Photo Editing Software reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 382 Reddit reviews across 28 subreddits and 53 posts to rank the best Photo Editing Software brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/AskPhotography, r/canon, r/linux4noobs, r/chromeos, r/AskReddit. Top-rated brands include GIMP (3.9/5), Darktable (4.2/5), Affinity Photo (4.3/5).
Stats
Reviews382
Subreddits28
Posts53
Brands86
Products24
382 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
GIMP
3.9
(51)
"The Gimp. Hands down. Doesn't get any better."
"Free: Gimp, Darktable, RawTherapee"
"For something free and not subscription-based, GIMP and Darktable are solid choices."
"GIMP and Raw Thrapee. Both free."
"Best free option similar to photoshop."
"Gimp"
"I recommend GIMP or Photopea."
"Replace Photoshop with GIMP"
"Krita / GIMP / Darktable - free and OpenSource applications"
"Darktable and GIMP are free give them a try."
#2
Darktable
4.2
(33)
"Darktable."
"It’s like Lightroom but free and totally has the tools you need."
"Darktable or Raw Therapy are free and have tons of features."
"Free? Darktable."
"I use darktable and Gimp professionally."
"+1 for Darktable. It is free and has a mass of tutorials on youtube."
"[Darktable] and [Capture One Express (for Sony)] are free."
"Some free options:
- Darktable."
"Darktable is free."
"Darktable, rawtherapee, digikam/showfoto - all easy to start with, and as complicated as you want to get."
#3
Affinity Photo
4.3
(30)
"I highly recommend 'Affinity Photo 2' for the s/w editing aspect... it gives vast majority of what photogs need."
"Affinity Photo is great and without subscription."
"Get Affinity photo or On1. You can buy them once and "own" the software without having to pay forever."
"Affinity photo."
"Affinity photo, gimp ,on1 , darktable"
"Have been very happy with Affinity Photo."
"Paid: Affinity photo, they also have a vector graphics program and a publishing program and the three integrate really well."
"Affinity Photo and/or pixelmator pro."
"Affinity photo is like photoshop but one time pay. I have affinity and I really like it. It is really worth it."
"Affinity Photo."
#4
Adobe Lightroom
4.1
(26)
"Get a Lightroom subscription, if you can afford it. Upload your photos. they'll automatically go to the cloud. Edit them on your phone. Easy."
"Lightroom. Super easy to use. And even if you don’t know what you are doing for the more in depth you could always just use the AUTO button."
"Lightroom was super simple for me to use considering I have no editing experience."
"Lightroom is pretty easy to learn but difficult to master, but I highly recommend it"
"Definitely Lightroom. You can get the adobe photography subscription for around $10 a month and it comes with photoshop and Lightroom."
"Adobe Lightroom: Powerful for both beginners and professionals, offering advanced editing tools."
"Adobe Lightroom"
"Lightroom (paid)"
"Lightroom, Snapseed, Darktable or even VSCO"
"Lightroom"
#5
Adobe
4.1
(19)
"Lightroom will be great for Culling ( finding which photos are good ) and some basic edits like lens correction, brightness , white balance , noise reduction etc .."
"Photoshop is great for individual edits .."
"I'd recommend an older standalone version on disc if you can find one and dont want a subscription."
"Photoshop and Lightroom are $120/yr and you need nothing else to run a wedding photography business."
"Get the LR/PS photography plan for $10 a month. Well worth it."
"Lightroom mobile is stellar honestly."
"Lightroom is fully featured, and there are the most resources to learn photo editing on it."
"Years ago we would spend $600 on Adobe Photoshop."
"Adobe Lightroom."
"Get Lightroom/photoshop/lightroom classic for $10 a month."
#6
Photopea
4.0
(16)
"Photopea.com If you're just editing a single photo at a time. It's free, it's built into your browser."
"Https://www.photopea.com/."
"I recommend GIMP or Photopea."
