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What are some free open-source photo editing software out there?
GIMP is an open-source raster graphics editor. It was initially created as a photo editor for those on Linux systems, since Photoshop wasn’t supported. Nowadays, GIMP is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac. GIMP looks and feels a lot like Photoshop and offers a lot of the same tools. Free photo editing software for Mac: 11 of our favorites 1. Why we love it: We thought we’d start with the OG of Mac photo editors. Photos made its first. Why we love it: Luminar boasts 60-plus filters for maximum results with minimum time and tinkering. Free Download PhotoScape X - Fun and Easy Photo Editor. PhotoScape X is an all-in-one photo editing software which provides photo-related features such as Photo Viewer, Editor, Cut Out, Batch, Collage, Combine, Create GIF, Color Picker, Screen Capture, RAW images and More. Darktable is an open-source, free RAW photo editor available for Linux, Mac / macports, BSD, Windows, and Solaris 11 / GNOME. It’s designed to be a virtual darkroom and allows you to view negatives through a zoomable lighttable. For PC users Photo Pos Pro is a free Windows photo editor. But there is a lite version available for Mac users. You can convert any of your images into a stunning piece of artwork. You get all the tools to create, edit, enhance, print, and manipulate your digital photos or computer graphics.
For pro-level editing, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are the best option.
Using these two image editing software, you can do all sorts of image editing from basic to advanced.
But the only downfall is you need to pay Adobe every month for using it that is difficult for many starters like me.
In the beginning, I didn’t have much money to use Photoshop for doing all types of image retouching.
So, I looked for free photo editing software that let me perform basic to advanced retouching.
Fortunately, I found a lot of free options that let me do color correction, crop & resizing, change orientation, correct light, cutout objects, organize photos, and much more.
Even I can edit SVG files, perform non-destructive editing workflows using those free photo editing apps.
In this guide, I have included 7 best free photo editing software for the newbie like me.
You may ask- what I do as a newbie or hobbyist if I have the budget to use Photoshop and Lightroom?
Well, it doesn’t make sense to pay Adobe per month for using it as a hobbyist or a newbie. You can change your plan like me after mastering on editing.
And these free photo editing software I have listed let you be a master on editing.
So, let’s dive in.
Contents
7 Best Open Source Photo Editing Software in 2020
Here is the complete list of free photo editing software.
- GIMP
- Darktable
- Inkscape
- Digikam
- Raw Therapee
- Paint.Net
- Krita
01.GIMP – Best free open-source photo editing software
GIMP is an acronym of the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It has packed with advanced image editing tools and has a Photoshop-like interface.
With GIMP, you can do every type of editing including color correction, retouching, fix distortion, and so on.
To remove background from photos, it has an advanced pen tool, Fuzzy Selection tool, and Free selection tool.
Plus, it has an advanced layer mask tool like Photoshop has. Using this tool, you can precisely erase the background from a complex photo.
For doing advanced retouching, it has come with the Clone Stamp tool, Blemish Remover tool, and Healing brush.
With these tools, you can make your portrait photo stunning.
Moreover, it has a lot of tools to correct perspective distortion, photo color correction, and much more.
Indeed, you can do everything using GIMP as the users of Photoshop do.
So, if you are a pro editor and don’t have much money to use Photoshop, then GIMP is the best option to do advanced retouching.
Features
- Advanced image editing tools
- Include layer system
- Upgraded masking tool
- Advanced color management tool
- Upgraded transform tools
- Retouching tools
- Support all types of file format
Pros
Simple Open Source Video Editor
- Customizable interface
- Completely free to use
- Best for professional photo editors
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Doesn’t offer non-destructive editing workflow
- Don’t let you organize photos
Solution of the cons
If you are a beginner, then you find GIMP a little bit complex. However, there are a lot of websites that offer tutorials to be master on using GIMP.
Check out this article that includes a list of websites that make tutorials on GIMP. Also, you can join on these GIMP forums including GIMP-Forum.Net, Gimpusers.com, GIMP Chat, Gimper.Net, and Reddit.
As GIMP doesn’t let you organize photos, you can use Darktable instead of it.
02.Darktable- Best free Lightroom alternative
Darktable is a free photo editor app for mac.
For those who want to do basic editing, organize photos, correct photo color and so on, then Darktable is the best selection.
