Good Photo Editing Programs For Free

1. Free Simple Photo Editing Software
2. Free Good Photo Editing Programs
3. Best Free Photo Editing Program
4. Good Photo Editing Programs For Free Online Courses

• Best Photo Editing Software App – 23 Free & Paid Options If you're a photographer looking for the best photo editing software, you're not the only one. After all, taking pictures is only half the battle – whether you're shooting on your phone or the latest mirrorless camera, we all need to edit our photos to make them look amazing.
• GIMP is a free software suitable for photo editing tasks like image authorizing, photo retouching and image composition. GIMP is a very powerful software with features and capabilities you might not find in other similar software.

There are hundreds of reasons why you need to edit a photo or an image.

Many see Pixlr Editor as the best free online photo editor, and consider it to be almost as powerful as the top desktop editing software. Its proficient capabilities start the very moment you open an image, as Pixlr Editor allows you to do so from your device, a URL, or even straight from Facebook. Capture One Pro is the best photo editing software for beginners that offers tools to import digital images, file conversion, and basic photo editing. The picture editor has such features as live viewing and focusing options, excellent mask tools and markup function. This best free photo editor app has a worked out tools and features.

Adobe Photoshop is expensive and not easy to use unless you are a professional.

However, we all need to do a little photo editing or resize images and crop for simple reasons such as posting on social media or to add text.

Posting a photo online with an ugly red eye is certainly not what you would like to do. Do you want to add photo frames or convert them to black and white?

Find the best free online photo editor

Instagram is a prime example of how adding a few simple photo effects or graphic design can attract a little more attention.

If you are blogging, you always need an image editor to create your unique featured header images. But if you are busy, you want something that is quick and easy.

For authors, cover design projects involve a lot of work. You can use some of these apps for mockups and color experiments before deciding on the final design.

Basic image editing tools with a simple user interface can come in handy for this stage. But then later, leave the advanced editing to your cover designer.

Free image editing software

Depending on what you want to do with an image or photo editor, you have a very good choice of free tools.

For photo editing, you don't need to download and install photo editing software.

There are a lot of free photo editors online. You can add filters and effects or use a collage maker.

All you usually need to do to edit photos is to upload your image file and then download it after you make your changes or add your special effects.

Perhaps you want to do more complex tasks and use advanced editing tools, like making a transparent background or using a tilt-shift tool.

Then there is a choice of open source and free editing tools you can download and install for Mac and PC.

So what choices do you have for a free image editor? Here are seven suggestions to get you started.

1. GIMP

Gimp is the number one choice as an alternative to Photoshop. If you don't know, the name is an acronym, GNU Image Manipulation Program.

It is not easy to learn, so you will need to spend some time getting to grips with how all the advanced tools work. But if you have some experience, especially with RAW files, they will be familiar to you.

It is available for macOS, Microsoft Windows, and Linux. You can download Gimp here.

2. Seashore

Seashore is an open-source image editor. However, it is only available for Mac users.

It is much easier to use than Gimp, so it is ideal for people new to image editing. I have used it for a long time because my skills are basic.

But it can do everything I need to do with an image editor. If you are an Apple user, it is the best choice.

3. Photo Pos Pro

For PC users Photo Pos Pro is a free Windows photo editor. But there is a lite version available for Mac users.

You can convert any of your images into a stunning piece of artwork. You get all the tools to create, edit, enhance, print, and manipulate your digital photos or computer graphics.

Photo Pos Pro supports all the standard features such as Filters, Layers, Masks, Curves, Scripts, Effects, and Brushes.

You could hardly ask for much more from a free photo editor.

4. InPixio

InPixio has a lot of products. But the photo editor is free.

It will probably suit people who just want simple picture editing software to edit photos for sharing online on social media.

There is a comparison chart, so you can make a judgment about what it can do.

5. Paint.NET

Paint.NET, as the name suggests, is a Windows program.

I can't give a view of this app because I am a Mac user.