"Check out Photopea."
"I recommended Photopea, which is great"
"I second PhotoPea or SumoPaint. Both are good web based alternatives."
"Photopea (web-based) is my go-to when I need to whip something up in a pinch."
"Photopea, photoflare, drawing, pinta. Photopea has a website, it doesn't even have to be installed."
"Photopea is an online photo editor that has all the general functions and the interface that's is way less clumsy than GIMP's."
"Photopea, a website no need to sign up."
#7
Snapseed
4.4
(14)
"Use Snapseed on your phone. It's the best cross over between tools and ease of use."
"Snapseed."
"Snapseed is too good to be free lol, but somehow it is."
"I fetching love Snapseed. I wish they would have a desktop version."
"In case you are shooting primarily with your smartphone I recommend the app Snapseed."
"Snapseed (free)"
"Snapseed"
"Lightroom, Snapseed, Darktable or even VSCO"
"Snapseed is free"
"Snapseed!!"
#8
Capture One
4.0
(15)
"I've used C1 for the past 5 years now, and can't imagine using anything else."
"Capture One + Affinity Photo & DaVinci Resolve! IMO better than adobe's offerings these days and no subscription (or free in the case of Resolve)"
"I use Capture One Pro. I purchased it rather than a subscription."
"Capture One is a great LR equivalent."
"Capture One is similar or even better than the Develop module in Lightroom."
"I’ve been using CaptureOne for years for cataloguing and raw development."
"Far from free but not subscription."
"Having the film sims available in C1 on RAW files is an awesome feature."
"I'm a fan of C1."
"I use Capture1 through a subscription."
#9
RawTherapee
4.3
(11)
"Raw Therepe is free."
"[Rawtherapee] + [Gimp] = [Free]"
"Darktable or Raw Therapy are free and have tons of features."
"Darktable, rawtherapee, digikam/showfoto - all easy to start with, and as complicated as you want to get."
"Start with the free and open source software - RAWtherapee, Darktable, and GIMP."
"GIMP and Raw Thrapee. Both free."
"I've just tried rawtherapee and it seems fine."
"RawTherapee is prettty good esp for free."
"I am playing around with https://www.rawtherapee.com/ to edit raw pictures taken on camera and phone."
"GIMP, Darktable, RAWTherapee are all open source I believe and pretty comparable to Photoshop"
#10
Affinity
4.2
(11)
"Affinity has great options and they’re affordable."
"God dammit man buy Affinity Photo."
"Affinity is supposed to be good and has a long trial available."
"Affinity Photo works for me. It has many features you can learn as you go, and it doesn’t require a subscription."
"After cutting Adobe cord, I am using Affinity Photo 2 for iPad and happy with it."
"Affinity's entire line is on sale."
"I'd go with Affinity to replace Ps and with Darktable to replace LrC."
"Affinity Photo is 50% off right now."
"Pretty similar to Photoshop, has no subscription, and is currently on sale for $35."
"Affinity."
#11
Krita
4.3
(9)
"If your looking for a free to use software I would recommend krita"
"I would Recommend Krita!!! It is a really good free software!!"
"Krita is totally free, that's what I use not only for my thumbnails on my channel, but my animation as well."
"Krita / GIMP / Darktable - free and OpenSource applications"
"Krita is a solid free alternative to Photoshop."
"Krita? It 'looks' less complicated than GIMP."
"My suggestion would be Krita. Its more of an art program than a photo editor, but it may well suit your purposes."
"Free: Krita, more geared towards painting, but it feels a lot like photoshop"
"I find Krita pretty good for photo editing as well."
#12
Luminar Neo
3.9
(8)
"For me, Luminar Neo works well because it automates many of the complex tasks."
"Luminar Neo is a more streamlined alternative with AI features that make things like sky replacement and portrait retouching much easier."
"Luminar neo does the job for me."
"Luminar Neo still has an option for a lifetime license."