Like Lightroom, it also offers non-destructive editing workflows. Besides, it has a lot of presets and filters to enhance photos with a few clicks.
The interface of Darktable is similar to Lightroom. At the same time, it has packed with a lot of editing tools like Lr has.
![Open Source Photo Editor Mac Open Source Photo Editor Mac](https://www.myabandonware.com/media/screenshots/p/prince-of-persia-2-the-shadow-the-flame-3u9/prince-of-persia-2-the-shadow-the-flame_15.png)
That’s why Darktable is considered as the best free Lightroom alternative app.
On Darktable, you can organize photos using tag, location, name, rating, and stars.
It helps you to get the file immediately when you want to edit the photos.
Therefore, it has slider-based image editing tools like LR offers to make the retouching work fast and simple.
Something that I like about Darktable is its automatic repetitive tasks. It helps to make my editing workflows fast that save time.
Features
- A lot of adjustment tools
- Includes a lot of presets
- Advanced color correction tools
- Raw photo processor
- Basic photo editing tools
Pros
- Offer non-destructive editing
- Easy to use
- Perfect for organizing photos
- Free to use
Cons
- Not perfect for advanced retouching
Solution of the cons
Use GIMP open source photo editor that lets you perform advanced retouching workflows.
03.Inkscape- Best free vector design software
Inkscape is a free vector design creation software.
If you are an amateur vector artist and want to create logos, text effects, rendering, and much for free, then Inkscape is for you.
Even you can edit the SVG file precisely on Inkscape.
Indeed, it is solely designed for vector designers to create stunning designs.
The plus of Inkscape is it enables you to convert raster file to vector. Even it lets you open and edit PDF and AI files.
Also, you can convert bitmap files to vector using Inkscape. Therefore, you can create your social media content using this free photo editing software.
Though it is a robust vector graphic design software, the interface of Inkscape is intuitive.
There is no steep learning curve. That means you can easily be a master in using Inkscape.
Those who don’t have enough money to use Adobe Illustrator can use Inkscape as an alternative.
The best part is it is free and lets you do almost everything as Adobe Illustrator does.
Features
- Advanced objection creation tools including drawing tool, shape tool, and text tool
- Include a lot of object manipulation tools
- Upgraded Fill & Stroke
- Rendering
- Supports multiple file-formats including SVG, PDF, PNG, DXF, EPS, SK1
Pros
- Easy to use
- No learning curve
- Adaptable layout and interface
Cons
- Keyboard shortcuts do not perform well
- Occur unexpected crush
Solution of the cons
The keyboard shortcuts of Inkscape don’t perform well. So, it is better to use each of the tools manually or selecting from the toolbar.
Crush happened when you add a lot of paths to a project.
So, stop adding multiple paths to a single project. If possible, try to use Adobe Illustrator to avoid these problems.
04.Digikam- Free photo organizing software
DigiKam is a free photo management software. It is solely created for organizing and managing software.
However, I have included this software both for editing and organizing photos.
Besides organizing photos, it also lets you edit photos as it has come with a lot of advanced image editing tools.
With DigiKam, you can process raw photos, correct photo color, adjust brightness & exposure, and much more.
Nonetheless, you can also apply batch photo processing using DigiKam.
Digikam has an advanced module named Light Table for sorting images smartly. Using this module, you can compare each of the photos you shoot.
Furthermore, you can organize photos using meta-tags, stars, ratings, and locations.
The exciting part of Digikam is you can also process raw photos and share them on different social channels.
To get the insight view of DigiKam, you can check out this article by Fix The Photo.
Features
- Support multiple cameras
- Smart photo organizing tools
- Raw processor
- Batch photo processing
- A lot of image editing tools
Pros
- Perfect for photo organization
- Easy to navigate
- Offer batch photo processing
Cons
- Lack of advanced photo editing tools
- Darktable photo organizing system performs better than DigiKam
Solution of the cons
Try to use GIMP instead of DigiKam for advanced image retouching. For organizing photos smartly, use Darktable.
05.Raw Therapee- Best free raw development app
Raw Therapee is an open-source photo editor app for developing raw files.
With Raw Therapee, you can edit raw images in a non-destructive way.
Apart from that, you can edit, correct photo color, organize photos, and perform some retouching workflows.
