Top 5 Best Free Photo Editors - Transform your pictures with these great free image editors

hether you’re addicted to taking quick pics on your mobile phone, or are a DSLR purist, in pursuit of the perfect photograph, your images can look even better with this line-up of fantastic free photo editing software. Features that used to cost a small fortune can now be yours without spending a dime. Manipulate curves, contrast, colours, or enhance exposures; get creative with clone stamps; use healing brushes to erase flaws, or masks for isolating and editing areas; or even use layers like a boss to blend elements and combine effects. Whatever your level of experience, use one of these Top 5 Best Free Photo Editors and you’ll take your images to the next level. Like the look of them? Then  discover our full range of free photo editing software now, right here

Whether you’re addicted to taking quick pics on your mobile phone, or are a DSLR purist, in pursuit of the perfect photograph, your images can look even better with this line-up of fantastic free photo editing software. Features that used to cost a small fortune can now be yours without spending a dime. Manipulate curves, contrast, colours, or enhance exposures; get creative with clone stamps; use healing brushes to erase flaws, or masks for isolating and editing areas; or even use layers like a boss to blend elements and combine effects. Whatever your level of experience, use one of these Top 5 Best Free Photo Editors and you’ll take your images to the next level. Like the look of them? Then  discover our full range of free photo editing software now, right here on FileHippo.

1

GIMP

Any Quentin Tarantino fan will smile at the name, but GIMP is a great multi-platform photo manipulation tool. GIMP, which is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is an open-source application that relies on a community of volunteer developers who maintain and improve the program. It’s suitable for a variety of image manipulation tasks, including photo retouching, image composition, and image construction. It may not be leather-clad, but this GIMP is certainly versatile. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image rendering, an image format converter, you name it. The GIMP is available for PC and Mac.

2.

Paint.NET

A classic that we’ve still got a lot of love for, every feature of Paint.NET including the user interface, was designed to be immediately intuitive and easy to learn without assistance. This all makes sense when you learn that it was originally developed as a college design project, mentored by Microsoft; and it continues to be maintained by alumni of the programme. To allow easy navigation of multiple images, Paint.NET uses a tabbed document interface. The tabs display a live thumbnail of the image instead of a text description. Paint.NET uses a layers system to form the basis for rich image composition. Layers are likened to a stack of transparency slides that, when viewed together at the same time, form an image: clever, eh?

 3.

Photoscape

If you’re looking for a program to get a fast overview of your photos and images with simple ways to optimise, then Photoscape X is for you! The tool offers the beginner everything they need to organise and edit their digital images. As well as the viewer, Photoscape X has functions to clone, crop, sharpen and de-colour as well as settings for contrast, levels, vignetting and many other image parameters. Several templates allow to easily arrange photos on a page which can then be saved as a final image or be printed on paper. Photoscape X also includes capabilities for red-eye removal, batch editing (file names and image settings), converting camera RAW files, taking screenshots and generating GIFs, where several individual images can be combined to an animated GIF. Photoscape is available on PC and Mac.

4.

Pixlr

Pixlr is an online, browser-based photo editing suite that’s split into three different apps, all built from the same engine; simply pick the one best suited for your needs and away you go! Pixlr-O-Matic is a fun, light-weight, Instagram-style app, that lets you add retro effects and transform photos into cool vintage images. Pixlr Express offers a quick fix for images or for users to add a personal touch with creative effects, filters, overlays, stickers and borders. Finally, Pixlr Editor offers a fantastic range of tools, allowing users to work in layers, replace colours, transform objects and much more. Think of it like a free, online Photoshop, and you won’t be far off the money. The only down-side is that because it’s Flash-based, Pixlr won’t run on most mobile devices.

5.

Google Nik Collection

Compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 through to 10.10; Windows Vista, 7, 8; and Adobe Photoshop through to CC 2015, Google's Nik Collection of desktop image editing plug-ins can now be enjoyed for free. Analog Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, Viveza, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro and Dfine apps are all available as a free download from Google. This is a massive saving on the previous $150 price tag! The Nik Collection comprises of seven desktop plug-ins, which provide a powerful range of photo editing capabilities, ranging from filter applications that improve colour correction, to retouching and creative effects, through to image sharpening tools that bring out the hidden details in your images.