By Eva Williams 21 days ago, Apps and Software
An Adobe Photoshop Express alternative might come in handy if you need to use advanced photo improvement features. Photoshop Express is a basic version of the desktop software, which makes it more suitable for beginners or people looking for fast results.
Adobe Photoshop Express is a perfect tool for adding filters and stickers or performing basic retouching. Yet, if you look for more advanced editing features, try using the products described below.
The list of the best Adobe Photoshop Express alternatives includes both paid and free solutions. What’s more, free products can easily compete with Photoshop Express. All the programs include tools that allow you to edit and modify images as well as tweak colors. Some of them enable you to process RAW files, apply auto edits, and use filters.
With Adobe Lightroom Mobile, you can easily edit and share photographs from your tablet or smartphone. What’s more, you can sync your device with a desktop Lr version. The application is similar to the desktop product. You can work with RAW images, correct colors, etc. Lightroom Mobile allows you to edit your photos on the go.
Main Features of Adobe Lightroom:
Adobe Lightroom Mobile is available only via a subscription plan. Starting from Lr 5, you can use the Smart Preview proxies that are synced between desktop and mobile versions thanks to the cloud servers.
This Adobe Photoshop Express alternative allows you to add B&W effects, correct exposure, temperature, contrast, and white balance. You may use different effects or enhance particular details in the frame, like making pics sharper or adding a vignette. In case you don’t have time for manual manipulations, you can use free presets to get professional outcomes in one click.
If you choose a paid subscription, you will be able to use other advanced features besides Healing Brush, Selective Edit, Geometry, and People Premium functions, like the Sensei AI image search.
Snapseed is a free service supported by Google. It has a range of editing tools and easy-to-use presets. By using the software, you can edit your photographs and correct brightness, saturation, contrast, curves, shadows, etc. This way you can completely control all manipulations with a photo and achieve the desired results.
Main Features of Snapseed:
Working with Snapseed, you may be sure that an edited photo will have the same resolution as an original one. You can save photographs up to the maximum size supported by your device. Snapseed is a decent Adobe Photoshop Express alternative with 29 tools and filters that will help you give your pictures a professional look.
Although Snapseed is a user-friendly solution, it might be difficult to use for complete beginners. It’s recommended to look through these Snapseed editing tips to learn more about the software. With this tool, you can save your changes and later apply them to other photographs. Thanks to the Stacks feature, you may revisit and re-edit any photo whenever you wish. There is also a Brush tool you can use to apply corrections to specific parts of an image.
Thanks to a great number of useful features, Pixlr can easily compete with Photoshop Express. Plus, it gets regularly updated with new and new tools. Most of them are still in beta, but soon they will be added to the main toolset. If you want to experiment with advanced image improvement tools, but are not ready to invest, try using a free online or mobile editor with extended functionality.
Main Features of Pixlr:
If you are looking for an Adobe Photoshop Express alternative with cropping and resizing functions, try using Pixlr. It provides a wide variety of cutting tools, like shape, lasso, drag and magic, etc. They will help you move or delete specific objects in a photo or move them to other layers. This way, you can experiment with creating complex compositions from several photographs.
You can also apply different filters grouped into categories like Colors, Retro, and Instage (options for Instagram) and a collection of pop-art effects. This software enables you to customize these tools with the help of a slider to give your images a subtle or dramatic look.
Affinity Photo is the only photo editing software released by Adobe that has a lifetime license. This program is even cheaper than Photoshop Express. It provides professional tools that allow you to perform almost all editing tasks, including HDR and frequency separation retouching. If you are not sure whether you need the program, you can test its functionality with a free trial.
Main Features of Affinity Photo:
Since Affinity Photo is a RAW photo editor, you can use it to edit camera files, merge and manipulate them as you like. Here, you will find all editing features a professional might need, such as Layers, Filters, Adjustment Layers, Layer Masks. The software also has Live Filters that enable you to edit images in a non-destructive way.
If you are a photographer, you might be interested in lens correction tools. Now, you can manually apply changes to achieve the desired outcomes. Thanks to this feature, you can pick the necessary lens in case the software can’t do that automatically.
Before you opt for this editor, mind that it has only a Mac version. Pixelmator is an intuitive solution powered by machine learning technology. It comes with a user-friendly mobile version, which makes it a great Adobe Photoshop Express alternative for Mac users. Thanks to this editor, you can label images with labels describing their content.
Main Features of Pixelmator:
With Pixelmator, you can use effects, brushes, and color presets to make your images look professional. The editor has the content-aware fill feature. By using it, you can instantly fill blank spaces with pixels that are taken from the surrounding areas. Thanks to the performance-enhancing Apple technologies, users enjoy a flawless editing experience.
