What do you do with all the photos you took with you DSLR or mirrorless camera? Rather than letting them languish on an SD card, good photo editing software will let you touch up your pictures so that they’re looking their best when you share them with family and friends, or for when you want to print out your photos.
Regardless of what you want to do with your photographs, there’s a slew of photo-editing programs and apps from which to choose. To help you select the best software, we tested six popular photo-editing programs, all either free or under $100: Apple Photos, Corel PaintShop Pro, GIMP, Google Photos, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Serif Affinity Photo.
Adobe PhotoShop Elements 2020 is our top pick for its robust yet accessible editing tools. Available for PCs and Macs, it also has a gentle learning curve for novices, as well as tons of features to make the most of your photos.
However, Windows users will get even more out of Corel PaintShop Pro 2020, which has more tools and is in some ways even more accessible.
For pros or more advanced users, we recommend Affinity Photo. While it will be harder for novices to pick up, it has a great range of powerful tools.
1. Adobe PhotoShop Elements 2020
Best Photo Editor Overall
- Easy photo editing for novices
- Powerful creative tools for serious photographers
- A great learning platform
- Improved performance
- Fun and useful AI-driven automation
- Works with Macs and PCs
- Can’t turn off Auto Creations
- Masks don’t limit some edits
While there aren’t a huge number of changes from last year’s version, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 is our pick for best consumer photo-editing program for its ease of use, fun creativity and underlying power. As before, three interfaces (Guided Edits, Quick Edits, and Expert Mode) make this program accessible for users of all experience levels.
A new subject selection tool makes it easier to create cutouts of individuals and pets, and a Smooth Skin tool is great at getting rid of wrinkles. And, of course, PS Elements 2020 works on both Macs and PCS.
2. Corel PaintShop Pro
- Great help system with integrated learning tools
- Powerful features and creative tools for advanced users
- Intuitive for novices
- Excellent content aware cloning
- Touch-screen compatible
- New ability to copy/paste layer styles
- Windows only
In many ways, Corel PaintShop Pro 2020 is superior to Photoshop Elements, as it’s a powerful program, yet is easy for novices to grasp, and has some additional tools, such as 360-degree photo editing. It’s also touch-screen compatible and has a new streamlined workspace. However, Photoshop Elements is available for both macOS and Windows PCs, while PaintShop Pro is a Windows-only program.
3. Affinity Photo
Best Budget Pro Photo Editor
- Budget price, with no subscription fees
- High-powered photo editing
- RAW processing within workspace
- Editing of very-high-resolution images in real time
- Can read, open and edit Photoshop PSD files
- Steep learning curve for novices
- No 3D or internal vector tools
- No custom workspace
- Still working out a few kinks
Affinity Photo offers powerful tools, resolution-independent editing, RAW processing within the interface and most of the other features that professional photographers want and need — all for only $49.99. While its learning curve is steeper than most, you’ll be rewarded with a robust set of features, including Photoshop-like exposure controls, paintbrushes, layers and more.
4. Google Photos
- Consolidates your photo and video libraries from multiple devices
- Auto-syncing among all your devices
- Simple, quick sharing
- Very easy to use
- Minimal photo-editing tools
- Imperfect face and object recognition
- No user-applied keywords
- Auto-generated collages and slide shows can’t be edited
Google Photos is better than any other tool for organizing and consolidating all your photo libraries, no matter where they are. However, in terms of photo editing, it offers only the barest minimum, helping you quickly prepare pictures for easy sharing. In fact, it’s best used in tandem with another app that offers greater editing features, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements.
5. Apple Photos
Best Free Editor for Mac Users
- Free and fun
- Simple to use
- Easy to create photo books, calendars and cards
- Syncs your photo and video library through iCloud
- Nice photo-editing tools
- Print projects available only via the desktop version
- Available only on Apple products
Though it doesn’t have editing tools that are as robust as those for paid programs, Apple Photos is a free, fun and very easy-to-use app for accessing, organizing and sharing your photos and videos. And, Apple Photos makes it easy to sync your library across multiple Apple devices.
