The Best Photoshop Software

1. Best Version Of Adobe Photoshop
2. The Best Photoshop Software For Mac
3. The Best Photoshop Software Download
4. The Best Photoshop Softwares Free

Which Adobe Photoshop version is best?

Are you looking for the best Adobe Photoshop version for beginners? If so, this post can help you opt for the right one. We have discussed a lot of versions designed for PC users. Since Photoshop is the most widely used software for photo editors, the developer has introduced many versions. Therefore, based on your specific needs, you can check out the features of a certain version and make your decision accordingly.

If you're hunting for the best photo editors software of 2020 - you've come to the right place. Photo editors have become increasingly common, especially on mobile devices for the basic editing of. Adobe Photoshop is the most commonly used photo editing software available today. Not only is Photoshop more expensive than most other editing software, but it’s not the best option for everyone. The best photo editor overall is: Adobe Photoshop If you're serious about photo editing, or are thinking about turning your hobby into a job, you can't beat industry standard software Adobe Photoshop. A: Luminar 4 is the best Photoshop/ Lightroom plug-in that allows you to use its unique features in your go-to photo editor. Whether you take photos for fun or business, it’s not an easy task to find a photo editing software that can best fit your photo editing needs with so many different options on the market.

As far as choosing the right version is concerned, you need to consider a lot of factors. First of all, you need to evaluate your skills and abilities. For instance, if you are just getting started, you may not want to go for the most recent version. There are different versions available. They are designed for beginners, intermediate and advanced level users. So, a basic version should work better for you if you don’t know how to use the software for the first time.

To get you started, we have reviewed a list of different versions of Adobe Photoshop. Aside from this, we have also discussed some solid reasons why users should go for a specific version. Actually, what you should do is compare the features of different versions and then ask yourself which one can meet your needs based on yours skill and experience level.

Which Adobe Photoshop version is best

Adobe Photoshop CC

The good thing about Adobe Photoshop CC is that it’s a great combination of both basic and advanced tools. What does this mean? This means that if you are looking for an easy to use solution to meet your image editing needs, you can check it out.

Some users may not be familiar with this solution. For them, it’s much better to check out some tutorials first. The purpose of these tutorials is to teach beginners how to use the software for the first time. They can help you get started more easily. So, following these helpful resources can save you a lot of time.

Adobe Photoshop PS

The PS series offers another set of great versions of the solution. If you have already used the older versions of the tool, we suggest that check out Adobe Photoshop PS. The good thing about this one is that it is an updated tool.

This version offers a number of new tools and a lot of other options that can be much easier to learn even for new users. Therefore, you may want to buy Adobe Photoshop PS as well. This is one of the best Photoshop versions for Windows 10.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended is on the list of best Photoshop versions for PC. This one helps you improve your image editing skills. This package has a lot of great features that can be found in other solutions, such as Fireworks, Premiere, Dreamware and Acrobat, to name a few.

If you are looking to enjoy all these features, you can head to the official website to download the software. With this tool on your PC, you don’t need to download other software solutions mentioned above. This is an all-in-one solution.

Adobe Photoshop CS

If you are in search of best Adobe Photoshop versions for PC, this is the one you should try out. There is a difference between the CS and the CC version. The difference is that the CS series is a kind of standalone package and is not linked to the online service called Adobe Creative Cloud.

As far as the opinion of CS users is concerned, it offers faster performance and doesn’t occupy a lot of space on your PC RAM. So, if you don’t have a lot of RAM installed in your PC, you can still install this software and enjoy editing your images. Aside from this, it allows you to edit your photos in an efficient manner. Therefore, trying out this tool is a great idea.

