Gone are the days when you had to buy proprietary software or tools to edit photos for post-processing. Free-to-use photo editors are getting more and more tools now, which used to be part of only paid versions. But are they really that good, though? Well, today we are going to find some of the best free photo editors that you can use to make your photos stand out from the rest of your competition without having to pay any extra cost for the software. It is pretty easy to grab a free photo editor as there are so many options available on the market. But you have to be cautious because some of these software programmes have tonnes of bugs and viruses attached to their source files.
On the other hand, a professional might want to use only proprietary software like Adobe Photoshop for all their photo editing needs, even though they have the same options in a number of other tools that can be of great help to them at no additional cost. Most of the free photo editors these days have been open-sourced; you can even use plugins for these applications, such as masks, layers, and others, to make them work according to your needs. Likewise, some of the photo editors make it possible for users to edit photos that are present in Photoshop’s PSD documents.
With the help of this article, we are going to uncover some of the best free photo editors that you can get off the internet right now. Along with this, we are going to showcase their features and what makes them unique as well. On the other hand, we are also going to highlight why your business needs to have professional photo editing software to edit out images.
What are Photo Editors?
The thin line between photo editor and video editor is slipping away with time as we move into the age of digitalization. An image or photo editor is specifically a software programme that is used to edit out the pictures that are present digitally. These programmes can be used to crop and even touch up the photos. Moreover, you can even organise your albums in these photo editors and share them with your friends and family. A photo editor is a bit different from a full-blown image editor.
An excellent example of an image editor is Adobe Photoshop and Corel’s Paint Shop Pro. These two are equipped with so many tools to make adjustments to your images that you will find yourself overwhelmed if you haven’t got the proper training to use them in the first place. In the case of photo editors, you will have a set of essential tools that will be sufficient for consumers. If they want to add in more devices, they can download plugins for that specific application and get the job done. Some of the examples of a photo editors are Fotor, Gimp, Befunky, Canva, and more. For your ease, we have described each of these in much more detail in the below section.
Things to Look for In a Photo Editor
So, if you’ve decided to use a free photo editor, you should look for some essential features before making your final decision. we have given a tentative guide that can help you find the best photo editor according to your needs and that too, with ease.
Mac Os Or Windows
The first thing, or filter, you should have on your search is based on the operating system. Most of the software you will find will work perfectly with the Windows operating system. But the same thing can’t be said for the Mac versions. The open-source community is more inclined to find solutions for the Windows OS because the Mac OS is held tightly by Apple, and to make software for Apple, you need paid programs in the first place. If you are a Mac user, you will still find plenty of free photo editors, but the choice for Windows users will always be greater.
Hardware Requirements
Even though these are free photo editors, you should not take them lightly as to hardware requirements. Some of the free software programmes notoriously have high hardware demands, and when they are not fulfilled, they tend to slow down the whole system. As a result, before you install the software, make sure to check how much RAM, hard-drive space, and processing power it needs to operate smoothly.
Find your Needs
Ask yourself what the things you are looking for in a photo editor are. When you are searching the net, you will be bombarded by tonnes of free applications that can be downloaded with a single click. But it is up to you to find the best one suited to your needs. Thus, please make a list of all the requirements and tools you wish to see in a photo editor and then tick them off one by one as you find them in the feature list of the software.
Don’t Be Overwhelmed
You know what you want; you have made the list of features you need. So, things are more straightforward for you at this point. But now, there is one more thing you need to keep in mind before pressing the install button, and that is to see how long the list of features is. Most of the time, more features don’t mean you are getting better software. Companies tend to add gimmicks to their software to make the feature list look long. But these features and tools don’t really have real-world usage. As a result, having them in your toolbox will only make it harder for you to find the essential tools that you need.
Updates
Finally, look for the updates to see how recent the application has gotten an update or even a patch fix. If you are downloading a free photo editor that hasn’t been updated since 2020, then installing it will be only a waste of time. A constant update of the software is essential, and you might think asking for regular updates from free software is too much to ask, but you are going to find out that the open-source community is so strong that they come up with new tools, plugins, and even bug fixes for free applications to make them stand side by side with the paid programs.
Best Free Photo Editors to use In 2022
Just like clicking a nice shot is vital in the same way, using a good photo editing app is essential for enhancing the image using post-processing technology. A lot of people make the mistake of not spending time looking for the best photo editor for post-processing. As a result, their photos lack a bit of the charm that editing brings out. Well, nothing to worry about; in this section, we have defined the top 7 free photo editors who can be of great help to your photography career. All of them are free to use and come with the latest tools to make your photos feel and look good. So let’s get started, shall we?
