These tools will make your photos look as good as you do.
You’ve seen them - the flawless photos the Kardashians post on Instagram. We’ll let you in on a secret - most celebrities use specialized online photo editors to give their photos that dazzling, Hollywood finish. Yep, it’s all by design. Beauty is mostly just a spectacular backdrop.
And here’s the best part - it’s not rocket science. You don’t need to install complicated software. You don’t need specialized skills. And better yet, you don’t need to pony up the big bucks. It’s easy-peasy and affordable, even free. Yes, you can get a free photo editor that works like a dream.
We’ve covered the best free photo editor for windows, the best photo editor for Mac, and the best free photo editing apps. Today, we’ll sift through the apps that you can use on your browser.
We’ve narrowed down your choices to just three:
1. Photoshop Express
Looking for an online photo editor like Photoshop? Then you’ll feel right at home with Photoshop Express. It’s a free photo editor that’s available online and offline. You can use it on a web browser or download it to your phone. It is made by Adobe.
Photoshop Express comes with a cool set of editing options that include rotation, cropping, perspective correction, auto-fix, and a text tool. Dropbox, Creative Cloud and Google Photos come integrated into the app to make sharing a breeze.
✅ PROS:
- Well designed
- Full-screen option
⛔️ CONS:
- Supports JPG only
- No social media sharing
2. Canva Photo Editor
This free online photo editor is one of the best tools for creating and editing your photos. Though Canva is known for the stylish brochures, flyers, and social media posts, its photo editor is equally good. You can filter, adjust, crop, resize, rotate, and flip photos at the click of a button.
Canva Photo Editor is completely free. However, you’ll need a premium subscription to use some of the more advanced features available on the main app. It has plenty of free shapes, frames, and backgrounds that you can incorporate into your photos.
✅ PROS:
- Easy to use
- Available for free
⛔️ CONS:
- Some features Canva is known for are only available to premium users
3. BeFunky
BeFunky is yet another free online photo editor that deserves a place on our list. Not only is it easy to use, but it also comes with plenty of awesome features and layouts.
The app enables you to create collages and make edits in full-screen mode without having to create an account. This app is arguably the best free photo editor.
✅ PROS:
- Intuitive UI
- Tons of free layouts
- Supports full-screen editing
⛔️ CONS:
- You have to pay to use some features
4. GIMP
GIMP is a free online photo editor. The tool is considered the best free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It features professional tools for image editing and retouching, free-form drawing, and converting image formats.
Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned photographer, GIMP gives you the tools you need to make your photos stand out. GIMP comes with a fully customizable interface, it's fully open-source, and you can add your own features and filters. With its powerful enhancement tools, you can fix distortions and imperfections in photos easily.
GIMP supports most image file formats, including JPEG (JFIF), GIF, PNG, TIFF, and others. The tool is perfect for those looking for a free tool with powerful processing.
✅ PROS:
- Easy to expand and customize
- Feature-rich
- Works with most image files
⛔️ CONS:
- Interface is cluttered
5. Pixlr
Pixlr is one of the best online photo editors for Mac. It's lightweight and comes with a robust suite of photo editing tools that allow you to make changes to your photos easily. Pixlr is so feature-rich, it puts many desktop apps to shame. It comes with both basic and advanced editing tools to make photo editing a breeze.
The interface is a lot like GIMP - it's clean and easy to use. You're not overwhelmed with too many options at once. Users have access to detailed tutorials to help them navigate the more complex features of the tool.
Pixlr is perfect for beginners with simple and quick image editing needs.
✅ PROS:
- Supports masks and layers
- Customizable interface
- Opens photos from URLs and desktop
⛔️ CONS:
- Needs Flash
- Ad-supported
6. Fotor
Fotor is a free online photo editor that photographers, marketers, and creatives can use to make photo editing easier. Unlike most photo editors, Fotor is fast and lightweight and won't slow down your Mac while using it.
Fotor gives less technical people access to advanced photo editing. You can add effects, apply filters, and edit images easily. The app is simple and intuitive and helps you achieve more with your photos. You don't even need a background in graphic design and photo editing.
The tool comes with batch processing for borders, effects, and scenes. You can also adjust exposure, contrast, brightness, white balance, and saturation and remove red-eye.
Fotor features over 100 exclusive photo effects, more than 300 custom stickers, and over 30 photo frames. The tool is perfect for beginners, hobbyists, digital marketers, and social media influencers.
✅ PROS:
- Smart effects and filters
- RAW file converter
- Easy photo collage tool
⛔️ CONS:
- Not meant for creating artwork from scratch
7. Adobe Spark
This photo editor online service merges 3 Adobe properties – Adobe Post, Adobe Voice, and Adobe Slate. Essentially, you get to can access this suite of Adobe tools via your web browser. While Adobe Spark is part of Adobe, you don't need a Creative Cloud account to use it. As a result, you can use it without paying any hefty subscription fees.