6. GIMP
Best Open-Source Photo Editor
- Free and open-source
- Nice collection of both basic and advanced photo editing tools
- Extensible via Python, Scheme and other scripting languages
- Improved, more standard interface
- Poor help, no real guidance
- Steep learning curve
- Nonintuitive workflows
This free, open-source photo editor is beloved by many for its ability to help you get under the hood and customize the program. It also has a powerful set of editing tools, but it offers almost nothing in the way of guidance, which makes it more difficult to learn than other photo-editing software.
How we tested
We considered the following criteria when evaluating these programs:
- Organizing, syncing and accessing your photo library
- Photo editing versatility and depth
- Ease of use
- Power
- Sharing options
- Device and file format support
- Creative freedom
- Fun
Each of the programs we tested didn’t try to be the end-all, be-all for everyone. Therefore, we gave the various criteria different weights in our final ratings, depending on what the program’s objective was and the kind of photographer to whom it would appeal.
Photography guides
Looking for some tips to become a better photographer? Then check out our tips for taking great photos on your vacation, at weddings, of your kids, of your food, fireworks, and more.
Best photo printing services
Once you’ve edited your photos, you’ll want to show them off to your friends and family. We’ve tested a number of photo printing services; here are our the best for photo books, photo cards, and photo calendars.
Hardware Requirements
The five most important hardware components for editing in Lightroom and Photoshop are:
- Storage Drives (SSDs and HDDs)
- Memory (RAM)
- The Processor (CPU)
- The Graphics card (GPU)
- Monitor
1. Storage Drives
“Solid State Drive (SSD)”The Hard Disk Drive (HDD) has been around for so long that all drives are generally referred to as Hard Drives. In recent years, however, the Solid State Drive (SSD) has become ever more popular. In a nutshell, the difference between a Hard Disk Drive and a Solid State Drive is that the one has rotating disks inside it and the other is solid, with no moving parts. This, in effect, causes the SSD to be able to access data extremely fast, whereas the HDD has to wait for the rotating disks to warm up before you can access the files.
I’m listing the storage drive first as I believe it to be the most important part that will save you time. It determines the speed at which the computer can access the data stored on the drive. This is where Solid State Drives come in handy as it can reduce your computer start-up (boot) time to under 10 seconds! If that got your attention, then the next question is, probably; how much storage capacity should my SSD have? SSD’s generally have smaller capacities than their older HDD counterparts and the larger ones are quite pricey!
That is why we recommend using an SSD to run your Operating System, software, Lightroom catalogue and cache drives while using a large capacity hard drive for storage. Typically, a 500GB SSD will be adequate for your OS, Photoshop, Lightroom, and any other software you might be using. We then recommend getting a second or even third Hard Drive of 2 – 4 TB which you will then use as storage for all your photos, data, and documents. You will need an additional external hard drive(s) to backup your Photos and Lightroom Catalog(s).
Minimum Specs | Recommended Specs |
2 Hard Drives:- 2-4 TB HDD to run the OS, and hold your data, program files, and photos
- 2-4 TB External HDD (Backup)
| 3 Hard Drives:- 500 GB SSD or higher (System and Lightroom catalogue)
- 2-4 TB HDD (Photo storage)
- 2-4 TB External HDD (Backup)
|
2. Memory (RAM)
“We recommend 16GB RAM if you are running the latest Creative Cloud applications i.e. Photoshop CC and Lightroom Classic.”RAM is the second most important hardware, as it increases the number of tasks the CPU can handle at the same time. Simply opening Lightroom or Photoshop uses around 1 GB RAM each. Once you open a file (PS) or start scrolling through your pictures (LR) they each start using up to 4 GB RAM. Combined with the Operating system using about 2GB RAM for itself to run the latest Lightroom Classic together with Photoshop, we recommend a minimum of 16GB RAM. Anything less will cause your PC to slow down or even stop responding; especially when carrying out strenuous tasks like creating an HDR or Panorama.