However, Tech Radar gives it a good 4-star review, so it might be a good alternative to Gimp.

Download Paint.NET. But the page is full of ads, so as a hint, the download link is in the top right-hand corner.

6. Photoscape

Photoscape is an image and photo editor but is only available for PC users.

Download Photoscape.

7. Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop Express is only available as an app for mobile devices.

It gets in at number six, well, because it is Adobe so it must be good. It is not Adobe Lightroom, but it works quite well.

The list of features is very long, so I won't repeat it all here. But I did notice that you can add watermarks to photos.

That is a cool feature to individualize your photos.

You can get the mobile apps on the Apple App Store, Google Play and the Windows Store.

Eight Free Online Photo Editors

8. Pixlr

Here's the outline of what Pixlr can do.

You can go directly to the editor here.

9. Sumopaint

Sumopaint has a feature list as long as your arm.

You will need Flash installed on your browser, or you can download the app.

It has shape tools, layer effects, linear blur, mosaics and dozens of brushes.

There are so many features and tools, it is probably quicker for you to take a look for yourself.

10. Photovisi

Photovisi is a collage maker. So if that is what you want to do, it is a great free option.

You can also create social media covers and headers for Facebook, Twitter, Linked, Google Plus and many more.

If you are into social media images, this tool could be what you are looking for.

11. Fotor

Fotor is an image design suite similar to Canva.

You have shapes, fonts, and clipart you can add to your designs

There is a whole bundle of templates and design tools to choose from.

This is going to be a go-to free app for many.

12. PiZap

PiZap is a simple online editor for photos and images.

Free Simple Photo Editing Software

You will need Flash enabled to use the tools, however.

One bonus of this tool is that you can make your own emojis. Well, if that is of interest, take a look.

13. Ribbet

Ribbet has one very cool looking website.

As soon as you open its site, you know it knows about image editing. It requires Flash, but it is full of features.

You can use it online, or there are apps for the iPhone and iPad.

14. BeFunky

BeFunky has a bit of everything for everyone it would seem.

It has an image or photo editor, a collage maker, and a designer similar to Canva and Fotor.

It looks like a good free all-rounder online tool for all your image editing needs.

Three Free Image Tools I Use Every Day

This list would not be complete without mentioning three free image tools that make my life easier.

I have used each of these for ages and I use them so often, they live in my dock for easy access.

15. Canva

Canva has been my tool of choice for so long that I can't recall when I started using it.

I create all the featured images for my blogs with Canva.

It keeps a library of all my uploaded images and designs, so it really helps when I need to add a logo or update a blog image.

It is easy to learn how to use and has a friendly interface that will have you up and running in no time at all.

16. ImageOptim

ImageOptim is a small Mac program.

But if you are an Apple user, this is an indispensable little free program.

I have it sitting in my dock, and use it so many times a day to losslessly reduce the size of images that I use on my sites.

All you need to do is open it, and then drag your image files to it and it reduces the size of your jpeg, png, and gif images to your settings.

I have it set to 70% reduction. It works absolutely perfectly without any noticeable loss of image quality.

17. Pixabay

Okay, Pixabay is not an app or an image editor.

But we all need free images from time to time, and Pixabay is by far my favorite because of the huge selection and image quality.

I sometimes use Morguefile, but the free images there are not up to the same standard as Pixabay.

Conclusion

I use many pro or paid apps and tools, but there are a lot of free tools I use that do a great job too.

Free doesn't necessarily mean poor quality or performance. But don't expect priority support for a free tool.

You should expect that they might be either advertising-supported or that you will receive a few emails from time to time.

Some free tools are slimmed-down versions of a premium app or tool or are limited to a trial period, so you need to check.

In the end, it is a matter of choice and what works best for you.

There are lots of high quality free photo editors available online if you know where to look. We've rounded up some of the best options here.

Are you looking to improve your photographs but unsure which online photo editor to use? We've created a handy guide to help you decide which one is right for you.