Adobe Spark integrates stock image libraries to make your work easier. You can search for images from Unsplash or Adobe Stock from within the app. You can also upload your own photos, graphics, and fonts. In addition, the tool integrates seamlessly with Dropbox, Adobe Lightroom, and Creative Cloud.
Adobe Spark is an online photo editor that's perfect for small business owners, bloggers, entrepreneurs, social media influencers, and other professionals who need to create simple visuals.
✅ PROS:
- Easy to use
- Excellent set of features
- Useful style suggestions
⛔️ CONS:
- Some templates fall short of the advertised service
- The best templates aren't available for free
- Users experience glitches
8. PicMonkey
PicMonkey is a photo editor that works a treat for those looking to produce high-quality professional content without pro-level skills. It doesn't come with the expensive price tag associated with high-end photo editing software.
PicMonkey comes with templates that make it easy to create content for your business. You can upload your own photos or use the platform's stock photos. Use the handy editing tools to customize the photos for your needs.
The tool is an excellent brand kit option for your business, as it allows you to upload logos, templates, and colors to maintain a constant brand identity. The key features of the tool include cropping, resizing, adjusting color, and adjusting exposure. You can also touch up portraits and remove backgrounds.
With the tool at your disposal, you can also edit individual layers and other design features such as gradients, textures, and filters. As a result, it's a great tool for bloggers and web designers.
✅ PROS:
- Comes with cloud storage.
- You can add text to images
- Easy to work with
- Free
⛔️ CONS:
- Comes with ads.
- Does not support batch photo editing.
9. iPiccy
Piccy has one of the easiest-to-use user interfaces in our list of photo editors. It's perfect for anyone looking for a free photo editor without dealing with a complicated interface. iPiccy comes with a plethora of one-click tools and an excellent zoom feature that allows you to create compelling final photos with minimal time invested.
Users also get access to more advanced features such as curve adjustments, background erasers, and other options. This tool offers more than enough to satisfy the needs of pros and novices alike. Remember, you need Flash to use iPiccy in your browser.
Unfortunately, iPiccy has limited options for saving your images. It only supports PNG and JPEG. Sharing is limited to Facebook only.
✅ PROS:
- User-friendly.
- Free online version.
- Excellent text editor.
- A wide array of photo editing tools.
- Automatic tools for skin retouching.
⛔️ CONS:
- Only supports JPEG and PNG
- Bad optimization.
10. Photopea
Photopea is a free web-based photo editor that runs without any plugins. One of the best things about this free tool is its ability to edit PSD files. This feature makes it easy for you to edit Photoshop graphics.
If you're looking to make simple illustrations, resize images, or create sketches, this tool makes the process much easier. You can edit images, apply effects, add filters, crop and process photographs easily.
Photopea also works a treat for those looking to do basic graphics and images for raster and vector graphics. The tool comes in handy if you want to design banners for your social media pages or enhance tour photos.
Photopea is a lot like Adobe Photoshop Express. It's for enthusiasts that are looking for something more advanced for complex projects.
✅ PROS:
- Supports a wide range of file formats.
- Comes with one-click downloads.
- Features advanced editing tools.
⛔️ CONS:
- Can be overwhelming
4 Things to Look for When Evaluating Photo Editors
Here are some of the features you should look out for when choosing an app for your needs.
File Formats
You should be able to import and save images in the format you want. Common formats are JGP, PNG, and GIF. These formats are particularly useful if you’ll be posting the photos on Instagram.
Standard Editing Tools
You should be able to crop, rotate, resize, and adjust contrast and brightness in photos. The best photo editors have these basic features and more.
Organizing Tools
If you edit a lot of images, then you need software that allows you to keep track of them. A good app should feature thumbnail previews, search, and naming schemes.
Sharing
While this is not a necessity, being able to share your photos at the click of a button is a nice to have feature. You can upload photos to Instagram and other photos sharing services such as Flickr.
Compare and Choose The Best One
FAQs
What's the best free online photo editor?
GIMP is hands down our top pick for the best free online photo editor. This nifty tool comes with a wide array of professional-quality functions for fine-tuning your photos. Even creating your own artwork from scratch is a breeze.
How can I edit my photo online?
You can edit your photos by using the above online photo editors through your browser.
Do photo editing tools reduce the quality of the photos?
Editing any image always changes the data tied to specific pixels. But if you have a good handle on an editing tool, making edits actually improves the photo's visual quality. This improvement is achieved at the expense of the photo's accuracy quality.
Conclusion
Don’t settle for average. Touch up your photos to give them the dash of glam that they deserve. These 3 online photo editors are just what the doctor ordered.