Though the interface of Raw Therapee is the same as Lightroom, Raw Therapee goes deep in case of color correction.
There are a plethora of options to enhance and correct photo colors. Besides, it lets you process raw photos with depth. You can fix chromatic aberration, noise reduction of your raw files.
However, if we judge Raw Therapee by the intuitiveness of the interface, then Lightroom is superior to it.
Even so, the photo organizing system of Raw Therapee is not as intuitive as LR.
Aside from these, if you find software for developing raw files, then Raw Therapee is the best selection.
To get an in-depth look at Raw Therapee features, check out this article of Expert Photography.
Features
- Advanced color correction tools
- Raw image processor
- Photo organization option
- Basic editing tools
- Adjustment tools
Pros
- Completely free
- Enables to convert files in various formats
- Perfect for raw development
Cons
- Unintuitive interface
- Little bit complex
- The performance rate is low comparing to Lightroom
Solution of the cons
Most of the beginner find the interface of Raw Therapee complex. As a solution, you can use Darktable that is another free alternative to Lightroom.
06.Paint.Net- Awesome tool for painting & editing
Paint.Net is another full-featured free photo editing software for Windows.
Intuitive interface, layer system, effects, plugins, and a plethora of editing tools are available on Paint.Net.
Helpful community, tutorials, and plugins make photo editing easy and enjoyable on Paint.Net.
With Paint.Net, you can do basic editing with precision.
Though it doesn’t let you do creative editing or advanced retouching, you can give a clean look to your photo free from any visible imperfections.
For making adjustments, it has come with Hue, Saturation, and Curves tools.
Moreover, it includes a lot of art effects to create stunning painting photos including oil, ink, and pencil.
The drawback of this tool is it has come with limited brush workflows.
At the same time, the text tool doesn’t perform well when you apply any effects.
Disregarding these drawbacks, it is a great tool for beginners.
Features
- A lot of effects included to remove red-eye, blemishes, and fix distortions
- Powerful editing tools
- Intuitive & customizable interface
- Plethora of History panels
Pros
- Easy to use
- Completely free
- Third-party plugins make editing workflow smooth
- Growing online helpful community
- Tutorials available
Cons
- Lack of advanced retouching tools
- Doesn’t come with Dodge & Burn tool
- Unupgraded brush tool
Solution of the cons
Gimp is a better solution to do all types of retouching workflows. Or, you can choose Photoshop to enjoy advanced retouching.
07. Krita- Best free digital painting software
Krita is a free painting photo editing software. The interface of Krita is intuitive and has everything at your fingertips.
With Krita, you can create stunning drawing & painting arts. Even a child can use it to draw paintings.
This digital painting tool has come with a lot of brushes for drawing arts. The best part is you can customize each of the brush tools.
For a newbie, you don’t need to make changes into any brushes as it has come with everything you need.
The pencil tool of Krita is by far so advanced than its other counterparts. The softness of this tool is great and its stroke is straight.
To sum up, it is a great digital painting tool for the newbie.
Even those who don’t have any painting experience before can create digital drawings using this free photo editor.
Features
- Plethora of brush tools
- Selection tools
- Transform tools
- Layer system
- HDR support
- Drawing assistance
- Color palette
- Advanced pencil tools
Pros
- Completely free to use
- No experience needed to use it
- User-friendly interface
- Support plugins
- Compatible on Linux, Windows, and macOS
Cons
- Crush happened frequently
- Lack of keyboard shortcuts
Solution of the cons
The problem of Krita is there occur crushes often. As a result, you can lose your work.
To get rid of this problem, it is better to save the working file often.
Play mac games online, free without downloading. I also noticed that Krita has a lack of keyboard shortcuts and layers. For solving this problem, you can switch your plan Krita to Photoshop.
Conclusion
To enhance photo quality, we must take help from photo editing software, either beginner or professionals.
And the list of open-source photo editing software I have included above help you enhance photos without spending a single buck.
But the question is- which is the best free photo editing software on this list?
Well, it depends on what you are going to do and what you are capable of doing.
To me, Gimp is the best free open-source photo editor on this list. It lets you do almost everything as Photoshop and Lightroom do.
For professionals who don’t have enough money to use Photoshop, they can take advantage of this free photo editor.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a free Lightroom alternative, then Darktable is one that you expect.