No matter your skill level as a photographer or how good a shot is pre-editing, there are almost always things that can be improved or retouched in some way. That's where photo editing apps come in—quality matters, and you shouldn't need to break the bank in order to achieve the level of polish you want for your work.

When it comes to photo editing apps, Lightroom is undoubtedly the paid tool of choice thanks to its unrivaled power and accessibility Your success as a photographer hinges on great quality photographs, an eye-catching portfolio to showcase your work, and the right equipment to shoot with—and this can add up. When all is said and done, a tight budget might make it tough to spend more on paid photo editors, especially when there are great free programs out there.

Rather than focus on well-known, higher-priced editors such as Photoshop or Lightroom, we're going to point you towards the best lesser-known options for free online photo editors. With the vast array of photo editing apps available on the market, making a choice can be difficult if you don't know the benefits and features of each app.

Multi-Platform Photo Editors

GIMP

When it comes to free photo editors, GIMP is king. Short for GNU Image Manipulation Program, GIMP is the closest you can get to Photoshop without paying a dime. It comes equipped with an impressive number of professional-quality functions, a completely configurable interface, allows fine-tuning of images, and contains a fully-integrated toolset that allows the creation of professional quality original artwork.

If you can do it in Photoshop, you can almost certainly do it in GIMP. If you want even more options, you can also use Photoshop plugins, which provide you with unmatched flexibility compared to any other free photo editor. GIMP is also open-source, which means that if you have the know-how, you'll be able to add your own filters and features should you desire.

If you are experienced in image editing software you should get the hang of GIMP relatively quickly, but those not well versed in image editing software may find the interface cluttered or non-intuitive. A fair compromise for the sheer editing power you get at no cost!

Best for: Experienced users and those wanting powerful processing and art tools for a zero dollar price tag.

Photoscape X

For a free program, Photoscape is actually quite impressive—it's fantastic for editing and managing your personal photo archive. While Photoscape is a bit lacking in the interface department (it can be somewhat confusing), it contains an image viewer, batch processing, a screen-capture tool, and a great selection of filters and effects to take your photographs to the next level.

The photo editing portion of this app is where it truly shines, and even new users will be able to produce exceptional, professional-looking shots in moments. Photoscape even has some handy little functions to make your photographs look like analog shots, a decent cut-out feature, image transformation capability; it also gives access to over 240 figures, frames and borders, and more than 1000 patterns to use in your creatives.

Best for: Batch processing and experimentation.

Online Photo Editors

Pixlr

Are you looking to apply quick changes to your photos with very few headaches? While you're required to sign up before you can utilize Pixlr's myriad features, the extra few minutes of setup are well worth the effort.

This online photo editor is available via your browser, the iPhone and Android platforms, and provides a number of simple one-click functions and a relatively robust toolset. Perhaps the best feature of this app is just how easy it is to use: it contains tutorials to guide you through the more complicated features and can be mastered very quickly once you get the hang of things. If you are familiar with photo editing apps, then this is a fantastic choice for you.

In addition to this great little program, the company also provides Vectr (a free vector graphics editor), some free graphics that you can use in your creatives, and a nice selection of free stock images should the need arise.

A tiny little caveat: While this app is free to use, the best features are locked behind a paywall. You'll need to go Pro if you intend to take advantage of the more advanced functionality. Even so, it remains one of the most popular iPhone photo editors in the world.

Best for: Beginners; quick and simple image processing

Free Good Photo Editing Programs

Instasize Photo Editor + Video

Available on both iOS and Android, Instasize is built for mobile editing. Its sleek design is user-friendly and doesn't cut corners on features and tools. Cropping and resizing are the app's bread and butter, but when it comes to image editing, the app lets you get into the nitty-gritty: manipulating exposure and brightness, tint and warmth, shadows and highlights, contrast, sharpness and saturation. Not everyone has the time for that, so Instasize also has over 130 professional-grade, photographer-inspired filters for you to choose from. You're bound to find a filter that fits the aesthetic you're looking for.

