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There are dozens of free photo editors out there, so we've hand-picked the very best so you can make your pictures look amazing without paying a penny.
Of course, if you're able to wait until Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you'll almost certainly be able to find a great deal on a premium photo editor like Adobe Photoshop, but there's plenty of choice out there if you can't wait that long.
Whether you're a casual smartphone shooter or a pro using a DSLR, you need software to get the most out of your images. We show you how to pick the best photo editing software for your needs. Control, enhance, and manage your digital camera photos with official Nikon photo software. Use remote control software to view and manipulate your photo session or browse and edit your work with Nikon image editors. Some software is available as a free download.
We've spent hours putting a huge range of photo editors to the test, and picked out the best ones for any level of skill and experience. From powerful software packed with features that give Photoshop a run for its money to simple tools that give your pictures a whole new look with a couple of clicks, there's something for everyone.
Many free photo editors only offer a very limited selection of tools unless you pay for a subscription, or place a watermark on exported images, but none of the tools here carry any such restrictions. Whichever one you choose, you can be sure that there are no hidden tricks to catch you out.
Best free photo editors 2019 at a glance:
- GIMP
- Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019
- Canva
- Fotor
- Photo Pos Pro
- Paint.NET
- PhotoScape
- Pixlr X
- Adobe Photoshop Express Editor
- PiZap
1. GIMP
The best free photo editor for advanced image editing
GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the best free photo editor around. It's packed with the kind of image-enhancing tools you'd find in premium software, and more are being added every day.
The photo editing toolkit is breathtaking, and features layers, masks, curves, and levels. You can eliminate flaws easily with the excellent clone stamp and healing tools, create custom brushes, apply perspective changes, and apply changes to isolated areas with smart selection tools.
GIMP is an open source free photo editor, and its community of users and developers have created a huge collection of plugins to extend its utility even further. Many of these come pre-installed, and you can download more from the official glossary. If that's not enough, you can even install Photoshop plugins.
2. Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019
Fuss-free photo editing with automatic optimization tools
If you've got a lot of photos that you need to edit in a hurry, Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019 could be the tool for you. Its interface is clean and uncluttered, and utterly devoid of ads (although you'll need to submit an email address before you can start using it).
Importing pictures is a breeze, and once they've been added to the pool, you can select several at once to rotate or mirror, saving you valuable time. You can also choose individual photos to enhance with the software's one-click optimization tool. In our tests this worked particularly well on landscapes, but wasn't always great for other subjects.
If you want to make manual color and exposure corrections, there are half a dozen sliders to let you do exactly that. It's a shame you can't also apply the same color changes to a whole set of pictures at once, but this is otherwise a brilliant free photo editor for making quick corrections.
For more advanced editing, check out Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 7 – the premium version of the software with enhanced optimization tools.
3. Canva
Professional-level photo editing and templates in your browser
Canva is a photo editor that runs in your web browser, and is ideal for turning your favorite snaps into cards, posters, invitations and social media posts. If you're interested in maintaining a polished online presence, it's the perfect tool for you.
Canva has two tiers, free and paid, but the free level is perfect for home users. Just sign up with your email address and you'll get 1GB free cloud storage for your snaps and designs, 8,000 templates to use and edit, and two folders to keep your work organized.
You won't find advanced tools like clone brushes and smart selectors here, but there's a set of handy sliders for applying tints, vignette effects, sharpening, adjusting brightness, saturation and contrast, and much more. The text editing tools are intuitive, and there's a great selection of backgrounds and other graphics to complete your designs.
4. Fotor
One-click enhancements to make your photos shine in seconds
Fotor is a free photo editor that's ideal for giving your pictures a boost quickly. If there's specific area of retouching you need doing with, say, the clone brush or healing tool, you're out of luck. However, if your needs are simple, its stack of high-end filters really shine.
There's a foolproof tilt-shift tool, for example, and a raft of vintage and vibrant colour tweaks, all easily accessed through Fotor's clever menu system. You can manually alter your own curves and levels, too, but without the complexity of high-end tools.
