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Photo editing software for windows 10
ACDSee Ultimate. Best Free Photo Editing Software: 1. PhotoDirector Essential – Best Overall 2. GIMP Photo Editor – Best Open-Source Editor 3.
Photo editing software for windows 10. www.makeuseof.com
It can handle extremely complex multi-layer editing and can make all the edits and manipulations you need to make to your images. Affinity Photo opens in new tab. Affinity Photo is powerful photo editing software with a similar layout to Adobe Photoshop. It can perform multi-layer editing and supports the vast majority of professional and casual file formats. It also doesn’t require a subscription but can still meet the demands of many professionals. GIMP opens in new tab.
GIMP is a powerful open-source photo editor. It has a wide variety of built-in tools and can be further enhanced by third-party plug-ins. And best of all? It’s free. Polarr opens in new tab. Polarr allows you to do several distortions and edits without having to break out your mouse and keyboard.
You can make edits easily with touch or a stylus on your device. You can also use Polarr with your mouse to do everything from global adjustments to refining touches. Microsoft Photos opens in new tab. The Photos app that’s built into Windows 10 isn’t as powerful as the other apps on this list, but it’s extremely easy to use, and it’s convenient.
You can use it for basic filters, cropping and rotating images, and other light edits. Picking from the best Windows 10 photo editing apps depends largely on your workflow. In many jobs in the creative sphere, you have to use Adobe Photoshop for file compatibility.
It’s robust, feature-packed, and it’s easy to find classes on how to use it to complete your work. If you don’t want to purchase a subscription, Affinity Photo is an excellent photo editor. It’s powerful, has real-time previews of edits, and has a vast library of editing features. It works with a wide range of file formats and has some compatibility with industry-standard formats from the Adobe Suite. Luckily, all of these apps have free trials or are free themselves, so you can try out each to find out which best meets your workflow.
Sean Endicott is the news writer for Windows Central. If it runs Windows, is made by Microsoft, or has anything to do with either, he’s on it. Sean’s been with Windows Central since and is also our resident app expert. It has a variety of color adjustments and color effects and is simple enough for first-time users to edit pictures with ease.
Below we have listed a few things to look out for in a free photo editor:. More is not always better. If you simply need free photo editing software to rotate and crop images, robust software with thousands of tools and design assets would be unnecessary. On the flip side, if you like to experiment with different filters and effects, you want free photo editing software that comes with those capabilities. The programs on our list cover every type of need when it comes to editing photos, whether you need social-media-friendly templates, layer editing, text tools, or only the most basic tools.
Explore the features for each to make sure the one you choose covers your specific needs for editing photos.
If you are testing different software with the intention of purchasing in the future, make sure the premium version is within your budget before you spend time learning the free version. Even if you have aspirations of using professional software to edit pictures, you need to start out with a tool that is beginner-friendly.
Otherwise, you could spend months trying to become familiar with a program and give up on your dreams in frustration.
Why trust our opinion on the best free photo editing software? Below we discuss how we tested and ranked software to find the 13 best free photo editors. We edit pictures using all the key features of the software we review.
We test the basic features found in every free photo editing software, so we can do a direct comparison. Then we test the tools that make the software unique. When we test free photo editing software, we compare the free and premium versions to see what is included and what is reserved for only paid subscribers. We read as many critic reviews and user reviews as we can to get a good idea of how others view the free photo editing software.
This helps us verify our tests. We use reviews from trusted sites to compile our rankings of the best free photo editing software. Compatibility : Windows , Mac. PhotoDirector Essential empowers creators of all experience levels to edit pictures into studio-quality masterpieces.
It combines Lightroom’s photo processing and organization functions with Photoshop’s powerful editing, enhancement, and altering tools. Guided modules lower the learning curve which in turn will help you produce high-quality photo effects in just a few clicks.
This free photo editing software allows you to batch sort and order tag names, locations, and other metadata. Its AI-powered facial recognition technology will also help streamline your organizational process, making it the best photo organizer for beginners.
