25 Best Photo Editing Software for Windows PC in 2024

Are your photos looking lifeless and uninteresting? If yes, it is time for you to transform them into stunning masterpieces with free photo editing software for Windows!  

We compiled the 25 best free photo editing software for Windows PC in 2024, ones that are intuitively simple to use for both beginners and pros. You can edit colors, exposure problems, add effects, and much more, all without paying a penny!  

So, dive in and start exploring! 

25 Best Photo Editing Software for Windows PC in 2024

We have compiled this list of the 25 best free photo editing app after thorough research and comparison. 

Here is three factors that we have particularly tested to compile this list of the best photo editing software for you:  

Now that you know how we tested to find the 25 best free photo editing software for Windows PC in 2024, you can trust our opinion and take the following suggestions:  

1. Pixlr 

Pixlr is an image editing tool and utility collection hosted in the cloud. It consists of several photo editors and a photo sharing service. The Pixlr is for users who prefer simple photo editors or a photo editing and graphic design tool with a wide range.  

2. GIMP 

GIMP is one of the best free photo editing software in the market at present time. It is an open-source image editor that particularly functions on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Since it is open source, the users get the benefit of changing its source code as well as settings the way they like.  

3. Fotor  

Fotor is the best option for you in case you want the same editor for your PC and mobile phone. It is suitable not just for downloading on desktop and mobile, but you can also use its online version. This software is best for both beginners as well as well-experienced photo editors. 

4. Canva 

If you do not have skills in graphic design and have to quickly produce marketing content, or a bunch of social media posts for your small company or even a personal brand and are looking for a free photo editor for PC, this is your choice. The platform offers customizable template designs. This easy photo editing software allows users to either adjust one’s photo or use the readily available templates to edit it further applying thousands of filters, frames, graphic elements, stickers, and typography options. 

5. Adobe Express 

Adobe Express is an all-in-one free photo editing software, graphic design tool, video editor and PDF editor. Indeed, this free photo editor for PC even comes with a limited amount of Adobe Stock images as well as Adobe Fonts. Needless to say, we love it the most because of its highly polished and fully customizable templates.  

6. PhotoScape 

PhotoScape X is an all-in-one photo editing software that helps design stunning photos and edit them using various professional and user-friendly tools. This tool offers the best editing features such as masks, layers, management of colors and others. 

7. Darktable  

Darktable is both a photography application and raw developer that is free and open source. Darktable is not a raster graphics editor like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP; rather, it is a collection of images editing procedures that are designed for mostly non-destructive raw image post-production.  

8. InPixio  

InPixio is a free PC photo editor with one-click AI (Artificial Intelligence) editing solutions. Among the top free photo editing software, InPixio is the only one with over 100 beautifully designed frames. Hundreds of frames are available for all occasions and holidays, and each frame can be personalized based on color and size. All are fully available in the software’s free version, which is very limited in its capabilities, including filters, textures, and vignettes. 

9. Movavi Photo Editor  

In its initial days, Movavi Photo Editor was actually used for object removal – and that is what it does best. This free photo editor for PC automatically removes objects and then replaces them with a new background – and the AI will make sure it looks as natural as possible. Most of Movavi’s tools are automatic, and have sliders with them, making them easy to edit and get the perfect result. 

10. Photopea 

Photopea is an online photo and image editor. From image editing or making illustrations and web design to converting between different image formats, you can do several things using this software. Photopea can also be called advertising-supported software. The software is supported by all modern browsers including Opera, Edge, Chrome, Firefox. 

11. Lightroom 

Lightroom is a responsive photo editor for professionals. It is undoubtedly one of the most popular photo editors among professionals across the globe. Many photographers, regardless of their professional level, choose this software because of its ability to work with photos without damaging the original file and a wide range of unique features.  

12. Luminar Neo 

Luminar Neo is the ideal candidate to describe as a desktop photo editing Software. You can correct your photos quickly with state-of-the-art AI technologies in Luminar Neo. Luminar Neo provides simple access to conventional features such as layers, masks, blending modes, transformation tools, editing brushes, and clone tools. It also includes simple single-click AI-powered tools. 

13. Photo Editor by BeFunky  

The name BeFunky perfectly fits the software as this tool is perfect for making your photo funky. BeFunky provides its users with a rich database of creative filters and art toolkits, including multiple overlay themes with a wide range of frames. This is the best free PC photo editor because of the variety of choices it offers – no other software has such numerous and customizations offers of overlays and frames. 

14. Krita 

Krita is another excellent open-source painting and photo editing software for digital artists, illustrators, and desktop publishing. It can handle both basic photo-editing duties and more advanced tasks.  

The basic software feature collection includes layers, masks, filters, color correction, adjustment curves, selection marquee tools, brushes, vector tools, warp tools, clone, and many other features.  