Fotor's standout function, and one that's sorely lacking in many free photo editors, is its batch processing tool – feed it a pile of pics and it'll filter the lot of them in one go, perfect if you have a memory card full of holiday snaps and need to cover up the results of a dodgy camera or shaky hand.
5. Photo Pos Pro
Advanced photo editing tools packaged in a simple interface
Photo Pos Pro isn't as well known as Paint.net and GIMP, but it's another top-quality free photo editor that's packed with advanced image-enhancing tools.
This free photo editor's interface is smarter and more accessible than GIMP's array of menus and toolbars, with everything arranged in a logical and consistent way. If it's still too intimidating, there's also an optional 'novice' layout that resembles Fotor's filter-based approach. The choice is yours.
The 'expert' layout offers both layers and layer masks for sophisticated editing, as well as tools for adjusting curves and levels manually. You can still access the one-click filters via the main menu, but the focus is much more on fine editing.
6. Paint.NET
Looking a little dated, but still a dependable all-rounder
More is not, believe it or not, always better. Paint.NET's simplicity is one of its main selling points; it's a quick, easy to operate free photo editor that's ideal for trivial tasks that don't necessarily justify the sheer power of tools like GIMP.
Don't let the name fool you, though. This isn't just a cheap copy of Microsoft's ultra-basic Paint – even if it was originally meant to replace it. It's a proper photo editor, just one that lands on the basic side of the curve.
Paint.NET’s interface will remind you of its namesake, but over the years, they’ve added advanced editing tools like layers, an undo history, a ton of filters, myriad community-created plugins, and a brilliant 3D rotate/zoom function that's handy for recomposing images.
7. PhotoScape
Raw image conversion, batch processing and much more
PhotoScape might look like a rather simple free photo editor, but take a look at its main menu and you'll find a wealth of features: raw conversion, photo splitting and merging, animated GIF creation, and even a rather odd (but useful) function with which you can print lined, graph or sheet music paper.
The meat, of course, is in the photo editing. PhotoScape's interface is among the most esoteric of all the apps we've looked at here, with tools grouped into pages in odd configurations. It certainly doesn't attempt to ape Photoshop, and includes fewer features.
We'd definitely point this towards the beginner, but that doesn't mean you can't get some solid results. PhotoScape's filters are pretty advanced, so it's if good choice if you need to quickly level, sharpen or add mild filtering to pictures in a snap.
8. Pixlr X
A comprehensive browser-based photo editor for quick results
Pixlr X is the successor to Pixlr Editor, which was one of our favorite free online photo editors for many years.
Pixlr X makes several improvements on its predecessor. For starters, it's based on HTML5 rather than Flash, which means it can run in any modern browser. It's also slick and well designed, with an interface that's reminiscent of Photoshop Express, and a choice of dark or light color schemes.
With Pixlr X, you can make fine changes to colors and saturation, sharpen and blur images, apply vignette effects and frames, and combine multiple images. There's also support for layers, which you won't find in many free online photo editors, and an array of tools for painting and drawing. A great choice for even advanced tasks.
9. Adobe Photoshop Express Editor
A convenient way to correct lighting and exposure problems
As its name suggests, Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is a trimmed-down, browser-based version of the company's world-leading photo editing software. Perhaps surprisingly, it features a more extensive toolkit than the downloadable Photoshop Express app, but it only supports images in JPG format that are below 16MB.
Again, this is a Flash-based tool, but Adobe provides handy mobile apps for all platforms so you won’t miss out if you’re using a smartphone or tablet.
This free online photo editor has all the panache you’d expect from Adobe, and although it doesn’t boast quite as many tools as some of its rivals, everything that’s there is polished to perfection. Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is a pleasure to use. Its only drawbacks are the limits on uploaded file size and types, and lack of support for layers.
