The Best Photo Editors 2023 To 2024
The Best Photo Editor 2023 To 2024 | Best Photo Editor
The Best Photo Editor for Mac, Windows, and mobile.
Best Photo Editors: The best photo editors make it easy and simple to enhance your digital images with a range of advanced tools to make the most of your creativity.
Many tools now come with basic photo editing software. Most laptops, for example, include simple, accessible tools for changing the contents of your picture library. While these are useful for quick changes, the best photo editors allow you to do much more. From object removal to advanced curve adjustments, top photo editing software will let you unlock the next level in advanced image improvements.
Ready to go beyond brightness and saturation sliders? We've tested all the top photo editing software to help you find the perfect editor for your needs, budget, and experience.
Our overall favorite image editor is the still ubiquitous Adobe Photoshop. A powerful image editing application with a comprehensive set of tools for illustrators, designers, and photographers, it is the most capable solution you can download today. But that doesn't mean it's the best option for you—especially since it's now only available as part of Adobe's Creative Cloud subscription service.
If you're looking for standalone offline software for a specific purpose, other photo editors may provide better tools - or a better value - for you. Affinity Photo, for example, is a powerful Photoshop rival available at a very affordable price.
The list below contains our picks of the best photo editors for every type of user. Each one is recommended because it ticks a particular box - whether it's great value, great for a particular purpose, or simply the best editing software you can find. So read till the end and you are sure to find the right solution to enhance your digital images.
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Top 10 Best Photo Editors Right Now
1. Pixlr - Free browser-based image editor
2. Photopea - The best Photoshop alternative
3. GIMP - Best free Photoshop alternative overall
4. Krita - Great free Photoshop alternative
5. Sketch - Best Editor for UI and UX design
6. Affinity Photo - The best Photoshop alternative overall
7. Procreate - Best Photo Editor for digital painting on iPad
8. Rebelle - Best Photo Editor for emulating traditional painting
9. Pixelmator Pro - Image editing app for the Mac
10. ArtRage - Best Photo Editor for realistic and intuitive drawing
1. Pixlr - Free browser-based image editor
PROS
- Simple to use
- Free
CONS
- Limited features
- Doesn’t work with TIFFs
| Pixlr Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | No |
| Free version | Yes |
| Latest version | X / E / BG |
| Operating System | Web Browser |
Pixlr is a suite of three tools that work in the browser and through iOS and Android apps. The first is Pixlr X: a photo editing tool that's great for giving your work a quick boost with one-click editing and artistic effects. If you're used to using Photoshop, you'll find its interface easy to pick up on quickly, as it's very similar.
With a collection of useful editing tools, Pixlr E is one of the more substantial image editing apps. Ultimately, Pixlr BG is an AI-powered tool that focuses on one thing: removing backgrounds from photos. All three apps are free to use, with premium versions available to unlock advanced features.
2. Photopea - The best Photoshop alternative
PROS
- Free version
- Cross-platform
CONS
- Lacks advanced features
- Ads with the free version
| Photopea Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | No |
| Free version | Yes |
| Latest version | 5.2 |
| Operating System | Web |
Thanks to constant advances in web technology, you don't always need a separate app to do a lot using Photoshop. Photopea, which runs in the browser, is one example.
Designed to be an advanced editor with Pro Tools, it bears a distinct resemblance to Photoshop and offers most of the tools you need for everyday image work. It will open most standard file formats like JPG, PNG, and RAW, and it will accept Sketch, GIMP, and even Photoshop PSD files.
Photopea supports layers and layer masks, lets you use blend modes, and offers a stack of selection tools, from standard marquees to magnetic lasso and a quick selection tool. While it doesn't offer the kind of advanced features you'd expect in Photoshop, such as content-aware fills, it still has more than enough going on to keep most designers and artists happy, and it's easy to use. is completely free.
On the downside, it comes with ads, though paying for the premium version gets rid of them, and gives you additional levels of undo (60 instead of 30).
3. GIMP - Best free Photoshop alternative overall
PROS
- Free
- Open-source
CONS
- Learning curve
- Can be laggy
| GIMP Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | No |
| Free version | Yes |
| Latest version | 2.10.30 |
| Operating System | Linux, Windows, Mac |
Pick a free, open-source Photoshop alternative that's been around for donkey years, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. Today it is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac.