Adobe Photoshop CC 2018

Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 is another version of the software that you may want to consider. Unlike the previous versions listed above, this one has a number of benefits. Given below is a description of some of them:

• Offers access to the photos in Lightroom
• Allows you to customize fonts, such as changing the optical size, width, and weight, to name a few
• Offers a set of tricks that you can use with the tools for better performance
• It has a special learning panel that allows you to share things quickly
• It offers support for Microsoft Surface

Adobe Photoshop CS3

Adobe Photoshop CS3 is the most recommended version of the software. If you are looking for a comfortable software for editing photos, experts suggest that this software offers an easy environment. Listed below are some of the great features offered by the tool.

• Auto-align layers: you need to spend a lot of time aligning the layers
• Vanishing Point
• Refine Edge
• Quick Selection
• Smart Filters
• Speed
• New UI

These are just some of the features that set this version apart from all the other you can find on the web. If you need the mentioned features for your editing projects, you can download this software from the official site.

Before you go for any of these versions, we suggest that you compare the features as well as the price tags. This is quite important if you have a set budget to invest on these photo editing tools. And you don’t want to cross your budget no matter what.

Conclusion

Long story short, these are just 6 of the best Adobe Photoshop versions for your desktop PC or laptop. Make sure you go for a version that best meets your needs as far as photo editing is concerned. You can also consider buying the Adobe Photoshop latest version. It may cost a bit more but the extra cost is worth it as the features will make your projects much easier to work on.

• February 10, 2020
• 32 min to read

Modern digital photography goes hand in hand with post-processing software. Although today the photo editing software market offers an unlimited number of options for photographers of all levels, most of the community sticks to tried-and-true Adobe Photoshop. It indeed is a universal app equipped with tools that a professional photographer would wish for, but it’s time to make way for the new.

For the past decades, a lot of new and worthy photo editors entered the market bringing revolutionary technologies into the mundane editing process making even the most complex editing tasks doable for novices and streamlined for pros. Here we listed some of the best photo editing apps on the market including both old and new for photographers of different needs and skill levels.

1. Luminar 4

Completely revamped Luminar 4 is finally here to shake up the world of photo-editing software. Improved to be even more intuitive, Luminar 4 also brings a ton of brand-new AI editing tools designed to speed up the photo editing workflow.

- AI Sky Replacement automatically changes the sky and relights and recolors the entire photo to match the new sky.

- AI Skin Enhancer & Portrait Enhancer do all the retouching for you with just one click.

Best Version Of Adobe Photoshop

- AI Enhance automatically enhances your photo by making numerous adjustments of different complexity.

- AI Structure brings details up or down depending on your needs.

- Sunrays adds realistic sun rays to your photo that you’re free to tweak as you please.

- Smart Contrast was improved to produce a more detailed and textured image.

Luminar 4 can not only be used as a stand-alone app but also as a plug-in for Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom to make the best of your tools.

✅ Pros:

• Non-destructive editing
• Intuitive interface
• Improved performance
• In-depth customization
• Available as a plug-in as well

✖️ Cons:

• Mediocre library functions
• Limited exporting options

2. Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom has been the app of choice for professional and amateur photographers alike for many years now. It offers a well-thought-out set of features for managing, organizing, processing, and exporting your photos. With the advanced library features, like labels, keywords, collections, and search filters, the app makes it easy for you to keep track of large numbers of photos. Lightroom comes with a good selection of RAW profiles to define colors in your photos for more precise editing. Tweak your photos to perfection with adjustment sliders, perspective and lens correction tools, retouching tools, filters, profiles, and presets to speed up your workflow.

✅ Pros:

• Built-in file management system
• Face detection and tagging
• Color and luminosity masking
• Plug-in support

✖️ Cons:

The Best Photoshop Software For Mac

• Not the best choice for beginners
• A bit too taxing for Windows
• No auto-tagging
• Comparatively slow importing

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What photo editing software do you use and why? Let us know in the comments, we’d be very interested to know!

