23 Best Photo Editing Software for PC in 2021
By Ann Young 10 days ago, Software Reviews
Choose the best photo editing software for you PC!
If you’re looking for the best photo editing software for PC that can easily help you edit photos, don’t miss my review of these 24 professional photo editing software that are user-friendly for amateurs but still show professional photo retouching results.
Top Photo Editing Software for PC
- Adobe Photoshop - Standard photo editing software
- Adobe Lightroom - The best program for color correction
- GIMP - The best free photo editor like Photoshop
- InPixio - High-quality color correction on desktop
- Luminar - User-friendly interface
- Capture One Pro - All-in-one photo editor
- Ribbet - For selective color correction
- PhotoDirector 365 - Smart editing tools
- Movavi Photo Editor - For beginners
- ON1 Photo RAW - For fast image editing
- Leawo Photo Enhancer - Batch photo processing
- PhotoWorks - Variety of options for working with color
- PhotoDiva - For fast beauty edits
- Photo Pos Pro - Easy background removal
$10 month subscribing to Adobe software is not a huge price, however, if you are starting out your photo editing career or you do not need this number of tools, can’t understand how to use them, one of the following photo editors will work for you.
1. Adobe Photoshop СС
- All existing file formats supported
- A huge number of photo fixing tools
- Forums and active technical support
- Many actions/overlays/textures/brushes/filters
- The interface may seem complex
- Some tools aren’t equipped with a progress indicator
Verdict: Adobe Photoshop is the best photo editing software for professional photographers and designers. It has all the necessary tools for image retouching, color correction, image restoration, design, and digital drawing.
Check out several legal ways to Get Photoshop Free to retouch images fast and professionally.
Photoshop has a huge number of functions, tools and unlimited photo editing possibilities, allowing users to create unique logos and banner designs, draw digital elements for websites, and much more.
Photoshop has stable monthly updates, new photo enhancement functions, and bugs correction. In 1989 Adobe presented the product for the first time, thereby taking the photo industry by storm and offering a huge number of possibilities for professional and amateur photographers to capture the bright moments.
The product remains a standard for many alternative photo programs. As for the disadvantages of this program, it is necessary to point out that Photoshop has a large number of complicated functions and features, so beginners may have some problems and need some time to learn how to work here.
However, this photo editing software is one of the most popular and you can easily find the answer to any of your questions in forums and YouTube tutorials.
If you don’t need all Photoshop’s features, download Photoshop Elements Free with limited photo retouching.
2. Adobe Lightroom CC
- Easy to learn
- Professional color correction
- Automatic saving of source files
- Work simultaneously with several pictures or albums
- Variety of presets
- Inconvenient catalog system
- Can’t do professional image retouching
Verdict: Adobe Lightroom is a graphics editor from Adobe for work with color correction and batch basic photo editing in one click. Adobe has admitted that Photoshop is quite weak for color correction, and they created the best photo software from scratch, which wasn’t designed to have a huge number of tools, like Photoshop, but is aimed at one function – image color correction, which is very important for wedding and event shooters.
Lightroom, unlike Photoshop, has an easy-to-learn and user-friendly interface, which makes it the best among its alternatives. The photo editor is the best one for color correction thanks to a huge number of well-developed tools and the possibility to work with Lightroom presets and enhance the photo in just one click.
In addition, Lightroom allows users to perform basic image retouching and work with a large number of photos at the same time. As for the disadvantages, Lightroom has an inconvenient system to work with catalogs.
Read more about How to Get Adobe Lightroom for Free in two legal and zero-virus ways.
3. GIMP Photo Editor
- Ability to change functionality
- Packed with features and tools
- Works with different file types
- User-friendly interface
- Newest version can be buggy
Verdict: GIMP is the most powerful free photo editor that can completely replace Photoshop. One of the main advantages, except all of the above mentioned, is that the program supports RAW files.
Gimp – is an open source photo editor. You can change the program yourself, fix various bugs and errors that you noticed, as well as add your own tools.
