Because different users have different requirements, I have taken the best, and free of course, photo editor apps for each category. One of them can even replace Photoshop, if you want. Intrigued? Let’s begin. Also Read: Lightroom vs Snapseed: Which is a Better Photo Editor?
Free Photo Editor Apps for Windows 10
1. Windows 10’s Built-In Photos App
While the native Photos app isn’t the best image viewer in Windows 10, you can certainly use it for basic image editing. Simply open any image in the native Photo app and you will get basic options such as – crop, draw, rotate, etc. The crop tool lets you crop the image either by selecting a region or you can select standard presents like 16:9 or 4:3. There is also the “Enhance” option right below the Crop tool, which lets you adjust the photo saturation, highlights, and shadows, etc. You can even apply filters to your image, however, these preset filters aren’t as good as the one you get on Instagram. With the “Draw” tool, you can write on the image using your trackpad or mouse as a pen.
2. GIMP
GIMP is an open-source and free image editing program for Windows 10 that is often compared with Photoshop, and for good reason. It is extremely powerful and has a feature set that rivals Adobe’s finest. I admit, the UI is not the best in the industry, but you can edit, crop, remove background objects, change shape and perspective, heal, color, write, and do a lot more.
There are a number of plugins that you can download and install, for free, to get even more features. As for the UI, you will get used to it pretty soon and there are plenty of tutorials, both video, and documentation, to help you get familiar. Adobe has adopted a subscription model which means they can hire talent and dish out new features before others. However, photo editor apps like GIMP usually follow suit within a few months. Download GIMP: Windows Also Read: Top 5 Free Online Image Editor Like Photoshop
3. Canva
The first thing you need to understand is that social media apps like Instagram was designed to be used on smartphones. As such, for best results, you should use a smartphone app like Snapseed or Photoshop Express, available on both Android and iOS for free, to edit your selfies on the fly. If you are a pro who wants everything to be perfect to the last pixel and need more control and tools, get Canva. It works right out of the browser and also has mobile apps.
Canva is a powerful tool and supports social media filters like 800 x 800px for Instagram. Canva offers a number of templates, stock images for every occasion, and a dedicated section for social media giants like Instagram and Facebook. I use Canva often to edit images on the fly and love it. Get Canva: Browser Also Read: 10 Best Photo Viewer for Windows 10 (2019)
4. Ashampoo Photo Optimizer
Not everyone wants to edit the heck out of an image. Some people just want to touch up an image, rather quickly, before posting it on a social media site or sharing it with someone special. Ashampoo Photo Editor will use AI intelligence to touch up a photo and remove dark spots and optimize an image before sharing.
You will love the UI too. It is clutter-free, ad-free, and pretty simple to use. Just import or open an image with this free photo editor app for Windows 10 and click a few buttons before saving it. There are a number of filters and frames to choose from, if you are into them. It can auto-detect and correct colors. There is also a pro version available, however, most people won’t need it for the purpose we discussed. Download Ashampoo Photo Optimizer: Windows
5. Adobe Photoshop Express
Can’t complete this list without one Adobe product, cam I? Photoshop Express is a very powerful and versatile photo editor app for Windows as well as mobile OS like Android and iOS. It is also completely free, surprisingly. Its uses a slider based UI which makes it dead simple and easy to edit images to your liking. If that’s not your thing, there is still AI.
Photoshop Express is a tamed and trimmed down version of the original beast that is Photoshop. As such, it is well suited for newbies and amateurs who are looking for basic to mid level photo editing tools. There are plenty of effects and filters to choose from. You can edit color, saturation, remove spots, change perspective, and do a lot more. There is support for a number of cloud storage sites too, so you don’t have to pay Adobe to use theirs. Download Adobe Photoshop Express: Windows
6. Photoscape
Looking for a photo editor for Windows that can handle batch processing? Look no further than Photoscape. It can resize images in bulk, join them horizontally or vertically, add borders on the fly, and you can even create multiple presets for all of this. There is also a RAW converter if you are using a DSLR to snap pics.
Photoscape has a weird UI which is very functional at the same time. Strange but very powerful. You can create GIFs using a set of images or split a single image into multiples. Photoscape’s strength lies in its batch processing which is exactly why I recommend it. There are filters and other options but there are betters photos editors for Windows for them. Download Photoscape: Windows
Free Photo Editor Apps for Windows 10
These are some of the best and free photo editor apps for Windows 10 users. There is an app for everything. Photoscape is good for batch processing while GIMP is a suitable Photoshop replacement. If you still want something that has Adobe written on it and works and functions like Photoshop, there is Photoshop Express. Canva is awesome if you need something that works everywhere, including in the browser. Ashampoo is an excellent tool for optimizing images and applying filters. If you are using a different photo editor that you think should be in this list, do let us know in the comments below.