10. PiZap
A fun photo editor for preparing your pictures for social media
Free online photo editor PiZap is available in both HTML5 and Flash editions, making it suitable for any device. You can choose to work with a photo from your hard drive, Facebook, Google Photos, Google Drive, Google Search, or a catalog of stock images. This is an impressive choice, though some of the stock images are only available to premium subscribers, and you'll need to watch out for copyright issues if you use a pic straight from Google Images.
piZap’s editing interface has a dark, modern design that makes heavy use of sliders for quick adjustments – a system that works much better than tricky icons and drop-down menus if you’re using a touchscreen device.
When you’re done, you can share your creation on all the biggest social media networks, as well as piZap’s own servers, Dropbox and Google Drive. Alternatively, you can save it to your hard drive, send it via email, or grab an embed code. You can only export your work in high quality if you’ve opened your wallet for the premium editor, but for silly social sharing that’s unlikely to be a problem.
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We’re breaking down the best free photo editors again just because you loved the last one so much. A lot has changed, so make sure to check out all the entries. YOU DON’T NEED PHOTOSHOP TO MAKE AMAZING PHOTOS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA OR YOUR BUSINESS.
Each of these photo editing software lets you create stunning images in just a few clicks.
This time, we’ve got 8 + 1 bonus one!
Image is everything in 2019. Did you know that 68% of adults edit their selfies before posting them? Yeah, we’re scared too. Whether for personal use or for business, if you aren’t producing mesmerizing images, you aren’t going to get attention.
The good news is, there are tons of FREE photo editors online. Sure, if you’re a big business doing things at scale, invest in Photoshop. If you just need basic editing, try one of these 8.
NOTE: Each of these photo editing programs has different capabilities and varying degrees of difficulty. If you’re a newbie, read carefully and find one that’s easy to use.
The Best Online Photo Editors 2019
#1 – Fotor – We Have a New Winner!
Fotor is our top choice for best free photo editor of 2019. The previous title-holder has been knocked out, and the challenger now reigns supreme.
Fotor has tons of features that you usually find in high-priced camera editing software, but it’s insanely easy to use. And it’s all from right in your browser.
It’s so easy to enhance photos, it’s almost comical. There are 13 different 1-tap options, so you can make all of the most common photo enhancements with next to no human effort. This is basically iRobot in reality (humanity is useless with Fotor).
If you aren’t a photo editing pro and just want to make great images, then Fotor is the best editor to start with.
That’s why we nudged it up to the top spot over the previous champion (coming next). We figured most people looking for a free photo editing app weren’t pros, so we went with the most convenient option.
Just because it’s convenient doesn’t mean it isn’t capable of creating amazing photos though….
That being said, Fotor doesn’t have nearly as many features as the runner up, so if you want to make serious photo enhancements, go with #2.
Pros
- High-powered and easy to use
- 1-tap enhancements are stupidly easy
- Looks great and feels intuitive
Cons
- Ads are annoying
- Not as powerful as more complex software
#2 – Gimp – Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen
Gimp hangs its head in shame as it comes to grips with the harsh reality of being #2 (Now you know the other half lives, Gimp).
Gimp is the most popular free photo editor online by far. It’s not even close. And if you squint your eyes really hard, you could swear you were using Photoshop or some other super expensive editor.
Look at how many editing options you get…
Unlike most other programs on the list, Gimp is more than a photo editing program. It’s an “image manipulation program.”
This is the most sophisticated image editor online. It’s used by more scientists, graphic designers, illustrators, and wannabe Instagram models than any other.
Check out how awesome it is:
- Photo manipulation: Retouching, editing, restoring—the only limit is your imagination.
- Graphic design: Create icons, graphic design elements, and images.
- Original artwork:Artists love how Gimp lets them create truly unique art.
Gimp also has a huge advantage over competitors: it’s constantly evolving. Thousands of people in the Gimp ecosystem are constantly extending its functionality by introducing new and exciting capabilities every day.
There’s nothing gimpy about Gimp. The only reason it’s not #1 is that it’s a bit tough to get the hang of for non-techy people.
