In the modern world, where visual content is a key part of communication, photo editing has become a crucial skill for photographers, content creators, and even casual users. High-quality images not only capture moments but also convey emotions, tell stories, and grab attention in a crowded digital space. However, raw photos often need enhancements to bring out their true potential, whether adjusting lighting, correcting colors, or adding artistic effects.
With numerous photo editing tools available today, it can be difficult to navigate through them and decide which ones suit your specific needs. Different editing software offers a variety of features and functionalities, ranging from basic adjustments to advanced techniques. For example, while beginner-friendly tools might focus on simple cropping and filters, more professional options provide in-depth control over elements like exposure, contrast, sharpness, and even complex retouching.
This blog highlights the top 10 photo editing tools for Mac and PC that will help you enhance your photos and take your editing skills to the next level in 2025
Whether you are a photographer, a digital marketing expert, or a web designer, photo editing is an important aspect of your work. Here is a compiled list of the best photo editing software for Mac & PC:
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a great photo editing software for both beginners and professionals. It offers various tools and features that can help you edit your photos like a pro. It has a simplified UI and comprises the Adobe Sensei functionality powered by artificial intelligence, making it one of the best photo editors.
Auto Selection is another feature of Adobe Photoshop Elements that lets you quickly and easily choose the subject of the image with a single click. You can also use the software to create custom graphics, logos, illustrations, etc.
Some of the key features of Adobe Photoshop Elements include:
Zoner Photo Studio X is a Windows-only photo editor that has been in the frame for the same time as Adobe. While its name isn't still familiar to many, Zoner Photo Studio X boasts features that make professional photo editing a walk in the park.
The software is a great choice for those looking for an advanced photo editor with RAW support. In addition, Zoner Photo Studio X offers a wide range of features, such as presets, layer support, retouching tools, cataloging video editing, multiple feature enhancements, additions, etc.
Most importantly, its ‘360° color shift’ tool allows our editors to quickly change the luminance, saturation, and hue and replace any color in the image without any hassle.
Some of the key features of Zoner Photo Studio X include:
Editors looking for a cheaper alternative to premium tools like Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, and Zoner Photo Studio X can go for ACD See Photo Studio. We use ACD See Photo Studio for photo masking and retouching services.
As a Windows user, we advise you to use the Ultimate version, which offers all the important layers and features and allows multiple hassle-free edits to your images. Its Advanced Light EQ tool is something that you would want to check out as it can help you quickly and easily improve the lighting in your photos with a few clicks.
Some of the key features of ACD See Photo Studio include:
This is a hybrid photo editing software that comprises the features and qualities of Lightroom and Photoshop. Affinity Photo is inspired by Photoshop and comes with masks, layers, smart objects, CMYK and RGB editing, color management, and decent Raw file conversion.
While there is no 3D editing, you get in-depth photography tools. Also, unlike Photoshop, which uses workspaces, Affinity Photo uses personas that make it a little more organized than most photo editing software. However, we do not suggest it to beginners as it lacks tutorials, and the interface can be quite overwhelming.
Some of the key features of Affinity Photo include:
Corel Paintshop Pro is a great photo editing software for those who are looking for an affordable alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Some salient features of the software include RAW image support, layer support, photo retouching, red-eye correction, and lens distortion correction.
Paintshop Pro has a built-in camera, the RAW Lab, that lets you edit your photos quickly and easily. This robust editing software is powered by artificial intelligence, which makes it a fully-featured graphics manipulation tool, offering excellent value for money.
Some of the key features of Corel Paintshop Pro include:
Adobe Photoshop is the gold standard in the world of photo editing tools. It offers many photo editing tools and features, including frequency separation, cloning elements, and changing the background color.
The primary reason most photo editors use Adobe Photoshop is because of its special effects and healing tools that can fix any imperfection in an image. If you are looking for comprehensive photo editing software, Adobe Photoshop is the way to go.
Some of the key features of Adobe Photoshop include:
This is a specially developed photo editing software for professional photographers that focuses on a few key editing tasks, such as special effects, sound effects, animations, GIFs, and multi-faceted photo editing.
CyberLink PhotoDirector 365 has a playground of features that make photo editing a fun and easy task. It is an ideal option for budding photographers as it is affordable; however, the real value lies in its subscription model, which starts at just $3 per month. This tool can make portrait retouching and e-commerce photo editing services a cakewalk.
Some of the key features of CyberLink PhotoDirector 365 include:
DxO Photolab is a highly popular photo editing software renowned for its exceptional sharpening, RAW conversion, and noise reduction tools. Rather than using a confusing catalog structure, DxO Photolab your computer’s existing folder hierarchy and hard drive for its DAM. This allows for a fast and fluid workflow.
This software also provides an advanced lens profile that can be applied to RAW files and JPEG and TIFF images. This is one of the many features that make DxO Photolab stand out from the rest.
Some of the Key Features of DxO Photolab Include:
This is another excellent photo editing software that is popular among professional photographers. Capture One Pro offers extensive features, such as layers, adjustment tools, color correction tools, and a live view.
It also has a DAM module that lets you manage your photos quickly and efficiently.
Some of the key features of Capture One Pro 21 include:
This software provides an end-to-end solution for RAW photo editing. ON1 Photo RAW is a non-destructive editor that offers many features, such as:
The software is offered as a Photoshop/Lightroom/Apple Photos plugin and a standalone program that can be used on its own. Editors use ON1 Photo RAW 2024 for its AI-powered features, such as Time-Lapse Creation, Sky Swap AI, and integration of ON1 NoNoise AI. Event photographers may find this tool to be extraordinary as it makes the photos come alive.
Some of the key features of ON1 Photo RAW include:
A good photo editing software for Mac and PC offers a combination of user-friendly features, advanced tools, and efficient performance, catering to both beginners and professionals. Here’s what to look for when choosing photo editing software:
Photo editing plays a significant role in helping photographers and businesses produce visually stunning images that captivate their audiences. However, the process often comes with challenges. Photographers may struggle with time constraints, juggling between capturing new moments and enhancing existing ones. Businesses, on the other hand, face issues such as scaling their editing needs, maintaining consistency across their visual content, and keeping up with the latest editing tools and trends. These challenges can hinder productivity and compromise the quality of output, particularly for those lacking the expertise or resources to manage photo editing in-house.
Outsourcing photo editing services can address these challenges effectively. By partnering with experts, photographers and businesses save time, reduce operational costs, and ensure a professional and polished finish for their images.
At Invensis digital photo editing services, we offer tailored solutions to meet diverse client needs. With expertise in advanced editing techniques and tools for Mac and PC, we ensure images stand out in today’s competitive market. Whether for personal projects or large-scale business campaigns, our experts deliver results that transform your photos into powerful visual assets. Contact us now to make your photos truly stand out and drive unparalleled attention.
Adobe Lightroom is the best photo editing software for Mac. It offers a variety of features and an intuitive user interface.
Both Mac and PC offer great options for photo editing software. However, the Mac may have a slight edge as it offers more native software options and typically has higher-end hardware.
GIMP is the best free photo editing software. It offers a host of tools and is very user-friendly. Additionally, it can be used on both Mac and PC.
Yes, Photoshop is the same for PC and Mac. The software offers the same features and functionality on both platforms.
Before starting photo editing, it is important to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Additionally, it is helpful to have some basic knowledge of the available tools and techniques.