1. Adobe Photoshop Express
Let’s start with the elephant on our list, the Adobe Photoshop Express. You thought Adobe didn’t make free software? Well, here it is, the Adobe Photoshop Express. For a long time, people were looking for an application that could actually replicate the tools and precision of Adobe, but none of them got close to it. But things changed after the release of Adobe Photoshop Express. It is a trimmed-down version of the paid software that runs online and can also be downloaded on mobile phones to edit photos on the go.
Adobe Express isn’t aimed at satisfying the needs of professional photographers and media creators. It is more geared towards beginners, those who are looking for high-quality software to make quick edits. You get all the basic tools with this software, such as contrast, perspective, saturation, exposure, and even spot removal. You can also select the dynamic effects.
The images you edit will be saved on your device and also on the cloud of Adobe, from where you can download them on any system. The photos that are edited using Adobe Photo Express are non-destructive in nature, so you can quickly go back to the original image whenever you want.
Features
- You can apply clarity and even dehaze settings to your photos.
- Remove red eyes from human faces and even from pets.
- Make collages and blend your photos with multiple textures and overlays.
- You can directly publish your photos from the mobile app to various social media sites and send them directly via email as well.
- Apply full blur or radical on your images and put a custom marker on your images to authenticate them.
2. GIMP
This might come as a surprise to many of our readers, but those who are familiar with the world of photo editing know that Gimp is a blessing to photo editors. “GIMP stands for “GNU Image Manipulation Program.” It has tonnes of image-enhancing tools, which you can only find in premium software. Moreover, new tools and plugins are being developed each day to make GIMP the best photo editing software out there in the competitive market. From the very start, you will find that GIMP’s user interface is pretty easy to comprehend, and it has layers and layers of features to eliminate any flaws present in your photograph. There are various clone stamps and healing tools, custom brushes, freedom of perspective changes, and more at your disposal.
GIMP is an open-source photo editor, and therefore its amazing community came up with a number of excellent plugins, which quintessentially made GIMP an all-around application for photo editors. You don’t need to use any other software once you master the science of editing photos in GIMP. Most of the plugins, when they are pretty helpful for users, come pre-installed in the software. But if you want to install a specific plugin, you can easily do that too, with no fuss in any way possible.
Moreover, the interface of GIMP is also highly customizable, you can find its tutorials available on the internet, and even if you are stuck somewhere, the community is great to get your issues resolved in no time.
Features
- It comes with a full suite of painting tools, which includes a brush, pencil, airbrush, and more.
- GIMP has tile-based memory management. As a result, the image size is limited to the available space on the disc of your system.
- It has full alpha channel support, layers, and editable text layers as well.
- The software is designed to be easily extended, and it has advanced scripting capabilities as well, with the use of programming languages like Python, Scheme, and Perl.
- You can also add animation in a convenient frame-as-layer format. Along with this, GIMP has MNG support too.
3. PhotoScape X
This is a photo editor that is specifically designed for novice users’ needs. When it comes to the list of tools in PhotoScape X, you will find that it has no end. The software provides a one-click enhancement in most cases. This makes it easier for beginners to bring out their creativity without needing any technical expertise. There are thousands of filters that can be used on any photo that is uploaded to the program. Also, it comes with the support of RAW photo conversion, and you can even edit pictures of a massive batch in one go. The application provides a feature that makes it easier for the developers to format changes, resize, and rename. With the help of this software, there is a long list of tutorials, including videos and blogs, that can be used to help you master photo editing skills.
There is also a paid version if you think you need an upgrade. Otherwise, most of the tools are present in the free version for you to take advantage of. For many users and semi-professional photographers, this is their go-to photo editor for efficient editing. Keep in mind that this is not a Photoshop killer, but in a lot of ways, it perfectly fits into the boots of Photoshop.
Features
- First, you can stitch together multiple images and create a panorama effect, a collage, or even an animated GIF if you want to.
- All the tools are well labelled and come with a brief description as to what they do and how they will affect your image.
- You can change the grid arrangement according to your liking and customise the layout.
- It’s a versatile free program, so even if you don’t use all its tools, you will still end up learning a lot about photo editing and the tools that you need to use.