GIMP offers a wide toolset similar to Photoshop in many ways, and it's a great choice if you're looking for a no-cost image editor. The interface is somewhat different from Photoshop, but there is a version of GIMP available that mimics the look and feel of Adobe, making it easier to migrate if you're leaving Photoshop.
The full suite of tools is available here - everything you're accustomed to is within easy reach, including painting tools, color correction, cloning, selection, and enhancement. The team overseeing the development has also worked hard to ensure compatibility, so you will be able to work with all popular file formats without any hassle. You'll also find a very capable file manager built-in along the same lines as Adobe Bridge.
As open-source software, GIMP is constantly being improved. For example, in December 2021, PSD support received a variety of improvements. So if you tried GIMP before and didn't like it, it might be worth a second look.
4. Krita - Great free Photoshop alternative
PROS
- Free
- Open-source
- Excellent brush selection
CONS
- Lacking photo editing features
| Krita Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free version | Yes |
| Latest version | 5.0.2 |
| Operating System | Mac, Windows, Linux |
If you want a software for digital painting, Krita is an excellent alternative to Photoshop. As an open-source program, it is created by artists who want to give others access to quality, affordable software. And they've focused on the tools they know artists want and need. Brush tools, for example, are excellent (there are 100 brush types, nine brush engines, and one brush stabilizer).
The latest version, Krita 5, fixes several previous bugs with tagging and loading resources as well as some UI issues. It also makes the software faster and improves the gradient tools.
The interface is similar to Photoshop's, so users familiar with Adobe's software will find it easy to master. However, as a digital painting program, Krita lacks some of the typical photo editing features of Photoshop.
5. Sketch - Best Editor for UI and UX design
PROS
- Professional tool
- A clear focus on UI design
CONS
- Mac only
- No raster editing
| Sketch Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free version | No |
| Latest version | 81.1 |
| Operating System | macOS 10.14.4+ |
The sketch is a professional vector graphics app for creatives, which has created a huge buzz within the design community and web designers in particular since its launch in 2010.
The development team behind Sketch has made it as flexible as possible, with it supporting infinite zooming and vector shapes that are perfect for multiple resolutions. You can create a new graphic from primitive shapes, or start a new graphic with the Vector or Pencil tool.
It has a pleasantly simple UI and has many of the same features as Photoshop and Illustrator, including layers, gradients, color pickers, and style presets. Its popularity means that there are also community-made Sketch plugins that you can use to extend its functionality.
The sketch saw a flurry of new features in 2021. These include improvements to real-time collaboration; Notably, developers can now view, inspect and measure designs in any browser, on any operating system, all for free. Plus, new document permissions allow designers to limit who can edit specific designs.
Broadly speaking, new math operations make editing faster and easier, while linked data allows users to create better mock-ups and prototypes with real images and information related to their designs.
6. Affinity Photo - The best Photoshop alternative overall
PROS
- Professional tool
- Advanced features
CONS
- No Android version
- The iPad version is sold separately
| Affinity Photo Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free version | No |
| Latest version | 1.10.5 |
| Operating System | Mac OS, Windows, iPad, iOS |
Emulating Photoshop in most respects, including features and interface, Affinity Photo is the closest we've seen to Photoshop alternatives to date. Aimed at professional photographers and designers, it is fully compatible with Photoshop and other file formats. And it's much cheaper than Photoshop (without a subscription).
Despite the lower price, in many ways, it is better. Affinity Photo comes with the promise of higher speed, fewer crashes, and unlimited undo as compared to Photoshop. That said, the amount of better performance you get will probably depend on what device you're using (it's specifically designed to take advantage of the latest quad-core technology).
Affinity Photos is available for both Mac and Windows, and there is a separate version for the iPad. If you're looking for an affordable alternative to Photoshop, Affinity Photo is worth checking out.
7. Procreate - Best Photo Editor for digital painting on iPad
PROS
- Easy to use 3D painting tools
- Free to current users
- Unique AR viewer
CONS
- Only available for iPad
| Procreate Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | No |
| Free version | No |
| Latest version | 5.2.3 |
| Operating System | iPad (iOS 13.2+), iPhone app (iOS 12+) |
If it's a painting app for the iPad you're looking for, check out Procreate. What started as a basic drawing app in 2010 has grown into a highly professional tool over the years; Not only this, it has also earned itself the Apple Design Award.
With an easy-to-use layout, Procreate is packed with features artists will love, from true pencil and ink to advanced layer compositing and unique digital tools. Added palm support means you no longer have to worry about accidentally drawing on your canvas, and a growing library of Procreate brushes will help you add flair to your artwork.