"I use Luminar for basic edits. it's user-friendly and offers many AI-based tools, such as Sky replacement and photo relighting"
"It’s not a full Photoshop replacement, but does most of what I need."
"I switched to Luminar Neo months ago and it's almost paid for itself."
"Luminar Neo"
#13
Pixlr
4.0
(7)
"I prefer Pixlr/e but really you don't need much for thumbnails."
"Pixlr or gimp are pretty good."
"Https://pixlr.com/e is what i use to make all mine."
"I say pixlr and photopea."
"Fiancee uses Pixlr."
"Pixlr"
#14
Canva
4.0
(7)
"I use Canva. Plenty of free stuff to use in the app."
"I really like this program.. Like someone else mentioned, there are some limitations but Canva is still my go to."
"I use canva but I pay for the monthly option."
"Just use the free version of canva. It’s browser based and easy to use."
"I quite like canva for thumbnails."
"I use canva"
"Canva is a pretty good service online for creating banners."
#15
Lightroom
4.3
(6)
"Can't go wrong with Lightroom, it works fantastically well on iPad."
"I've edited them on both C1 and Lightroom."
"My general recommendation is Lightroom Classic + Photoshop."
"Lightroom? Should contain all the normie features you're likely to need."
"I would recommend Lightroom."
"Lightroom."
#16
DxO Photolab
4.0
(6)
"DxO PL7."
"I love DXO Photolab."
"DxO Photolab"
"I use DxO Photolab for RAW development and Affinity Photo for editing."
"My favorite is DxO Photolab."
"Dxo Photolab."
#17
Adobe Photoshop
4.0
(6)
"Adobe Photoshop 😉"
"Best? Photoshop/Lightroom."
"Photoshop is good one. You can make artistic photo with it."
"Adobe is the only option I know that does all that you want."
"I personally use adobe photoshop, yes, it's not free but you can crack it."
"Lightroom and Photoshop are horrendously expensive and way too complicated for amateur use."
#18
Adobe Lightroom Classic
5.0
(4)
"Editing: Adobe Lightroom Classic!"
"Industry standard is Adobe Lightroom classic."
"Lightroom Classic"
"Adobe lightroom Classic is my fav"
#19
Luminar
4.0
(5)
"I use luminar for some weeks , it's all right !"
"I use Luminar and find it very capable."
"Luminar Neo, you can also use your own sky photos."
"Luminar has a very good AI for this."
"You might try the Skylum Luminar software since you aren’t needing to spend a monthly fee."
#20
Photoworks
4.0
(4)
"Photoworks is great, is't simple and you can buy an actual license that you won't need to pay for every month."
"One time buy deals like Photoworks are also available."
"Is good for editing RAW images and it doesn't follow the subscription model."
"An easy photo editor for PC, all the needed post-production tools, RAW images procession, a collection of one-click effects, a lifetime licence"
#21
Inkscape
4.0
(4)
"I use Inkscape to make all my YouTube thumbnails."
"Got Inkscape myself for a free photoshop"
"I use inkscape as its easy once you get the hang of it"
"Inkscape is free"
#22
Paint.NET
3.8
(4)
"Paint. Net is a free equivalent of Paint Shop."
"Easy, simple, straight forward. Been using it for 15 years."
"I recommend paint.net. Its like paint but has layers."
"I just use paint.net"
#23
Polarr
3.8
(4)
"Polarr is free and has a mobile app as well."
"Polarr is really nice"
"Polarr is a great free alternative to Lightroom."
"You may use Polarr without subscription."
#24
ON1
4.3
(3)
"Get Affinity photo or On1. You can buy them once and "own" the software without having to pay forever."
"It does pretty much all of the things that Lightroom does."
"I like ON1 , simple to use ."
#25
Photoscape X
4.0
(3)
"I use Photoscape X’s free version which is excellent because you get a bunch of features you usually have to pay for."