You can combine photos using the automatic slideshow creator and even add background music. PhotoDirector also features an abundance of photo adjustment options and tools for editing photos.
It is also a great choice for basic edits, such as adding text or cropping, rotating, or flipping photos. PhotoDirector Essential is the best free photo editing software on this list.
It is very beginner-friendly but also has all the advanced editing tools for more experienced editors. G2 Rating: 4.
We think Photoscape X is the best free photo editing software for anyone who needs to edit multiple images at once. And this is not just a free photo editor, but also a photo viewer, GIF creator, screen capture device, RAW image converter, and more.
It comes with several automatic color effects such as a color splash tool, selective color adjustments, and a color replacement effect. In our research, we found most users choose Photoscape X because it is so quick to use. However, the confusing layout makes it difficult to find the tools you need, adding extra time when editing photos.
We also found it lacking in format support, and it froze when handling RAW files. That being said, this is very robust for free photo editing software, and beginner-friendly, as long as you put in the time to learn the layout.
Image from Fotor. TechRadar Rating: 4. We found Fotor to be one of the best free photo editing software for its range of color adjustment tools. Most of the color adjustment tools are available for free, including adjustments for shadows, temperature, tint, brightness, and even a few color splash effects.
All of these tools are easy to use and offer adjustment sliders for precise edits. This free photo editing software is easy to navigate, and a first-time user would have no problem finding the features they need. Every tool you click on has an informative box that pops up and explains what the tool is, and how to use it.
We like that you can easily see which tools are free and which are Premium. In our test of all the features, we were disappointed with the image cutout and object removal tools. While many of the free photo editing software on our list, such as PhotoDirector, offer automatic versions of these tools, Fotor requires you to manually select the object, which ends in patchy results.
Capterra Rating: 4. Pixlr’s free, lightweight free photo editing software works well for beginners and more experienced editors in need of a quick solution for editing photos. Without a fully-loaded editing suite to search through, you can easily locate tools like spot-healing brushes and stamps, or make minor adjustments to the photo’s color and lighting.
Pixlr’s streamlined layout and minimalistic array of tools help simplify the process of editing photos for beginners. The software supports layers and masks and features several essential tools for editing photos such as customizable brushes and visual effects. Though the program rarely crashes, ad-heavy banners and poorly navigable pages reduce the functionality and aesthetic appeal of the platform. You may also notice that the program renders slowly, resulting in frustrating, inconsistent movements of your mouse or touchpad.
Casual users may enjoy making small tweaks to their pictures or creating collages within Pixlr’s software, but if you need user-friendly free photo editing software with a more comprehensive array of tools, try PhotoDirector. When considering the best free photo editing software, Windows users can’t forget BeFunky.
With ten photo editing modules, you can quickly browse through the software’s editing interface to alter template layouts, upload images, and make minor tweaks.
The free photo editor offers many of the tools, features, and functions beginners need to enhance photos, manually adjust color and lighting, and create customizable collages or graphics. While the free version will only allow you to edit pictures with about one-third of the platform’s tools, novice users may enjoy the simplified functionality.
Proficient editors will likely wish for more options — and far fewer advertisements. Upgrading to BeFunky’s premium subscription will unlock more tools to edit pictures such as cutout tools, background replacement, color replacement, and other highly impactful editing functions.
Image from Darktable. Shotkit Rating: 4. Darktable is an open-source and completely free photo editor. It also has some photo management tools and handles up to 10, images. This free photo editing software has professional-level color adjustment tools, hot pixel fixes, masking, and blending. Darktable allows you to edit pictures with precise control over all tools and effects. While Darktable offers many learning tools like user forums, video tutorials, and instructional posts, it will take time for beginners to get familiar with the software.
And even those familiar with Lightroom and other paid software will find the layout and groupings of some of the features confusing. Although BeFunky and Darktable have the same overall rating, we placed BeFunky on top because it is more beginner-friendly. We found PhotoPad to be one of the best free photo editing software thanks to its image resizing and upscaling tools. PhotoPad uses AI-powered tools to resize images without loss of quality.
