Jun 25, 2020 When it comes to the best free photo editing software, Gimp has all the tools you could want, and works on Mac, Windows, and Linux systems. RAW processing. Best free photo editor for Mac.
- Jan 26, 2016 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.
- Apr 14, 2020 The best free photo-editing software for 2020 By Jon Martindale April 14, 2020 There’s no argument — Adobe Photoshop remains the best photo-editing application on the planet.
- Jun 22, 2020 GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the best free photo editor around. It's packed with the kind of image-enhancing tools you'd find in premium software.
- January 02, 2020
- 30 min to read
With smartphones increasing in popularity, nowadays everyone (even a professional photographer) needs a tool that will help them to manage and organize their photos. After all, you do not want the risk of running out of storage space be the reason that do not capture every special moment? And with thousands of photos on your hard drive, you will for sure need a tool to help you track down a specific photo or remove those annoying duplicate photos.
Plus, let’s face it, hard drives do fail (and usually the day before you planned to make backups). Therefore, it is a very good idea to invest in a photo management software solution that lets you upload your pics to the cloud.
Though, the right photo management tool will offer you so much more than simply an organized storage space for your shots. Some tools will even let you add metadata about things like the camera model that was used, the dimensions, aperture value etc. The majority of these software solutions will also offer you a couple of standard editing tools such as color filters and cropping.
So, which features should you look for in a photo management tool? Here are 18 of the best photo management software solutions, in no particular order, that are currently available on the market. These will give you a good idea of what the current standard is.
1. Adobe Bridge
If you use the popular Adobe Creative Cloud software package, you will most likely already be very familiar with Adobe Bridge CC. It is a photo and digital asset management software solution that is compatible with both Windows as well as Mac OS.
With this free tool, you can access all the resources and files that you require for your specific project. It boasts several useful features that include on-demand metadata generation, batch photo editing, organizing general and individual files, watermarks, centralized color settings and much more.
To help you organize your different photo folders, you can use its metadata tools, tagging or rating features. Plus, you can also rename and organize a bunch of images at the same time.
It is also very simple to import pics or videos from your card reader, smartphone, tablet or digital camera, thanks to its picture upload feature. All things considered, it is one of the best solutions for professionals and can help them to streamline their workflow significantly. Though, it might be a bridge too far if you are looking for a tool that will help you to sort only your own (personal) photos.
2. Luminar 4
Luminar 4 boasts really great photo management features! The beauty of Luminar 4 is that it makes it easy to navigate your library with the help of shortcuts. For example, if you select “All Photos”, you can sort your photos either by their date of capture or the date on which the files were created. Another popular and easy-to-use shortcut is marking it as a Favourite. This way you can even add a star rating to all of your top photos.
You can also use folders to organize your photos. What makes this feature so convenient is that Luminar’s folders actually connect directly to your hard drive’s folders. This means that you can organize the folders of your hard drive via Luminar and the other way round. What’s more, you can then also group your photos together in Luminar by using albums without changing the location of the images on your actual hard drive! All in all, this is one of the best photo editing software solutions available on the market.
3. XnView
With the help of XnView, you can look at more than 400 photo formats and save as many as 50 different file formats. It is available free of charge for educational or non-commercial use and is compatible with Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems.
This multimedia viewer, photo converter and browser is powerful and boasts all the fundamental features, yet remains very simple to use and sleek. Some of its most popular features include lossless JPEG conversion, adjusting images automatically, a duplicate file finder, batch processing and a built-in picture editor. You can also use it to get info about all your images, making it one of the most popular tools for organizing your photos.
4. Nomacs
While Nomacs might be small, speed is for sure not something that you have to worry about as this free open-source image viewer is built for speed. After all, dynamite comes in small packages, right?
It is efficient and can be used with all of the most popular file formats which include PSD and RAW. Just like with XnView, you will get all the info about your pictures that you need.
One of its best features is that you can use it to synchronise different viewers who use the same local network or computer. It is also a great tool if you need to compare photos in order to identify differences. Some of its other useful features include a built-in graphics editor and automatic photo adjustment. It can be used with Mac OS, Linux and Windows platforms.
5. Google Photos
Google Photos is one of the best free photo management solutions that you can use for your videos and photos. Everything that you have come to expect, Google Photos can offer.
It is very simple to upload a photo. You can either use the button (that is somewhat difficult to spot) or the drag-and-drop feature which is much easier. As your videos and photos get uploaded and sorted to cloud storage automatically, it is a really convenient tool to add to your arsenal. It will sort out and display your panoramic photos and high dynamic range (HDR) ones in no time at all. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to sort out your albums and make suggestions regarding which images you should archive. What is more, you can also search for a specific photo or video at once, after it has been uploaded.
