The best image editing software gives you complete control over the look of your images with tools that are easy to learn and use. And it’s not just for professionals – no matter the quality or skill of the camera, the best photo editing software will help you improve your photos before sharing them with others.
Taking a few minutes to update a photo can make the difference between a photo seen once and one that is preserved and guarded. And if you’re planning on taking your photos and printing them into a photo book, you’ll want to use editing software to make sure they stand out.
In addition to lighting, the best photo editing software can help remove unwanted objects from photos, easily crop and rotate photos, and even make sure everyone has a smile on their face. No matter what you want to do with your photos, you can choose from a variety of photo editing programs.
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What is the best image editing software?
After testing leading image editing software, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 has emerged as the best choice due to its robust yet easy-to-use editing tools. Available for PC and Mac, it has a gentle learning curve for beginners and plenty of features to help you get the most out of your photos. And the program grows with you: as you gain experience, you can leave the beginner mode to take full control of all functions.
Photoshop Elements has artificial intelligence that analyzes your images and can automatically apply effects and create collages. With a handy organizer, you can tag and search photos by keyword, tags (people, places and events) and ratings (1-5 stars).
New features in the 2021 release include adding motion to static images, making it easier to move and resize objects and sharpen facial features.
If you’re a Windows user, you might get even more out of Corel PaintShop Pro, which has more tools and is somewhat more accessible.
When it comes to the best free image editing software, Gimp has all the tools you want and works on Mac, Windows, and Linux. However, it has a steep learning curve, so we don’t recommend it for beginners.
The best photo editing software of today
1. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021
While not much has changed from last year’s release, Adobe Photoshop Elements is our pick for the best photo editing software for its ease of use, fun creativity, and underlying power. While there aren’t many new features in last year’s release, Adobe’s excellent user interface and robust toolset, plus the fact that Photoshop Elements works on both Mac and PC, make it the best image editing software In circulation.
As before, three user interfaces (Guided Edits, Quick Edits and Expert Mode) make this program accessible to users of all experience levels. Adobe’s Sense AI can intelligently analyze and adjust your images, saving you a step or two if you’re in a hurry. And the new Subject Selection tool makes it easier to crop people and pets, and the Smooth Skin tool is great for removing wrinkles.
2. Corel Paint Shop Pro
In many ways, Corel Paint Shop Pro is better than Photoshop Elements because it is a powerful, yet easy-to-understand program for beginners, and has several additional tools, such as 360-degree photo editing. It is also compatible with touchscreens and features a new simplified workspace.
Paint Shop Pro (and its upgrade, Paint Shop Pro Ultimate) are also generally much cheaper than Photoshop Elements, which makes it a steal. The biggest drawback of Corel over Photoshop is that while Photoshop Elements is available for both macOS and Windows computers, Paint Shop Pro is a Windows-only program.
