Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners in 2024

In this post, we have compiled the Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners and online tools to edit and retouch your photos and images. 

To speed up the search, you will find the Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners organized by different categories depending on what you need. There are tools for professionals, beginners, for infographics, for mobile devices, for memes, animated gifs, or Instagram. In the end, we will also leave you some handy tips to succeed with your photos.

Photo Editing

Is There Life Beyond Photoshop?

Some of the biggest excuses to avoid making your images are to think, “I don’t know how to draw” or “I’m not creative or skilled enough to make professional designs,” and that leads you not to try to create your content. But who told you that you don’t know or can’t?

You have to know what design Softwares interest you and get to work. Usually, when talking about editing or retouching photos, the Software that comes to mind is Photoshop, and the truth is an extraordinary tool, but for those who dominate it! What happens to people who do not control this tool? Can we also do extraordinary things? The answer is yes!!! And that’s why today, we bring you a complete collection of Softwares and tools for you to design your images.

Before starting the collection, I would like to answer this question:


Why Is It Essential That You Generate Your Images?

Because there is nothing faster and more intuitive than transmitting information in the image or video format, it is said that the brain processes visual information 70,000 times faster than text, so imagine what you can get by working your pictures well.

Some benefits provided by the images are:

  • They generate greater engagement because they immediately capture the attention and interest of the user, who shares and comments on them.
  • Increase the time spent in the post.
  • An article with an image generates more impact on social networks than one without a photo.
  • Get reduce the abandonment rate of our website.

Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners

In this first section, I will talk about the Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners for photo retouching or people who already master several tools to create their images.


1. Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop is undoubtedly the Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners. It is used to modify scanned images, such as photographs. It is also used to create and edit photos and graphics. There are many options that this tool allows you to edit. Among them are color, light, or background, among many others.

Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners

Operating system: Windows and Mac format.

Features :

  • It supports many types of image files, such as JPG, PNG, GIF, and many more.
  • Multi-layer set, where you can modify, transform, and distort images.
  • It allows extensive photo treatment, such as controlling and retouching the color.
  • It has several improved self-correction tools.
  • It has a group of blur filters that allows you to add various blurry effects.
  • Skin tone detection.

2. The GIMP

GIMP is possibly the best free, most powerful, and professional alternative to Photoshop. It is a referral Software to retouch photos for their very advanced features. It offers a powerful ability to handle layers, filters, color adjustments, tools for drawing or painting, etc.

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Operating system: Windows and Mac OS

Characteristics:

  • It has many tools to manipulate colors and the appearance of images such as focus, stain removal, shadows, scale modification, etc.
  • It is also able to import pdf files, as well as vector images (SVG).
  • The final image can be saved in the original GIMP xcf format that supports layers, or in a layer less format, which can be png, jpg, GIF, PDF.
  • It allows the automation of many processes using macros.

3.  Pixelmator

It is a fast and powerful Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners exclusively for Mac and one of the strongest alternatives to Photoshop. Its operation is very simple, and its low price makes it very appealing if you are thinking of buying a photo retouching software.

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Operating system: Mac OS.

Characteristics:

  • It allows working with different layers and has an essential range of filters and effects.
  • It allows for correcting the color, adjusting the brightness and contrast levels.
  • Precise selection tools.
  • Possibilities to blur edges, eliminate wrinkles or scratches, etc.

4. Paintshop pro

The Paint Shop Pro is another good alternative if you want to buy an image retouching Software. It is a tool that can be used by an average user to photography professionals. It is a very good Photo Editing Software for Beginners Software to create or improve images. It has a potent tool such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) and faces recognition.

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Operating system:  Windows.

Characteristics:

  • It allows you to add instant effects or restore all types of photos.
  • It allows us to locate the photos in any place in the world. Thanks to the GPS data incorporated into the images.
  • You can share your photos on social networks like Facebook, Flickr, or Google+.
  • It has graphic design tools: text, vector edition, brush.

Because we don’t all have to know about image design Softwares, I leave you these simple tools that can be of great help to create your first images.


5. PhotoScape

Photoscape is one of the Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners Free. It is an easy and simple tool that allows you to correct and improve your photos quickly.

photoscape

Operating system:  Windows and Mac OS.

Characteristics: 

  • It has an image editor, where you can adjust the size, correct lights, add text, etc.
  • An effects editor, to add frames or templates to your images.
  • Adjustment editor to change the color of the image.
  • RAW format converter to others like JPEG.
  • Creator of GIF animations, it is also a screen capturer, etc.

6. Paint.net

Paint.net is a powerful and simple photo editing software. It has an intuitive and innovative user interface, with support for layers, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful photo editing tools.

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Operating system: Windows.