Some of its most popular features include creating metadata and drafts on request and photo batch processing. It also boasts a couple of basic photo editing tools that include color filters and cropping. Then, last but not least, all you have to do is select the pics that you want to share and either post it on social media, create a link or include it in one of your shared albums.
All things considered, Google Photos is the complete opposite of a tool like Adobe Bridge CC, making it the perfect tool if you are simply searching for a way to share those special moments with your friends and family members. And, thanks to the unlimited backup storage that is available if you choose not to upload it in full resolution, you do not have to make plans for when you run out of space. All things considered, with millions of users already who upload over a billion photos every single day, surely Google Photos is doing more than a couple of things right.
6. XnViewMP
If you like XnView, then you will really like XnViewMP which is an enhanced version of the first-mentioned. It is the ideal tool if you have to sort file formats that are not as common as it supports over 500 different image file formats. Unfortunately it does not arrange your photos for you automatically. However, it does offer a feature that you can use to edit the metadata and tags of your photos via a convenient batch mode. Thanks to this tool, you can issue those tags at the speed of light.
That being said, XnViewMP is more than just a basic photo management tool. You can also use it to create a graphic presentation, screenshot, slideshow or multipage animated file. Just like, XnView, XnViewMP is also compatible with Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems
7. Pictorial
If you are familiar with using Lightroom, you will find Picktorial quite similar. Though, Picktorial is more convenient as you do not have to create a directory or folder in Picktorial as you can work directly from your PC’s file system. What’s more, you can also modify its interface so that it suits all your specific tasks. Some of its other useful features and tools include color correction and image retouching. All things considered, it is a very practical photo editor that will help you to sort out your photos and even possibly edit them. Sadly, it is only compatible with Mac operating systems.
8. JetPhoto Studio
JetPhoto Studio is compatible with Windows and Mac OS and boasts almost all the tools you will need to sort out and edit your photos. This free photo management software solution boasts powerful photo batch processing, geo-tagging and tags. Although it does not offer cloud storage, you can use it to share your photos with others by making a Google Map gallery or using the JetPhoto Server or Flickr. And, if you use a browser that supports Flash, you can use JetPhoto Studio to create a Flash gallery in a flash.
9. Apowersoft Photo Viewer
If you are searching for a software solution that is really user-friendly, be sure to check out Apowersoft Photo Viewer. Its interface is very easy to use and understand! If you want to view one of your photos, all you have to do is click on it and it will be displayed instantly. Plus, with Apowersoft you can also view detailed info about your different images.
Compatible with Linux, Mac OS as well as Windows, it supports a wide range of file formats, which includes PDF. If you use Windows, you can even view your High Efficiency Image File Formats (HEIF or also called HEIC) directly.
Some of its other features include a built-in graphics editor, the ability to take screenshots and edit photos. That being said, its biggest perk is most likely the fact that it is very fast. Thanks to the use of advanced technology, you will be able to work at the speed of light. All in all, Apowersoft is truly a powerful software just as the name suggests!
10. StudioLine Photo Basic
If you use Windows and are searching for basic photo editing tools as well as a tool that can help you to manage your photos, you will like what StudioLine Photo Basic has to offer. With this free software solution, you can rotate, crop, correct red eyes and resize your photos. It also lets you add tags and descriptions to your photos. Then, after you are done editing and organizing your photos, be sure to use the online gallery to publish and share your images with your friends and family members. Or, even better yet, why not use it to create a slideshow of all your best memories?
11. FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone Image Viewer is another great free photo management software solution for Windows users that supports all the big file formats. In addition to its wide selection of features that will help you to manage your photo memories, it also boasts several photo editing tools that you can use to tweak and manipulate your images. Some of its most popular features include EXIF data viewing, resizing, image viewing, red-eye removal, cropping and tagging.
Although it is very easy to use, it sadly does not offer cloud storage and you cannot use it to upload your “share-worthy” pics to social media sites. So, if you are happy just to store your photos on your laptop, FastStone Image Viewer is one of the best programmes for Windows.
12. digiKam Photo Manager
With digiKam Photo Manager, you can organize your photos by means of albums, tags or folders quickly. What’s more, you can also view and edit your metadata and it boasts a built-in graphics editor and RAW support too. All things considered, its intuitive interface makes this advanced app one of the most popular picks amongst Mac OS and Windows users.
Free Photo Management Software
13. MAGIX Photo Manager
This is one of the magic tools for Windows users (and the MAGIX Photo Manager Deluxe version offers great value for your money too). With this free tool, you can sort out your images effortlessly and quickly, locate specific videos, see detailed info about your images, share your best pics and make the most effective use of your library.
