Free Photo Editors
Which photo editors a startup can retouch its product photos and edit images with for free today, what the free version leaves out, the systems it runs on, whether a card is needed and what the paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Photo editors change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
Photo editors a startup can use for free today include Photoshop Express (Free to download), GIMP (Free and open source), Paint.NET (Free download), Pinta (Free and open source), and PhotoScape X (Free, no payment needed). Each of the 10 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, the systems it runs on, whether a card is needed and what the paid plan costs.
Product shots, team photos, ads and store listings all need retouching, cropping and color correction. Several photo editors are free from their makers, and open-source photo editors are free with no plan at all.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free versions often keep AI tools and premium filters for a paid plan, and some run on one operating system only. Each editor below shows what is free, its main limit, the systems it runs on, whether a card is needed and what the paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which editors we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which editors are listed or where.
Free photo editors from software companies
Retouch and edit photos in a full editor from a software company, free.
- 1
Photoshop Express
Quick phone and Windows edits, collages and cutouts
Adobe's page says Photoshop Express is free to download from the Apple App Store, Google Play or the Windows Store. Premium features are an option for more advanced edits, and the page states no price for them.
- What's free
- Free to download (source: adobe.com)
Start free at AdobeTerms read on adobe.com on Photoshop Express: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Paint.NET
A free Windows photo editor with layers and effects
Paint.NET's page offers a free download and calls itself free software. It is an editor for PCs that run Windows, so Mac and Linux users need another editor.
- What's free
- Free download (source: paint.net)
- 3
PhotoScape X
Batch resizing and simple retouching on Windows or Mac
PhotoScape X's English page says you can have everything you need without paying a cent. It is compatible with Windows and Mac, and is not yet available for Linux.
Start free at PhotoScape XTerms read on photoscapex.com on PhotoScape X: the free allowance and how to start - 4
Picsart
Quick social edits on phone or web, with paid AI extras
Picsart's pricing page lists standard photo and video editing tools as included with every plan. A free account gets 100 MB of cloud storage, and the Picsart app runs on iOS and Android.
- 5
Polarr
Basic edits and filters on phone or web, free
Polarr's web page has a Free column with basic adjustments and 14 basic filter presets. Premium filters are in the Pro column only.
- What's free
- 14 basic filter presets (source: polarr.com)
Open-source photo editors
Edit and develop photos with free, open-source software.
- 1
GIMP
Full photo retouching and editing with no fees
GIMP's site calls itself The Free & Open Source Image Editor, and says you can change its source code and distribute your changes. It is available for GNU/Linux, macOS and Windows.
- What's free
- Free and open source (source: gimp.org)
- 2
Pinta
Simple drawing and image edits on any desktop
Pinta's site calls it a free, open-source program for drawing and image editing. It is available on Linux, Mac and Windows.
- 3
RawTherapee
Developing camera raw files with fine control
RawTherapee's site says it is Free and Open Source software that you can use free of charge. It runs on Linux, macOS and Microsoft Windows.
Start free at RawTherapeeTerms read on rawtherapee.com on RawTherapee: the free allowance and how to start - 4
darktable
Photographers who want raw editing and a photo library
darktable is released under the GPL 3.0, so it is free and open source. Its install page lists Linux/Unix packages and macOS bundles, and says there are no official releases for Intel Macs.
Start free at darktableTerms read on darktable.org on darktable: the free allowance and how to start - 5
digiKam
Organizing and editing a large photo library
digiKam's site says it is an open-source application that respects your freedom and privacy. Its download page lists a Linux AppImage, a macOS package and a Windows installer.
- What's free
- Free and open source (source: digikam.org)
Also useful for design and creative work
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers photo editors a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each editor's terms. Every term comes from the editor's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. AI tools or premium filters kept for a paid plan, a watermark, a desktop app for one operating system only can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these editors pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a editor appears, and no editor pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free photo editor?
By the terms each provider states, GIMP, darktable, RawTherapee, digiKam and Pinta are free and open source, Photoshop Express is free to download on mobile and Windows, and Paint.NET and PhotoScape X are free downloads.
Is there a free Photoshop alternative?
Yes. GIMP is free and open source on Linux, macOS and Windows, and Adobe's own Photoshop Express is free to download, with premium features as an option.
Which free photo editors run on Mac?
GIMP, PhotoScape X, darktable, RawTherapee, digiKam, Pinta and Polarr run on Mac, while Paint.NET is Windows only.
Is Picsart free?
Picsart includes standard photo and video editing on every plan, and a free account has 100 MB of cloud storage, on iOS, Android and the web.
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