4. Pixlr X
It is a great photo editing tool for those who are looking for a quick way to edit their photos online. For this application to run smoothly on your system, you don’t need high-spec hardware. Even a 4GB of RAM or a Chromebook will do just fine because everything runs on the cloud, and all the horsepower it needs comes from the servers on which the website is hosted.
For many photo editors, Pixlr X is considered the best online photo editor. The web application has a sleek design, similar to its predecessor, and focuses more on one-click tools, which will cover every single basic editing need. For most non-professionals, this will do, but if you are looking for tools like brushes, layers, and other similar tools, you should look for its big brother, Pixlr E.
Feature
- You will be able to edit your image colour and saturation, crop, and get rid of the unwanted elements from your photo.
- Likewise, you can adjust the touch-ups and white balance as well.
- With the use of red-eye removal and fill light, you will be able to enhance your portrait photography.
- You don’t need to have fantastic hardware to run this application on your system.
- The user interface is pretty clean, and in no time, you will get used to it working along with the navigation.
5. Canva
We know Canva isn’t a specific photo editor, but bear with us, and you will see why we are putting it here in our list of free photo editors. Canva is a suite of photo, video, and ad-making online software that provides every single tool you need for visual material. When you don’t have a designer in your team or even on a budget, Canva can be your solution. The web app comes with a variety of templates galore, free workshops for learning the best practices, and has tonnes of other tools to create eye-popping variety creations with ease.
Furthermore, Canva provides robust language accessibility options in their account settings. You can choose from dozens of preferred language options, and every single text in the application will be changed to that language. You can add photos straight from your mobile phone, or you can add them using your laptop. Likewise, it can be used to crop, cut, and change the size of the image as well.
Features
- With Canva, you get different filters that you can try on your photos.
- The text can be customised in infinite ways, and you can put it on your photos.
- In addition to this, you can also make a GIF using Canva and can download it in various formats.
- You can make the background transparent or even remove it completely.
- Moreover, you can merge your photos with the other photos that are present in the template section of Canva.
- Lastly, you can apply pre-built and custom elements to your photos, which can be an icon, text, music, and more.
6. InPixio
For many photo editors, InPixio is considered to be a no-nonsense software that makes your photo pop with the bare minimum effort. In addition to this, you don’t need to be an expert in photo editing to use this program’s full potential. Every single feature that you need is present in the free version, and you are not going to be bashed by the number of ads that just come on your screen from anywhere. You can adjust the temperature, hue, exposure, and other facets of your photo in a simple way by dragging the bar. In addition to this, you can also ignore the tone curves if you want to.
There is also a tool that can be used to show you changes that took place after you edited the photo. For some people, this tool might not feel like a complete photo editor, but for the most part, you will be satisfied with its usage. The images edited by this application can be easily uploaded on social media websites to gain likes and followers.
Features
- In time, the user interface is pretty clean, and in time you will be able to get around with ease.
- It is a simple photo editor with enough power to be used by semi-professionals as well.
- This software can be integrated with your social media accounts like Facebook, and you can directly share your photos from within the program.
7. Ashampoo Photo Editor
Last on our list is a photo editor, which comes in handy for those people who want to edit tonnes of photos but are in a rush to finish the editing. The Ashampoo photo optimizer is the one tool that provides an uncluttered user interface that is devoid of any ads. Importing pictures into this photo editor can be done in the snap of a finger. Once they are added, you can rotate or mirror them all at once, saving a lot of time. Likewise, the user has the freedom to choose any of the individual photos and enhance them using the one-click optimization tool. When we tested it out, this single-click optimization did wonders with the landscape photographs. But when there is a subject present in the frame, it lacks that extra punch.
There are six different sliders that can be used to adjust the colour and exposure of the photo. Likewise, once you have made a preset, you can apply it to a whole set of pictures all at once. This software works well with all the different operating systems, and for the Linux OS, it can be operated via a web browser.
Features
- There are tons of templates, presets, and other special effects present in the software, which can be put over your photo with a single click.
- It comes with free cloud storage, and all your images will be saved there, so you can log in and save them on any system you want.
- Lastly, this app can also work on smartphones, both Apple and Android devices.
Wrapping Up
So, listed above are some of the best free photo editors you can use to make your photos stand out from the crowd. For beginners, these editors and tools are more than adequate, and they can quickly improve the sharpness, enhancement, and colour of your photos. Aside from that, because they are free, you won’t have to worry about paying a subscription fee, which is common when using paid software. So don’t put it off any longer; download these programmes and begin your journey to becoming a fantastic photo editor. Have fun photographing and photo editing!!