It has layers, customizable brushes, filters and automatic actions to improve an image quality faster. What I really like is the possibility to open PSD files and edit them. You have access to a lot of lessons and training videos, so you can easily master this photo editing software for PC.
4. InPixio
- Professional clone stamp
- Ability to cut out the background in several clicks
- Convenient perspective correction
- In-depth semi-automatic color correction
- Doesn’t support batch image editing
Verdict: Photo Studio Ultimate boasts advanced picture editing and organizational capabilities, amazing special effects and top-grade photo projects - all this is available in one software.
With InPixio Photo Editing Software, cropping, straightening and fixing color, brightness, as well as removing imperfections will become an easy and quick task. Besides, you will be able to make skin smoother, brighten teeth, eliminate dark circles, improve, restore and repair old pictures. For more detailed information, read InPixio review.
5. Skylum Luminar 4
- Supports RAW files editing
- May be used as a plug-in for Photoshop and Lightroom
- User-friendly
- Supports editing in Layers
- The Healing and Cloning Tools require some time for mastering
Verdict: Skylum Luminar 4 is positioned as a feature-rich photo editing software for PC with lots of handy tools suitable even for advanced image editing tasks.
Not so long ago, the developers released an updated version of the software, which boasts first-class instruments for color correction resembling those available in Adobe Lightroom. If you are a loyal Photoshop user, you can still test Luminar 4 as a Ps plug-in to broaden its functionality.
6. Capture One Pro
- A large set of functions and tools
- Quick import and export
- Well-developed masks and layers
- Cloud storage is available
- It requires good PC configuration
- Too expensive
- Difficult interface
Verdict: Capture One Pro is a photo editing software for professional image retouching and color correction. Capture One Pro, previously known as Lightphase Capture, was developed and released in 2011 by Phase One. The software isn't an attempt to create something similar to well-known Photoshop.
Rather, it is a powerful and unique tool in its own way, allowing users to work with images on a professional level, perform color correction, do photo retouching, etc. It is equipped with a large number of tools that enable users perform the work much better than in Photoshop.
Moreover, similar with Lightroom, Capture One Pro allows the use of presets, which significantly speeds up the color correction process. As for peculiarities, it is necessary to point out that the photo editor is the best choice for photographers who shoot with Phase One cameras.
As for disadvantages, the photo editor is resource-consuming and requires good PC configuration similar to Photoshop. Capture One Pro has a quite complex user interface and few tutorials exist on YouTube.
7. Ribbet
- AI tools
- Recovery instruments
- Fast color correction of a particular area
- Premium features
- No RAW support
Verdict: Ribbet photo editor is highly popular among beginner photographers. The program supports a range of file formats, offers AI tools and has an intuitive interface.
Ribbet pleases users with a multitude of cool features. For example, you can use the retouch & restore function to fix any defect visible in a photo once the editing stage is over. Another praiseworthy option is the image overlay. Using it, you can create original collages combining different photos into one attention-grabbing art piece.
In addition to standard instruments, the program offers a slew of effects, which you can use to give your images special charm. The most popular effect is fade in and fade out. Frankly speaking, you can apply it to any photo and you’ll always get beautiful results.
In case you plan to insert your photo into text and don’t want sharp edges to distract viewers, make sure to apply the white-out option.
It will smooth the outline of your image in a gentle way. Besides, this feature is really advantageous if your photo is placed on a background with too dark or too bright colors.
8. PhotoDirector 365
- Intuitive UI
- Amazing AI features
- Great animation effects
- Top-notch filters
- Windows-compatible only
- Few lens profiles
Verdict: PhotoDirector 365 is one of the best photo editing software for PC, using which you can efficiently manage and edit your photos in several mouse clicks. The updated version can stay on par with Adobe Photoshop, as it is fitted with the AI sky replacement tool, masking features, GIF animation, and other cool effects. The software can also be used for arranging collections, while its most notable peculiarity is non-destructive workflow. As for advanced features, here you can add face tags and use content-aware object removal.