3. ACDSee PHOTO STUDIO ULTIMATE 2020

Photo Studio Ultimate 2020 is a one-stop photo management and post-processing tool for Windows. It comes with everything you need to handle your files, like categories, keywords, face detection, ratings, color labels, metadata, geolocation, and more. It’s quite powerful when it comes to photo editing, too, offering a broad set of tools for a variety of different purposes. It allows you to process your RAW, JPEG and other types of files in a non-destructive way in Develop Mode and perfect them in Edit Mode by adjusting color and lighting, bringing out details, removing flaws, and adding final touches. The user interface is completely customizable to suit your preferences.

✅ Pros:

• Excellent built-in file management system
• Powerful post-processing features
• Fully customizable interface

✖️ Cons:

• Available only for Windows
• Too overwhelming for beginners
• Subscription-based online storage gallery

4. GIMP

GIMP is a free and open-source photo-editing tool that has been around for more than 20 years. It boasts a limitless number of state-of-the-art features that you wouldn’t expect to see in a free photo-editing app. The interface has been recently updated to be easier to use, however it still can be quite confusing for novices. GIMP offers a broad set of tools suitable not only for basic but for advanced editing, too. Here you can enhance colors, adjust hue and saturation, fix composition, adjust sharpness, reduce graininess, remove unwanted objects, work with masks, layers, and more.

✅ Pros:

• 100% free
• Open access to the source code
• Has a broad selection of tools for different purposes
• Plug-in support
• Available for the main operating systems

✖️ Cons:

• Non-intuitive workflow
• Difficult to get the hang of
• Lack of HDR support

5. Aurora HDR

Aurora HDR is a powerful HDR tool that brings innovation and simplicity together. The most recent update introduced a new Quantum HDR engine with AI-powered tone mapping technology which allows for more intelligent photo merging to produce vivid yet natural-looking photos. Whether you’re creating an HDR photo from bracketed shots or a single image, the app’s neural network enhances the photo and makes sure that no halos or ghosting spoils the final result. The brand-new Smart HDR Structure feature boosts details and sharpness without creating undesired artifacts that can make a photo look unrealistic. With over 80 distinctive Looks, you can make your photo look stunning in just one click.

✅ Pros:

• One of the best HDR photo editors
• Swift performance
• Corrects badly taken single shots
• Doesn’t create artifacts, halos, or noise
• Available as a stand-alone app and plug-in
• Plug-in support

✖️ Cons:

• None worth mentioning

6. Adobe Photoshop Elements

Developed for beginner and hobbyist photographers, Photoshop Elements’ functions are naturally more limited than Photoshop’s but it has all the essentials for achieving astonishing results. It offers three editing modes:

The Quick mode includes the simplest tools for straightening and cropping photos, removing unwanted objects, enhancing portraits, and applying filters.

The Guided mode uses step-by-step wizards to take you through more complex edits like removing objects, replacing the background, merging multiple photos, creating double exposures, and more.

The Expert mode gives you access to more complex Photoshop-like features including layers, masks, and filters.

✅ Pros:

• Excellent for entry-level photographers
• Simple and straightforward interface
• One-time purchase
• A bunch of Photoshop-like features simplified for nonprofessionals
• Dozens of clear guides

✖️ Cons:

• Too limited functionality

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Exposure X5 looks like a refined version of Lightroom that inherited only the features that photographers liked and used the most. Some of the most hated features were eliminated or improved. Thus, there’s no time-consuming import process in Exposure X5 - you can get straight to editing by adding a folder with your photos in a few clicks. The interface is very well-organized and can be customized to suit your editing purposes. Besides non-destructive layer-based editing and cutting-edge tools that are crucial for the professional photo-manipulating process, Exposure X5 offers a mind-blowing collection of over 500 presets that you can customize to your liking.