Its clean interface is easy to understand and use and, what’s more, it also offers a couple of tools that you can use to correct your images. If you simply want to use it to sort out your photos, you can use it to arrange your photos according to tags, date or the actual name of the file.
14. Flickr
Flickr is one of the best-known tools for organizing and managing your pics. It offers impressive storage space and lets you set your own privacy settings which is very useful.
It is also very easy to upload and edit your photos. With its built-in photo editing tool, you do a couple of basic tasks like cropping, adjusting the color and applying a blur effect. It also has a batch feature that makes it easy to edit multiple photos.
And, if you are worried that your edited version will not look better than the original, you can simply save it as a copy instead. Then, when you are done playing around with different frames, filters and brushes, remember to use Flickr to share your creations on social media or use the link and embed it on your blog.
15. Phototheca
Phototheca is one of the top photo management software solutions that are compatible with Windows. With the help of this free tool, you can view, arrange and share your videos and images effortlessly. Just like most of the other tools mentioned already, it also shares detailed info about your individual pics. All you have to do is upload your digital images to its database and then you can arrange them according to date or event or even organize them by creating a specific album. If you can look past its dated interface, this tool is one to add to your list.
16. SmugMug
You have got to love the name of this program! This software solution has actually been on the market for over a decade already and can be used by both pros as well as amateurs.
Similar to Flickr (it actually obtained Flickr), it offers great privacy and security features. While it does offer editing tools, it only has the basics like color effects and cropping. Though, what it might lack in the editing department, it makes up for when it comes to layout. The default layout is easy to use and understand, but you can also select other color schemes or themes. It is also super simple to organize your photos manually thanks to its drag-and-drop feature.
All things considered, it is this intuitive experience and smart features like the upload progress bar that make it one of the top tools.
17. PicaJet Digital Photo Management
With PicaJet, you can view your photos by date, rating or keyword and automatically sort out your photos at the speed of light. It also boasts a host of other features that include image sharing, automatic photo enhancement, a photo search engine, direct import and basic editing tools. And, if you want to get more creative than simple cropping or red-eye removal, you will love its slideshow feature.
18. 500px
One of the most attractive features of 500px is that it is suitable for professionals as well as amateurs. In fact, it has a very nice marketplace feature that pros can use to connect with their customers and generate some extra money. Even though you will not be able to upload a whole folder in one go, it is pretty straightforward to upload your photos one for one. Plus, you will also be able to include metadata, while it will add recommended tags automatically.
That being said, there are some glaring areas that need improvement. For starters, the interface is not that modern and sleek as you have come to expect and also not that intuitive. Another feature that it lacks, which most of the other programs mentioned in this list offer, is a couple of photo editing tools. While 500x allows you to edit the metadata, users are unable to edit their actual pics.
In an era when people like selfies and adding filters and stickers, in addition to photo recovery, there comes another ravishing feature i.e. photo editing. Luckily, there are a number of free photo editing software for laptop and desktop, which can optimize an ordinary picture into a breath-taking panorama, and help people out with more photo editing phenomena, including restoring old image.
With best photo editing software free application, one can easily covert their simple images into Instagram styled stills. Resizing, cropping, filter application and reconstructing the images are some of the features that a photo editing tool holds, but you can expect more from the following best 17 free photo editing software for Windows & Mac.
1. GIMP – Best Open-Source Free Photo Editing Software for Windows 10
GIMP is an open source free software that is compatible with Windows 10. It is incredible in functioning and gives you flawless results. Adorned with power pack photo editing tools, it has an interface similar to Photoshop. Healing tools, custom brushes, clone stamps are ravishing tools in the toolbar. Selection of isolated areas and editing them to become perfect is what the application offers further. One can eliminate the flaws and makes it up to a picture-perfect standard.
- Open source and totally free.
- Similar functionality to Photoshop.
- Cost a little longer time to get familiar with the operation.
- Support RAW image only after installing RAW loader
2. Paint.net – Best Free Photo Editing Software for Beginners with Windows 10
The functionality of Paint.net makes it easy to use and simplicity becomes a main selling point (It is actually free). The application carries fine manual control along with accessible interface. Used for trivial tasks, it is there to turn your picture into something wonderful. The toolbar carries the options of layers, undo history, filters, plugins and 3D rotate/zoom function.