It comes with a liquid resize effect that will change the aspect ratio of your image with no distortion, and a Super Resolution tool to upscale images losslessly. It also has some you would only expect in premium software, such as a blur tool, drawing tools, and creative effects such as warp, paint, and embroidery. PhotoPad is very beginner-friendly and comes with lots of learning tools such as a help manual, video tutorials, user forums, and technical support reps.
However, it has only very basic tools for editing photos and is not meant for experienced editors or photographers. We prefer our choice for the best free photo editing software, PhotoDirector, because it offers beginner-friendly tools, lots of learning tools, and advanced features.
Image from Paint. NET is one of the best free photo editing software for its multi-level image editing. Editable layers are typically reserved for paid software, but Paint.
Even better, every edit to a layer is recorded, and you can go back and undo any change. This free photo editing software also has adjustment tools so you can tweak brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, and curves. You can make an image sepia-toned or black-and-white, apply blur, or sharpen images. This is not a replacement for more professional editing software like Photoshop, but Paint.
NET is a good practice tool for beginners who want to learn more advanced editing techniques. Our one major complaint when testing this free photo editing software was with the text tools.
Image from fixthephoto. Photo Pos Pro is one of the best free photo editing software for its stunning text effects. It comes with an array of font styles and effects, including text over path effects, and textures such as gel, chrome, metal, etc. This free photo editing software has 2 modes – Novice and Expert. Beginners can choose the Novice mode for easy one-click solutions, while experts can enjoy manual editing tools. We like that Photo Pos Pro has options to edit pictures for any skill level.
However, the Novice mode lacks many important features for editing photos such as layer editing, and the Expert mode has a steep learning curve. We prefer the functionality of PhotoDirector, where there is one easy-to-use mode, and every tool has both automatic and manual options. Google Play Rating: 4. Movavi Picverse has built its reputation on one key function: quickly and easily removing unwanted objects from your pictures. With this free photo editing software, you will get quality results with no editing residue.
The software also offers a simplified alternative to AI-powered background removal: users can upload images into the platform and then clip and insert elements from one photo onto another. Movavi also provides users with a few photo adjustment options. It allows you to manually edit pictures by tweaking the color, brightness, contrast, and saturation of your photo.
You can also apply Magic Enhance for one-click edits, or add text, titles, and captions for fully customized photos. While beginners can cut distracting or disruptive elements from their photos, even the most inexperienced users may feel that Movavi’s actual editing features fall short of expectations.
The free photo editing software features limited sorting and organizational tools that don’t match free photo editors using AI-powered processing technology. You can upgrade to the Photo Studio package for more options, but that requires a monthly subscription. Image from inPixio Blog. TrustPilot Rating: 4. InPixio is a free photo editor known for its one-click AI editing solutions.
It is one of the best free photo editing software for its collection of over beautifully-designed frames. There are frames for any number of occasions and holidays, and the frames can be customized by color and size. Crop, adjust brightness and contrast, and add text with this free photo editor. InPixio Photo Studio reserves most of its tools for the paid versions, but if you simply need to edit pictures by cropping, adjusting, or adding a frame or filter, then the free version will work for you.
Image from Gimp Workshop on YouTube. GIMP — also known as the GNU Image Manipulation Program — is a free photo editor that features a surprisingly well-rounded amassing of complex and basic tools to edit pictures that rival those of Photoshop and similar paid programs. The base software comes well-stocked with advanced features like layer editing functions, masking, color management features, and effects. For even more functionality, you can download free plugins created by other GIMP users.
Further, the software’s customizable layout and ongoing developments ensure that it stays on pace with other free photo editors. While you can access the platform’s wide array of tools, GIMP falls short in one significant area: user optimization. The loaded interface often feels overwhelming, and beginners and intermediate editors may struggle to find solutions for complicated editing techniques.
Additionally, GIMP offers little help for its users outside of the community discussion panels.