✅ Pros:

• Beginner-friendly
• Well-organized and customizable interface
• No power-draining import process
• Non-destructive layer-based editing
• A broad selection of free presets
• No subscription

The Best Photoshop Software Download

✖️ Cons:

• The interface design looks a bit outdated
• Lack of panorama and HDR tools

8. Capture One Pro

Capture One Pro is a full-fledged pro photo editor created for experienced photographers and serious hobbyists. Originally designed for tethered shooting, Capture One Pro is the fastest and most flexible tethering tool for photographers of all genres. It also offers top-notch RAW photo-editing functionality, smart photo organization tools, layer support, powerful adjustment tools, and plenty of other features you’re looking for in professional-grade photo software.

✅ Pros:

• Exceptional rendering of RAW files
• Numerous adjustment tools for different needs;
• Layer-based editing
• Industry-leading tethering features
• Fast and smooth spot removal
• Annotations feature

✖️ Cons:

• Lack of third-party plug-in support;
• Lack of panorama and HDR tools
• Limited organization features;
• Absence of history panel

9. Affinity Photo

Even though Affinity Photo can’t boast any organization or management tools, it’s well-packed with all kinds of editing features for photographers of all levels. The workflow includes several Personas, or modes, focused on different editing stages. Develop Persona focuses on RAW file processing, Photo Persona is used for boosting your photos using layers, lighting and color adjustments, curves, LUTs, etc. Tone Mapping Persona is for HDR editing, Liquify Persona for bending photos, and Export Persona for exporting finished photos.

✅ Pros:

• Layer-based editing
• RAW editing tools
• Panorama, HDR, and focus stack merging tools
• No subscription

✖️ Cons:

• No lens-based corrections
• Lack of organization tools
• No ability to save custom workspaces
• Poor noise reduction

10. Pixlr

One of the most powerful online photo tools, Pixlr has become a popular choice when it comes to making quick photo corrections. Since it’s a web app, it doesn’t take up any room on your computer and is compatible with all operational systems. Pixlr features a clean and intuitive interface with many tools for cropping, selecting, transforming, removing objects, retouching and adjusting your photos using numerous sliders for brightness, contrast, vibrance, saturation, shadows, and more. It also offers a vast collection of filters and effects that will enhance your photos in a snap!

✅ Pros:

• Beginner-friendly
• Great for quick editing
• Online
• 100% free
• Has a clean interface
• Offers a nice collection of filters and effects
• Mobile version available

✖️ Cons:

• Limited functionality
• Advertising can be annoying
• Can be laggy sometimes

11. Paint.NET

Developed to replace the iconic Microsoft Paint, Paint.NET has grown into a full-featured yet simple photo-editing tool for WIndows. The app offers a user-friendly interface that’s very easy to navigate. Paint.NET is packed with a nice set of tools for making your photos look beautiful in the most effortless way. Here you can play around with various adjustments, such as levels, curves, contrast, brightness, saturation, and more, selecting and removing objects, resize and crop your photos, and so much more!

✅ Pros:

• 100% free
• Unlimited history
• Layer-based editing
• Tons of creative filters and effects
• Suitable for beginner and intermediate users
• User-friendly interface
• Plug-in support

✖️ Cons:

• Only for Windows
• Interface design looks a bit outdated
• Limited functionality

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Do you agree with our opinion in this article? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

FAQ:

Q: Which one is the best photo editing software?

A: Luminar 4 is the best photo editing software because it offers the most powerful collection of features and tools for different editing needs.

Q: What is the easiest free photo editing software?

A: Paint.NET is the easiest free photo editing software, however, it has a very limited number of features suitable only for basic editing.

Q: Which photo editing software is the best for HDR photo editing?

A: Aurora HDR is the best HDR photo editing software with a broad set of tools for creating and correcting HDR images.

Q: How can I edit pictures on my computer for free?

A: GIMP free photo editor is the best way to edit pictures on your computer for free. It’s well-packed with features and is suitable for beginners and pros alike.

Q: Which photo editing software can be used as a plug-in for Photoshop/ Lightroom?

A: Luminar 4 is the best Photoshop/ Lightroom plug-in that allows you to use its unique features in your go-to photo editor.