The range of supported formats is amazing – TIFF, JPEG, RAW, to name a few. PhotoDirector 365 is specifically developed for Win users, so it smoothly operates on its various versions, including XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10. However, keep in mind that the program reveals its full potential only with 64-bit architectures.
9. Movavi Photo Editor
- Support popular graphic formats
- Not resource-demanding
- Straightforward UI
- Lots of different filters
- Limited free version
- Not optimized for mobile devices
Verdict: Movavi Photo Editor is one of those graphic editors that are designed for users, who don’t want to learn complex programs and master advanced video editing techniques.
Movavi Photo Editor offers a section with brightness, contrast and sharpness settings, tools for selecting and "removing" needless objects from an image, rotating, as well as adding and customizing text, replacing the "background", resizing, etc. Once the work on the picture is completed, you can export it pressing a single mouse button.
10. ON1 Photo RAW
- Low price, one-time payment
- Monthly trial version without long logins and subscriptions
- Lightroom’s simplicity and Capture One’s parameters variety
- Absolutely new approach to photos preview on PC
- Export in the background mode is too slow
- Few original presets
- It can’t replace Photoshop
Verdict: ON1 Photo RAW is one of the top photo editing softwares, combining Lightroom’s simplicity and some tools from Capture One PRO. The photo editor is equipped with quite powerful tools, allowing users to correct photo defects, to perform color correction, and do photo retouching.
The interface looks confusing, but in fact, it is simple and easy to understand, even as it offers an elaborate help system.
Speaking about ON1 Photo RAW, keep in mind that the photo editor isn’t designed as a Photoshop alternative, as it doesn't have that number of tools, but rather it has only the most important features.
As for the disadvantages, the software operates slowly and has lags. Compared to Lightroom, ON1 Photo RAW has slower images viewing and slower export in the background mode.
11. Leawo Photo Enhancer
- Great value for the money
- Streamlined interface
- Low hardware requirements
- Easy-to-use photo enhancement tools
- No granular control
- Paid upgrades
Verdict: Leawo PhotoIns is an advanced photo editor with AI-driven tools that can automatically enhance overexposed or underexposed photos, make colors more saturated, add tints, remove blur, fix lighting, etc. This program supports RAW files and allows you to adjust contrast.
Photo Enhancer automatically detects extremely dark or light areas and then adjusts brightness to make a photo look more natural by reducing shadows and highlights.
You can also use this program for enhancing colors. It can make colors in your pictures look brighter, fix the color balance, and add tints. After applying the automatic photo-enhancement tools, you will notice that your will photos look more natural.
12. PhotoWorks
- Portrait retouching on PC with a top-grade toolset
- Ability to create magnificent landscapes within seconds
- Numerous one-click effects
- Captions & Watermarks
- Absence of layers
Verdict: PhotoWorks is a really powerful and easy-to-learn image editor suitable for both new and advanced users. It has three versions: Standard, Deluxe and PRO. The choice depends on how complex your work is.
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13. PhotoDiva
- Eliminates issues with skin and wrinkles
- Sculpt and change the size of facial features
- Digital makeup options
- Ability to experiment with hair or eye color
- Not enough tutorials
Verdict: Achieve a stunning shot for your Instagram page or perform background change online without much effort using a classic picture editor or download PhotoDiva Pro for more advanced automatic adjustments!
One-click effects will drastically change the portrait shot, making it appealing and eye-catching. Regardless of whether you wish to apply digital makeup or add a pop of color, PhotoDiva will please you with stunning automatic results.
14. Photo Pos Pro
- Multiple UI design options for professionals and beginners
- Useful guides and tutorials
- Gallery of frame and collage templates
- Layer support
- Works with RAM images
- Possible low launch speed
Verdict: Photo Pos Pro is a free editing software designed to satisfy the needs of both beginning and experienced editors. Photo Pos Pro strives to provide the perfect user experience by providing two interface options so that both beginners and experts can work in a comfortable environment. Thus, even a complete newbie can start using this software being overwhelmed by the amount of offered features.