Other useful features include robust beauty tools, unique borders, a collage creator and text editor. With Instasize, anyone at any skill level can add a personal and professional touch to the photos they post online. The only limit is your creativity!

Best for: Mobile editing and influencers.

Design Wizard

Design just got easy! You can create impressive videos and image designs in minutes with Design Wizard's easy to use software.

There are lots of high quality free photo editors available online if you know where to look. We've rounded up some of the best options here.

Are you looking to improve your photographs but unsure which online photo editor to use? We've created a handy guide to help you decide which one is right for you.

No matter your skill level as a photographer or how good a shot is pre-editing, there are almost always things that can be improved or retouched in some way. That's where photo editing apps come in—quality matters, and you shouldn't need to break the bank in order to achieve the level of polish you want for your work.

When it comes to photo editing apps, Lightroom is undoubtedly the paid tool of choice thanks to its unrivaled power and accessibility Your success as a photographer hinges on great quality photographs, an eye-catching portfolio to showcase your work, and the right equipment to shoot with—and this can add up. When all is said and done, a tight budget might make it tough to spend more on paid photo editors, especially when there are great free programs out there.

Rather than focus on well-known, higher-priced editors such as Photoshop or Lightroom, we're going to point you towards the best lesser-known options for free online photo editors. With the vast array of photo editing apps available on the market, making a choice can be difficult if you don't know the benefits and features of each app.

Multi-Platform Photo Editors

GIMP

When it comes to free photo editors, GIMP is king. Short for GNU Image Manipulation Program, GIMP is the closest you can get to Photoshop without paying a dime. It comes equipped with an impressive number of professional-quality functions, a completely configurable interface, allows fine-tuning of images, and contains a fully-integrated toolset that allows the creation of professional quality original artwork.

If you can do it in Photoshop, you can almost certainly do it in GIMP. If you want even more options, you can also use Photoshop plugins, which provide you with unmatched flexibility compared to any other free photo editor. GIMP is also open-source, which means that if you have the know-how, you'll be able to add your own filters and features should you desire.

If you are experienced in image editing software you should get the hang of GIMP relatively quickly, but those not well versed in image editing software may find the interface cluttered or non-intuitive. A fair compromise for the sheer editing power you get at no cost!

Best for: Experienced users and those wanting powerful processing and art tools for a zero dollar price tag.

Photoscape X

For a free program, Photoscape is actually quite impressive—it's fantastic for editing and managing your personal photo archive. While Photoscape is a bit lacking in the interface department (it can be somewhat confusing), it contains an image viewer, batch processing, a screen-capture tool, and a great selection of filters and effects to take your photographs to the next level.

The photo editing portion of this app is where it truly shines, and even new users will be able to produce exceptional, professional-looking shots in moments. Photoscape even has some handy little functions to make your photographs look like analog shots, a decent cut-out feature, image transformation capability; it also gives access to over 240 figures, frames and borders, and more than 1000 patterns to use in your creatives.

Best for: Batch processing and experimentation.

Online Photo Editors

Pixlr

Are you looking to apply quick changes to your photos with very few headaches? While you're required to sign up before you can utilize Pixlr's myriad features, the extra few minutes of setup are well worth the effort.

This online photo editor is available via your browser, the iPhone and Android platforms, and provides a number of simple one-click functions and a relatively robust toolset. Perhaps the best feature of this app is just how easy it is to use: it contains tutorials to guide you through the more complicated features and can be mastered very quickly once you get the hang of things. If you are familiar with photo editing apps, then this is a fantastic choice for you.

In addition to this great little program, the company also provides Vectr (a free vector graphics editor), some free graphics that you can use in your creatives, and a nice selection of free stock images should the need arise.