Yet, Pixelmator is different from other photo editing apps for Mac. It has a single-window layout, so you don’t have to manage multiple widgets. Plus, all its photo improvement features are easily accessible in sidebars and toolbars.
If you have a blog or just want to improve your pics, PicMonkey is exactly what you need. It will help you generate cool content for social networks. Whether you are an experienced blogger or just a beginner, PicMonkey has all features to serve your needs.
Main Features of PicMonkey:
Although most PicMonkey alternatives are rather complex, PicMonkey is a user-friendly editor providing basic and professional tools for bloggers. By applying filters and using various touch-up tools, you can create pics that will gather thousands of likes.
PicMonkey has a huge library of customizable overlaps, images, stickers, clip arts, and icons. You can use 6,000+ overlays to edit your photos. The developers have created an impressive collection of overlays that will help you implement all your ideas.
Polarr enables you to create impressive projects by using layers, filters, and masks. This online solution is one of the best photo editing apps for Android, iOS, Windows and Mac devices.
Main Features of Polarr:
What makes Polarr different from other programs similar to Adobe Photoshop Express is that it has a color histogram displayed by default, but you can expand it into separate RGB histograms. With it, you can preview your edits in real time. Plus, you can drag the semi-opaque histogram to any place in the frame.
When adjusting the tone, pay attention to the histogram. You can add highlights and shadows as well as adjust the WB using sliders. To do it, there is no need to work with layers. If you want to adjust mid-tones, you can change whites and blacks, while highlights and shadows will help you enhance the brightest or darkest areas of a photo.
GIMP is a perfect Adobe Photoshop Express alternative since it has most of Ps Express features and can be used free of charge. This photo improvement software has a great number of advanced features that will help you make your photos even more eye-catching.
Main Features of GIMP:
With GIMP, you get customizable brushes, filters, and automatic enhancement tools. It also supports various plugins (pre-installed ones or those you can download separately), so you can use it as an automatic photo editor.
Moreover, GIMP has a range of selection and montage tools, which allows you to edit your photos in different ways. You can crop images, reduce noise, adjust colors, use brushes and customize them, apply gradients, etc. Professional users can use layer masks, Bezier curves, filters, and animation tools.
Thanks to the active community, any bugs are quickly fixed. GIMP is still developing and soon might become even better than most paid solutions.
Luminar is a full-fledged photo improvement solution with an intuitive interface, auto-correction tools, and excellent filters. Originally, Luminar was available only on Mac, but now Windows users can enjoy its clear and simple Apple-like design as well.
Main Features of Luminar:
Luminar is an AI photo editor that can be used as an Adobe Photoshop Express alternative. When you click on the palette icon, you will access the AI Sky Replacement and AI Augmented Sky themes (new for version 4.3). Here, you also find such effects as Sunrays, Dramatic, Matte Look, Mystical, LUT Color Styles, Texture Overlay, Glow, Film Grain, and Fog.
If you want to convert RAW camera files, you can use its raw-developing profile ‒ Luminar Default. Yet, you can also pick the Adobe Standard as well as other profiles from your camera. For example, I have the Canon EOS 6D and can choose Faithful, Landscape, Neutral, Portrait, and Standard profiles.
Photopea is an online-based service that you can access from your browser. With it, you may edit photos as well as use vector and raster tools without downloading any installation files.
Main Features of Photopea:
Photopea is an open-source image editor that allows you to load, edit, and export Adobe Photoshop (PSD), GIMP (XCF), and Sketch (Sketch App) files. You don’t need to use any plugins to work with the software.
Photopea has the spot healing feature, a clone stamp healing brush, and a patch tool. This Adobe Photoshop Express alternative supports layer masks, channels, selections, paths, smart objects, layer styles, text layers, filters and vector shapes.
PhotoScape will come in handy if you need to edit pics taken with a mobile phone. The software was developed by a Korean company for those who need to process images taken with digital and smartphone cameras. This software lets you edit, view, and improve images. Besides, it supports batch processing.
Main Features of PhotoScape:
Allows preparing portraits, business cards, passport photos for printing
PhotoScape is a powerful photo improvement solution suitable for professionals and amateurs alike. It comes with an intuitive toolset that makes it a perfect option for beginners. You can experiment with different tools and undo your edits if necessary.
PhotoScape supports batch processing, which allows you to edit numerous photographs simultaneously as well as rename, convert, or resize them. Thanks to its RAW converter, you can easily save your images in JPEG format.