"As a free option I actually really like photoscape x"
"Photoscape X is pretty good and free."
#26
Nitro
5.0
(2)
"Nitro photo absolutely."
"If you want a true DAM attached to your photo editing app, then Nitro Photo is really the best option there is."
#27
DxO PhotoLab 6
4.5
(2)
"Is a great all in one software."
"I used LR for several years before moving to DXO PL6 as I preferred the more integrated NR workflow."
#28
PhotoGIMP
4.0
(2)
"Https://github.com/Diolinux/PhotoGIMP"
"PhotoGIMP, a patch for GIMP that makes the controls much more intuitive to use."
#29
Luminar AI
4.0
(2)
"Luminar AI."
"Great lightroom like experience but simplified and semi automated."
#30
Apple
4.0
(2)
"Apple Photos, Pixelmator Pro are my go-tos."
"I’d suggest looking through the built in Photos app for editing photos."
#31
Adobe Photoshop Elements
4.0
(2)
"Photoshop Elements is good and not too expensive."
"Photoshop Elements"
#32
Pixelmator Photo
4.0
(2)
"I’ve been really enjoying using Pixelmator Photo on iPad for photo editing!"
"I edit my RAW photos in Pixelmator photo. It costs a couple dollars upfront, but I got it for free on launch day thanks to a news article, lol."
#33
Capture One Express
4.0
(2)
"Free if it works for your camera brand"
"You may find that the free Capture One Express does pretty much everything you need."
#34
ON1 Photo Raw
4.0
(2)
"However, it has been surpassed by ON1 Photo Raw."
"Take a look at On1 Photo Raw."
#35
Adobe Lightroom Mobile
4.0
(2)
"Try Lightroom Mobile. They also have a free version with basic tools."
"Adobe Lightroom Mobile"
#36
ACDSee
4.0
(2)
"I recently switched from Lightroom Classic to ACDSee Photo Studio and I am very happy with it."
"Acdsee?"
#37
Pinta
3.5
(2)
"Pinta is basically the exact same but linux"
"Maybe Pinta, the Linux *clone* of Paint.net"
#38
Pixelmator
3.5
(2)
"Pixelmator Photo for iPad is solid as well."
"Keep an eye on Pixelmator. Apple just recently bought the company behind it."
#39
KolourPaint
3.0
(2)
"Kolourpaint is a simple graphical editor available in (nearly?) all linux distros."
"KolourPaint is ok."
#40
VSCO
3.0
(2)
"Lightroom, Snapseed, Darktable or even VSCO"
"I've been quite happy with just using VSCO (just taking jpgs and editing on my phone)."
#41
PhotoscapeX
5.0
(1)
"I started with the free version of PhotoscapeX and still use it all the time."
#42
Canon
5.0
(1)
"Canon DPP, it's free."
#43
Photodiva
5.0
(1)
"I like Photodiva, it's a free portrait editing software, so really good for working with photos of people."
#44
FastStone Image Viewer
5.0
(1)
"It's free. Been using it for years."
#45
Adobe Illustrator
5.0
(1)
"Illustrator is great (not free)"
#46
Skylum
5.0
(1)
"We found Luminar from Skylum is the best as it comes with Artificial Intelligence plus HDR feature."
#47
PhotoFiltre
4.0
(1)
"PhotoFiltre."
#48
PicsArt
4.0
(1)
"PicsArt is an app I don’t see mentioned a lot and I would suggest using it."
#49
Apple Photos
4.0
(1)
"Odd that hardly anyone has recommended Apple's own Photos app. It's actually very good."
#50
Darkroom
4.0
(1)
"Darkroom is a great free one, interface can take a bit to get used to but apart from that it's great."
#51
Gentleman Coders
4.0
(1)
"Raw Power or Nitro from gentlemancoders."
#52
IrfanView
4.0
(1)
"[IfranView] is what I use for a picture viewer and basic editor."