Another notable feature of Photo Pos Pro is its RAW image support that is incredibly useful for photographers. Meanwhile, the included filter and effect gallery, along with the provided standard toolset, can help improve your photo editing workflow tenfold. In contrast to most other free image editors, this software comes with complete layer support.
15. Affinity Photo
- A huge number of basic image editing tools
- Simple interface
- Some tools are poorly developed
- Limited photo retouching
Verdict: Affinity Photo is a raster graphics editor which has a large number of image editing and color-correction tools and options. You can use it to perform color correction and image retouching.
Affinity Photo is a tool for photo editing, defects correction, and painting. The photo editor offers a wide set of functions and capabilities: advanced tools for image editing, color correction, and picture retouching. The photography software contains 60 configurable effects, filters, a lot of brushes, and more.
In addition, the editor is equipped with a real-time display function, which allows users to preview the result before the tool is applied. As for peculiarities, Affinity Photo is one of the best photo editors if you need to combine several images, including layers’ correction, masks, effects and tools for a group of layers.
In addition, Affinity Photo has a full set of image retouching tools, which includes Liquefy, over 120 brushes, and macros tools. The only thing this software lacks is an images organizer.
Check out more free photo editing software for Mac.
16. Online Photoshop Editor
- A variety of advanced tools from Photoshop
- Lack of advertising
- Works with layers
- Supports a huge range of file formats
- None
Verdict: This Photoshop editor has a large set of features that you will not find in any online image editor. If you are familiar with Photoshop or GIMP, it will be very easy for you to master this image editor, because they look almost the same and have the identical toolbar, controls and keyboard shortcuts.
In Online Photoshop Editor, you can perform a lot of complex operations: work with layers to overlay images or effects, use color correction and sharpening tools to enhance your photo, apply text or other elements to the image to make it more appealing. It can also serve as professional photo restoration software.
A nice bonus: Online Photoshop Editor can open PSD files and save them in the same format, as well as in PNG, JPEG, BMP and TIFF formats for posting on social networks or saving to your hard drive.
17. Pixlr Photo Editor
- Portable/Mobile
- Supports layers and masks
- Customizable interface
- Opens photos from desktop or URLs
- Requires Flash
- Distracting ads
Verdict: Pixlr has several versions: Pro, Editor, and Express. Pixlr Pro has a number of advantages and almost does not differ from Photoshop with tools.
Pixlr Editor is a simplified version of Pro. This version has a quite large space for advertising which occupies about 20% of the entire working space. Editor version does not support RAW, like most of all web free photo editors.
Pixlr Express is some kind of Lightroom analog with features typical of photo sharpening software. There are several main effects that work pretty well, but I'd like to have a bit more. You can save files only in JPEG.
Pixlr is a good choice for beginner retouchers, as you get two absolutely free photo editors to do all the necessary actions.
18. Paint Net
- Easy and convenient to use
- Many useful functions and effects
- Clear and well-ordered user interface
- Online consulting and “how-to” tutorials
- Limited brush work
- No Burn and Dodge
Verdict: PaintNET is a free raster graphics editor for Windows. It is positioned as a semi-professional photo editor allowing its users to perform not only basic image retouching and color correction but also create logos and banners. In addition, PaintNET has many tools for painting.
You can use layers and a large selection of tools, but their functions are not as comprehensive as I would like. This photo enhancer reminds me of the earlier versions of Photoshop where the interface was very simple.
However, in comparison to Gimp, it has one important disadvantage. This photo software is developed on the base of a closed source code, so you can’t change the program code, correct mistakes or add any functions manually.
In general, considering that the photo editor is absolutely free, it performs all basic image editing functions: you can work with masks, layers, brushes and many other tools. The minor flaw is that it was designed only for the Windows platform, so not all users are able to take advantage of this program.
View more about the best photo editing software for photographers.
19. Canva
- Works with designing
- The Drag & Drop format
- Stock photos, templates and tools for design
- Not for photographers
- Works only with JPEG files
Verdict: Canva is a photo editor for graphic design of Drag & Drop format and hundreds of ready-made layouts. Canva is appreciated for the simple work with design, but the guys have also created the separate program – Canva Photo Editor, that’s why they got into this list.