Whether you take photos for fun or business, it’s not an easy task to find a photo editing software that can best fit your photo editing needs with so many different options on the market. We believe that it’s easier to find something when you know what you’re looking for, so we came up with three criteria that you should take into account when looking for your one and only photo app. So, we recommend you to make your choice based on the features you want your app to have, the platform you’re going to use it on, and the price that you’re ready (or not) to pay for it. This will help you to filter out the irrelevant options and narrow your choices down to a few most suitable ones.

Features

We believe that all photo editing apps can be divided into several categories based on what they have to offer to users of different levels and needs. These categories are:

1. Photo editing software for beginners. If you’re just starting out in photography or need to apply quick corrections to your photos once in a while, you should opt for a beginner-friendly photo editor like Paint.NET or Pixlr. Such editors usually have a clean and straightforward interface without too many tabs and icons, and a decent set of tools for applying basic corrections.
2. Professional photo editing apps are designed for professional photographers and advanced hobbyists and give more control over photo processing and editing. Their use requires more specialized knowledge of photography and high photo-editing skill. Pro-grade photo editors like Adobe Lightroom or Capture One Pro often come with an in-build photo management system, provide support for RAW files, tethered shooting, and presets.
3. Software for creating and editing vector graphics. As you probably know, there are two types of graphics: raster and vector. Raster graphics represent images as a pixel grid, while vector graphics use lines and curves. Vector software can’t change pixels and thus is ineffective for photo correction. However, you can use vector software to add graphics to your photo such as text, shapes, lines. Many raster photo editors include a handful of vector tools, like GIMP or Photoshop.
4. AI photo software uses AI-based technology that allows reducing manual photo editing to a minimum - even the most complex editing tasks such as retouching or removing objects can be done with just a few clicks. Such apps are a popular choice among beginners and pros alike as they substantially speed up the editing process without affecting the quality. Luminar 4 is one of a few decent AI photo editing tools on the market.
5. Open source photo editing apps are apps for which the source code can be viewed and changed by any user, like GIMP. It means that any user can interact with the program code to correct bugs, improve the exciting features and add new ones. Open-source software is usually completely free and for this reason much beloved by users of different levels of expertise.

The Best Photoshop Softwares Free

Platform

There is another thing you should take into account when looking for your perfect photo-editing app - the platform you’re going to use it on. If you’re a Mac or Windows user, you’ve got a wider choice of options unlike, for example, Chrome OS users, who have a much more limited choice. Let’s take a closer look at what we have here.

• Windows is the most compatible with most of the photo software you're going to want to use. If you’re a Windows user, you have a great number of options to choose from including most widely-used apps like GIMP, Luminar 4, Lightroom, Paint.NET, and more.
• As Mac is the second most popular operating system, you won’t have any troubles finding a photo app compatible with it. Here you still have a vast number of options including Lightroom, Aurora HDR, Luminar 4, etc. The popular GIMP, however, isn’t compatible with Mac.
• If you’re a Chromebook user, your choice is limited to Google Play apps. Those, however, include a pretty good number of options, such as GIMP, Photoshop, Lightroom, and others. If you have strong programming skills, you could try installing external apps as well.

It doesn’t matter what platform you’re using if you choose to work in an online photo editor. It runs in a browser and doesn’t need installing.

If you’re looking for an app for your Android or iOS device, you should check what your app store has to offer. Some web and desktop apps, like Pixlr or Lightroom, however, have mobile versions.

Price

No matter how good the software is, its price can be a real dealbreaker. Luckily, not all photo editing software is paid for. There are such apps as GIMP and Paint.NET that are completely free. Paid options include subscription-based (Photo Studio Ultimate 2020, Lightroom) and one-time-fee (Luminar 4, Photoshop Elements, Affinity Photo) software. Some paid apps though have free trial versions, so you can test an app for free for several days to see if it’s worth the money.

The Best Photoshop Software