Characteristics:

  • It allows working with multiple layers, filters, and special effects.
  • It has very easy to handle drawing tools.
  • It has support for the acquisition of images from cameras or scanners.

7. Ribbet

It is an easy to use online Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners and has a very simple and easy to understand interface. It has automatic fix tools (Auto Fix). 

Ribbet

Operating system: Windows.

Characteristics:

  • It works as fast as any desktop application.
  • It allows for correcting photos with a single click.
  • It has advanced options for retouching photos and multiple effects.
  • Integration with social networks like Twitter or Flickr.

8. PhotoPlus6

If you want a basic and easy tool to edit your photos, PhotoPlus 6 may be the answer. It has an interface with simple menus and a clear and informal design. It has three interrelated modules: an image organizer, a proofreader, and the photo editor.

Operating system: Windows.

Characteristics:

  • It offers advanced tasks, such as editing RAW files.
  • It allows a combination of HDR images.
  • It has tools for selecting layers, filters and effects, etc.

Softwares to Retouch Photos Online

In this section, I am going to talk about some of the most commonly used Softwares to create or retouch pictures online without having to download any software.


9. Canva

It is one of my favorite tools to create images, headers, infographics, and multiple graphics contents that make the contents of your website or blog more appealing and attractive. Canva is also available for mobile devices.

Besides, if what you want is to retouch photographs in a very intuitive way and apply filters of all kinds at a click, Canva has a specific section for photo retouching. It allows you to crop images, adjust brightness, rotate and flip the photo, apply more than ten different filters, and much more. Due to the usability of the interface, and the variety of options it offers, it is a highly recommended tool if you want to retouch photographs quickly and online.

Operating system: Windows and Mac OS.

Characteristics:

  • You can use free images, and templates and others are paid at the cost of $ 1.00 per image.
  • Image Bank. It has many free images and fonts.
  • Includes pre-configured templates to design cards, banners, headers, emails, and posts for social media profiles.
  • It helps you in the creation and design of infographics.

10. PicMonkey

It is a free and online image editor, with which you can make very original images to improve your content. It is a very useful and easy to use tool that allows you to create multiple professional possibilities thanks to its functionalities and filters.

Operating System: Windows and Mac OS.

Characteristics:

  • It offers a free and paid version at an affordable price.
  • It includes basic tools to crop images, rotate, alter colors, resize, etc.
  • It has all kinds of effects and filters.
  • Add text or drawings, etc.

11. Pixlr

It is an online editor that works very well and has many varieties of fonts, stickers, effects, colors, etc. And it’s free. Its interface is similar to Photoshop, which makes handling familiar, making it easy to find the tool you are looking for without difficulties. It is a good option if you are looking for a fast and versatile edition.

Operating System: Windows and Mac OS

Characteristics:

  • It has the particularity of having 3 online editors (Pixlr Editor, Pixlr Express and Pixlr O-Matic), to choose the one that best suits your needs.
  • Pixlr Express, the online design tool to create your photos.
  • Pixlr Editor, to edit photos offering almost the same features as Photoshop.
  • Pixlr-O-Matic is an application designed for smartphones and tablets, which allows you to edit photos, add effects, and share them on Facebook and Twitter.

12. Picasa

Picasa is Google’s Software for photo editing. It is a tool that allows you to organize, edit, and share photos simply and easily for all types of users. With this tool, you can retouch your photos and work wonders and then upload them to Picasa Web Albums to share them with your friends.

Operating system: Windows and Mac Os.

Characteristics:

  • It allows us to transfer, find, organize, and print images.
  • Automatically organize all your images into colorful albums with filters by dates.
  • It allows you to remove scratches and spots, or modify red-eye problems in the image.
  • Turn photos into movies, collages, and presentations.
  • It works with JPEG, GIF, BMP, PSD, and other formats.

Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners to create infographics

In this third section, I talk about four very good Softwares to create infographics, which are the most appropriate visual element to display data, statistics, or knowledge graphically and help to capture and understand the concepts more quickly. They are an excellent alternative to endless and difficult to understand texts. They are potentially viral on blogs and social networks.


13. Picktochart

This is one of my favorites and is one of those tools that I talked about in the introduction, with it, you have no excuse not to create an infographic because she does almost everything for you. It’s perfect! It is a very simple and easy to use infographic Software since once the template is chosen, you just have to complete the information you want and adapt it to your needs.

Operating system: Windows and Mac Os

Characteristics:

  • It has a gallery of free and pro templates very complete and inspiring.
  • In its free version, it offers 7 different templates and the possibility to start from scratch.
  • It allows you to easily modify the entire font or color scheme in your presentation.
  • You can export your infographic in PNG, JPG, and HTML or publish it directly on social networks.
  • It is possible to modify the text boxes, adding more shapes and types of letters, etc.