If we compare Canva to automatic photo editors, it is an openly weak program with a minimum of functions. So if you need a photo editor with extensive color correction functions, Canva is not for you.
This program has only three characteristics - Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation, as well as 15 effects which, frankly speaking, are bad.
However, Canva is bad only if we talk about photo editing. If it comes to design, Canva is the best free online program for these purposes.
20. iPiccy
- Practically all tools are free
- Dodge and Burn, Clone tool
- Many tools for color correction
- Too long work
- Many lags
Verdict: iPiccy is a simple and free photo editing software that is considered to be one of the most popular on the web. IPiccy has a basic set - Editor, Collage, and Designer.
Despite simple and slightly outdated interface design, iPiccy free photo editor has a really wide range of image editing tools and can function as efficient watermark remover software.
Here you can use all of them absolutely free of charge, and it is not only about the exposure, saturation, and sharpness, but about the Dodge and Burn, Clone Tool, Erase Background tools as well.
Color correction is a little annoying with its slow performance, and you will have to wait a few seconds until something is done, but the portrait editing is absolutely great.
21. BeFunky
- Download photos from the stocks in the program
- You can save the work and continue it later
- Many useful tools for image edit
- A lot of advertising
- Most of the tools are paid
- Effects and Designer are 90% closed for free use
Verdict: BeFunky is equipped with a lot of functions for basic photo editing, so you can perform such general actions as cropping, adjusting exposure, enhancing colors and so on.
The problem is that 70% of the functions are available only for money. There's a lot of advertising too, similar Fotor – the right and bottom lines are occupied with the banners about purchasing BeFunky Plus.
There are many effects but you cannot use them as usual, because they are all marked with an asterisk, which literally asks you to pay for the full version. The photo editing work is also completely restricted, and is, actually, very inconvenient.
22. Fotor
- Smart filters and effects
- A convenient collage maker
- RAW file converter
- Fotor social network
- Lots of ads in the mobile and web apps
- Very few possibilities for deep image editing
Verdict: Fotor is a simple photo editor for basic image enhancement but with some limitations. Previously, this program was a bit more convenient, but now they have added much advertising on both sides of the workspace.
Also, 60% of the available functions, such as effects and portrait editing tools, will be closed for you until you purchase the full version of the program.
The web version of this free photo editor is not suitable for editing RAW files, but it is quite good for JPG and PNG.
Fotor Desktop Photo Editor is an offline free photo editing software with RAW support. However, only the desktop version provides the possibility of RAW conversion. I really like this free photo editor - almost no ads, a lot of great effects and scenes similar to the presets in Lightroom.
23. Polarr
- A large number of image editing tools
- Intuitive interface
- Many tools for design
- Not for professional image retouching
- No tutorials and guides
Verdict: Polarr is a professional photo editing software which stands out with many unique filters, though it also offers a large number of basic image editing tools. It allows you to save the photo editing history, perform color correction on a professional level, work with light and photo details, add watermarks, etc.
It’s not good for professional photo retouching, but it’s quite good for basic changes. This is a Lightroom alternative. You can even use Polarr to work with .gif files.
As for peculiarities, the photo editing software has a simple, user-friendly interface, so it is the best photo editing software for PC.
There is one important disadvantage, though. In comparison to Photoshop and Lightroom, Polarr has a high price, twice as high alternative programs offer.
24. ACDSee Photo Studio
- Good for color correction
- Easy-to-use interface
- Quite high price
- Not for deep photo retouching
Verdict: ACDSee is good photo editing software from ACD Systems to display and manage big collections of images. It consists of many photo editing tools, including batch image editing as well. ACDSee Photo Studio is positioned as a semi-professional app to preview, edit and post digital images.
In addition, the photo editor offers direct access to files and folders with the possibility to update their content in real time. Thus, it saves time spent on the images import in a separate library.
The biggest weakness is the price. Despite the number of photo editing functions and tools, the cost frightens users. It’s better to download Photoshop or Lightroom for a cheaper price.
