There’s no argument about it — remains the best photo-editing software on the market. But unless you’ve undergone formal training, it’s a difficult program to master, and it’s not the cheapest of options out there.

Here's a guide to the best photo editing software and apps available for amateur. Best Photo Editing Software (PC and Mac). Best Free Photo Editor for Mac Use.

Call Of Duty 4 Multiplayer Crack Free Download on this page. That’s why we’re taking a look at the best free photo-editing software on the market, each of which provides much of the same functionality as Photoshop but without the associated fees. Each of the programs below can perform basic and semi-advanced tasks, for instance, allowing you to resize, crop, and correct exposure with ease.

We’ve also compiled a comprehensive guide on how to and tips for using Windows or MacOS. For those looking to splice some footage, we’ve also created an overview of the best free. Often heralded as the best free alternative to Photoshop, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is an open-source application that relies on a community of volunteer developers who maintain and improve the product. Available for Mac and PC, you get a lot of professional-level editing and retouching tools — perfect for designers who can’t or won’t shell out hundreds of dollars to Adobe. Once you launch the program, you’ll find a dedicated window that displays the image, and separate windows to organize the toolbox and layers.

When using a large display, or two displays, you have a nice, big workspace to play with your images. Icons in the toolbox represent actions such as the crop, lasso, paint and brush tools, and you can apply various effects to your photos. It may seem like Photoshop, but GIMP has its own look and feel. Download it now for. Apart from basic image editing, PhotoScape also lets you create slideshows and animated GIFs, capture screenshots, and combine and split images. You can customize your toolbar, so you can organize the features you use most, and then revert to the default toolbar when you want to dig deeper into the software’s offerings.

PhotoScape software is free to download. But it’s part of the, and runs ads for other “recommended” software. This is isolated to PhotoScape, and won’t infiltrate the rest of your computer with adware, but it’s worth noting. Download it now for. The Nik Collection is an image-editing suite that comes courtesy of Google — one that’s now entirely free. This is one of the most powerful online tools available, and Google providing it for free was when it broke in 2016.

The Collection includes seven plugins, each with a different focus. Analog Efex Pro focuses on effects that produce a vintage aesthetic or make digital photos appear more natural, while Color Efex Pro provides a ton of filters. Silver Efex Pro, on the other hand, is tailored toward black-and-white images, while Viveza allows you to alter specific colors in a photo without using filters. The last two plugins, Sharpener Pro and Dfine, allow you to improve clarity and reduce noise reduction, among other things. Best of all, you can either download individual tools or the entire suite at once. The tools may take a little time to learn, but by separating out the different functions, the software makes it easier for people to pick and choose what they need at any given moment.

Although there was some sad news in early-2017 that to these tools, that all changed in October when it was announced the DxO had acquired them. A with full support from its new owners. Download it now for. This is a case where the apprentice becomes the master. Paint.NET was created as a college undergraduate senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and it continues to be maintained by alumni of the program. It was originally developed as a free replacement for Microsoft Paint, which comes as part of Windows.

Paint.NET has surpassed in functionality and has some advanced features. Paint.NET features an intuitive user interface that supports layers, an “unlimited undo” to back out of any mistake no matter how disastrous, various special effects, and other tools. Where Microsoft Paint was able to do little more than resize images, Paint.NET is able to handle more advanced photo editing that you’d expect to be limited to Photoshop and other paid programs. Download it now for. HitFilm Express is a free video editing service that specializes in digital effects — which makes it ideal for creating more imaginative photo effects as well. With both 2D and 3D compositing, more than 180 visual effects from which to choose, and a community with plenty of ideas, you can make nearly any image that you can dream of. From putting a headshot into an Ironman-like HUD, to turning your best friend into a Jedi, this is the app to try if you’re aiming for the stars.

Download it now for: Web options Don’t want to download and install software on your computer? If you have a reliable connection, here are a few Web-based programs that will never see the inside of your solid-state drive (SSD). Pixlr.com has a tiered offering that is entirely free. The site separates its photo editing into Pixlr Editor (advanced) and Pixlr Express (efficient).

The site also offers a mobile suite so you can edit photos on a smartphone or tablet — both iOS and Android versions are available. The Pixlr Editor is more like Photoshop. It’s a straightforward photo-editing tool that lets you crop, size, and tweak the image.

