Photo and Image Editors - Good Tools #11
40+ free web apps and applications to modify, enhance and clean-up any digital image
Hello and welcome to a new edition of Good Tools devoted exclusively to free image and photo editors.
The choice of the group of tools I focus on each time is a consequence of your votes of preference at the end of each newsletter issue. Scroll to the end now and vote your next tools interest.
There is a good number of useful free tools in the image editing space that can replace 95% of any content producer needs for visuals, and that are easy enough that anyone can use them effectively next to zero learning effort.
My focus, as in all the other previous editions is only on desktop apps or web-based tools. No apps for smartphones.
I have selected:
only those tools I deemed really effective and useful,
not overloaded by ads, promotions or offers to sign-up for a premium version.
I did not include tools that had chaotic interfaces, that looked old or functionally unattractive.
I have also included a few not low-cost fun and entertainment oriented websites that offer ready-made editable mockups that can be helpful in many situations.
If you find this curated selection useful, please consider placing a like at the bottom of this newsletter or supporting this work with a paid subscription.
It would really mean a lot to me.
Thank you.
Robin Good
Top Free Image and Photo Editing Tools
Software Applications
Downloadable image and photo editors for various platforms and OSs
My favorite on the PC. Simple, straightforward, it does all the basics efficiently.
Multi-language.Windows-only
100% free
Excellent tool. Fully featured. From background removal to intelligent upscaling, stitching, collage-building, embroidery and more.
Windows and Mac
100% free version (for non-commercial use)
Fully-featured photo editor. Open-source alternative to Photoshop. For technical and advanced users.
Win, Mac and Linux
100% free
Open-source. Non destructive editing (original is never touched). Top for professional photographers who shoot and need to manage thousands of photos after a shooting.
Win, Mac, Linux
100% free
Photoscape X
Features include background removal, batch operations, collage, filters and animated GIFs generation. It edits and manages also RAW images. All features and video demo/tutorials here. Multi-language.Windows and Mac
100% free base version - Pro version available
Cloud-Based / Online
Web-based fully-featured photo and digital image editors
Online photo editor, AI image generator, background removal, upscaling, GIF animation and more. Many templates for social media contents.
Requires registration
100% free version
The official Google photo cataloguing app is also a good basic photo editor that can be used for many typical image editing tasks from cropping to resizing to color correcting.
Requires registration
100% free
Photo editor. Simple, elegant, essential, intuitive, easy-to-use. Features include Crop, resize, filter, finetune, redact, annotate, fill, frame, rotate, flip. Export to JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF. Based on Pintura photo-editing engine.
No registration required.
100% free
Polarr
Excellent tool. Clean, modern, minimalist interface. Pro features are clearly labeled (layers, selective adjustments). Edits history.No registration required
Free version
All of the essential image-editing and graphic design features: crop, resize, transform, filters as well as add text and graphic shapes. Use overlays, full edits history and layers. Saves to standard JPG, PNG and JSON.
No registration required.
100% free
Photoshop alternative. Replicates most of the commands and features available on the official photo-editing app. Supports all image file formats, saving to Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive, layers.
No registration required
100% free. Ad-supported
Fully-featured image and graphic editor. Nothing is uploaded. Works locally in your browser. Features upscaling, tilting, QR code gen., device mockups, and more. Intro video - Android version
No registration required.
Free version (unlimited saves). Ad-supported.
iPiccy
All the standard photo-editing features.No registration required (only some advanced features require signing in)
100% free. Ad-supported
BeFunky Photo Editor
Modern, web-based image editor, with all basic features from resizing and cropping to exposure, color control and sharpening.Free version.
Image and graphic design editor. Key photo editing features include autofix, crop, resize, rotate, exposure, colors and sharpen. Text and graphic objects, 200+ fonts, collage-maker. Image effects, overlays and face touch-up filters.
Requires registration and login.