A tiny little caveat: While this app is free to use, the best features are locked behind a paywall. You'll need to go Pro if you intend to take advantage of the more advanced functionality. Even so, it remains one of the most popular iPhone photo editors in the world.

Best for: Beginners; quick and simple image processing

Free Good Photo Editing Programs

Instasize Photo Editor + Video

Available on both iOS and Android, Instasize is built for mobile editing. Its sleek design is user-friendly and doesn't cut corners on features and tools. Cropping and resizing are the app's bread and butter, but when it comes to image editing, the app lets you get into the nitty-gritty: manipulating exposure and brightness, tint and warmth, shadows and highlights, contrast, sharpness and saturation. Not everyone has the time for that, so Instasize also has over 130 professional-grade, photographer-inspired filters for you to choose from. You're bound to find a filter that fits the aesthetic you're looking for.

Other useful features include robust beauty tools, unique borders, a collage creator and text editor. With Instasize, anyone at any skill level can add a personal and professional touch to the photos they post online. The only limit is your creativity!

Best for: Mobile editing and influencers.

Design Wizard

Design just got easy! You can create impressive videos and image designs in minutes with Design Wizard's easy to use software.

The free features allow you to magically resize your designs. You can also upload your fonts, photos, logos and create custom color palettes! The library holds over 1 million premium images, thousands of high quality videos, illustrations and graphics and more. Every video and image has also been licensed for commercial use.

While there is plenty of value on the Free plan, you can also go Pro or Business. The Pro plan gives you 60 image design downloads per month, image uploads, font uploads, free previews and 1GB storage. On the Business plan, you get unlimited standard video downloads, 1 premium video per month, unlimited image design downloads. video uploads, add text and images to videos and 10GB storage.

Best for: Social media marketers and business owners.

Best Free Photo Editing Program

Fotor

Free photo editor Fotor (for Windows or web browsers) is an excellent tool with an extremely easy-to-understand UI that makes it simple to use. Considering how choppy some browser-based programs can be, Fotor's performance is fantastic and won't hog system resources—which can cause your computer to start chugging along like a broken locomotive and waste precious time.

Fotor provides a wonderful set of Smart Filters and effects, as well as an engaging photo collage tool, and can handle RAW files without much issue. Fotor also allows some limited design functionality in the form of business cards, social media images, posters, banners, documents, and invitations, which should be useful to bloggers and digital marketers.

While Fotor lacks any actual art features such as a paintbrush, and is not suitable for really high-end effects like other apps in this list, it does what it does very well and is good for general photo editing for those who don't need advanced functions.

Best for: Hobbyists and beginners, social media influencers, and digital marketers.

Befunky

Befunky is simple, intuitive, and one of the best options for performance on this list. It features a variety of awesome elements to boost your image quality as well as a nice and simple collage feature. Like Fotor above, Befunky also contains many design elements that allow you to create lovely postcards, brochures, posters, slides for Powerpoint presentations, and invitations with only a few simple steps.

If your goal is social networking posts, printable assets, or a presentation for a client, then Befunky is a good option for you. While it may lack features as wide-ranging as other options on this list you would be hard pressed to find a faster and more efficient option for cranking out simple creatives in a reasonable time frame.

Best for: Bloggers and people looking to create social media assets.

PicMonkey

PicMonkey's best feature is its ease-of-use compared to more advanced options on our list. It's straightforward and the UI is friendly and intuitive (so much so that my eight-year-old can handle it in a few short moments), laid out logically and without clutter. Featuring a great collage maker that outshines most other simple photo editors, PicMonkey is accessible to everyone.

It also has all sorts of really useful templates that help speed up your workflow as well as facilitate the creation of headers and banners for blogs, websites, and marketing materials. While PicMonkey can only process one file at a time, it is still a great option for an online photo editor app.

As with several other entries on this list, PicMonkey has additional features hidden behind a paywall. You can still ride out a 7-day free trial to access the added functionality but are required to select a billing option to do so.

Best for: Web designers and bloggers.

