Best Free Photo Editing Software for Windows in 2025

Movavi Photo Editor

  • Intuitive tools for quick and easy photo editing

  • AI: retouching, background swap, object removal, and more

  • Atmospheric effects, color correction presets, and caption settings

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Edited by
Ben Jacklin
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Key takeaways

  •  Nine solid free photo editing options: Movavi Photo Editor, Paint.NET, GIMP, Fotor, Canva, Pixlr Editor, PiZap, Inkscape, and Xara Photo and Graphic Designer.
  • Each has its role: Movavi Photo Editor has advanced AI capabilities, Paint.NET is fast, Canva has thousands of templates, and Pixlr has a mobile app for iOS and Android. 
  • Pick by workflow: Desktop apps, such as Movavi Photo Editor, are best suited for speed and advanced features, while online tools like Canva are ideal for small, one-off jobs.
  • Amateur vs. Professional: Programs like Paint.NET and PiZap are great for beginners, whereas advanced ones like GIMP cater more to professionals. 
  • Quick tip: When choosing a free photo editor, one size does not fit all, so be sure to keep your specific situation in mind. Whether you’re a professional photographer polishing wedding photos or an amateur posting vacation pictures on Instagram, a good photo editor is a must. The demand for photo editing software has risen greatly in recent history. According to Research and Markets, the photo editing software market grew from 29 billion dollars in 2024 to 31.17 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach 44.24 billion by 2030. If you’re like me, you don’t necessarily have the funds available to contribute to the several-billion-dollar photo editing software industry. Luckily, there are plenty of free photo editors out there that will allow you to produce stunning images that will impress your friends and coworkers alike. With all the options available, it can be tough to know which free photo editor has the best features to suit your needs. I’ve tested several different free photo editors and laid out the key features, pros, and cons of my favorites for your convenience. Read on to learn more about the best free photo editors for Windows.

My top picks

Best overall: Movavi Photo Editor
This photo editor really checked all the boxes for me with an intuitive interface, a ton of great tools, and advanced AI capabilities.

Best for social media: Canva
Canva has thousands of free templates for different social media platforms, and I was able to easily publish directly to Facebook, Instagram, and more.

Best for beginners: PiZap
It was a breeze making memes and emojis with this easy-to-use program.

Best for professionals: GIMP
This open-source software offers a wide range of features and graphic design elements, making it perfect for professionals.

Best for mobile users: Fotor
With its desktop program, mobile app, and online version, this photo editor is ideal for users who want to be able to edit seamlessly between devices.

Best free photo editing software

Check out our top free photo editing software for Windows, Mac, and smartphones.

1. Movavi Photo Editor

Why I picked it: A user without any prior editing experience could pick up this photo editor with ease and enjoy its many features.

Key Features

  • AI retouching, background swap, and object removal
  • Atmospheric effects
  • Color correction presets

I didn’t need any guides or how-tos to learn to edit. I was able to just start my journey to the world of retouching with Movavi Photo Editor, one of the best free photo editors. The trial version of the program that is available for free provides all the necessary tools. Using it, I could crop, rotate, retouch images, etc. Every time I was going to use a new feature, the interface gave me a hint on how to get the most out of it. So it’s really simple to use. Once you learn all of the tools, you can get even more with the full version of the app. The software is available for both Mac and Windows. The latest program update features professional-quality color correction and 34 new presets to help you fine-tune your images with ease.

Ratings

4.3/5

G2

4.5/5

Tekpon

4.3/5

Techjockey

4.4/5

Mac App Store

Pros:

  • Easy to use

  • Provides a lot of features

  • Advanced AI capabilities

Cons:

  • I could only save 10 photos in the free trial version

2. Paint.NET

Why I picked it: I was a little put off by this program’s complicated-seeming interface at first, but I soon found it to be a simple and user-friendly photo editor that supports many popular file formats.

Key Features

Those who’ve already learned all the basic tools and are ready to get more creative can try Paint.NET. In the beginning, this software was supposed to be a drawing program, like Microsoft Paint. But now it has developed into a pretty good photo editing application. Its interface may remind you of a professional program, like Photoshop, and seem a little complicated. But it’s just the first impression. As you start using Paint.NET, you’ll see how simple and user-friendly it is, just perfect for beginners. Paint.NET 5 works exclusively on Windows and requires Windows 10 as a minimum. Paint.NET 5.1.9 was released in July 2025 and fixed some important bugs.

Ratings

4.6/5

Capterra

4.2/5

CNET

4/5

TechRadar

4.6/5

Microsoft App Store

Pros:

  • Fast

  • Great for beginners

  • Unlimited history

Cons:

3. GIMP

Why I picked it: I really appreciated that this software is open-source, and it is a great alternative to Photoshop.

