Best Photo Editing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Photopea is ranked #1 of 160 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of RawTherapee and PhotoDirector. The best-ranked option with a free plan is RawTherapee. The lowest first paid tier on this page is VSCO at $2.50/mo.
Photo editing software can suit everything from batch adjustments to more detailed image work. Compared on AI retouching, batch editing, layer editing, masking tools, and RAW photo support, these editors offer different capabilities to match against the images you work with. Cloud sync and platform availability help you consider where an editor fits, while free plans and paid-from prices provide cost points. Photopea, RawTherapee, and PhotoDirector are among the options, alongside Evoto AI and darktable. Consider how much control your work calls for, then weigh the listed editing features and platform details against your workflow.
160 photo editing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Photo Editing Software, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 23 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 PhotopeaPaid from $37.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 RawTherapeeFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 PhotoDirectorFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 4 Evoto AI
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 BeFunkyPaid from $6.99/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 PhotoPadFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 darktableFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 VSCOPaid from $2.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 ShowfotoFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 FotoJetPaid from $3.33/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 Hasselblad PhocusFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 Darkroom
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 easyHDR
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 14 PaintFEFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 RibbetPaid from $6.42/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 Pixlr
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 17 Adobe Creative Cloud
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 18 Zoner Photo Studio XPaid from $4.92/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 Corel AfterShot ProPaid from $79.99/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 20 Luminance HDRFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 21 IrfanViewPaid from $18/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 22 Magic Studio Photo EditorFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 PhotoFlareFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 24 AirbrushPaid from $8/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 25 SNS-HDRPaid from €30/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Platform | RAW photo support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photopea | 8.8 | Free plan | $37.50/mo | Yes | — | web | Yes |
| 2 | RawTherapee | 8.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | Yes |
| 3 | PhotoDirector | 8.5 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 4 | Evoto AI | 8.5 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | BeFunky | 8.4 | Free plan | $6.99/mo | Yes | $6.99/mo | multi-platform | — |
| 6 | PhotoPad | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 7 | darktable | 8.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 8 | VSCO | 8.3 | Free plan | $2.50/mo | Yes | $2.49/mo | multi-platform | Yes |
| 9 | Showfoto | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 10 | FotoJet | 8.2 | Free plan | $3.33/mo | Yes | $3.33/mo | — | — |
| 11 | Hasselblad Phocus | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 12 | Darkroom | 8.1 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 13 | easyHDR | 8.1 | No | — | No | — | — | Yes |
| 14 | PaintFE | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 15 | Ribbet | 8.1 | Free plan | $6.42/mo | Yes | $6.42/mo | multi-platform | — |
| 16 | Pixlr | 8.0 | No | — | Yes | $1.99/mo | multi-platform | No |
| 17 | Adobe Creative Cloud | 8.0 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 18 | Zoner Photo Studio X | 7.9 | No | $4.92/mo | No | — | desktop | Yes |
| 19 | Corel AfterShot Pro | 7.9 | No | $79.99/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 20 | Luminance HDR | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 21 | IrfanView | 7.8 | Free plan | $18/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 22 | Magic Studio Photo Editor | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | — |
| 23 | PhotoFlare | 7.8 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 24 | Airbrush | 7.8 | Free plan | $8/mo | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 25 | SNS-HDR | 7.8 | Free plan | €30/mo | Yes | — | — | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which photo editing software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Photopea is ranked #1 of 160 with a score of 8.8. RawTherapee is second and PhotoDirector third.
How many of these have a free plan?
18 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, VSCO has the lowest first paid tier we found: $2.50/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.