14. Easel.ly

It is another good Software to create infographics since it contains more than 25,000 illustrations and where you can choose between predefined themes, which you can edit, change, incorporate objects, texts, etc.

Operating system: Windows and Mac Os.

Characteristics:

  • It is easy to use. You just have to drag and drop elements (background, templates, etc.).
  • You can resize and slide objects to any part of the infographic.
  • It has a good variety of images to choose from.
  • It has an opacity option, where you can adjust the transparency of any image (darker, lighter, invisible), etc.

15. Infogram

Another platform that you can use to create your easy-to-use infographics, which has more than 30 types of graphics. You have 8 free templates and another 6 premium. It requires registration, which you can do through your Facebook or Google+ account. All templates have a very similar style, but with slightly different designs and colors.

Operating system: Windows and Mac Os.

Characteristics:

  • There is no option to start a new infographic from scratch.
  • You can download your content in PNG and PDF, but you have to have a paid version.
  • You can add your files, photos, or videos from YouTube or Vimeo.
  • It has good options to create graphics.

16. Visual.ly

With this Software, you can hire the construction of an infographic because they have a team of designers and creatives who can make the graphic content you need, such as infographics, videos, graphics, etc. It has several types of accounts, depending on the services you need. This tool suits you very well if you don’t have time or patience to create your content or if you want to create a weekly infographic of your Google Analytics statistical data.

Operating system: Windows and Mac Os.

Characteristics:

  • It allows you to create free infographics that are generated from Google Analytics data or social networks.
  • If you want personalized infographics, you can hire them.
  • The only custom infographic you can create is a Venn diagram.
  • In short, you can get very cool infographics, but you have to pay.

Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners to Retouch Photos on Mobile

At this point, I leave four mobile apps to create visual content in one click. They can be handy for creating stunning images without having to use the computer.


17. Snapseed

It is one of the best applications to retouch photos on mobile devices. It has many functions and possibilities to edit your images and is easy and simple to use. To edit the photos. You just have to slide your finger up and down to choose an option and sideways to choose the intensity. It’s from Google, and it’s free.

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Operating system: iOS, Android or Windows

Characteristics:

  • Automatic photo adjustments, when you don’t have time.
  • It allows saving the modified images and being able to return to the original photograph.
  • Tune image: To change the brightness, contrast, saturation, shadows, and warmth.
  • It offers different frames to decorate the photograph.
  • You can share your creations through Google+ or e-mail.

18. Aviary Photo Editor

The Aviary Photo Editor application is a very useful photo editing tool that has many options for you to create original photos. It is very simple to use and has an easy to use the menu. Is free.

Operating system: iOS, Android.

Characteristics:

  • It offers a good range of stickers, filters, concealers, and effects.
  • It has an integrated application for the camera.
  • Available a tasty variety of frames.
  • It allows you to send your finished photos to a photoshop and pick them up after they have already been improved.

19. Repix

It is an application that has a good range of high-speed filters that allows you to create photos with an artistic touch. Its strong point is that you can selectively paint with special effects and the tip of your finger using custom effect brushes.

Operating system: Android, iOS.

Characteristics:

  • Use the Samsung S Pen support.
  • Various options for editing images (crop, change brightness, change contrast, change saturation, etc.)
  • The vast range of brushes (you can add, but they are payments)
  • It allows applying artistic filters with “brushes.”

20. Adobe Photoshop Express

It is a free application that will allow you to edit and retouch your photos with ease. It has simple and advanced editing features, and you can work your content with just swiping and dragging your fingers along the screen.

Operating system:  iOS.

Characteristics:

  • It has an automatic correction.
  • Different editing options such as cropping, turning, eliminating red eyes, etc.
  • Use the sliders to retouch clarity.
  • It has many filters with more than 20 effects.
  • It allows sharing on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, etc.

Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners for Instagram

I could not stop talking about this social network that is booming and where you have to place your magnificent images. Apart from Aviary and Snapseed that are the most used, you also have other excellent tools that you can use to edit your photos on Instagram.


21. InstaSize

I start this list with an application and photo editor for Instagram that will come in handy. Tell me, how many times have you taken an excellent photograph of those that you are proud of, but when you have tried to upload it to Instagram, have you had to crop it to publish? Does this sound like something to you?

Well, with Instasize, this will not happen again because it optimizes your photo so you can upload it full size to Instagram without having to crop it. How about? Only for this function deserves to be on this list, do not you think?

Operating system: iOS, Android, Windows Phone

Characteristics:

  • Use your fingers to reduce the image to the size you want.
  • You can share it directly on your social networks.
  • A wide variety of powerful filters.
  • Many editing options (crop, rotate, background colors, texts, stickers, etc.

