Top 10 free photo editing apps and programs
We offer you a list with the best photo editing apps and programs to edit photos for free. These are the best photo editing apps that you can find right now
Photo editing is undoubtedly an art. Behind each professional photo shoot, there is one or one experienced photographer who uses different editing programs to be able to edit the light, the brightness, the sparkles and any minuscule nuance of the photography.
However, although photo editing was previously reserved for professional areas, today everyone wants to know how to edit photos in order to upload to their social networks. This is where the free photo editing programs come in.
And although before, all these photo editing programs used to be quite expensive, today there are many free alternatives that will not disappoint you. Below we offer you our selection of the best free photo editing programs that will be able to compete with even Adobe Photoshop itself.
Best Photo Editing Apps List
GIMP
GIMP is one of the free image editing software that has been around the Internet for the longest time. In fact, its origins date back to 1995 when it was created with the intention of competing with Photoshop.
Today, there are compatible versions for Windows, OS X or Linux and it is totally free. Although it may lack some tool compared to its competitors, it is still a very efficient program, offering a wide variety of editing options, and most importantly: it’s free.
It uses a style very similar to Photoshop’s layers, making you know how to use it without problems from the beginning (in case you are familiar with Adobe’s photo editor).
Paint.NET
Its name may remind you of Microsoft’s classic default Paint program, however, Pain.NET has much more to offer: support for working with layers, effects and a wide range of tools.
Still, it doesn’t lose the simplicity of Paint, something that undoubtedly works in Paint.NET’s favor. Its simplicity makes it practical, fast and easy to use software.
It is ideal for those users who want something with more tools than Paint, but without being as complex as Adobe Photoshop.
However, it is advisable to keep in mind that if you have the latest version of Windows 10 installed, you will be able to have a new version of Paint that lets you create and edit 3D images.
Top 10 free photo editing programs and apps
We offer you a list with the best programs and applications to edit photos for free. These are the best photo editing apps that you can find right now
By Sara Piquer Martí | 11 May 20
Photo editing is undoubtedly an art. Behind each professional photo shoot, there is one or one experienced photographer who uses different editing programs to be able to edit the light, the brightness, the sparkles and any minuscule nuance of the photography.
However, although photo editing was previously reserved for professional areas, today everyone wants to know how to edit photos in order to upload to their social networks. This is where the free photo editing programs come in.
And although before, all these photo editing programs used to be quite expensive, today there are many free alternatives that will not disappoint you. Below we offer you our selection of the best free photo editing programs that will be able to compete with even Adobe Photoshop itself.
GIMP
GIMP is one of the free image editing software that has been around the Internet for the longest time. In fact, its origins date back to 1995 when it was created with the intention of competing with Photoshop.
Today, there are compatible versions for Windows, OS X or Linux and it is totally free. Although it may lack some tool compared to its competitors, it is still a very efficient program, offering a wide variety of editing options, and most importantly: it’s free.
It uses a style very similar to Photoshop’s layers, making you know how to use it without problems from the beginning (in case you are familiar with Adobe’s photo editor).
Paint.NET
Its name may remind you of Microsoft’s classic default Paint program, however, Pain.NET has much more to offer: support for working with layers, effects and a wide range of tools.
Still, it doesn’t lose the simplicity of Paint, something that undoubtedly works in Paint.NET’s favor. Its simplicity makes it practical, fast and easy to use software.
It is ideal for those users who want something with more tools than Paint, but without being as complex as Adobe Photoshop.
However, it is advisable to keep in mind that if you have the latest version of Windows 10 installed, you will be able to have a new version of Paint that lets you create and edit 3D images.
Pixlr Photo Editor
Pixlr has a huge benefit over other photo editing applications and programs in this article: it can be used in a web browser, be it on Windows PC or Mac without the need to download any program.
It is even better to know that the program comes in two versions: an edition version, with all its functions, and a much more simplified express version, designed to be able to run quickly and be used in smaller projects.
Obviously, it doesn’t have all the power of a photo editor, but Pixlr still includes many functions and tools that are very useful.
PhotoScape Photo Editor
PhotoScape is another one of the free photo editors that offers quite attractive tools: you will be able to create animated GIFs, convert RAW images to JPG, create slides, and much more.
As for editing tools, it is true that PhotoScape lags a little behind compared to other video editing programs, but it still has all the basic functions you probably need.
The circular tools menu is somewhat confusing, but you can choose to change it to a more traditional one if you prefer. Editing and retouching tools include a variety of effects and filters.
Fotor
Fotor offers a large selection of photo enhancement tools that will allow you to quickly add filters and perform some basic touch-ups.
Thanks to the processing tools you can apply the same changes to a large number of images at once, a feature that most free photo editing programs lack.
It also has a version that can be used in the browser and is quite powerful, it has a mobile application and an update for which you can pay in case you want to get extra tools.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019
Although it is paid we have decided to add Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018 to the list for its good price (almost half of what Photoshop costs).
If you do not mind spending something to have a more powerful photo editing program, this can be a good option, especially if you are a beginner since it is much easier to understand than the Adobe photo editor.
CyberLink Photo Director 10
Rather than being a Photoshop Elements clone, this photo editing program is more like Adobe Lightroom.
This means that retouching your photos will become a super simple task, since it simplifies the interface eliminating many of the tools of the paid version that you would surely never get to use.
In its latest version, PhotoDirector is capable of extracting very sharp photos from your videos and even panoramic photos. There’s a very wide palette of retouching tools, plus extra components like removing unwanted objects from photos.
So if you don’t mind paying, PhotoDirector is a highly recommended photo editing program.
Affinity Photo
Created to offer professional features at an affordable price, Affinity Photo takes a step ahead of other free photo editing programs, without approaching the price of more expensive paid programs.
Its interface will be very intuitive if you have already used other photo editing programs. It also has a very useful function called ‘people’. This allows you to select different modalities that will change depending on what you want to do, giving you access to different tools and options.
It is not the simplest app for beginners, but it is a great way to get professional quality at a very favorable price.
Krita Painting Tool
Krita stands out both for its functionality and the origin of its creation, since this free photo editing program was created by artists for artists. This means that artists (illustrators, visual artists, textures and the VFX industry) will find everything they need on this free platform.
Keep in mind that it is not strictly a photo editing program (although it can be used for small adjustments), since the attention of this software focuses more on digital painting and the creation of works of art.
It has a great variety of brushes, along with a practical brush stabilization function, and you can also import packages of other brushes and textures.
It is compatible with PDS, which means that you can use any file that has been treated with Photoshop.
