Best freeware picture editing software

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019 review

TechRadar Verdict

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019's one-click photo editing works well for landscapes, and its slider-based system for manual adjustments is thoughfully designed. The automatic results won't suit all subjects, but as a free tool for making quick adjustments to a batch of pictures, this does the job admirably.

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Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019 is a quick and convenient way to improve the look of your pictures – individually or in batches. Although Windows’ built-in Photos app includes many of the same features (including cropping, rotating and color correction), it only allows you to edit one photo at a time, which can eat up a lot of time when you have more than a handful to process.

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019 also has a host of other handy functions that you won’t find in most free photo editors, and although full instructions are provided, its streamlined interface is self-explanatory.

Unusually for free-to-use software, it’s also devoid of distracting ads, leaving you free to focus on the important task of optimizing your pictures.

User experience

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019 is free to use, but to get started you’ll first need to request a license key by submitting an email address. Ashampoo won’t share it with any third parties, though you will receive updates on the company’s own products (which you can unsubscribe from if you’re not interested).

Image credit: Ashampoo

The software comes with a set of images for you to experiment with, but if you prefer, you can remove these and start working with your own pictures immediately.

Click ‘File’, then select either ‘Add folder’ or ‘Add file’ to select the photos you want to optimize. Once that’s done and they’ve appeared in the pool, select one or more by checking their boxes and you’re ready to get to work. To remove a photo from the pool, hover over it and click the cross icon that appears. Don’t worry – this won’t delete the picture from your PC.

One of the main attractions of Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019 is the ‘Auto Optimize’ button, which analyzes a single picture (unlike some of the software’s other tools, it can’t be used for batch editing) and applies one or more changes to improve its sharpness, color and brightness. It’s an interesting idea and works particularly well for landscapes, but we found that it sometimes raised the brightness a little too far for other subjects, resulting in images looking washed out.

Image credit: Ashampoo

If that happens, you can make adjustments manually instead by selecting ‘Color correction’ from the right-hand menu. Again, you can only use this tool to make changes to one picture at a time. This is accomplished via a series of sliders, enabling you to fine-tine brightness, contrast, lightness, saturation, hue and gamma. The sliders are quite sensitive, but you can also adjust the number to the right of each slider for very fine adjustments (a welcome touch rarely seen in photo optimization software.

You can also crop or resize individual photos, or rotate or mirror several at once by checking multiple images in the pool, then clicking the appropriate button.

Conclusion

We’d like to be able to apply the same set of color adjustments to multiple images at once, which would be a real timesaver for pictures taken in the same lighting conditions, but Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2019 is still an excellent tool for any amateur photographer, and it’s impossible to argue with the price.

Image credit: Ashampoo

The competition

GIMP
Paint.NET
Photo Pos Pro

The best free photo editor 2019

Ashampoo PhotoOptimizer 2019: Price Comparison

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Cat is the editor of TechRadar's sister site Advnture. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better)

Fotor review | TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

If you have a collection of photos that need a little extra polish, Fotor's one-click filters are the easiest way to make them look their best. It's no full-fat Photoshop replacement, but it's very easy to use and it's free.

Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Free Windows photo editor Fotor is an excellent free photo editor if you have some photos on your PC that you'd like to commit to canvas and hang on your wall.

Fotor is packed with image-enhancing tools and filters to make pictures look their best. It supports all the most popular image file formats, and even provides RAW file processing – a feature you might expect to be exclusive to full-price photo-editing software

Fotor

Download here: Fotor

Developer: Everimaging

Operating system: Windows

Version: 3

Unlike the powerful open source image editor GIMP, Fotor can't rival Photoshop's range of tools, brushes and plugins, but the advantage is that it's much easier to use. Fotor is packed with one-click filters designed to enhance your pictures based on the conditions in which they were taken, and the subject. Examples include artificial lighting, sunset, portrait, landscape and theater.

User experience

In exchange for the odd not-too-annoying ad, Fotor offers a good range of image tools. You can apply special effects and add frames and borders, improve the appearance of photos and even get the kind of tilt-shift blurry effects that you’d normally need an expensive camera to achieve.

The emphasis here is on fast results, so for example Fotor has 13 different one-tap scenes that you can use to completely change the appearance of your images. Excessively dark scenes are brightened, over-exposed ones are dimmed, and colours really punch.

