Top 17 Photo Editing Software for PC

Priya Naha

Senior Writer

Top 17 Photo Editing Software for PC

Key Takeaways:

  1. The blog offers a variety of photo editing apps for PCs designed for photographers with various levels of experience. The apps provide multiple features to satisfy the requirements of both beginners and seasoned professionals.
  2. The best photo editing software choice depends on your specific requirements. Determine whether you need basic editing tools or advanced features for professional work.
  3. Keep your budget in mind, as some software options are free, while others require a one-time purchase or subscription. Utilize the free trial versions to assess suitability before committing.

High-quality photography is what we look for on every occasion. From birthdays to weddings, photographers with excellent photography skills are in demand.

And those excellent skills are enhanced 3X by photo editing tools!

Looking for Photo Editing Software? Check out SoftwareSuggest’s list of the best Photo Editing Software solutions.

Did you know the global image editing software market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.66%, reaching USD 1776.93 million by 2028?

A photo editing app for PC or mobile can help you spice up bland images, customize them for branding, resize, and crop them to be used for multiple devices with varying display sizes.

You need the best free photo editing app for PC for exceptional results. We’ve churned out some of the best options for you. Let’s take a look.

How To Choose The Best Photo Editing App for PC?

With many alternatives available, picking the best photo editing tool for your PC might be tough. We’ve listed key factors to remember while choosing the ideal photo-editing software.

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1. Establish Your Needs

Identify your specific needs first. Are you a professional photographer looking for advanced functions or an amateur photographer seeking basic editing tools? Knowing your needs will narrow down your choices.

2. Usability

User-friendliness is essential. Choose software with a user-friendly interface and tools that are simple to use. This makes editing easy, especially for beginners.

3. Features and Tools

 The features and tools available in various software programs vary.  Look for options that provide essential editing features like cropping, color adjustment, exposure correction, and retouching.

4. Performance and Speed

Editing photos can use a lot of resources. Ensure the software you choose for your PC operates without latency or problems. To ensure compatibility, check the system requirements.

5. Price and Demo Versions

 Consider your budget. While some programs for editing photos are free, some come with a price tag. Many photo-editing applications have free trial versions available. Before purchasing, utilize these to see if the software will work for your needs.

6. Customer Support and Updates

 Reliable customer support and regular updates are crucial for resolving issues and updating your software with the latest features and security patches.

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Pro-tip

When choosing a photo editing app for PC, consider your specific needs, budget, and desired features. Don't forget to take advantage of free trials to test functionality and compatibility before committing to a purchase. Additionally, explore user reviews and online tutorials to maximize your editing skills with the chosen software.

The Best Photo Editing Apps for PC 

You don’t need significant money to achieve flawless-looking photos. Whether you require an editor with advanced features or a simple tool to improve your photos, we have compiled the best paid and free photo editor apps for your PC.

App NamePricingFeatures
It is free to use.Red-eye correction, Color correction
Custom pricingGraphic processing, Focus stacking
₹17,005/per license.Image database, Artboards
It is free.Design management, Search/ filter
All in One Bundle (Subscription): ₹ 2,236.33/monthRetouching tools, Tethered shooting
Home Edition: $29.99Watermarking , Image editing
24 months: ₹333/monthPortrait enhancement, AI structure
Adobe Photoshop Elements: $99.99Preview functionality, Pre-built templates
Premium: $9.99/monthText-to-image, Water marking
All in One Bundle (Subscription): ₹ 2,236.33/monthTethered shooting, Layered editing
Monthly: $7.99/per monthWatermarking, 3D touch
Lifetime Premium License: $49.90Healing tools, Red-eye effect
ACDSee Photo Studio Professional 2024: $89.95Search/filter, Asset sharing
The tool is free to use.Image editing, Digital retouching
ON1 Photo RAW MAX 2024: ₹ 18,662.65Full-screen preset preview, Color fringe reduction
StandardCamera-body based image correction, Noise reduction
PhotoDirector 2024 (Lifetime license): $99.99Painterly AI styles, Dehaze & de fringe

1. PC Image Editor

PC Image Editor is a great example to show that you don’t need the top-of-the-line and super-expensive Adobe Photoshop suite to apply professional-like edits to a photo.