For your convenience, I have listed those free photo editing software here again.
- Gimp- Best free Photoshop alternative
- Darktable- Best free Lightroom alternative
- Inkscape- Best free vector design app
- Digicam- Best for photo organization
- Raw Therapee- Best raw development app
- Paint.Net- Perfect for painting and basic editing
- Krita- Best free digital painting software
Have you tried out any of the software on this list? Which software are you going to try out?
Have I missed any software that should include?
Let me know by leaving a comment below.
General FAQ
What is the best free photo editing software?
Which free photo editing software is best for beginners?
Darktable, Krita, DigiKam, Inkscape, and Raw Therapee are the best free photo editing software for beginners.
Is there any free photo editing software?
All of the apps I included on this list are free.
Is there an open source version of Photoshop?
Yes, Gimp is the open source version of Photoshop.
Is there an open source version of Lightroom?
Darktable is the open source version of Lightroom.
Sohel Rana
Sohel Rana is the founder, content crafter, and SEO's at Pic Editor Review. He has grown his passion over years about writing on software, how-to guide, and product description.
There are hundreds of reasons why you need to edit a photo or an image.
Adobe Photoshop is expensive and not easy to use unless you are a professional.
However, we all need to do a little photo editing or resize images and crop for simple reasons such as posting on social media or to add text.
Posting a photo online with an ugly red eye is certainly not what you would like to do. Do you want to add photo frames or convert to black and white?
Instagram is a prime example of how adding a few simple photo effects or graphic design can attract a little more attention.
If you are blogging, you always need an image editor to create your unique featured header images. But if you are busy, you want something that is quick and easy.
For authors, cover design projects involve a lot of work. You can use some of these apps for mockups and color experiments before deciding on the final design.
Basic image editing tools with a simple user interface can come in handy for this stage. But then later, leave the advanced editing to your cover designer.
In This ArticleHideFree image editing software1. GIMP2. Seashore3. Photo Pos Pro4. InPixio5. Paint.NET6. Photoscape7. Adobe Photoshop ExpressEight Free Online Photo Editors8. Pixlr9. Sumopaint10. Photovisi11. Fotor12. PiZap13. Ribbet14. BeFunkyThree Free Image Tools I Use Every Day15. Canva16. ImageOptim17. PixabayConclusionFree image editing software
Depending on what you want to do with an image or photo editor, you have a very good choice of free tools.
For photo editing, you don’t need to download and install photo editing software.
There are a lot of free photo editors online. You can add filters and effects or use a collage maker.
All you usually need to do to edit photos is to upload your image file and then download it after you make your changes or add your special effects.
Perhaps you want to do more complex tasks and use advanced editing tools, like making a transparent background or using a tilt-shift tool.
Then there is a choice of open source and free editing tools you can download and install for Mac and PC.
So what choices do you have for a free image editor? Here are seven suggestions to get you started.
1. GIMP
Best Photo Editor Mac
Gimp is the number one choice as an alternative to Photoshop. If you don’t know, the name is an acronym, GNU Image Manipulation Program.
It is not easy to learn, so you will need to spend some time getting to grips with how all the advanced tools work. But if you have some experience, especially with RAW files, they will be familiar to you.
It is available for macOS, Microsoft Windows, and Linux. You can download Gimp here.
2. Seashore
Seashore is an open-source image editor. However, it is only available for Mac users.
It is much easier to use than Gimp, so it is ideal for people new to image editing. I have used it for a long time because my skills are basic.
But it can do everything I need to do with an image editor. If you are an Apple user, it is the best choice.
3. Photo Pos Pro
For PC users Photo Pos Pro is a free Windows photo editor. But there is a lite version available for Mac users.
You can convert any of your images into a stunning piece of artwork. You get all the tools to create, edit, enhance, print, and manipulate your digital photos or computer graphics.
Photo Pos Pro supports all the standard features such as Filters, Layers, Masks, Curves, Scripts, Effects, and Brushes.
You could hardly ask for much more from a free photo editor.
4. InPixio
InPixio has a lot of products. But the photo editor is free.
It will probably suit people who just want simple picture editing software to edit photos for sharing online on social media.
There is a comparison chart, so you can make a judgment about what it can do.