Fotor is free because its creators really want you to buy Fotor Pro, which removes the ads and adds some new features including more editing and full HDR support for really dramatic images, but the free version is pretty feature-packed in its own right.

Latest updates

The latest version of Fotor lets you create collages with a custom aspect ratio. It also features an improved tilt-shift algorithm and improved support for more raw file formats. For full details, see the official release notes .

The competition

GIMP
Paint.NET
PhotoScape

Check out our full guide to the best free photo editor

Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall (Twitter) has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band HAVR.

TOP 10 free photo editing software - biz.mail.ru

Working with images takes a lot of effort and time if you choose the wrong software. Photoshop is a powerful and smart tool for professional photo editing. But it is complex and confusing even for an advanced user. Most often, you need to do basic manipulations - simple retouching, filters and background correction. To do this, it is not necessary to watch multi-part guides for working in Photoshop.

For example, if you need to edit photos before uploading to a resource, you can limit yourself to a website builder. The Sitebox service from the Mail.ru for Business platform can independently adapt and process images. But if you need a wider range of editing tools, use the free program. We talked about the main products in this PC market and identified their advantages and disadvantages.

Best Free Photo Editors

Gimp

Let's start with one of the oldest programs. In 1995, it was presented as a graduation project by two American students and is still supported by developers on a voluntary basis. Gimp subsequently became a free replacement for Photoshop and is only inferior to it in some respects. This editor has always been improved after Photoshop updates, so the interface and design of these programs are similar. Gimp has layers, filters, and retouching tools. There are a lot of functions even for a professional, and this affects convenience. Gimp is not easy to understand right off the bat, but it is not as complex an editor as Photoshop.

Polarr

The developers of this program have taken care not only of desktops, but also of mobile devices. In addition, the free version has many useful tools:

reflection;
framing;
work with light;
sharpness adjustment, graininess;
basic filters.

To use masks, you need a paid account, but plus Polarr in the watermark. You can adjust the size, position and opacity, and you don't need to buy the Pro version to add them. They are useless for beginners, but before publishing on websites or social networks, there is a desire to protect their image. Not every free editor will provide such an opportunity.

Paint

. NET

was created as an alternative to the standard program from Microsoft and even took part of its name. Gradually, the developers began to move away from this goal and supplemented their editor with relevant tools like layers and effects. At the same time, it was possible to maintain the simplicity of the interface and high speed. You will spend only a couple of minutes learning Paint.NET. Clear panels and an intuitive menu will help you quickly edit any image.

Crita

Here you can also correct the light and apply filters, but artists use this program more often. Simple image processing does not require hundreds of professional brushes. The interface is filled with tools for creating illustrations and painting, however, it is not overloaded and easy to use.

This is a free project. Krita developers receive money as donations and make their product for artists. The program has basic features for working with images and support for the PSD format. A newcomer to Krita will not get lost. In addition, he will have a chance to test artistic tools.

Home Photo Studio

A simple and effective solution for working with a large number of images in a short period of time. The free period of this program expires 30 days after registration, so it is suitable, for example, for editing a large number of images before uploading to the site. Home Photo Studio is arranged as simply as possible - the tools are conveniently arranged by department and hidden in the menu. The field for working with photos always seems to be large, and the side panels do not distract with their clutter. In Home Photo Studio you can create calendars, collages and postcards, add frames and filters. But after a month of work, you will have to switch to a paid version.

PhotoScape

A simple and fun editor that is not going to compete with professional photo software. PhotoScape is made for casual users who need to adjust brightness, remove red eyes and use a couple of simple brushes. There are no complicated tools here, and the interface is set up to involve the user in creating interesting images. PhotoScape lets you create GIFs, convert RAW to JPEG, and search for similar faces online.

Canva

Photo editor in this online service appeared not so long ago. The expansion of photo opportunities helped developers to attract more customers. Canva's free plan is limited to a few tools and 1GB of storage, but that's enough for image editing. Canva lets you create collages, charts, landing pages, and even email templates. They are easy to set up and upload to the Sendbox service from Mail.ru for business.