Minimum Specs | Recommended Specs | Not Recommended |
- 12 GB DDR4 2400MHZ or higher
| | - Anything less than 8 GB RAM
|
3. Processor (CPU)
“Intel Core-i7 CPU”The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the part the computer that is commonly referred to as the “brains” of the computer. It is responsible for carrying out all the tasks you (or any software) give. How effective Lightroom will work when applying filters or adjusting sliders, depends on how good the CPU is. Adobe’s software is usually built to better support Intel products. Therefore we recommend the Intel “Core-I” CPU Range. Don’t buy anything that has “Pentium” or “Celeron” in the name, unless you like wasting time or hate yourself!
From benchmarks available on the net, and from testing it ourselves, it seems Lightroom prefers CPU’s with faster internal clock-speeds. This is great news, as it means that you will get better performance from an affordable Quad Core i5 running at a clock speed of 3.8GHz, or a Core i7 running at a clock speed of 4.2GHz than what you would get from a ridiculously expensive Core i9 with 18 cores running at a clock speed of 3.2GHz.
Interestingly, this seems to be true for Photoshop as well. Therefore, if you mainly use Photoshop and Lightroom, and are not running any other high-end applications that require many cores, you can stick to the more affordable i5 or i7 CPUs!
To quickly see what generation an Intel CPU belongs to, look at the first out of 4 digits after the brand name. For example, Intel Core i7 – 6700. The “6” in 6700 indicates that it is a Sixth Generation Intel CPU.
Minimum Required Specs | Recommended Specs | Not Recommended |
- 6th-gen Intel Core-i5 / i7 or higher
| - 8th-gen Intel Core-i5 / i7 or the equivalent AMD Ryzen processor or higher
| - Core-i3 or less
- Anything with “Pentium” or “Celeron” in the name
|
4. Graphics Card (GPU)
“NVIDIA Geforce Graphics Card”Both Photoshop and Lightroom Classic will benefit from having a fast, dedicated graphics card. Although Photoshop has been supporting graphics hardware acceleration for some time now, previous versions of Lightroom were under-performing with the graphics processor turned on. However, it seems that the latest version Lightroom Classic is now taking advantage of the graphics processor. We recommend you enable it and see what it does. Note that if Lightroom decides your graphics card is not strong enough for hardware acceleration, it will automatically disable this feature completely, to avoid negative performance issues.
For editing, we recommend a dedicated graphics card with at least 2 GB VRAM. If you’re using large, fancy pants, high-resolution 2K (QHD) or 4K (UHD) monitors, it is recommended that you get one of NVIDIA’s new RTX series graphics cards to keep up with the high demand a monitor like that requires. These new RTX cards feature special drivers called “Studio Drivers” that are exclusive to the RTX series and specifically tuned to improve the performance of professional photo and video editing software. If you plan on buying or already bought one of the new RTX series cards, be sure to enable the Studio Drivers from within the GeForce Experience software.
Recommending a specific graphics card is tricky, especially since new cards are released frequently. However, we recommend buying a mid-range to high-end NVIDIA, or Radeon card, that supports DirectX 12 or OpenGL 3.3, or later:
Minimum Required Specs | Recommended Specs |
- Dedicated onboard graphics
| - NVIDIA GeForce 1050, 1060, 1070, 1080, 1650, 1660, 2060, 2070, 2080 or equivalent Radeon.
- 2 – 4 GB Dedicated VRAM
|
5. Monitors
“Dell 27 inch QHD Monitor”Buying a proper high-resolution display with accurate colour is essential for photo editing. With Quad-HD (QHD) and Ultra-HD (UHD) monitors on the rise, we can now view our photos with crisp, sharp details. QHD and UHD resolution typically range from 2560 x 1440 to 3840 x 2160. Unfortunately, in the South African context, these monitors are expensive, but getting one now will be more “future proof”. If you’re on a tight budget go for at least a Full HD screen (1920 x 1080). In the case of Windows-based laptops, make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of buying one that supports a lesser resolution than Full HD.
This brings me to another important aspect. Does size really matter? For photo editing, it does! We recommend getting a minimum size of 27 inches or consider getting two 24-inch screens, which is perfect for multitasking and editing. If you have the cash to splash, then consider spoiling yourself with at least a 32-inch ultra-wide, curved monitor and make sure it supports UHD resolution. It will be expensive, but being surrounded by so much real estate will be utopian!