It has a red eye tool that eliminates those devil eyes that appear when the flash goes off. Express, on the other hand, lets you put creative overlays on your images — this is really for playing with your photos. You can put a stain on a picture to make it look like you rested a coffee mug on the photo, for example. Note that Pixlr straddles the line between Web-based and desktop image editors: There are both mobile and desktop versions of the software that you can download. However, it’s usually easier to just pop open a browser tab and load up the online version.

The download site does require Adobe Flash to run, so you will need to enable that before downloading. Try it now, courtesy of.

Sumopaint is one of those “Photoshop lite” image editors that have sprung up in recent years — but it stands out by being truly good at what it does. This web-based software — there’s a download option as well — has a layout very familiar for Adobe users, a tool set that’s easy enough to understand and use, and a minimalistic feel that concentrates on getting the job done.

This option is better suited to more serious photographers who don’t want to give up any editing options — and who also don’t want to pay for their editing software. Try it now, courtesy of. If you use Microsoft Paint rather than Photoshop, iPiccy might be for you. The site lets you edit photos with an automated process.

Rather than using wands and tools to actively edit photos, the effects are applied to the whole photo in most cases. Click a button to fix images, resize, crop, rotate, flip, change the exposure, and other settings. While iPiccy may sound like a simplified app, there is complexity in its wide offering of editing options. Pc Ram Booster Software Free Download. Many settings have a slide rule that let you adjust brightness, contrast, and other functions. The one complaint might be that there is no undo button. What we would like to see is a reset-to-zero button on the slide rule, because it’s difficult to get the bar back to the beginning if you decide you want to return to the starting point.

Several tools, including a blemish and wrinkle remover, help clean up photos. Then you can do a few cosmetic fixes like apply a sun tan, blush, or mascara. Try it now, courtesy of. PicMonkey is a favorite editing tool for amateur photographers who want to quickly edit their images and turn them into mini-masterpieces. There are four primary tools in the PicMonkey holster: Editing, Touch Up, Design, and Collage.

Editing probably provides the most functionality, allowing you to apply effects, advanced filters, spot correction, and so on. However, Touch Up is also a popular choice for selfies, profile pics, event photos, and so on. As you can see, this suite is designed more for the average person, or those who want the best picture possible for social media or sharing, and aren’t afraid to work on it with more advanced tools. PicMonkey now operates with a “free trial” version of its full app that ramps up to a minimum of $4 a month after a seven-day trial, but you can still try out most photo editing options for free on the website by choosing “Edit a Photo.” Try it now, courtesy of. Easel.ly is an info-graphic oriented web app with free registration and a plethora of templates to choose from. If you want to turn your photo into a chart or include it in a report, this one of the best free options you’ll find.

The blank template allows you to add a number of objects and effects if you aren’t interested in an infographic but still want to spruce up your photo and have a little fun with it before posting online. Try it now, courtesy of: Updated by Jon Martindale – Updated NiK Collection information.

If you’d like to take more control over your images but don’t want to part with the cash involved with Photoshop then the good news is that there’s plenty of much more affordable software available that will serve much the same function. If you know where to look, you’ll also find a host of image editing programs that are completely free. Here are our picks of the best free free photo editing software and Apps for photographers Best free photo editing software 2016 GIMP 2.8.16 What is it?: Gimp is, in essence, a free version of Photoshop. Although it is not associated with Adobe in any way the end result is quite reminiscent of the pre-CS versions, giving a satisfyingly basic layout that may be instantly familiar to any long-standard Photoshop users. From basic cropping and resizing to correcting barrel distortion, Gimp is an all-encompassing piece of software that offers many of the same functions that Photoshop does, but for free.

For example, PSD files (Photoshop image files containing multiple layers) can be opened and altered, making it incredibly useful as a converter. A Histogram, which can be divided in red, green and blue channels, is also present and can be utilized to alter exposure and colour balance. The interface can be moved around, adapting to the available space on your monitor, making it perfect for the likes of smaller screen laptops and desktop computers. A clone tool, healing tool and perspective clone tool are also offered for more in-depth photo fixes, as is the ability to create and manipulate Alpha Channels and multiple layers. Because Gimp is multi-platform there’s no restrictions on using a Linux setup, nor Windows or Mac. Gimp is a excellent solution to those not wanting to pay for Photoshop, as the functionality is extremely close to the older Adobe program from a few generations ago.