PC Image Editor

The PC Image Editor simplifies the process of editing your photos and empowers you to craft slideshows, GIFs, and various other visual creations. This photo editing software for PC is ideal for beginners due to its simplicity. It is a great option if you are looking for the best photo editing app for PC free download.

Features

  • Project management
  • Photo stitching
  • Red-eye correction
  • Color correction
  • Transparent backgrounds

Pricing

  • It is free to use.
Pros
  • It supports various formats, including TIFF, JPG, GIF, BMP, etc.
  • Its easy user interface makes it a great option for beginners.
  • There are multiple filters like Add Noise, Emboss, Blur, etc.
Cons
  • The loading time is slow.
  • It crashes occasionally.

2. PaintShop Pro

PaintShop Pro is a versatile photo editing tool known for its user-friendly interface and robust features. It offers various editing options, from basic enhancements to advanced retouching and graphic design.

PaintShop Pro

This photo editing app for PC caters to beginners and professionals, making it a popular choice for image manipulation and creative projects. It is a professional photo editing software offering excellent value for your money without a recurring monthly subscription.

Features

  • New aftershot lab
  • Graphic processing
  • Focus stacking
  • Enhanced frame tool
  • Real-time blend more preview

Pricing

  • Custom pricing
  • Free trial available
Pros
  • It offers the ability to photo-mirage pictures.
  • The tool allows editing videos into design projects with animation.
  • It is user-friendly and easy to use.
Cons
  • The app crashes while editing images.
  • It only works on Windows operating systems.

3. Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer is a powerful and reasonably priced version of graphic design software. It is popular for professionals and beginners because it has powerful vector illustrations and graphic design skills. Affinity Designer is a viable alternative to market leaders like Adobe Illustrator because of its user-friendly interface and advanced features.

Affinity Designer

Features

Pricing

  • Affinity V2 Universal License (Multi-user): ₹17,005/per license.
Pros
  • The tool has an affordable one-time fee.
  • It is flexible and easy to navigate.
  • The tool can move from three personas: vector, pixel, and export.
Cons
  • There is a learning curve for beginners.
  • It does not have the image tracing feature.

4. GIMP

If you are in a pinch and have no budget for an image editing software, then you can give GIMP a try. It’s a free and open source image editing software, which is also pretty good.

GIMP

GIMP offers basic and advanced image editing tools, including color adjustments, selection masks, etc. Moreover, you can enhance your experience and usability using scripts and plugins!

Features

  • Design management
  • Search/ filter
  • CAD tools
  • Pattern, color & art storage

Pricing

  • It is free.
Pros
  • Excellent choice for basic editing, resizing, and cropping.
  • It is easy to edit and use filters on layers.
  • The tool converts between file types easily.
Cons
  • The interface is not that interactive.
  • The tool has a steep learning curve.

5. Capture One 11

Capture One 11 is the latest version of the Capture One image editing software series and is one of the best programs.

Capture One 11

Capture One 11 is a professional-grade photo editing software that offers powerful features for photographers. It is one of the best photo editing software for PCs that excels in raw image processing and offers exceptional control over image adjustments, ensuring stunning results.

Features

Pricing

  • Capture One Pro on desktop (Subscription): ₹ 1,545.58/month
  • All in One Bundle (Subscription): ₹ 2,236.33/month
  • Capture One Pro on desktop (Perpetual license): ₹ 30,980.00
Pros
  • It is easy to organize work by catalogs.
  • The tool is excellent with raw files.
  • Storing images is easy compared to other tools.
Cons
  • It has a challenging user interface.
  • It has issues while integrating with Photoshop.

6. NCH PhotoPad

NCH PhotoPad is one of the best photo editing apps for PC, especially for those with little editing experience. It offers a free version for non-commercial users and readily available support to help you quickly learn how to edit photos.

NCH PhotoPad

With its easy-to-use interface, you can easily add text to photos using PhotoPad. It has diverse basic and advanced editing tools, including cropping, resizing, rotation, painting, and more. Besides, it lets you use multiple layers to make several changes to the picture without destroying it. 