Depending on your iPad model, Procreate has full support for both the first and second-generation Apple Pencils. And since 2019 there has been a dedicated iPhone version called Procreate Pocket. Last November, the 5.2 updates introduced some cool new tools, including 3D model painting, stroke stabilization, page assist, and the ability to view 3D models in AR.
You won't find all the features you'd expect from Photoshop here, but for digital painting, in particular, you'll at least have what you need. There is a free handbook (opens in a new tab) on the ProCreate website, which gives an overview of all the features and tools of the app, to help you get started.
8. Rebelle - Best Photo Editor for emulating traditional painting
PROS
- Mimics real paint
- Tilt option
- Advanced new features for 2022
CONS
- Not for mobile devices
| Rebelle Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | Demo version |
| Free version | No |
| Latest version | 5 |
| Operating System | Windows 7, 8, and 10; OS X 10.11+ |
If you're looking for a program that offers a real-life painting experience, look no further than Escape Motion's Rebel. This affordable program replicates traditional painting techniques - especially watercolor - with absolute authenticity - making it a worthy contender on our list of Photoshop alternatives.
Rebel mimics the behavior of paint in the real world, allowing you to simulate a drop of paint flying and moving in different directions. You can specify the blow length, drip size, and amount of water you 'use' with your paint, while the Tilt option lets your colors run in any direction you choose.
The latest update, Rebel 5, released last December, brings a ton of advanced new features. These include pigment color mixing, which enables you to paint with traditional pigments such as Cadmium Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine, and others; Export of large canvases with real-time zoom and sharp details; a Photoshop plugin; Express Oil, a new tool designed for concept art, sketching and designing; Life-like granular effect; and time-lapse video recording of your painting process.
A highly professional painting software package, Escape Motion is the best way to bring Rebel's focus on traditional media and introduce it to the digital realm. And we have to say it's working great.
9. Pixelmator Pro - Image editing app for the Mac
PROS
- Low cost
- Easy to use
CONS
- Mac only
- Limited features
| Pixelmator Pro Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free version | No |
| Latest version | 2.3.4 |
| Operating System | macOS 10.14+ |
Pixelmator Pro is a one-of-a-kind Photoshop-lite tool for Mac-only, that brings together a photo editor, illustration, and painting tools. It offers non-destructive image editing and supports features like Tab, Fullscreen, and Split View.
The interface is well minimal and therefore won't be confusing for newbies. Plus there's a great 'Hidden Interface' option that you can activate if you just want to see your image, without any distractions.
This alternative to Photoshop is quite limited in features compared to the original. But it's cheap, lightweight, fast, and fun to use, so if you need to do basic stuff like Photoshop frequently, it could be up your road.
Pixelmator Pro is constantly being improved. For example, the latest update in November 2021 introduced a Magic Background Eraser tool, which lets you remove the background from any image with just one click, and a Select and Mask tool, allowing you to easily make advanced selections of challenging image areas. Can such as hair or fur. Note that there are also slimmed down apps for iPhone and iPad called Pixelmator and Pixelmator Photo.
10. ArtRage - Best Photo Editor for realistic and intuitive drawing
PROS
- Thick oils
- Delicate watercolors
CONS
- Not the cheapest
- Mobile app sold separately
| ArtRage Specification | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | Demo version |
| Free version | No |
| Latest version | Vitae |
| Operating System | Mac OS X 10+, Windows, iOS, Android |
ArtRage is designed to ensure that artists can focus on their creativity. It offers realistic oil, pencil, watercolor, canvas textures, and other traditional media painting tools, many of which are fully customizable.
In essence, ArtRage mimics an old-school art studio in digital form. As its creators put it: "It's a canvas for thick, expressive oils and delicate watercolors, a sketchpad with a full set of pencils and a sheet of paper with a pile of wax crayons all in one."
2021 saw the release of the latest version, the Vita, for Windows and macOS. Highlights include being able to virtually smear and blend thick oils to create a natural color gradient; Sketch with pencil and shadow along the edge of the tip; And create delicate watercolor strokes that react to the canvas texture. Like most visual editing software, there are layers, blend modes, guides, grids, and perspective layout tools, and you can even use photos as references if you want.
If you're new to digital painting and looking for an affordable, intuitive program, ArtRage is an option worth seriously considering. The software is also available for iOS and Android, although you pay for those apps separately.
Blog Idia Credit: creativebloq
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