Of course, it isn’t anywhere as fast or as through as Photoshop, which is to be expected really. In use you may well find that manipulating layers can be sluggish, while the chaotic floating window layout can also be a bit confusing. All of the controls are logically placed within the menus though, and there’s a number of user-made filters that can be downloaded too. System requirements: Download – PC and Mac (additional software required) Picasa 3.9. What is it?: A Google-owned photo management and editing package that you can dowload free of charge from Google. In addition to image management and basic editing, Picasa allows you to share your images via a number of Google-owned internet services and social networking platforms such as Google+.

Overall, while the organisation and photo management tools of Picasa are pretty good, the editing tools are a little basic. The editing side of things essentially boils down to a number of customizable filters, each of which comes with a few sliding controls to alter the severity of the effects. There are also a number of basic corrective settings, such as brightness and contrast, plus the ability to resize your image or save it in another file format. If you want to get a little more in-depth then you can also choose to open your images in the ‘Creative Kit’ web-based editor, which utilises a slightly cleaner interface. Be warned though: even on a superfast fibre-optic broadband connection, the Creative Kit interface can be slow. On the plus side, Picasa allows you to import an impressive number of file formats, from JPEG to PSD along with a selection of Raw file formats. The links to Google are apparent from the get-go, with their Google+ social networking site prominent as an export option.

This doesn’t mean other social networking sites are chastised though, as Twitter can be exported to directly and Facebook via a third party plugin. The interface is relatively straightforward, with large buttons and simple icons for each function. Because the image editing aspect of Picasa isn’t particularly advanced there isn’t a massive amount of clutter either, which makes it ideal for novice users just looking to make some very basic alterations. Unlike Gimp, Picasa is perfect for absolute beginners, as the program needs far less time spent fiddling with settings. More advanced users will probably find Picasa a bit simplistic and limited though. System requirements: Download – PC and Mac Paint.NET Much like Gimp, is another old-school Photoshop clone that offers a fairly extensive array of image editing options. Originally created asan alternative to the MS Paint software that first came preinstalled withMicrosoft XP, Paint.NET has since morphed into a fully-fledged image editor in its own right.

You’ll need to download the software from the Paint.NET website first and unfortunately for Mac users, Paint.NET is a Windows-only application. The source files haven’t been updated for quite some time now either, however it still remains a well put together piece of software. Once installed, the Paint.NET interface looks remarkably similar to an older version of Adobe Photoshop complete with a number of familiar sounding drop-down menu options listed across the top of the screen, flanked by a number of equally recognisable ‘Tools’ on the left-hand-side of the screen. Navigation is, ifanything, a bit simpler than the full-fat version of Photoshop. In addition to all the usual healing, burning and cloning tools, Paint.NET also offers layer support for advanced editing, as well as more basic cropping, re-sizing and exporting options. Overall, Paint.NET isn’t a bad image editor at all, although for our money, Gimp has a much neater looking interface.

That said, if you’re running a Windows computer then Paint.NET is definitely worth a closer look – especially as both are free, you could always try both and see which you prefer. System requirements: Windows only RawTherapee 4 What is it?: A Raw processing program with the ability to make the kind of on-the-fly adjustments that Lightroom is capable of, from simple level changes through to tinkering with the white balance and cropping. Looking much like a low-rent version of Lightroom the layout is very straightforward, with tools to the right, images placed centrally and the browser on the left. Moving the window to fill a larger space can cause the icons to merge into one another, showing the homemade nature of RawTherapee. Thankfully the program churns through the majority of tasks with relative ease, making opening a number of different Raw files extremely simple. The lack of presentational flair also seems to be to the benefit of the startup and processing times, as both are impressively rapid. Any alterations are saved within a selectable history, allowing each to be removed when needed, and viewed side-by-side with the original image.

There are a few gimmicky features to play with, but the majority of controls are aimed towards correcting and tweaking rather than making huge changes. The ability to import a whole host of files, alter them and output the results in rapid fashion will be perfect for an aspiring pro photographer on location. Pay careful attention to the build version, as some are unreliable, and take your time with the interface as a number of the tools are poorly labeled. If you often shoot in raw and want to convert your images, this is a good place to start. System requirements: Download – PC, Mac and Linux Photoshop Express What is it?: An online version of Photoshop, albeit a stripped-down variation with more focus on organizing and sharing your images.

To use Photoshop Express you’ll need to have Flash installed and the usability of the web-based software will depend heavily on your internet connection speed. That said, once you’ve uploaded the image you want to work on Photoshop Express is reasonably rapid. The first step in the process is to upload the file or files you want to edit and how long this takes will, once again, be affected by the speed of your broadband connection. For this reason it’s worth keeping the individual files you edit below 5MB, and not uploading more than 10 at once. There’s a 2GB limit on the amount of images that can be stored, and only JPEG’s can be uploaded – Photoshop Express definitely isn’t for Raw shooters.

