The 5 Best Free Photo Editing Software – 2020
The 5 Best Free Photo Editing Software – 2020
Ready to start editing your images like a pro? Here are the best free photo editing software you can use in 2020
- Adobe Photoshop Express
- Fotor
- InPixio
- Pixlr X
- GIMP
Best for: Mobile photo editing.
For the longest time, people tried to find a free version of Photoshop, preferably online. Until, one day, Adobe finally heard their prayers and launched Adobe Photoshop Express, a trimmed-down online and mobile version of the industry’s leading software.
Unlike its paid counterpart, Adobe Photoshop Express is not aimed at professional photographers and media creators but to beginners or those looking for high-quality software for quick edits. This can be easily noted on the features offered and their accessibility.
With Adobe Photoshop Express you’ll be able to access basic image editing actions, such as contrast, perspective, saturation, exposure, and spot removal, as well as selecting preset dynamic effects. While there are not nearly as many tools as in the professional version, they are polished to perfection and offer a great user experience. The Express version of Adobe’s photo editing software also includes a ‘decorate’ category, which allows users to add text and easily create fully customizable collages.
You can edit images that are saved on your device or share them directly from Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, Facebook, or Google Photos. All edits made on Adobe Photoshop Express are non-destructive, meaning you can go back to the original photo at any time.
The + : Advanced filters, minimalist interface, professional results
The - : Only output format available is JPG, runs on Flash, limited tools
Platforms: web and mobile (iOS, Android, Windows)
Paid version: Complete Adobe Photoshop editor for desktop starts at $9.99/month
02. Fotor
Best for: Straightforward image enhancement.
Fotor offers a long list of basic tools and features, ranging from simple edits like brightness and saturation to more complex concepts such as wrinkle remover and teeth whitening. Fotor also boasts a large selection of effects, frames, stickers, and text options primarily aimed to social media sharing.
In addition to its photo editor, Fotor also includes collage and design sections. In these segments, users can choose from diverse premade templates to build their creations with. These templates are categorized by use, such as general colleges, social media posts, marketing resources, documentation, and ads. This enables novice users to easily create high-quality content for all their needs, without having to worry about anything other than the visual appearance. Some of the templates and more high-end tools are only available on the paid version of the software.
Overall, Fotor might be best defined as an image enhancer rather than a photo editing software. Photographers and other media creators will most likely require more sophisticated capabilities than the ones available through Fotor. Yet, the program’s offerings comprise all a small business needs to make the most of their online presence.
The + : Creative composition tools, batch image processing, user-friendly creative templates
The - : No manual edition capabilities, no plugin support, displays ads
Platforms: Web and mobile (iOS, Android)
Paid version: Fotor Pro starts at $3.33 per month
03. InPixio
Best for: Quick, creative edits for online sharing.
InPixio is actually composed by six different programs focused on specific photo editing tools. These are:
Photo Editor - for basic image correction
Photo Maximizer - to zoom in and produce high resolution photos
Photo Focus - to create clear images
Photo Eraser - to remove unwanted object
Photo Cutter - to change the background
Photo Clip - to create photomontages.
Essentially, InPixio offers a user-friendly program which allows those with minimal photo editing skills to create beautiful images to share on social media or with their close ones. The software’s most notable features include hundreds of filters, blur effects, creative frames, textures, tone sliders, preset creation, and automatic online sharing capabilities.
InPixio is also available for iOS, where it focuses on quick image enhancements and offers creative tools such as frames, text, and filters. The Pro version of the software offers a wider range of manual editing features, as well as photo restoring tools.
The + : One-click social media sharing, easy to use, supports all image formats
The - : Limited manual editing, free version includes watermarks, not completely available on OS X
Platforms: OS X, Windows, iOS
Paid version: InPixio Photo Editor PRO for $19.99
04. Pixlr X
Best for: Quick online edits.
While Pixlr Editor is seen as the best online photo editor like Photoshop, Pixlr X is considered the best free HTML alternative to Photoshop Express. This software was developed as the successor of Pixlr Editor in hopes to avoid obsolescence once Flash is out of the picture. Unfortunately, moving from a Flash platform to an HTML one required a lot of trimming down on the original editor’s features.
Notwithstanding this feature minimization, Pixlr X has established itself among the best free photo editing software in the market. The program maintains the slick design of its predecessor while focusing on one-click tools that will cover all your basic editing needs, plus some. You’ll be able to edit your images’ colors and saturation, crop and resize, get rid of unwanted elements with the touchup tool, and adjust the white balance. Other more niche tools, such as red-eye removal and fill light will allow you to take your portrait photography to the next level.
Overall, Pixlr X is an outstanding online photo editor for beginners and non-professional photographers, who will see all their media needs covered. Those looking for more advanced tools, such as brushes or layers, might want to stick with Pixlr Editor until Pixlr X evolves to include these features.
The + : One-click edits, straightforward interface, doesn’t require any downloads
The - : Limited tools, no advanced features, less powerful than Pixlr Editor
Platforms: Web on desktop
Paid version: No
05. GIMP
Best for: Advanced users.
GIMP is widely considered the best free photo editor available on the market. The software includes a wide range of tools, ranging from basic actions to professional-quality features. Beginners will highly benefit from its selection and montage tools, cropping, color adjustment, and automatic image enhancement tools. On the other hand, advanced users will find a number of tools catered to them, such as content-aware resizing, face swap, animated gifs, layer masks, curves, and personalizable brushes.
All of these features make GIMP an amazing free Photoshop alternative for those who already know Adobe’s flagship software. On top of that, its interface is fully customizable and there are numerous plugins that can be added for free.
GIMP is an open source software with a large active community behind it. This means the platform is constantly updated and improved, all while users can continue to use it for free.
This photo editing software can be installed on desktop devices running on any operating system, or downloaded as a portable version that can be added into a USB key for usage flexibility.
If you want to give this advanced photo editor a try but are not familiar with the discipline's jargon, you might want to start by taking a look at this photography terms glossary.
The + : Professional tools and features, open source program, developer support
The - : Steep learning curve, no mobile version, cluttered interface
Platforms: Desktop only (Linux, OS X, Windows)
Paid version: No
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