The powerful and intuitive image editing tools of Krita make it perfect for both entry-level and expert photographers. 

15. Photo Pos Pro 

It is one of the best free photo editing software because of its incredible text effects. You can choose from an extensive selection of font styles, effects, and textures, like gel, metal, chrome, etc. It comes in two modes, which cater to any skill level. One of them is Novice mode, which is a mode for beginners but there are not a lot of options. In contrast, the second mode is for experts to manually edit photos. 

16. Corel PaintShop  

In many ways, Corel PaintShop Pro is better than Photoshop Elements. It is a powerful yet easy to understand for beginners and has a few additional tools, like 360-degree photo editing, and is also compatible with touchscreen. And it does all the needed for a photographer’s job up to an enthusiast/ intermediate level and manages the outright beginners’ tasks as well. 

17. Paint.NET 

Paint.net is one of the best free photo editing software tools available in the market. Editable layers are extremely expensive in photo editing software tools. With Paint.net, on the other hand, you get it for free. In addition to this, everything you change on a layer is saved. You can return and undo any change. 

18. Inkscape  

We recommend this free online open–source vector graphics editor for those users who need to create logos, illustrations, and drawings with high scalability. This is a perfect and easy photo editing software for those who want to learn graphic design as it contains a vast array of vector editing tools. It may be difficult to get used to the interface for a beginner; but it is incredibly interesting to explore. 

19. Cyberlink PhotoDirector 365  

PhotoDirector is the top free photo editing software. It is a versatile photo editing software and editing tool that combines a wide range of editing tools and features. Despite its advanced capabilities, this free photo editor for PC is straightforward to use, containing various AI-powered one-click tools to apply difficult-looking edits. 

20. Affinity Photo  

If you work using numerous devices and operating platforms, Affinity Photo may be one of the best compatible photo editing applications. This full-featured photo editing application is available for macOS, Windows, and iPad. It is suitable for professionals, as this photo editing software comes with innovative workflow tools to help with design collaboration.

21. Capture One  

Redesigned for the busy professional, Capture One is a photo editing tool with all photo editing features and AI tools, as well as photography workflow management. You can share images, receive input from your team, and automatically implement edits, all in an intuitive app. 

22. DxO PhotoLab 

DxO PhotoLab is a well-known editing and photography software that offers image quality that is like no other with the use of artificial intelligence technology.  

The app also provides a range of photo-editing tools, such as its noise and red-eye removal features. In addition to this, it has excellent automatic lens and image correction settings that enable users to make rapid modifications to their images. 

23. PhotoPad 

Photopad is another free photo editing software you can consider improving your editing game. Some of the things you can do with PhotoPad include editing photos and applying effects, cropping, rotating, adding text, adjusting resizing, and effects. 

24. Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer is also the best free photo editing app if you are editing photos of landscapes or tall buildings with perspective distortions. It comes handy to fix vertical and horizontal distortions and straightening horizons. It is certainly easy and quick, and it takes only one click of a button. 

25. Promeo 

Promeo is one of the best free editing software for photos for content and online business creators. It is extremely easy to use—just choose a template, customize it, and share it on your favorite platforms. Create a high-quality social media ad or product mock-up for free without having a marketing company do it for you. 

How to Choose the Right Photo Editing Software for Windows PC?

We gave 25 best free photo editing software for Windows PC in 2024, but here is when a big question arises—how will pick the right software out of them? 

Well, here are some factors you should be taking into consideration while selecting an editing software: 

• Features  

From social-media-friendly templates to layer editing, the text tools or even the most basic tools, free photo editing software in our list covers all that you need to edit pictures. So, the first thing you should do is check the features of each software to see if your required ones are included in it or not. 

• Budget  

Almost all free photo editing software on our list are completely free; some have completely free versions, while others may tell you “Try before you buy.” If you require a free photo editor for PC, ensure the tools and features you frequently use are accessible in the free version. If you wish to try and buy it later, ensure the premium version is not beyond your budget. 

• Skill Level 

Choose the best software depending on your skills. If you are a beginner, it is always better to choose the beginner friendly tool rather than spending months trying to remember how to do some simple thing and be disappointed and frustrated and just give up on your dream.  

Also, there is no need to choose photo editing software with easy one clicks options with zero creativity control, even if you have zero experience. 

Not to forget, you always have an option to build your own photo editing software or application with all the required features—that too without burning a hole in your pocket.

Build Photo Editing Software with VLink  

Building photo editing software with VLink offers a seamless and efficient development experience.  

With VLink, you can integrate essential editing tools such as cropping, filtering, and color correction, along with advanced functionalities like layer management and AI-powered enhancements.  

We are here to build high-quality, intuitive photo editing software tailored to your specific needs. So, why wait when you can contact us in just a tap!