Once your files have been uploaded basic edits can be performed and Albums made. Rather than present you with numerical values for individual editing functions (for example, ‘Exposure’) Photoshop Express instead presents you with a series of thumbnail windows along the top of the screen that display the result of that edit in negative to positive steps; hovering your mouse over the top of each will give you an instant preview in the main image window. Once you’ve found the degree that works best for you simply click on the thumbnail to apply. From here you can choose another type of edit, or click ‘done’ to save your image back to your computer. In addition to basic edits like Exposure and Saturation Photoshop Express also offers Dodge and Burn tools, along with cropping and resizing tools. You’ll also find a small number of digital effects filters including Pixellate and Distort along with a range of ‘Decorations’ such as speech bubbles, clip art animals and suchlike. Once you’ve finished editing your image Photoshop Express can be used to print or download your images to your computer.

Overall, Photoshop Express is a fairly straightforward web-based image editor that might prove useful if you just want to make some simple alterations, however it isn’t particularly advanced and nowhere near the level of its paid-for namesake. System requirements: Online, Apple iOS (via the App Store) and Android (via Google Play) PhotoPlus Starter Edition What is it?: A scaled-down version of Serif PhotoPlus, which offers the same interface with a few tools locked out. With it, you get a decent impression of how the software will work while being able to import, edit and export images.

As a result of the restricted version of the software, PhotoPlus Starter can import but only perform basic Raw file editing, misses out on HDR photo merge automation and no dedicated extension programs for fixing or cutting out images. This doesn’t mean the functionality is removed entirely, as Serif add dedicated utilities to the full versions of the programs with altered interfaces. The likes of the clone and select tools are still very much present within the software. Even with these restrictions Serif Photoplus Starter Edition has an impressive amount of functionality, and can adjust exposure, white balance and colour levels extremely simply. The interface is simple to negotiate, and all the controls are laid out in a manner that a Photoshop Elements-user would appreciate. Although similar to many other demos of photo editing programs, PhotoPlus Starter Edition is far more than a simple introduction. The elements that are restricted aren’t imperative, making it well worth considering for PC users.

System requirements: PC Pixlr As online photo editors go, Pixlr is pretty impressive. Not only is there no sign-up involved in order to start editing, but it has much the same functionality as Photoshop Express does. The interface is reminiscent of Photoshop Elements, complete with the same drop-down Menu options along the top of the screen and the familiar Tools window to the left of the screen. Unlike some of the more basic online editors, you’ll also find that Pixlr even offers support for layers-based adjustments along with image re-sizing, filters and much more. In addition to the basic Pixlr editor, you’ll also find the Pixlr-o-matic web app for adding retro effects and vintage filters. This is very simple to use and offer plenty of one-click digital filter effects that can be used to add interesting effects to your images with.

Additionally, there’s also Pixlr Touch Up, which is an add-on for Google’s Chrome web browser. It gives you a few basic editing options and can be used offline. There’s not a huge amount to choose from, but some useful tools if you’re in a pinch or a hurry include Crop and Rotate.

System requirements: PC or Mac, Flash required Fotoflexer What is it?: Another web-based program, much like Photoshop Express and Pixlr, with the ability to import and edit from the likes of Facebook. Opening the page for the first time, Fotoflexer looks pretty amateurish, however stick with it and you’ll find it’s actually quite well featured. Simply follow the prompts to upload an image to the workspace and from here Fotoflexer will present you a series of tabs running across the top with headings such as ‘Basic Edits’, ‘Effects’, ‘Decorate’ and ‘Beautify’. Our tip is to expand the workspace to full-screen mode as this cuts out the slightly intrusive adverts.

From here you can click on the tabs, which in turn will give you access to the individual edits available under each. There’s no layers support and the basic edits are quite basic, however the Effects tab does contain a generous range of digital effects to play around with, making it quite a fun application for the more casual digital darkroom enthusiast. System requirements: PC or Mac, web-based Photoscape What is it? This free piece of software offers some basic editing, including colour adjustment, white balance editing, adding text, cropping and filters. The layout and manner in which the tools are selected (drop-down menus rather than icons) seems a touch archaic, it’s handy to use as a converter and photo-editor.