22. Hipstamatic

It is an application that stands out mainly for its original lens and reel system. The unique effect that their lenses provide will allow you to create beautiful photos with a “retro” style. It also allows you to share your finished photos directly on Instagram without having to change applications.

Operating system:  iOS.

Characteristics:

  • Exchange lenses and flashes for different effects.
  • You can share your photos instantly through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Flickr.
  • It is a paid application and costs 1.99.

23. PicsArt Photo Studio

It is one of the most popular free mobile photo editors. A new application since it has a very simple and easy to handle interface. It highlights its PicsArt DrawCam function that will allow you to combine the camera live with drawings and edit very cool photos. It is a free app.

Operating system: iOS, Android, Windows Phone

Characteristics:

  • It has a lot of drawing effects (sticker mode, artistic brushes, or text styles).
  • It allows you to create amazing collages with your photo grid tool.
  • It has multiple artistic effects for your photos (stencil, cartoon, outlines, vintage, etc.).
  • You can also share your images on social networks or send them by SMS and email.

24. Slow Shutter Cam

This is an application that offers you a different way of creating and retouching your photos. Since it allows you to capture a wide variety of images with surprising slow and fast shutter effects at the same time. Allowing you to create pictures with different and spectacular results.

Operating System: iOS.

Characteristics:

  • It has three capture modes to get unique images.
  • Automatic, with which you can make images with the smoke effect.
  • Manual, for low light conditions, it gives you more light.
  • Light trails (light trail), allows you to capture any other light that moves uniquely, such as light trails, etc.
  • It is a payment application.

Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners to Create Artistic Animated Gifs

In this section, I would like to talk to you about three perfect means to create animated images (animated gifs) with which you can customize your content and more easily capture the attention of your followers.


25. Imgflip

Imgflip is one of the complete tools. With it, you can include an image or a URL of a video hosted on YouTube and convert a section of it into a gif file.

Operating system: Windows and Mac OS

Characteristics:

  • It allows you to load several different images and convert them into a slide gif file.
  • You have options to customize the font and size of it.
  • You can upload your video file and customize a part of it in gif.

26. Make a Gif

It is another handy tool since it is very simple and easy to use. It allows you to quickly create your animated gifs from photos or videos of your webcam.

Operating system: Windows and Mac OS

Characteristics:

  • Select several image modes.
  • The resulting image will have a watermark with the text “MakeAGIF.com.”
  • Free Software

27. GifCam

It is an application that works through a window that allows us to capture a set of images or fractions of videos that we have on our computer and transform them into animated gifs.

Operating system: only available for Windows.

Characteristics:

  • Select several image modes.
  • You can add text and edit the gifs after created with some primary effects.
  • It has no recording time limit.

Best Photo Editing Software to Create Artistic Animated Gifs to create Memes Online

To finish the article, I leave three applications to create Memes online, very visual elements, and that can come in handy to share an idea that you consider essential and that you want to become viral on the Internet.


28. Memegenerator.net

It is one of the best pages to create online memes and has a large number of models through which you can get inspired to create your memes.

Operating system: Windows, Android, or iOS.

Characteristics:

  • Upload your photos to create a meme from them.
  • It has an application to create your memes from mobile devices.
  • Available in English.

 


29. Memegenerator 

It is another page where you can create your online memes with images that you have hosted on your computer, although it is not as intuitive and easy to handle as the previous one.

Operating system: Windows, Android or iOS

Characteristics:

  • It has a slightly sparse model bank, compared to Memegenerator.net.
  • Text size automatically adjusts to images.
  • Offer a preview of the meme you are generating to see how it will look.

30. Imgur meme generator

It is a handy tool because it is a complete search engine that allows you to upload your images so you can create memes from them.

Operating system: Windows and iOS.

Characteristics:

  • On its homepage, it shows the best memes created by other users so you can get inspired.
  • You can share, vote, or leave comments on the memes of other users.

5 Useful tips for Beginners 

To end this article, I would like to leave some very useful tips to optimize your images.

Optimize the weight of your images

Adjust the size of each image depending on where and what you use it for. You should reduce the weight as much as possible without losing quality so as not to slow down your pages and web.

Always add images with the correct size

Do not forget to insert images with the right size to avoid mismatches in the visible part of the content and achieve a perfect and attractive structure.

Optimize the name and description of your image

Replace the code, reference, or name that has the image you have downloaded from the Internet with your keywords and always includes an explanation so Google can read and understand its content.

Put a title and alternative text

It is not enough to always include a good title, legend, and alternative text to each photo, so you have more information.

Adapt your images to the different Social Networks

It is another of the fundamental points and that people usually forget. In each social network, a size works, so you have to adapt your images to the dimensions of Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or Pinterest, for example, so that your contents are more viral.