5. Paint.NET
Paint.NET, as the name suggests, is a Windows program.
I can’t give a view of this app because I am a Mac user.
However, Tech Radar gives it a good 4-star review, so it might be a good alternative to Gimp.
Download Paint.NET. But the page is full of ads, so as a hint, the download link is in the top right-hand corner.
6. Photoscape
Photoscape is an image and photo editor but is only available for PC users.
The editor tools include: resizing, brightness and color adjustment, white balance, backlight correction, frames, balloons, mosaic mode, adding text, drawing pictures, cropping, filters, red-eye removal, blooming, paintbrush, clone stamp, and an effect brush.Download Photoscape.
7. Adobe Photoshop Express
Adobe Photoshop Express is only available as an app for mobile devices.
It gets in at number six, well, because it is Adobe so it must be good. It is not Adobe Lightroom, but it works quite well.
The list of features is very long, so I won’t repeat it all here. But I did notice that you can add watermarks to photos.
That is a cool feature to individualize your photos.
You can get the mobile apps on the Apple App Store, Google Play and the Windows Store.
Eight Free Online Photo Editors
8. Pixlr
Here’s the outline of what Pixlr can do.
It has 2 million+ combinations of free effects, filters, and overlays.It is a complete mobile photo editing tool that works best for simple tweaks right up to the more creative edits.You can go directly to the editor here.
9. Sumopaint
Sumopaint has a feature list as long as your arm.
You will need Flash installed on your browser, or you can download the app.
It has shape tools, layer effects, linear blur, mosaics and dozens of brushes.
There are so many features and tools, it is probably quicker for you to take a look for yourself.
10. Photovisi
Photovisi is a collage maker. So if that is what you want to do, it is a great free option.
You can also create social media covers and headers for Facebook, Twitter, Linked, Google Plus and many more.
If you are into social media images, this tool could be what you are looking for.
11. Fotor
Fotor is an image design suite similar to Canva.
You have shapes, fonts and clipart you can add to your designs
There is a whole bundle of templates and design tools to choose from.
This is going to be a go-to free app for many.
12. PiZap
PiZap is a simple online editor for photos and images.
You will need Flash enabled to use the tools, however.
One bonus of this tool is that you can make your own emojis. Well, if that is of interest, take a look.
13. Ribbet
Ribbet has one very cool looking website.
As soon as you open its site, you know it knows about image editing. It requires Flash, but it is full of features.
You can use it online, or there are apps for the iPhone and iPad.
14. BeFunky
BeFunky has a bit of everything for everyone it would seem.
It has an image or photo editor, a collage maker, and a designer similar to Canva and Fotor.
It looks like a good free all-rounder online tool for all your image editing needs.
Three Free Image Tools I Use Every Day
This list would not be complete without mentioning three free image tools that make my life easier.
I have used each of these for ages and I use them so often, they live in my dock for easy access.
15. Canva
Simple Photo Editor For Mac
Canva has been my tool of choice for so long that I can’t recall when I started using it.
I create all the featured images for my blogs with Canva.
It keeps a library of all my uploaded images and designs, so it really helps when I need to add a logo or update a blog image.
It is easy to learn how to use and has a friendly interface that will have you up and running in no time at all.
16. ImageOptim
ImageOptim is a small Mac only program.
But if you are an Apple user, this is an indispensable little free program.
I have it sitting in my dock, and use it so many times a day to losslessly reduce the size of images that I use on my sites.
All you need to do is open it, and then drag your images files to it and it reduces the size of your jpeg, png and gif images to your settings.
I have it set to 70% reduction. It works absolutely perfectly without any noticeable loss of image quality.
17. Pixabay
Okay, Pixabay is not an app or an image editor.
Open Source Photo Editing Software
But we all need free images from time to time, and Pixabay is by far my favorite because of the huge selection and image quality.
I sometimes use Morguefile, but the free images there are not up to the same standard as Pixabay.
Conclusion
I use many pro or paid apps and tools, but there are a lot of free tools I use that do a great job too.
Free doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality or performance. But don’t expect priority support for a free tool.
You should expect that they might be either advertising-supported or that you will receive a few emails from time to time.
Some free tools are slimmed-down versions of a premium app or tool or are limited to a trial period, so you need to check.
In the end, it is a matter of choice and what works best for you.