Another aspect you should consider is the screen technology, which determines the image quality, colour accuracy and viewing angles. Go for a backlit LED screen with IPS technology, or similar technologies like PLS (Samsung) or AHVA. Stay away from TN and VA panels, which don’t cut it for editing.
Finding a screen that offers colour accuracy and a wide range of colour (gamut) is equally critical. The two most important colour spaces offered in screens are sRGB and Adobe RGB. sRGB is the general standard for the Internet and most software applications but covers a limited colour range compared to Adobe RGB. Adobe RGB was developed to represent the full range of colours achievable on CMYK printers. Even though Adobe RGB covers a wider range of colours, it might be counterproductive in that Windows and other software applications will show the colours incorrectly. Photoshop, however, will display Adobe RGB colour space perfectly, whereas Lightroom uses an even larger colour space, ProPhoto RGB, which is not yet supported by monitors. If you use Lightroom mostly, then the difference between an sRGB or Adobe RGB monitor will be negligible.
Some professional, top of the range monitors offer Adobe RGB and even built-in hardware calibration, to assure absolute colour accuracy. These high-end monitors can cost tens of thousands of Rands and are overkill for the average photographer. If you wouldn’t spend that much money on a professional screen, consider buying or borrowing an optional calibration tool, such as the Spyder Pro, or X-Rite ColorMunki and buy a monitor that covers 99% – 100% of the sRGB colour space.
Key specs to look for in a monitor
| Panel Technology | |
| Resolution | - FHD 1920 x 1080
- QHD 2560 x 1440
- UHD 3840 x 2160
|
| Size | - Desktop: 27″ and larger
- Laptop: 15″ and larger
|
| Colour Space | - sRGB 99 – 100% coverage
- Adobe RGB (Expensive)
|
A note about Colour Management and Workflow
If you are considering professional commercial photography, where colour accuracy – from shooting to print – will be of the utmost importance, I recommend reading John Fox’s article on Colour Management. This is perhaps one of the most comprehensive articles you will ever find on the topic.
6. Input Devices
Mouse
- A critical piece of hardware that is commonly overlooked. Having a good mouse goes a long way in speeding up and easing retouching. We recommend getting yourself a Gaming Mouse, which will offer ergonomics and improved control. Some gaming mouse devices, even come with additional weights, which can improve accuracy when performing precision tasks! Finally, remember to get yourself a proper mousepad, which will enable you to use the mouse with increased accuracy on any surface.
Card Reader
- A compatible USB 3.1 card reader that can read the type of card (s) your camera uses, will save you the hassle of connecting your camera to the PC every time you download photos.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS):
- To add an extra layer of protection, you can safeguard your setup by adding a UPS, which allows you to save your work, and safely turn off your computer in the event of a power failure.
Recommended Specs
Buying a machine according to the specs below will assure fluid and relatively “painless” editing:
| Laptop | Desktop |
Storage | - 500 GB SSD or larger
- Alternatively a 1-2 TB HDD (Budget choice)
- Additional external HDD to back up your photos and Lightroom catalogue
| - 3 x Hard Drives
- 500 GB SSD or larger (System, Lightroom catalogue, cache)
- 2-4 TB HDD (Photo storage)
- Additional External HDD to back up your photos and Lightroom catalogue
|
Memory (RAM) | | |
Processor (CPU) | - Intel Core-i5 / i7, 8th-gen or the equivalent AMD Ryzen processor or higher
| - Intel Core-i5 / i7, 8th-gen or the equivalent AMD Ryzen 7 1700 or higher
|
Graphics Card (GPU) | - Onboard Graphics similar to a desktop with 2-4 GB dedicated VRAM
| - NVIDIA GeForce 1050, 1060, 1070, 1080, 1650, 1660, 2060, 2080 or equivalent Radeon.
- Minimum of 2-4 GB VRAM. The more VRAM a graphics card has, the better.
|
Monitor | - 15 inch or larger
- 1920 x 1080 (FHD)
| - 27 inch or larger
- 1920x 1080 (FHD) or 2560×1440 (QHD)
- IPS, PLS or AHVA panel
- 99 – 100% sRGB coverage
|
Peripherals | | - Gaming mouse and pad
- Compatible USB 3.1 card reader
- UPS
|
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