Best Photo Editing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Photopea is ranked #1 of 160 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of darktable and RawTherapee. The best-ranked option with a free plan is darktable. The lowest first paid tier on this page is VSCO at $2.50/mo.
The photo editor that fits your work depends on the adjustments you make and the control you want over each image. Compare AI retouching and batch editing with layer editing, masking tools, and RAW photo support. Platform availability and cloud sync can help you assess where an editor fits, while free plans and paid-from prices offer cost points to compare. Photopea, darktable, and RawTherapee are among the options shown. Think about whether you work with RAW files, process groups of images, or rely on layers and masks, then match those needs with the listed platforms and plan details.
160 photo editing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
24 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PhotopeaWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $37.50/mo | 8.1 | |
| 2 | darktableWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 8.0 | |
| 3 | RawTherapeeWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.9 | |
| 4 | PhotoDirectorWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 7.9 | |
| 5 | VSCOWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $2.50/mo | 7.8 | |
| 6 | BeFunkyWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $6.99/mo | 7.8 | |
| 7 | PhotoPadWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Extension | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 7.8 | |
| 8 | Hasselblad PhocusWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 7.7 | |
| 9 | ShowfotoWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 10 | PaintFEWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 11 | RibbetWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $6.42/mo | 7.6 | |
| 12 | Retouch4meWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone · API · Extension | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $14.08/mo | 7.6 | |
| 13 | ImageMagickWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.5 | |
| 14 | IrfanViewWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $18/mo | 7.4 | |
| 15 | Magic Studio Photo EditorWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.4 | |
| 16 | Luminance HDRWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.4 | |
| 17 | Canon Digital Photo ProfessionalWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 7.3 | |
| 18 | PhotoFlareWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.3 | |
| 19 | AirbrushWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $8/mo | 7.3 | |
| 20 | Chasys Photo (formerly Chasys Draw IES)Windows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.2 | |
| 21 | Adobe Creative CloudWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 7.1 |
| 22 | PhotoScape XWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 7.1 | |
| 23 | FastStone Image ViewerWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.1 | |
| 24 | vkdtWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.1 | |
| 25 | FotoJetWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $3.33/mo | 7.1 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Platform | RAW photo support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photopea | 8.1 | Free plan | $37.50/mo | Yes | — | web | Yes |
| 2 | darktable | 8.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 3 | RawTherapee | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | Yes |
| 4 | PhotoDirector | 7.9 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 5 | VSCO | 7.8 | Free plan | $2.50/mo | Yes | $2.49/mo | multi-platform | Yes |
| 6 | BeFunky | 7.8 | Free plan | $6.99/mo | Yes | $6.99/mo | multi-platform | — |
| 7 | PhotoPad | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 8 | Hasselblad Phocus | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Showfoto | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 10 | PaintFE | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 11 | Ribbet | 7.6 | Free plan | $6.42/mo | Yes | $6.42/mo | multi-platform | — |
| 12 | Retouch4me | 7.6 | Free plan | $14.08/mo | No | $14.08/mo | multi-platform | Yes |
| 13 | ImageMagick | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | IrfanView | 7.4 | Free plan | $18/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | Magic Studio Photo Editor | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | — |
| 16 | Luminance HDR | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 17 | Canon Digital Photo Professional | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | Yes |
| 18 | PhotoFlare | 7.3 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 19 | Airbrush | 7.3 | Free plan | $8/mo | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 20 | Chasys Photo (formerly Chasys Draw IES) | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | Yes |
| 21 | Adobe Creative Cloud | 7.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 22 | PhotoScape X | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 23 | FastStone Image Viewer | 7.1 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 24 | vkdt | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 25 | FotoJet | 7.1 | Free plan | $3.33/mo | Yes | $3.33/mo | — | — |
Is your app 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 Freedom251?
Photopea is ranked #1 of 160 with a score of 8.1. darktable is second and RawTherapee third.
How many of these have a free plan?
24 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 free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.