Features

Pricing

  • Pro Edition: $34.99
  • Home Edition: $29.99
  • Pro Edition Quarterly Plan: $2.77/month
Pros
  • It supports a wide range of editing tools.
  • The tool allows you to edit and add color to the photo.
  • It has automated tools for image enhancement.
Cons
  • The support HEIC format needs improvement.
  • The clone tool is time-consuming.

7. Skylum Luminar

Skylum Luminar is a powerful photo editing app for PCs, which is quite easy to use. Its clean and intuitive interface makes navigating and locating specific tools easy. Plus, the tools are efficient and reliable, too. You can easily do the basic editing using the crop, cloning, and red-eye remover tools.

Skylum Luminar

Being one of the best photo editing software for PCs, it boasts more than 40 filters, such as tone, grain, soft focus, vignette, radiance, and more. One of its unique features is that it allows batch processing. That means you can change large numbers of photos all at once; it can be quite handy when you want to upload your family vacation album. 

Features

  • AI sky replacement
  • Portrait enhancement
  • AI structure
  • Landscape enhancer
  • Advanced color grading

Pricing

  • 1 month: ₹799/month
  • 24 months: ₹333/month
  • 12 months: ₹417/month
Pros
  • It easily imports common image file types, like RAW, JPEG, TIFF, PSD, and PNG.
  • The tool offers advanced adjustment layers for quick flexibility.
  • It has fast raw image imports.
Cons
  • It has limited photo management features.
  • It takes time to respond initially.

8. Adobe Photoshop Elements

Adobe Photoshop Elements is a simplified version of Photoshop designed for novice users. This photo editing app for PC offers three workspaces to match your skill level. Those are Quick, Guided, and Expert.

Adobe Photoshop Elements

Once you have mastered Quick and Guided, you can easily move to the Expert session. In the Quick view, you can use the most common tools and elements to quickly create or edit a design. 

The Guided view teaches you how to apply design effects to your images. Lastly, the Expert mode disposes all the necessary tools required. And the best part is that it comes with over 100 predesigned templates. 

Features

  • File management
  • Preview functionality 
  • Pre-built templates
  • Social sharing
  • User management

Pricing

  • Adobe Photoshop Elements: $99.99
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements 2023 & Premiere Elements 2023:  $149.99
Pros
  • The simple user interface makes it easy to navigate.
  • The tool allows you to add tags to each photo easily.
  • It integrates easily with Adobe Lightroom.
Cons
  • The features are limited.
  • The tool has technical glitches at times.

9. Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop Express is a free photo editing software for PC and mobile devices. It has fewer editing tools than Elements but a clean and smart user interface.

Adobe Photoshop Express

This photo editing software for PC offers basic editing tools, such as Resize, Saturation, Crop and rotate, Exposure, Red Eye, White Balance, Sharpen, Soft Focus, and Fill Light editing tools. The best part is the Auto-fix and enhance, which gives you a quick auto-fix to your image contrast and saturation. 

Furthermore, the Adobe Photo Express editor provides layers while editing so you can revert to the original image of any item. After editing, you can save the edited photo to your device. 

Features

  • Text-to-image
  • Water marking
  • Workflow management
  • CAD tools
  • Design templates

Pricing

  • Free version available
  • Premium: $9.99/month
Pros
  • It allows you to design pictures from scratch.
  • The tools are easy to use and have great filters.
  • It allows to separation of subjects from the foundation in pictures.
Cons
  • It doesn’t maintain the same placements when you change words or images
  • .
  • Occasional lags occur during complex edits.

10. Capture One Pro 12

The latest Capture edition is Capture One Pro 12 — a powerful and effective photo editing software for PCs. It is an all-in-one image capture, organizing, and editing program mainly aimed at professional photographers.

Capture One Pro 12

What makes it stand apart is that it is both effective for black and white photography and colored pictures. It has a toolbar dedicated to monochrome conversion, editing controls, and split toning. It may initially look complex, but it allows customization of its layout to suit the tools you use most often. 

