The best photo-editing software in 2021
The best photo-editing software can turn a mediocre photo into something impressive, or make a great photo even better. It allows you to do everything from making subtle tweaks to colour or saturation to the application of filters, removal of blemishes or even wholesale transformations.
There's a huge range of options out there these days, so to save you from having to try them all, we've rounded up all of the best photo-editing software into one handy guide. Some of the software below is desktop only, while other programmes work in your browser, on a tablet, or even on your smartphone. Our guide covers every price point and ability level, so you're sure to find the best photo-editing software for your needs.
01. Affinity Photo
The best photo-editing software with a one-off fee
Platform: Windows, MacOS, iOS (iPad only) | Developer: Serif | Price: $19.99/£19.99 (iPad) / $49.99/£48.99 (desktop)
Affinity Photo is a professional-standard photo-editing programme without the high price tag. Its impressive toolset covers digital painting, raw editing, professional retouching and the creation of multi-layered compositions. Other features include advanced lens corrections and best-in-class noise reduction, which allow complete control over images with quality results.
The software is also available as a dedicated iPad app. The first professional photo-editing tool to cater to the tablet, it was named Apple App of the year in 2017. Serif also has a graphic design package (Affinity Designer) and a desktop publishing app (Affinity Publisher) to cover other creative requirements.
02. Photoshop CC
Adobe's best photo-editing software
Platform: Windows, MacOS, iOS (iPad only) | Developer: Adobe | Price: From £9.98 (per month)
There's no doubt that the latest edition of Photoshop is among the best photo-editing software available. Photoshop CC is astoundingly good, and it has too many great features to summarise in this small space. You can read all about it in our Photoshop CC 2020 review and explore its capabilities further in our roundup of the best Photoshop tutorials.
You can soup up the software with a selection of free Photoshop brushes and simplify long-winded processes thanks to all the free Photoshop actions available. The monthly cost is not insignificant, so check the best Adobe deals to make sure you don't miss a bargain on a Creative Cloud subscription.
03. Pixlr X / Pixlr E
The best browser-based photo-editing software
Platform: Browser | Developer: Autodesk Inc | Price: Free
Pixlr X and Pixlr E are fast and easy to use, whether on a web or mobile browser. Pixlr X has a useful functionality that allows you to make non-destructive edits to your images, letting you change and fine-tune every edit at any time. Another plus is that you can use the programme within Dropbox, which makes it a great addition to your toolkit for collaborative work. It offers the usual adjustments, filters and texts that will be familiar to Pixlr users and are sure to delight newcomers. Pixlr E offers the same classic photo-editing tools with the addition of some extras for the pros.
04. Luminar AI
Faster photo-editing from Skylum
Platform: Windows, MacOS | Developer: Skylum | Price: $79/£79
Skylum Luminar AI aims to speed up photo editing so photographers can spend more time creating, and we have to say it does that very well. It uses artificial intelligence to suggest editing options that can enhance photos of different styles. It can suggest the best templates to improve images and has tools that can be used to easily tweak skies, accents, skin, faces and even eyes. With a very reasonable one-off cost, this AI-based software is certainly worth checking out.
05. Corel PaintShop Pro
The best photo-editing software for those on a budget
Platform: Windows | Developer: Corel | Price: $69/£69.99
Source : Creative Bloq Staff