Pros
- Unrivaled features
- It’s basically Photoshop but FREE
- Great UX
- Always evolving
Cons
- Hard to get used to (but worth taking the time to learn)
#3) Inpixio Photo Clip – Super Simple. Professional Edits in Minutes
Inpixio is a foolproof, no-frills photo editor that makes photos POP with minimal effort and requires absolutely 0 technical knowledge or editing skill.
All of the features are available in the FREE version, and there are none of those annoying ads reminding you to upgrade, so UI is on point.
Check out how clean the photo editing page looks:
Adjusting the temperature, hue, exposure, and other facets of your photos is as simple as dragging the bar. You can ignore tone curves if you want, it’s not super important (for basic editing)
Another awesome feature is the “before and after” view that lets you see changes to your photos. That way, you can bask in the amazing editing skills you just showed off.
The tool isn’t very powerful, but it’s perfect for uploading enhanced photos to social media or showing off travel photos to friends on Instagram (which is obviously why you would want a tool like this).
Pros
- Easy
- Decently powerful for a simple editor
- Before and after feature
- Connects to Facebook
Cons
- Not very powerful
- Not a professional-grade editor
#4) BeFunky – Fun is its Middle Name
BeFunky makes the list just because we personally love it so much. It’s also an awesome online and mobile image editor.
They say it’s the best online photo editor ever. We disagree, but we love the spunky attitude it has!
It’s fun, easy, and pretty comprehensive, so there’s nothing not to like. It also has one thing you can’t get anywhere else: their world-famous CARTOONIZER!
YES!
Here’s what we like about BeFunky:
- The Fun: Fun is their middle name. Their editor has the Cartoonizer, oil painting, and pop art effects plus extra flair you can add to your photos like hats, hand-drawn graphics, beards, jewelry, and photo frames.
- It’s Simple: BeFunky is basically Photoshop for everyday people. You don’t need any technical or graphic design experience to use it. That’s good for us….
- It’s Powerful: BeFunky is one of the most powerful online and mobile phone editors out there. We use it to create stunning, professional-quality photos regularly. There’s really nothing you can’t do.
So simple, yet so powerful. So powerful, yet so FUNKY.
Download the app, and start having fun making stupid photos of you and your friends as cartoons.
Pros
- Unique features like the cartoonizer
- Powerful and simple
- Fun!
Cons
- Not as many features as Gimp
#5) Photoshop Express – Your Photoshop Fix. Just FREE.
Photoshop Express has almost all of the photo enhancement capabilities of Photoshop without the massive price tag.
All of this creativity at your fingertips makes it easy and fun to touch up photos on your laptop, tablet, or phone. It’s time to FLAUNT your images all over social media.
Also, we hate to say it, but we loved how it felt like we were using Photoshop. It almost felt scandalous.
Some of our favorite features are:
- Crop
- Straighten
- Rotate
- Raw photo support
- Remove red eye
- Blemish removal
- Clarity, contrast, shadow control
- 45 different effects
- 15 borders and frames
It also supports collages so you can upload all those travel photos to Facebook instantly.
Of course, the downside is that it doesn’t have all of the amazing features of Photoshop pro.
It’s not as comprehensive as Gimp, and it’s not as convenient as Fotor. And, it’s definitely not as fun as BeFunky, so it gets the #4 slot. It’s great for quick photo touch ups/enhancements and it’s got great UX. Plus, it’ll feel like the real Photoshop if that’s something you’re after.
Pros
- Instantly upload photos to social media
- One-touch enhancements on laptop, tablet, phone
- Feels like Photoshop
Cons
- Not as comprehensive as GIMP or convenient as Fotor
#6) Canva – By Far the Easiest
If you’re in a pinch and need to upload a few photos fast, Canva is the photo editing app for you.
We were amazed at how easy it was. You can edit right from the browser! Upload your image, play around with the filters, and download your photo. It’s really that easy.