INKSCAPE

Successful attempt to clone Photoshop. INKSCAPE is not similar in design, but it has sophisticated tools like Bezier curves and node editing. The program can create technical illustrations and artistic images. For such an arsenal, you will have to pay for the time it takes to learn the basics of the editor. It also has simple retouching tools, but due to the difficult interface, you will have to look for them. The developers have made INKSCAPE free and collect donations from grateful users.

Pixlr

This editor is available on Windows, Mac OS and Linux, on mobile devices, and in any browser. The account can be synchronized and edited images in any gadget. The side menu of tools is reminiscent of Photoshop - working with photos is carried out through layers and filters. More advanced image settings are available with a paid account, but newbies don't really need them. The free version has everything for editing, but limited overlay and sticker sets. In addition, you will have to watch ad blocks, but this is the only minus of the editor.

Sumo Paint

An art community has been created around this service, as the goal of the project is to create, research and evaluate all the works made in Sumo Paint. All works and elements of illustrations are in the editor's collection, they can be used to create your own images. You can also add blur, apply a gradient, and use brushes in Sumo Paint, but the emphasis is on unique elements. To access the entire collection, you need to buy an account, and the free version is also suitable for editing images.

Where can I find free photo and video stocks?

Not always in the early stages of creating a project, there is a separate budget for shooting or purchasing high-quality images. To prepare for the launch, you can turn to free stocks. There you can find professional shots and images created by artists for free access.

Here are some popular stocks:

More than a million photos and pictures, one of the best services. Use the tags in English to search.
Free Images. The collection of free works is smaller, but this site is very convenient and easy to use. To download a picture, you need to register.
Stock vault. Professional photographers and designers came up with this service to share cool shots. The project can be sponsored.
Pexels. All images are divided into collections by topic, making it easy to find.

Output

Choose a photo editor for specific tasks. For light image adjustments and minimal brightness and contrast adjustments, simple tools like PhotoScape or Canva are fine. For more thorough work with photos or illustrations, choose editors with professional tools. They are not so difficult to understand - the basic functions are understandable on an intuitive level, and, for example, you can read about artistic brushes in tutorials. Choose a design and try one editor after another until you find the one that works best for you.

12 Best Photo Editing Software for PC in 2022

If you are looking for a good photo editing program or app for PC, read my review. I reviewed 12 professional photo editing programs that are quite easy to learn, but at the same time allow you to retouch photos at a professional level.

Adobe Photoshop- The best photo editing software for PC
Adobe Lightroom- Best color grading software
Luminar Neo- With a user-friendly interface
InPixio- High-quality color correction
GIMP- The best free photo editor like Photoshop
Capture One Pro- Universal photo editor
Movavi Photo Editor - For beginners
ON1 Photo RAW - For quick image editing
Affinity Photo - Has simple tools
Canva- To create collages and postcards
ACDSee Photo Studio - For quick photo editing
Online Photoshop Editor - Professional program for processing in the browser

Paying $10 a month for Adobe software isn't that much, but if you're learning the basics of photo editing or don't need that many tools, you can try any of the photo editors below.

1. Adobe Photoshop CC

Best photo editing software for PC

All existing
A huge number of photo correction tools
Forums and active technical support
Lots of actions / overlays / textures / brushes / filters

The interface may seem complicated
Some tools do not have a progress indicator

Adobe Photoshop

DOWNLOAD FREE

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 painting.

Find out some legitimate ways to download Photoshop for free to retouch images quickly and professionally.

Photoshop has a huge number of functions and tools for photo editing. Using this arsenal, you can easily create unique logos and banners, draw digital elements for websites, and much more.

Photoshop is regularly updated every month. Developers add new features for photo editing and fix bugs found. In 1989, Adobe introduced its product for the first time, immediately taking the photography industry by storm. Professional photographers and amateurs have access to a huge number of quality tools to realize their ideas.

The program remains the standard in the field of photo editing, and many developers rely on it. As for the drawbacks, Photoshop has a lot of complex features, so beginners have to spend a lot of time figuring out what to do and how to do it.

However, this photo editing software is one of the most popular options at the moment. If you have any questions, you can browse the forums or YouTube videos and you will most likely find the answer you need.

If you don't need many of the tools available in Photoshop, download the free version of Photoshop Elements and use a slightly reduced functionality.