Google Photos

A recent replacement for Picasa, Google Photos is extremely simple and intuitive and allows you to edit your photographs with very little fuss. You can easily browse your photo library and organize your work without headaches. It has a limited feature set for actual photo editing, but does provide the key functions you would expect (crop, redeye, auto contrast, color correction, etc.).

That isn't to say it can't do anything fancy—with Google Photos you're able to make animations, photo booth-style photo arrangements, holiday-themed effects, interactive stories, and apply frames and filters to your photos.

Google Photos can be accessed via your Google account literally anywhere with internet. With one-click sharing options for Google+, Blogger, and YouTube, and integrated sharing with Facebook, Flickr, and other social networks, you've got a lot of flexibility at your fingertips.

Best for: Hobbyists.

Photoshop Express

An excellent browser-based online photo editor, Photoshop Express is extremely well-designed (which one should hope, coming from Adobe) and comes with all the features you would expect from image editing software.

Everything is immediately accessible regardless of your previous experience. Another bonus: no plugins are required so long as you have Flash installed, and you can simply drag and drop your images onto to start working.

The downside: Photoshop Express currently only supports JPG files and contains no social media sharing features. This might be a crippling limitation to some now that PNG is a much more commonly used extension.

Best for: On-the-fly editing via any browser; JPG fans.

iPiccy

Boasting one of the easiest-to-use interfaces of any editor on this list, iPiccy is a good choice for anyone looking for a free photo editor without learning a complicated interface. With many one-click tools and a fantastic zoom feature, you'll certainly be able to create compelling final photographs with minimal time invested.

You'll also have access to more advanced features; with curve adjustments, clone tools, background erasers, and other options, there is more than enough here to satisfy pros and novices alike. Note: you will require Flash to use iPiccy in-browser.

While iPiccy has limited options for saving your files (JPG and PNG only) and limits sharing only to Facebook (sorry Twitter and Tumblr users), the ability to upload multiple files simultaneously and the WYSIWYG interface will keep your productivity high.

Best for: Novices and intermediates looking for robust features.

Ribbet

Good Photo Editing Programs For Free Online Courses

Ribbet's main strength is in how easy it is to use. Even the most unskilled novice can master Ribbet quickly thanks to the fantastic UI and attention to great user experience. Like other options on this list, it contains a collage feature as well as a variety of different tools allowing you to add over 70 different fonts, create stickers, and so much more.

Featuring great sharing options as well as free cloud storage to help save and sort your photographs so they are available at all times, you really can't go wrong with Ribbet. It's a solid package that is pleasant to look at and can only get better as time passes.

One thing that is important to note: using Ribbet's more advanced features is going to require an upgrade to the Premium version. Despite this, you have access to the bulk of the program features with the free option and it's a great platform for making the most out of your images. Available for iPhone and iPad and with an Android build launching soon, you can take it anywhere you go.

Best for: Casual and professional users.

iPhone Photo Editor

Photo Editor by Aviary

This free iPhone photo editor is widely lauded for its variety of photo editing tools and effects, clean interface, and wealth of sharing options that make posting your shots online a breeze. Photo Editor by Aviary contains more correction and enhancement tools than nearly any other mobile-based competitor on the market. Similar to Instagram, creative filters are available to improve more lacklustre images.

It is important to note that it's only available on iOS, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you want something on your PC, Linux box, or Android phone.

Best for: Mobile photographers using iPhones.

Which Photo Editor is Right For You?

There are a multitude of options available to anyone with a camera, and you're going to want to play with a few of them before you settle on the best photo editing app for your purposes. Whether you are a power user aiming to batch-process a thousand photos you have had on backlog for a year, or a total neophyte looking to cut their teeth in the blogosphere, there's a tool on this list that will do exactly what you need.

More resources for photographers:
How to Make and Sell Your Own Lightroom Presets
How To Make More Money With Your Editorial Photography
How to Price Stock Photography