Free photo editing software for Mac: 11 of our favoritesWhy we love it: We thought we’d start with the OG of Mac photo editors. Some are free trials of paid programs, and others are genuine, no-strings-attached free photo editors.Choose any of the options on this list and you’ll have yourself one of the best photo editors for your next project. We’ll let you know which platforms each app or program is compatible with in the “Where you can use it” section.) The Best Free Photo Editing Software for MacSome of the winners on our list are available as desktop apps, while others are strictly available as online photo editors.Learn more about what this Mac photo editor can do for you.What could be improved: If we have a complaint about Apple Photos, it’s that the photo enhancement features are relatively limited. Plus, as a built-in Mac app, it’s genuinely, totally free — which is why we’re more than happy to name it the best free image editor. The tools are intuitive and simple to navigate, and the integration with iCloud Photo Library is seamless. Since then, it’s cemented its reputation as the best free photo editing software for Mac.
![]() Hdr Software Review Free Trials OfAlso, it doesn’t quite qualify as a free photo editor, but you have 7 days to try it out risk-free. Luminar has been ranked among the best photo editing software for Mac by CleverFiles and Photolemur, among others.What could be improved: Mobile users might consider a mobile-specific app for an on-the-go photo editor, since Luminar is desktop only. It’s available as a standalone app or as a plugin for Lightroom and Photoshop. The app comes with all the photo editing tools standard in professional-grade software, including layer functionality, transforming and cloning, and a collection of versatile brushes. At about $100 for the 2021 version, it’s also among the priciest options on our list of Mac photo editors.Where you can use it: Mac, Windows, and LinuxWhy we love it: While many online photo editors are streamlined and fairly basic, Darktable is free photo editing software that can hold its own against professional tools. This program allows you to move well beyond basic image editing into more creative work, so it comes as no surprise that Photoshop Elements is close to the top of our list of the best free photo editors.What could be improved: Elements is not as powerful as the full version of Adobe Photoshop (which, of course, is exactly the point). The suite of automated editing tools — including for exposure, color balance, and reducing the effects of camera shake — make short work of the most common photo issues. With the latest version, Pixelmator Pro 1.4 Hummingbird, you’ll get access to a rich array of features and tools. This software is powerful and versatile, with layer-based functionality that empowers users to create graphics as well as edit photos. But considering it’s free photo editing software, that’s about all we can complain about.Why we love it: Pixelmator shows up in just about every conversation about the best free photo editing software for Mac. Darktable also offers non-destructive editing, which is a huge plus.What could be improved: The interface isn’t quite as polished as it could be, so it’s not as easy to pick up as some of our other contenders for the title of best free image editor. It works with JPEGs as well as RAW files, and the perspective distortion and lens correction features are impressive. ![]() The filters are designed to punch up your photos with a single click, and they yield impressive results. At that, it succeeds brilliantly. But that’s not nearly enough to knock it off our list of the best free photo editing software for Mac.Where you can use it: Mac, Windows, LinuxWhy we love it: Fotor is designed to be a straightforward, easy-to-use photo editing platform with one-touch results. The interface echoes Photoshop in many ways, so if you’re used to Adobe software, you’ll find it easy to switch to GIMP.What could be improved: Because of the open-source, volunteer-run nature of the program, there are occasional bugs that you wouldn’t see in professionally developed software. Originally developed for Linux, this open-source online image editor provides a rich array of tools, with capabilities for everything from image retouching to image format conversion to drawing and graphics creation. The built-in photo organization tool is a nice touch, and the filters and effects hold their own against more expensive photo editing programs. We’re also not crazy about the ads in this free photo editor, but you can pay for the Pro version for a cleaner experience.Why we love it: Now on version 4.0, Picktorial is free photo editing software with a suite of impressive features. If you need to do highly detailed retouching with a clone brush, for example, you’ll need to look to another Mac photo editor. (Techradar has all the nitty-gritty details on Fotor in their review.)What could be improved: There’s a downside to Fotor being as sleek and intuitive as it is, and that’s a lack of high-end features. Use it to apply the same filter to a big group of photos — maybe those beach shots that all came out so darn overexposed — and do all the color correcting you need in one fell swoop. Download serum plugin for abletonAs a Mac photo editor, Affinity Photo is not for the easily intimidated. But try it out and you might find it hard to let go.What could be improved: We’ll be honest: The learning curve is pretty steep here. (And, although not every photographer will have a use for it, we have to mention that the Affinity brush engine is stunning.) Admittedly, the “free” part of this “free photo editor” is only a trial. We have to dock some points for the lack of cross-platform compatibility.Why we love it: Affinity is jam-packed with professional-grade features: focus merge, photo stitching, PSD import and export, masks, filters, non-destructive editing — the whole kit and kaboodle. And although this is a ranking of the best free photo editing software for Mac, we do hate to leave our Windows brethren behind. Nonetheless, Google Photos still ranks among the best free photo editors out there. And it would be nice to have a desktop version instead of being restricted to the browser. We’re also impressed by the limited, but still useful, filters and basic editing tools.What could be improved: For an online image editor, it’s a shame that the size limit on images is relatively small (only 16 MP). The cloud-based photo organization system is a huge plus, as is the 15GB of free storage.
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