#53
Fire Alpaca
4.0
(1)
"Fire Alpaca. Medibang Paint."
#54
digiKam
4.0
(1)
"I adopted a workflow using digiKam for initially grading and cataloging my photos."
#55
Acorn
4.0
(1)
"I use acorn which is like a mini photoshop knockoff."
#56
Topaz
4.0
(1)
"Some photographers have recommended Topaz."
#57
Photoshop Express
4.0
(1)
"Photoshop Express is inexpensive and pretty good."
#58
Zoner
4.0
(1)
"Check out Zoner Labs, ACDSee, and Exposure 7."
#59
Canon Digital Professional
4.0
(1)
"I'm also an amature photographer and use Canon Digital Professional for basic edits, it's a free download from Canon."
#60
Paint Shop Pro 2019 Ultimate Bundle
4.0
(1)
"Paint Shop Pro is a very good, full-featured image editor that probably can do everything Photoshop can."
#61
Affinity Designer
4.0
(1)
"I use Affinity Designer for all of my vector designs."
#62
Pixlr X
4.0
(1)
"Pixlr x is pretty good"
#63
gThumb
4.0
(1)
"GThumb is a well made image viewer, it supports simple tagging, cropping, resizing, color corrections, filters and saving as other formats."
#64
XnView MP
4.0
(1)
"XNview MP has basic editing capabilities and is free and available for Win, Mac and Linux."
#65
Sly
4.0
(1)
"In 2024 (If you don't need RAW editing/curves etc) Sly is the best option."
#66
Photomator
4.0
(1)
"I use photomator for ipad, i like it way better than lightroom. i think it's simple and as good as lightroom."
#67
Adobe Lightroom CC
4.0
(1)
"Lightroom us pretty easy to use. Particularly the CC version."
#68
Adobe Creative Cloud
4.0
(1)
"Creative cloud’s web app for photoshop is great if you can afford it."
#69
Lightroom Classic
4.0
(1)
"Lightroom classic is excellent."
#70
Canon Digital Photo Professional 4
4.0
(1)
"It’s free. It’s easy as the settings options match your cameras menu choices."
#71
ON1 Photo Raw 2023.5
4.0
(1)
"Was $50 but is really easy to use and very powerful."
#72
Befunky
4.0
(1)
"One other that I haven't seen mentioned that I like as part of my 1,2,3 punch is befunky."
#73
Canon DPP
4.0
(1)
"I used Canon DPP when I first started. The price was right (free!) and it supported all I needed."
#74
Evoto
4.0
(1)
"Evoto AI, change the sky background in one click."
#75
AMS Photo Software
4.0
(1)
"Chick out articles on photo programs for PC that mention pros and cons"
#76
Krista
4.0
(1)
"Krista is amazing."
#77
Gnome Drawing
4.0
(1)
"Drawing is a simple Gnome photo editing app."
#78
ClipChamp
4.0
(1)
"Have you tried ClipChamp or VLC?"
#79
XnView
4.0
(1)
"Try xnview <[https://www.xnview.com](https://www.xnview.com)>."
#80
PaintShop Pro
3.0
(1)
"Paintshop Pro is actually a capable editor."
#81
DaVinci Resolve
3.0
(1)
"I use Davinci Resolve for photo editing. It's made for video though."
#82
Microsoft Office
3.0
(1)
"I've always liked using Microsoft Office Picture Manager for photo editing."
#83
Photoshop
3.0
(1)
"If the phrase 'learning curve' is a warning sign then PS Elements is only $59."
#84
Google Photos
3.0
(1)
"Have you thought about trying Google Photos?"
#85
Google Drawings
3.0
(1)
"It's great for importing a pic, adding text and other graphics, exporting."
#86
Canon Digital Photo Professional
3.0
(1)
"I feel you would be better served getting some sharp, well-exposed, nicely framed photos before worrying about editing them."
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