2. Adobe Lightroom CC

Ideal for batch editing

Easy to learn
Professional Color Correction
Automatic saving of source files
Allows you to work with several photos or albums at the same time
Lots of presets

Inconvenient directory system
There is no way to professionally retouch images

Adobe Lightroom CC

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : Adobe Lightroom is Adobe's photo editor for color grading and basic photo batch editing. Adobe recognized that Photoshop wasn't exactly focused on color grading, so they created Lightroom. They built the program from the ground up with fewer tools than Photoshop, but they are all focused on color grading images. Lightroom is very popular among photographers who need to process a lot of photos at once.

Lightroom, unlike Photoshop, has a simple and user-friendly interface. For many users, this is a decisive aspect. Pros consider it the best editor for color correction due to the huge number of tools and the ability to work with presets, which greatly speed up the whole process.

In addition, users can perform basic image retouching and work on a large number of photos at the same time. On the downside, Lightroom is very awkward to work with catalogs.

Learn more about how to download Adobe Lightroom for free and without viruses in two legal ways

3. Luminar Neo

Great AI-based tools Amazing One Click Presets

Quick import of RAW 9 images0018

Useful tools for enhancing portraits

Available as plugin

Multiple organizational functions
Not optimized for mobile devices

Luminar Neo

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : If you're just learning how to edit images on a desktop computer, but have experience with mobile apps, learning Luminar Neo won't be a problem. The user interface of the program is stylish and at the same time intuitive, which is a rarity compared to similar programs.

What's more, Luminar Neo stands out from the crowd with its suite of AI-powered tools for non-destructive RAW editing. Thus, even beginners can handle advanced image editing tasks and achieve amazing results quickly. In fact, skin enhancement, background replacement, and other adjustments only take a few seconds. Considered by many to be the best photo editing software for PC, Luminar Neo is currently available for $10 off. You only need to enter promo code "9"0152 FIXTHEPHOTONEO ".

4. InPixio

Photo retouching and photo organization

Professional Stamp Tool
You can cut out the background in a few clicks
Convenient perspective correction
Advanced semi-automatic color correction

Can't edit multiple photos at once

InPixio

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : The program boasts advanced image editing and organization, stunning special effects and top-notch photo projects - all in one program.

With this software, cropping, straightening and correcting color, brightness, and removing imperfections is a quick and easy task. With this software, you can easily deal with cropping, straightening and color correction, brightness adjustment, and remove imperfections. In addition, you can make your skin smoother, brighten your teeth, eliminate dark circles under the eyes, improve and even restore old photos. To learn more about the program, read the InPixio review.

5. GIMP

Best Free Photo Editor

You can customize the functionality for yourself
Lots of features and tools
Supports 9 different file types0018
Convenient interface

The newest version may contain errors

GIMP

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : GIMP is the most powerful free photo editor that can completely replace Photoshop. One of the main advantages, in addition to all of the above, is that the program supports files in RAW format.

However, in order to open the required formats, you must "prepare" the program by downloading updates.

GIMP is an open source photo editor. You can modify the program yourself, fix bugs, and add your own tools.

The program has layers, customizable brushes, filters and automatic actions for faster photo editing. I really like the ability to open PSD files and edit them. Users have access to many lessons and training videos, so mastering this program is not difficult.

6.

Capture One Pro

Replacement for Lr with functions available in Ps

Large set of 9 features and tools0018
Quick import and export
Well crafted masks and layers
Cloud storage available

Requires powerful PC
Too expensive option
Confusing interface

Capture One Pro

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : Capture One Pro is a professional image retouching and color correction software. Formerly known as Lightphase Capture, the program was developed and released in 2011 by Phase One. Thus, they tried to create something similar to the famous Photoshop.

As a result, the company has a powerful and unique tool that allows users to work with images on a professional level. You can use Capture One Pro to color correct and retouch photos. There are many tools available for quality work. The whole process is much more convenient when compared with Photoshop.

What's more, like Lightroom, Capture One Pro lets you use presets to get your color grading done in minutes. Of the features, it should be noted that the photo editor will be a godsend for photographers shooting on Phase One cameras.

As for the disadvantages, the photo editor requires a powerful PC and uses a lot of resources. In this it is similar to Photoshop. Capture One Pro has a rather confusing interface. Although you can watch videos on YouTube, there are very few of them to fully master the program.