Features

  • Color grading
  • Fujifilm simulations
  • Tethered shooting
  • Layered editing
  • Improved noise reduction

Pricing

  • Capture One Pro on desktop (Subscription): ₹ 1,545.58/month
  • All in One Bundle (Subscription): ₹ 2,236.33/month
  • Capture One Pro on desktop (Perpetual license): ₹ 30,980.00
Pros
  • It is easy to customize the interface.
  • The software has excellent photo adjustment tools.
  • The collaboration functionality is excellent.
Cons
  • The interface can get complex.
  • There are technical glitches at times.

11. Polarr

Polarr is one of the best photo editing apps for PCs that both novices and professionals can use.

It is well-known for its intuitive and simple design as compared to Photoshop. The application is best used for deep color correction. It can even help to make basic adjustments to your face or skin. 

It offers both free and premium versions. Of course, the free version has limited functionality. But it can be an excellent choice for beginners. 

What’s more, it has over 1000 filter choices to offer. Besides, you can create your own. 

Features

Pricing

  • Free version available
  • Monthly: $7.99/per month
  • Yearly: $3.99/per month
Pros
  • It is compatible with desktops and mobile phones.
  • The tool enables you to blur the background.
  • It supports large JPEG images up to 30MP.
Cons
  • It has limited vector edited capabilities.
  • The tools lack certain editing functions.

12. Photo Pos Pro

Photo Pos Pro is an easy-to-use photo editing app for PCs. It offers robust tools to create, enhance, and manipulate digital photos.

Photo Pos Pro

This particular tool is useful for novice editors. The interface is so simple that a beginner can easily learn all the tools and functions. Besides, its retouch mask function allows you to adjust the image to any background.

Features

  • Layers
  • Custom brushes
  • Healing tools
  • Red-eye effect
  • Color correction

Pricing

  • Free version available.
  • Lifetime Premium License: $49.90
Pros
  • It offers a customizable interface for both beginners and professionals.
  • The tool ensures excellent help and educational tutorials.
  • It is equipped with DSLR and scanner support.
Cons
  • It has a steep learning curve.
  • Some tools need improvement.

13. ACDSee Photo Studio

ACDSee Photo Studio is a powerful photo editing software that lets you create top-quality images.

ACDSee Photo Studio

It offers comprehensive editing tools, such as advanced lens correction, layered editor, and more. Its advanced lens correction lets you repair distortion with ease. Furthermore, the layered editor makes it super simple to adjust lights and colors and add special effects. 

Moreover, you can save files using keywords, categories, ratings, and locations, making it easier to search for files. 

Features

  • Video capture
  • Asset library
  • Search/filter
  • Asset sharing
  • Text overlay

Pricing

  • ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2024: $134.95
  • ACDSee Photo Studio Professional 2024: $89.95
  • ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2024: $53.95
  • ACDSee Photo Studio for Mac 9: $49.95
  • ACDSee Gemstone Photo Editor 12: $29.95
  • ACDSee Ultimate Pack 2024: Coming Soon
Pros
  • The tool offers a wide variety of ready-made templates.
  • It is easy to search and categorize photos.
  • The image opening response time is very fast.
Cons
  • The app crashes while viewing video files.
  • It offers a limited set of features for editing images.

14. Paint.NET

Paint.NET is another free photo editing app for PC that offers a customizable interface and supports the hotkeys function. Moreover, its editable layers feature enables you to perform multi-level image editing.

Paint.NET

This free photo editor might not be useful for professional retouchers and photographers as it lacks custom brushes and layer masks. Despite that, it has valuable photo correction functions that can raise your images without losing quality. 

Features

  • Selective lightening 
  • Image editing
  • Digital retouching
  • Layers
  • Gradient tool

Pricing

  • The tool is free to use.
Pros
  • The tool offers multiple plug-in options.
  • It has all the basic pixel manipulation tools.
  • This tool is one of the best options for quick image edits.
Cons
  • The tool has limited brushwork.
  • It does not offer text correction after applying other effects.

15. ON1 Photo RAW

ON1 Photo RAW is a robust photo editing software that supports many features.

ON1 Photo RAW

This professional-grade photo organizer has much to offer, from layered editor tools to its raw processor capabilities. Its latest update has improved the decoding of raw files and noise reduction. For its advanced functionalities, it is quite an affordable option. 

