically include creative content inspired by different times of year, places, and emotions. The free version gives users access to various filters, color editing tools, and video editing capabilities.
19. PhotoPea
If you are an experienced photo editor, PhotoPea is the perfect platform for you! Boasting a free and open-source package, PhotoPea allows its users to edit photos, add stylish effects and filters, add text, crop images, or resize them.
But it doesn’t stop there – it is also adept at completing more intricate tasks such as web design and creating illustrations.
With sophisticated features that rival even those of Photoshop, PhotoPea brings out the inner creativity in all its users. However, if you’re looking for a simpler approach with an array of Instagram-style filters and effects, try other apps on this list.
20. Polarr
Polarr provides a suite of photo-editing tools for desktop, mobile, and web platforms. Not only can you improve the traditional parameters of contrast, brightness, shadows and more, but there are also plenty of gradients, overlays, and transformation capabilities to make your images stand out.
The app is especially powerful in terms of its range of customizable filters, which can be shared with others through QR codes. Editing can be taken to the next level using its tone curve tools, LUT and RAW camera file support.
Cropping capabilities are robust, though auto-leveling isn’t an option. With a paid subscription at just $3.99 per month or $24 a year, users gain access to the full toolset, the latest content and styles produced by the team at Polarr, plus their innovative video filter app 24FPS.
No matter which platform you use – Android, iOS or the web – this professional photo editing tool brings creative editing potential within reach.
21. PicMonkey
PicMonkey is the perfect app for making quick and easy edits to your social media posts. Available on both Android and iOS, its scaled-down version of the desktop PicMonkey editor offers a wealth of features like cropping, lighting adjustments, trendy filters and effects, background removal, and touch-up selfies.
Additionally, it provides pre-sized templates for designing optimal images for social media. Also customizable fonts and graphic stickers to fit any style – from playful to business-oriented design elements.
Why Do You Need to Edit Your Photos on iPhone and Android?
Editing photos can help improve their quality before they are shared online or printed in publications such as magazines and newspapers.
Professional photographers often edit their photos to bring out details that would otherwise remain hidden in the image due to lighting conditions or other factors.
Amateur photographers also enjoy photo editing since it allows them to produce more striking images that showcase their creativity and attract attention online.
1. Bring Out the Best in a Photo
When you shoot a picture, what looks impressive in person or on your camera’s screen may look lackluster when printed or viewed on a monitor or device.
Editing can enhance an image by bringing out all the details, from contrast, saturation and brightness to sharpness, richness and clarity.
It can also bring out any subtle features that were hidden before in shadow or otherwise not visible because of dull lighting conditions.
2. Make Your Photos More Interesting
Photos often need editing if you want them to stand out from everyone else’s shots. A few changes here and there can make them look more vibrant and exciting. Making a boring shot dynamic and eye-catching.
With many photo editing tools, you can add objects into your existing frame to create something new.
You can:
- adjust perspectives
- change hues, tones and contrasts
- reconstruct simple backgrounds
- combine elements from different photos
- paint over frames
- overlay text
- apply filters
- add decorative touches like ripples and stars
3. Remove Unwanted Objects
We all know there’s nothing worse than taking the perfect picture—only to find out there’s something distracting in it that takes away your masterpiece’s focus.
Before cameras had digital sensors, removing unwanted objects would have been next to impossible (unless something is cropped). Nowadays though, removing distractions like people, text logos or telephone wires is straightforward.
4. Ensure Your Photos Tell Your Story
Your story defines you as an individual– and as a creative photographer, you look forward to sharing this part of yourself with others through visual imagery such as a photo.
So, editing helps make sure these photos tell exactly the story you want them to. Through the careful selection of colors, approaches, you edit what makes up content for your intended audience into meaningful visual information.
Furthermore, this creative control helps ensure each aspect correlates precisely with the narrative behind it.
Conclusion
Thus, the best photo editing apps in 2023 boast a range of advanced editing capabilities and tools to make your photos look amazing.
From mobile photo editing apps with selective editing features to version of the app that are free, you have plenty of options when it comes to choosing the perfect photo editor app for your needs.
Not only can you select from a selection of the best photos, but you also have access to a photo library, photo filters and other mobile editing options.
With these powerful and easy-to-use apps, you can create stunning images regardless of your skill level.
Whether you’re a beginner or professional photographer, you’ll be able to find the right app for your needs that will help you enhance your photos like never before.
