Top 5 Best Image Editors in 2020 – If you are thinking of something easy to use and without any charges, simply download and run these free image editors. Each freeware image editor that I added to this list was tested personally on portrait and landscape images.
There are some advanced tools for basic image editing, color correction, and even some features for digital drawing and design.
1. Fotor
This is suitable for simple image editing without complex techniques
Pros:
- A huge number of filters/effects
- Automatized tools do the job well
- 70% of the content is available for free
- Interesting templates for design
Cons:
- Too many advertisements
- RAW support only in the desktop version
Fotor is the best free image editor for those who want to get professional results without buying expensive software and learning quite difficult photoshop layers.
Fotor offers a long list of basic tools and functions, ranging from simple changes, such as brightness, shadows, contrast, saturation, to more complex ones, such as wrinkle removal, teeth whitening and even makeup applying.
The image editor also boasts a large selection of effects, frames, stickers and text options, primarily for social media sharing.
As for drawbacks, I’d like to note that the online version is overloaded with intrusive and distracting ads (occupies approximately 30% of working space). You can disable ads by subscribing to the paid version for $8.99/month
2. PixIr
This type is suitable for manipulation of images in a single click
Pros:
- Support layers and masks
- Customizable interface
- Open photos from desktop or URL
Cons:
- Flash is required
- Distracting advertisements
PixIr is a good choice for learner’s photographers as you get two absolutely free image editors that perform all the necessary actions: Editors and Express. The main version is praised by users for a very intuitive interface along with plenty of cool functions.
Among the features embedded in this free image editor program, you will find both professional and basic ones: exposure, levels, automatic enhancement tools, sophisticated color pickers, customizable brushes, layers and masks.
It includes advanced tools, PSD template support, premium font, stock pictures, layers, and more. In defense of pixIr, I will note that a free, simpler HTML version is also available online under the name pixIr x.
3. PhotoScape
This is very suitable Batch editing with +1000 filters
Pros:
A huge number of filters and overlays
- Batch editing
- RAW support
- GIF-editing capability
Cons:
- Lags
- Loss of quality when exporting capability
At first glance, PhotoScape seems to be a primitive free image editor. However, its feature-set is pretty rich, with image merging and splitting RAW conversion, and animated GIF creation capabilities. You will also see an unusual but helpful option for printing graphs, sheets, or lined music paper.
The program has thousands of filters, frames, brushes, crop shapes, intelligent cutting tools, color palettes and clone stamps. Photographers can take advantage of the RAW conversion feature.
PhotoScape is the only image editor that imports the folder full of RAW files in a very short time. Besides, I really like the color correction menu with its vast variety of adjustment resembling lightroom rather than other free photo editing apps.
The loss of quality when editing high-resolution files is also worth mentioning. I don’t know what is wrong with this image editor, but it significantly reduces the quality of my RAW files.
4. Polarr
This is suitable for advanced color correction and a separate mode for drawing
Pros:
- More than 100 professional filters
- Selective color correction
- Custom brushes
Cons:
- Doesn’t support RAW files
- Everything is saved in sRGB
- Not suitable for paid image editing
Polarr is the best free image editor for those looking for advancement tools for color correction, portrait fixing, and drawing. It doesn’t mimic photoshop and is intuitive to use.
Polarr lets you automatically enhance the image or adjust everything manually. You may adjust the skin tone by selecting it with a brush or placing a square, add shadows or vice versa to brighten a certain part of the image or blur the background, correct color, light, details, add vignette, perform fine-tuning of colors with HSL, toning curves, distortion, borders, effects, LUT and rendering.
The only limitation is the export of final result in an sRGB format. This may be a restriction of its coding and it won’t be suitable for those, who need to print images on an inkjet.
5. GIMP
This is suitable for deep image editing using layers and masks
Pros:
- Open-source
- Support almost all formats, including RAW and PSD
- Advanced tools in the form of masks and layers
- Quite a lot of tutorials
Cons:
- Rare updates
- No batch processing
- Too slow
GIMP is the most popular, cross-platform online free image editor software. It is built on open-source code, with the help of which you can manually fix small errors/bugs and even extend the program.
The tools offered by GIMP are rather impressive-from masks and layers to levels and curves. Eliminating imperfections is possible thanks to a remarkable clone stamp and healing tools.
This software is installed on desktop devices with any operating system, or downloaded as a portable version, which you can add to a USB token for the ease of use. It is also worth mentioning that GIMP offers quite many tutorials, which is a rarity for free image editors
GIMP is often referred to as a decent Photoshop alternative.