Look at the simplicity of the editor:
Canva has enough features to make great photos:
- Filters
- Brightness/Color adjustment
- Crop
- Resize
- Rotate
- Flip
That’s it though. This is a bare-bones photo editor, so don’t expect much. The good thing is, you can use it on a Mac or PC.
If you need to make fast changes like cropping or resizing or just want to add a filter, definitely use Canva. For anything else, choose a different editor.
Pros
- By far the easiest photo editor
- Basic image editing without the hassle
Cons
- When we say basic, we mean basic. You really can’t do much else besides crop, resize, or rotate aside from adding filters
#7) Paint.net – Better than MS Paint!
Paint.net started as a university project mentored by Microsoft.
Well, the student has become the master. It’s totally FREE but comes with features normally found in expensive photo editing programs (Layers creates insanely rich photos at 0 cost).
Paint.net is the only entry on our list managed by a thriving community of paint-aholics and is extendable via fun plugins that allow you to:
- Make objects 3D
- Remove dust
- Create checkerboards
…yeah, you can really create a checkerboard!
Just look at all of the available extensions. There’s really nothing you can’t do.
The simple, intuitive user interface makes enhancing images easy, and if you’re used to playing around with MS Paint, you’ll feel right at home:
The drawback to all of this? The learning curve is STEEP. If you’ve got the time to commit, have at it!
Pros
- Layers function rivals expensive editors
- Unlimited features
- Fun plugins and helpful community
- Familiar interface
Cons
- Option overload
- Too complex for newbies
- Takes a long time to make edits
#8) Pixlr
Free Photography Editing Software Download For Windows 7
Pixlr is fun because it comes in two versions: Editor and Express. The main version comes with a super simple interface and tons of awesome features, but if you just want to play around with your photos, add effects, or change the size, Pixlr Express is a free online photo editor with 1-click manipulation. You’ll be in and out with a brand spanking new Ansel Adams in minutes.
Express lets you:
- Add effects – You can even add coffee stains!
- Manipulate saturation
- Adjust the hue
- Rotate
- Invert
That’s just a quick sampling. Check out how many options there are for touching up this stock photo:
Free Photo Editing Software Download
Our favorite feature is the “Grabber for Firefox” extension. Next time you’re browsing and see an image you want, right-click and instantly add it to Pixlr for editing.
Also, Pixlr lets you create collages and instantly share photos with friends via email, Instagram, and Facebook. That’s the point after all, right? Pixlr was basically made for social media. It’s even got a Facebook Profile image template to let you create amazing photos for your FB profile:
Pros
- Clean interface
- Integrates with social media for easy sharing
- One-click manipulations
- Collages
Cons
- Not as many features as others
- Annoying ads to upgrade
#9) Ashampoo Photo Optimizer – Bonus Editor – A Great Bulk Editor
No idea where the name comes from and we don’t want to know.
But Ashampoo is pretty cool photo editing software with a SICK feature for businesses and narcissists on social media: bulk photo editing. We’ll get to that in a second, but first some features:
- Auto-detects dull colors for correction
- Instantly corrects poor lighting
- Auto-optimizes white exposure
WARNING: It only works for Windows.
If you’ve got a ton of photos to edit, you can throw em’ all into the optimizer and choose to rotate or mirror at the same time. You can’t edit colors all at once, though. That’s a shame.
Free Editing Photo Software
But, when you combine bulk edits and auto-corrections, Ashampoo is a great free photo editor, especially for businesses in a hurry.
Check it out!
Photoscape
Pros
- Auto-correction
- Half a dozen sliders for optimizing photos
- Batch editing options
- Clean interface
Cons
- Not as many features as others
- No bulk color options
- Auto-optimizer is great but sometimes misses basic things. Needs improvement.
That does it for the best free online photo editors. There’s no reason to spend money when professional-grade photos come free. The best photo editor really comes down to your needs and skill level. Let us know which one you chose and if we missed anything important!
If you just need basic photo touch-ups, Soda PDF can handle that on all of your documents. If you need to look like a supermodel, consider an alternative!
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