- Easy to use for beginners
- With minimal options but able to complete almost all tasks
- Poor support for RAW image
3. Photo Pos Pro – Best Free Photo Editing Software for Both Beginners and Experts
With an interface more accessible than GIMP, Photo Pos Pro carries two modes. For experts, it plays as a role close to Photoshop. For beginners, it provides a lot of preset templates, filter effects and auto fix function. Accompanied with advanced photo editing tools, there is an optional “novice” layout. While the advanced layout carries both i.e. layers and layer masks. It can remove the flaws with brushes to eliminate blemishes and carry scripts to save time and refine the photo to maximum.
- Friendly to both beginners and experts
- Rich templates and presets
- Good support for RAW image, though not for all. See how to preview RAW image.
4. PhotoScape – Best Free All-in-One Photo Editing Software for Windows 10
Packed with advanced tools, PhotoScape is absolutely free and compatible with Windows 10. A beginner can easily use it to reform the images and feel the change. The filters incorporated in the app are outstanding. The features include raw conversion, photo splitting and merging, animated GIF creation. The images are going to get a new and outlook with this amazing application.
- Limited editing functions
- Not only a photo editor but also photo viewer, batch editor, RAW convertor, GIF maker and printer.
- Poor support for RAW image editing
5. Fotor – Best Free Online Photo Editor for Windows 10
Fotor is getting limelight with a ravishing feature of online accessing and fashion elements. Users can easily upload and save images from/to cloud, like Dropbox, Facebook and its own cloud database, as well as Windows 10 computer. The images can be redesigned with ravishing filters and healing tools. You can feed a pile of images at once and the software is going to edit them simultaneously. At the end you are going to get a candid still that is worth saving.
- Upload and save photos from/to cloud
- Eye-pleasant UI
- Fashion and various automatic beauty functions, effects and stickers.
- Poor support RAW image
6. Pixlr
Pixlr is a world-class photo editor with a lot of newly optimized features to provide excellent finishing to the edited photos and videos. It is available for Android, iOS, and computer browsers for the users. If you want to do simple editing with the photos and videos on your device, then the basic free version of Pixlr is enough to meet your demands. And if you want to edit the photos professionally, then the Pro version of this app is available for you. The simple to use interface of this software is pretty much appealing for the users. That’s why Pixlr is having a lot of fans without any doubt. The total installation size of this software is also not so big, which is indeed the best part of it. So, definitely, we would suggest you Pixlr software for your PC to accomplish your task of editing photos and videos hassle-free.
7. Picasa (Predecessor of Google Photos)
Picasa is yet another very brilliant choice for the users which is certainly having one of the fascinating editing tools for the users. Picasa software is compatible both with Windows and Mac OS. This free online editing tool was launched by tech giant Google way back in the year 2002. That’s why Picasa is having a lot of popularity among the PC users because tech giant Google itself certifies this software. Picasa is having one of the finest photo and video editing tools in it, which are very useful for the users. Additionally, you can also add customized features in this software online which you can use to edit your photos and videos hassle-free. Users can also add some of the latest launched video and photo effects like Super MO video mode, Live Focus mode, Ultra-wide-angle mode, Hyper lapse mode, Panorama, etc. Because this editing software is Google certified software, that’s why there is no doubt that it will deliver the best possible stuff to its users. The edited videos and photos can be shared directly from Picasa using the Google Plus file sharing feature. So, definitely, Picasa is a great choice for the users as an excellent photo editing tool.
8. Pic Monkey
Pic Monkey is another trendy choice for the users as an excellent photo editing software. You will get all the editing tools and features in a single editing window, which is an excellent feature for sure. The output edited file can be downloaded in a variety of different file formats. Some new and latest themes and effects are also added in this software by its developers, making it look more attractive. Overall, Pic Monkey software is a fantastic option for the users, which is delivering the quality stuff in the way it was meant to be. The quick-to-learn feature of this software will help you out to learn about the basics and working of the Pic Monkey software.
9. BeFunky
The only positive about this photo editing software, which makes it unique from other online photo editing software packages, is its intuitive graphic user-interface. The easy to use interface of BeFunky software is very well developed and maintained by the developers and due to this compatibility feature, BeFunky software become a great choice of all time for the users. Users will get all the basic photo editing features right on the first launch window of this software. The advanced and newly released photo editing features can be browsed in the Pro version of this software, which is not very costly like other software packages are. The graphic user-interface of BeFunky software is very well developed by the developers of this photo editing software. Moreover, this software is also compatible with almost all devices without any restrictions. So definitely, BeFunky is a good option as an excellent photo editor tool for sure. You can use this software on your PC according to our recommendation, and we hope that you will get satisfactory results for sure.
