Even if you are good at using a camera, there will sometimes be photographs you’ve taken that have inconsistent lighting or are out of focus. Luckily, there is a program called “photo editing software” that will help you fix any mistakes or blemishes on your photos. Most professional photographers would agree that Adobe Photoshop may be the best photo editing software, but some beginners in photography may not be able to afford to buy the license to use the program.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to Adobe Photoshop that are free of charge and can be used online or through downloading the program, and these alternatives are actually user-friendly and are much easier to use than most paid software. Here are some of the best free photo editing software that can help you modify digital images.
GIMP
GIMP is considered by many professional photographers to be the best free editing software because it is packed with plenty of features that are either found in most free photo editors or are exclusive to GIMP and paid editors. What’s great about GIMP is that it is open-source, which means that you can add features, filters, and plugins for versatility. Because of its adaptability, GIMP can also use plugins for Photoshop, so you can say that this photo editor could serve as a free version of the said Adobe program. However, the drawback to GIMP is that it is quite difficult for beginners to use, much like Photoshop, so only the experienced photo editors will enjoy using the program.
Fotor
Fotor is a photo editor that you can use through a web browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, so you don’t have to download anything besides the photo you’ve edited. Fotor features premium-level filters that can be used to beautify photos, a high-res export option to download non-compressed files from the website, and batch image processing that allows you to edit multiple photos simultaneously. These features are all user-friendly, which makes Fotor one of the best photo editors for beginners. But, the downside to Fotor is that it doesn’t have art features that will allow you to paint or draw over photos, but these features aren’t really needed if you just want to edit the appearance of the photos.
Pixlr
Pixlr is arguably one of the most popular photo editors out there, as it can be the first website that will show up when you search for “free photo editor” on Google. This photo editor is web-based like Fotor and can be used on the fly since you don’t need to install anything or create an account to edit photos. Pixlr can be utilized not only on computers but also on tablets and smartphones, making it a versatile photo editor that can easily be used by beginners and veterans. Unfortunately, while the basic features of Pixlr are free, its advanced features are not, so you would need to pay for the Pro version and get the full editing experience.
Pic Monkey
Another popular photo editor, PicMonkey has a beginner-friendly UI that makes it suitable for newbies in photo editing to use. It has basic photo editing features similar to Pixlr, but it also features a collage maker that allows the user to connect multiple photos and turn them into a beautiful collage. However, PicMonkey is only able to edit one photo at a time, so it doesn’t have the batch processing feature that Fotor has. In addition, PicMonkey’s advanced features are also locked in a paywall like Pixlr, so you would have to pay a premium to gain access to the full version of the software. If you want to try those advanced features first before purchasing them, PicMonkey is offering a 7-day free trial for its full version.
Clipping Magic
If you only want to use the image masking feature in photo editors, which is not usually found in free versions, there is a website called Clipping Magic that allows you to remove backgrounds on your photos for free. The clippingmagic.com free web-based photo editor allows you to crop and use image masking for your images one by one or by bulk, but the downside to the editor is that you would have to pay for a subscription in order to remove the website’s watermark on your photos. The price you have to pay for their cheapest subscription is actually reasonable, and you can just unsubscribe if you don’t need to use their services anymore.
Those are five of the best photo editors that you can use for free, but there are still dozens of software out there that has features that you can explore and experience without paying for anything. Be sure to save copies of your photos so that you will still have the raw and unedited version of them before you use the photo editors online.