7. Movavi Photo Editor

Beginner

Supports 9 popular graphic formats0018
Not demanding on PC resources
Simple interface
Lots of filters

Limited free version
Does not work on mobile devices

Movavi Photo Editor

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : Movavi Photo Editor belongs to a group of photo editors aimed at users who don't want to learn complicated programs and master advanced video editing techniques.

Movavi Photo Editor has a section with brightness, contrast and sharpness settings, tools for selecting and "removing" unwanted objects from the image, rotating, as well as adding and adjusting text, replacing the "background", resizing, etc. After you have finished your work, you can export the result with a simple mouse click.

8. ON1 Photo RAW

Easy Photo Editing Software

Low price, one-time payment
Monthly trial version without registration and subscriptions
Simplicity like Lightroom + options with Capture One
New approach to photo preview on PC

Very slow background export
Few original presets
Cannot replace Photoshop

ON1 Photo RAW

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : ON1 Photo RAW is one of the best photo editing software that combines the simplicity of Lightroom with some of the tools available in Capture One PRO. The photo editor is equipped with quite powerful tools that allow users to correct photo defects, perform color correction and retouch images.

The interface may seem confusing, but really you just need to take a good look at it and then there will be no problems.

If you are planning to use ON1 Photo RAW, please note that the photo editor is not designed as an alternative to Photoshop, since it does not have so many tools, but only the most important basic functions.

As for the disadvantages, the program is slow and may freeze. Compared to Lightroom, ON1 Photo RAW has slower image preview and export in the background.

9. Affinity Photo

Perfect for Mac

Huge amount of basic image editing tools
Simple interface

Some tools are poorly developed
Limited photo retouching

Affinity Photo

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : Affinity Photo is designed to work with raster graphics. The program has a large number of tools and options for image editing and color correction.

For many, Affinity Photo is the go-to tool for photo editing, blemishing, and painting. The photo editor offers a wide range of features and capabilities. The program contains 60 customizable effects, filters, lots of brushes and more.

In addition, the editor allows you to view images in real time so you can see the effect before you apply it to the photo. In terms of features, you will hardly find another such editor if you need to merge multiple images, adjust layers, masks, effects and layer groups.

In addition, Affinity Photo has a complete set of image retouching tools that includes Liquefy, over 120 brushes and macro tools. The only thing this program lacks is an image organizer.

Browse more free photo editing software for Mac.

10. Canva

For making collages and cards

Suitable for design
Many operations are carried out by drag and drop
Stock Photos, Templates & Design Tools

Not for photographers
Only works with JPEG

Canva

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : Canva is good for graphic design. All operations here are performed by dragging and dropping elements. Users choose this program because of the ease of operation. The developers have also made a standalone program called Canva Photo Editor to enhance images.

If we compare Canva to automatic photo editors, it's a frankly weak program with a minimum of features. So if you're looking for an advanced color grading photo editor, Canva is a disappointment.

In this program, you can adjust only three characteristics - Brightness, Contrast and Saturation. Although there are also 15 effects here, to be honest, they are not very good.

Thus, Canva has nothing to please users who are looking for a photo editing tool. When it comes to design, this is the best free online software available right now.

11. ACDSee Photo Studio

Affordable alternative to Creative Cloud

Suitable for color correction
Convenient interface

Pretty high price
Not for deep photo retouching

ACDSee Photo Studio

DOWNLOAD FREE

Verdict : ACDSee is a good photo editing software. Developed by ACD Systems, it does a great job of displaying and managing large photo collections. Here you will find many photo editing tools, including batch image editing. ACDSee Photo Studio is positioned as a semi-professional application for previewing, editing and publishing digital images.

In addition, the photo editor provides direct access to files and folders with the ability to update their contents in real time. Thus, you can save time by importing images into a separate library.

The biggest problem is the price. Despite the number of photo editing features and tools, the overall cost intimidates many users. It's better to download Photoshop or Lightroom for a lower price.

12. Online Photoshop Editor

Browser software

A variety of advanced tools from Photoshop
No ads
Works with 9 layers0018
Supports a huge number of

No possibility to work offline

Online Photoshop Editor

USE FREE

Verdict : This program has a large set of features that you will not find in any online image editor. If you have worked in Photoshop or GIMP before, this editor will be very easy for you to master because they look almost the same and have the same toolbar, controls, and keyboard shortcuts.