10. PhotoCat
Another very decent kind of Photo editing software for the users developed with a lot of optimized photo editing tools. Inside the preview window in this software, you can apply as many filters and themes on the photos to make a preview of them. Moreover, several other basic editing features like photo cropping, exposure, composure, and insertion of the text can be experienced in this software as well. The graphic user-interface of this software is also pretty much decent, which is easy to use and understand as well. Some newly launched and optimized photo editing tools can be used experience in the Pro version of this photo editing software. There are a lot of different insertion tools available in PhotoCat software, which can be very handy for the users. Most of the reviews regarding this software are positive, and we too hope that you will like the features and functioning of this software after installing it on your PC. Though it is not so easy to use, once you learn about its functioning, then you will surely get satisfactory results.
11. SumoPaint
Basically, SumoPaint is not a typical online photo editor. There are very few basic photo editing tools available on this software that can be accessed offline as well. The overall interface of the website is pretty much decent. Once you click on the URL of the SumoPaint website, the website will launch in a fraction of seconds, which shows the optimization power of the SumoPaint website. Furthermore, if you want to experience some more editing features/tools apart from basic features, then you may switch to the premium version of this software. To purchase the premium subscription, you have to spend 4USD per month. You will get login credentials which you can use to login to this website for an excellent editing experience like a professional.
12. DarkTable
DarkTable is another absolute stunner performer of this list, which is certainly one of the best photo editing software for the users. The main reason why this software is so popular is that this software is compatible with all three major Operating systems of PC, which are Windows, Mac, and Linux OS. Furthermore, this software is open-source software, which means that any user can use this software hassle-free without any charges. DarkTable software is pretty much similar to Lightroom photo editing software, which is another trendy choice for the users. However, DarkTable is having the edge over the Lightroom software because the overall features provided by DarkTable is more than Lightroom. The graphic user-interface of DarkTable is also more attractive than Lightroom, and that’s why majority of the users uses the former in their PC’s. The editing tools available on this software are excellent in their respective fields.
13. Picktorial
If you want a photo editing software which is only compatible with Mac OS, then there is no other choice better than Picktorial software. The enhanced features with which this software was developed are just magnificent for the users. Picktorial has a decent rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars, which is a very awesome part. Picktorial is very much popular among users from all around the world. The main downside of this software is that it is a bit more expensive than other premium photo editing tools of this segment. The annual premium subscription of PickTorial software will cost you around 60$. Picktorial software is a good choice for users with a lot of incredible features and editing tools in it.
14. InPixio Free Photo Editor
Free Photo Processing Software For Mac Downloads
InPixio photo editor is another incredible choice for the users, which is having impeccable features to attract the users in large numbers. There are more than 100 different themes and photo effects available on this software which users can use to edit photos and videos hassle-free. As per our thinking, InPixio is a beginner level photo editor which is ideal for all the beginners in this photo editing industry. The graphic user-interface of InPixio is also pretty much enhanced and developed. The overall layout and texture of this software justify that InPixio is an excellent choice for the users whatsoever the reviews and ratings are. If you seriously want to learn most of the basic photo editing techniques, then you must get switched to InPixio free Photo Editor tool. You will surely observe that you are making the most out of this software.
15. Capture One Express
Capture One is another big name in the industry, which is having some excellent stuff for the users. This editing software is not having too much popularity, probably due to the professionalism for digital camera users. There are separate editions for Sony and Fujifilm cameras.
16. Snapseed
Another very advanced and optimized photo editing tool available for both iOS and Android users. Snapseed is one of the most significant kinds of photo editing software that can provide some excellent results to the users for free. Moreover, any user can use this software for editing purposes. It does not matter whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or expert. You can use this software to accomplish editing purposes hassle-free without any problem. There is a wide array of filters and themes present in this software which makes edited photos and videos to look more attractive, composed and beautiful as well. Snapseed is going to be your next sure shot choice for sure.
17. Photoshop Express Mix/Fix
Last but not the least, Photoshop Express Mix becomes our last choice to end this great list of top photo editor software packages for PC users. This excellent photo editing software offers a lot of exciting photo editing features to its users who are adorable for many reasons. The customizable settings of this software will surely let you feel that you are editing photos and videos like a professional. The main advantage of installing and using this software on your PC is that you will get to experience a great kind of graphic user-interface with a brilliant layout and graphics as well. However, to use this software, you need to login to this software using any of your social media apps like Facebook or Twitter, etc. So, it is up to you whether you are going to use this software on your PC or not because it requires a login process to be done.
So, what are you waiting for? The list is out for you to enjoy best free photo editing software for Windows & Mac computer. Now you can modify your images on your desktop and give a new life to the stills, then convert images to video.