Free version (up to 5 projects, export max res 1095x1095p)
Photokit Editor
Advanced features: Layers, edits history, inpainting, more. Saves to PNG, GIF, JPG, WebP, AVIF.No registration required
Free limited version. Ad-supported
Key features include: Background and object removal, AI image generation, collage maker. Rich templates library.
Free version. Ad-supported. Limited saves.
Background Removal
Automatically remove the background of any photograph and make it transparent
Best of class. Fast. Editable mask. Effects. Background change. Local engine, nothing gets uploaded.
100% free
100% free
100% free
100% free
Object Removal
Remove a specific object or element from any photograph
Simple, effective, easy-to-use. Control brush size.
No registration required
100% free
Object Remover
Control brush size and inpainting strength. Effective.No registration required
100% free. Ad-supported
No registration required
100% free
No registration required
Free version. Limited max resolution.
Text and Watermark Removers
Eliminate titles, texts, watermarks and other types of texts that appear on an image
Excellent. Outstanding results (often without even turning on the Erase Text and Erase Logo options).
No registration required
100% free
No registration required
100% free
Resizers
Increase or reduce resolution of any digital image
Image resizer, compressor, image upscaler, image format/aspect ratio, file converter. Supports JPG, PNG, HEIC.
No registration required
100% free
Picsart Image Resizer
Resizes any image by pixels or by percentage.No registration required
100% free
Image Compressors
Automatically reduce the file size of any digital image without compromising its appearance and definition
Squoosh
Excellent. Preview before and after side by side.No registration required
100% free
Website Planet Image Compressor
Optimize images by compressing them without losing visible quality. Ideal for anyone publishing images on a website.
No registration required
100% free
No registration required
100% free
Upscale
Increase the resolution and definition of any digital image
Clipdrop Image Scaler
Double-up the resolution of any image (2x)No registration required
Up to 100 images /day
Free version
Supares
AI-assisted digital upscaling engine. From 2x to 16x. Auto-retouch.Free version. 10 credits free /month
Upscale Media
Increase resolution to 2x or 4x.5 downloads
Free version
Format Converters
Transform JPG, PNG, and other image files into other standard formats
No registration required
100% free
No registration required
Free version. Ad-supported. Max 5 files/day - max file size 500MB
No registration required
Free version. Up to 25 conversions/day
No registration required
Free version. Up to 2 conversions/day
Graphic Design Editors
Supporting tools to layout, design and compose visual posts, ads, promos, graphs and social posts
Google Slides
Full design and layout as in PowerPoint/Keynote. Basic image editing controls: cropping, resizing, brightness, contrast, recoloring, transparency.Registration required
100% free
Polotno Studio
Canva-like web-based graphic design editor can add text and graphics to images. Includes basic functions as crop, resize, flip. Supports layers.No registration required
100% free
Pika.style
Canva-like graphic editor optimized for screenshot editing and optimization. Works locally in your browser.No registration required
Free version. Ad-supported
Image Editing Toolkits
Sets of image editing and processing tools
100% free
100% free
100% free
Fun Templates and Mockups
Create fun, entertaining images, photo-montages and cards with ready-made mockups and templates
Great and well organized collection of editable mockups (600+) where you can insert your own image, logo or ad.
No registration required
100% free. Ad-supported
Fun image transformations (12) including cartoonize, pencil sketch, retro-comic, pop-art, engraving, focal zoom and more.
No registration required
100% free. Ad-supported
Collection of face mockups in which you can insert the face of another person.
No registration required
100% free. Ad-supported
Poll
Feedback is gold!
Was this helpful? How can I make it better next time? Did you something missing that should have been included?
Comments, ideas, suggestions and constructive criticism are all welcome additions to this newsletter.
Please feel free to comment and share your impressions, and if you did enjoy what you have found in this issue, please:
a) like this issue, by clicking on the heart icon at the end so that others can find it
b) share it or forward it to a friend who may find it useful
c) consider a paid subscription, even for just a short time, to reward the time I have devoted to it (this gives you also access to the whole archive of previous collections).
from sunny Holbox island,
Robin Good
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