The best part is that the system automatically detects faces in the photographs and offers precise retouching tools. 

Features

  • Super select AI
  • Content-aware crop
  • Full-screen preset preview
  • Color fringe reduction
  • AI adaptive preset

Pricing

  • ON1 Photo RAW MAX 2024: ₹ 18,662.65
  • ON1 Photo RAW 2024: ₹ 10,367.68
Pros
  • It offers a great selection of high-quality editing filters.
  • The tool has excellent camera and lens support.
  • It has great face-tuning tools.
Cons
  • It doesn’t have face or geo-tagging.
  • The interface is not as sleek compared to its competitors.

16. DxO PhotoLab

DxO PhotoLab has recently released its new update – the DxO PhotoLab 3.0.

DxO PhotoLab

It offers advanced photo editing tools to manage color and produce more natural-looking images. It enables you to select color ranges from eight channels, including orange and purple.

Besides, it’s a perfect tool to brighten up the horizon in your images which you can download from image online image platforms like Wallpics. It lets you create a more radiant-looking photo without creating a halo effect. 

It can even remove noise from your high-ISO images without making you lose any details or colors.

Features

  • Automatic lens
  • Camera-body based image correction
  • Noise reduction
  • Workflow aids
  • Local adjustments

Pricing

  • DxO PureRAW3: $129
  • DxO PhotoLab 6: $219
  • DxO ViewPoint 4: $99
  • DxO FilmPack 6 ELITE Edition: $139
  • Nik Collection6: $149
  • DxO PureRAW + Nik Collection: $248
Pros
  • The tool has best-in-class noise reduction.
  • It offers powerful local adjustments.
  • The tool has geometry corrections and haze remover.
Cons
  • There are occasional technical glitches.
  • It does not offer HEIC/HEIF support.

17. CyberLink PhotoDirector 11

CyberLink PhotoDirector 11 is a top-rated photo editing software for PCs that only works on Mac and Windows.

CyberLink PhotoDirector 11

The application is loaded with exclusive AI tools and portrait retouching features. It lets you fix up photos of excited kids and pictures taken from moving vehicles. It removes the blurriness with its intelligent deblur feature. Moreover, the layer editing feature gives you the flexibility to create unique compositions. 

Features

  • Tethered shooting
  • Painterly AI styles
  • Dehaze & de fringe
  • AI image upscaler
  • Auto-tone refinement

Pricing

  • PhotoDirector 2024 (Lifetime license): $99.99
  • PowerDirector 2024 Ultimate + PhotoDirector 2024 (Lifetime license): $169.99
  • PhotoDirector 365 (subscription): $39.99
  • Director Suite 365: $96.99
Pros
  • The face recognition feature is excellent.
  • The tool seamlessly integrates with Shutterstock.
  • It is easy to upload clear images.
Cons
  • There are no geotag maps.
  • There are not enough lens profiles.

Wrapping Up

The world of photo editing apps for PC offers diverse options to cater to every photographer’s needs, from beginners to professionals. The top 17 paid and free photo editors in this list provide a spectrum of features, ranging from basic editing tools to advanced capabilities, ensuring you can find the perfect software to enhance your images.

When deciding, it’s crucial to specify your requirements and consider aspects like performance, price, file compatibility, and customer service. Use free trials and user reviews to thoroughly explore and assess these options. 

Make an informed decision that empowers you to unlock your creative potential and transform your photos into stunning works of art.

Frequently Asked Questions

Adobe Photoshop is considered one of the best options for photo editing on PC, offering versatility and a comprehensive suite of advanced editing tools.

Yes, many photo editing apps support RAW photo editing, providing greater control and flexibility for enhancing the quality of your images.

A photo editing app must support non-destructive editing since it protects the original image, enables reversible changes without lowering image quality, and streamlines experimentation and adjustments.

Yes, you can use a photo editing app to effectively remove blemishes and imperfections from your photos, enhancing their overall appearance.

Yes, many photo editing apps offer subscription-based and one-time purchase options, allowing users to choose between ongoing payments or a single upfront cost for the software.

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