Key Features

  • Open-source
  • High-quality photo manipulation
  • Graphic design elements

GIMP is an open-source editing software geared more toward advanced users, similar to Photoshop. I was able to customize the interface of the program and add only the plugins I really need and use. Thus, GIMP can be a good free app for professionals with a wide range of features. The[JK1] software is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The March 2025 release of GIMP 3.0 included non-destructive editing for most commonly used filters and improved color management.

Ratings

4.3/5

G2

4.4/5

Capterra

5/5

TechRadar

4.4/5

Software Advice

Pros:

  • Available across multiple operating systems

  • A vast array of tools

  • Supports several file formats

Cons:

4. Fotor

Why I picked it: With this program, I was able to switch between my PC, browser, and phone seamlessly.

Key Features

  • Portrait retouching
  • Photo enhancer
  • Filters and effects

If you want to use the same editor on both your PC and your smartphone, then Fotor is probably the best choice for you. It has a desktop program to download, a mobile app, and even an online version. The software is also made for beginning and amateur photo makers. In addition to all of the basic features any photo editor contains, there are also some more complicated ones. For instance, a wrinkle remover or teeth whitening. The software will also come in handy when you need to get a good result fast. For that, use the filters, frames, titles, and stickers. And then share your new nice pic right away on social media! In August 2025, Fotor unveiled Fotor AI Agent, an AI-powered assistant that allows users to edit photos simply by speaking or typing.

Ratings

4.2/5

G2

4.6/5

Capterra

4.6/5

Software Advice

4/5

Microsoft Store

Pros:
Cons:

5. Canva

Why I picked it: As an online marketer, I loved the many free templates available and how I could schedule and publish directly to social media.

Key Features

  • Background remover
  • Expand, retouch, and customize photos
  • Crop images to any aspect ratio

An online marketer’s best friend, Canva provides creators with thousands of free templates for pictures for different social media platforms. With this web-based app, I found the best and fastest help for making a nice image with a quote, infographics, or, say, a blog post header. I just chose the template I needed, added my logo, and was ready to share directly to my page or community. It works on Windows, Mac, and Linux (in browser) with iOS and Android apps available as well. An April 2025 update included new AI-powered features that work with just a prompt.

Ratings

4.7/5

G2

4.7/5

Capterra

4.5/5

PCMag

4.4/5

Sonary

Pros:
Cons:

6. Pixlr Editor

Why I picked it: This is a good photo editor for advanced users with a vast range of editing tools, including AI-powered ones.

Key Features

  • Wide range of editing tools, including cropping, adjusting the brightness, saturation, and more
  • Layer-based editing for complex adjustments
  • Supports a variety of formats

One of the best free editing programs for advanced users. Pixlr comes with an impressive variety of features, which include exposure, levels, automatic enhancement tools, and many others. Some compare Pixlr to Photoshop in terms of its functionality. But at the same time, I found that this free software has a really user-friendly interface. Also, it includes detailed guides that helped me deal with features and tools that were new to me. The latest program update includes an AI Image Generator that produces high-quality images in seconds.

Ratings

4.5/5

G2

4.4/5

Capterra

4.4/5

Software Advice

4.6/5

Sonary

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface

  • Available as a web-based tool, as well as a mobile app for iOS and Android

  • AI-powered tools

Cons:

7. PiZap

Why I picked it: I was blown away by how easy it was to make memes or design emojis using this program.

Key Features

  • AI-driven editing tools
  • An extensive library of filters and effects
  • Over 350 fonts

Ever wanted to make a meme? Or design your own emoji? PiZap will make it easy. This online editor is created to let anyone make a picture for sharing on the Internet fast and easily. It’s great for collages, holiday cards, and just editing. There are versions of the app for mobile and for PC, and also the online running one. The latest program update included new templates and stickers, as well as UI improvements.

Ratings

4.4/5

Google Play Store

4.7/5

Apple App Store

3.5/5

TechRadar

3.8/5

Knoji

Pros:
Cons:

8. Inkscape

Why I picked it: This was the best free photo editor I tested for creating logos and is ideal for those interested in learning graphic design.

Key Features

  • Open-source
  • Flexible drawing tools
  • Supports a wide variety of formats

This free online open-source vector graphics editor is great for creating logos, illustrations, and drawings that require high scalability. Inkscape is great for those who are willing to learn graphic design, as it has a huge variety of vector editing tools. The interface may seem a little complicated for beginners, but once you start exploring it, it gets really exciting! It can be used on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Inkscape 1.4.2 features improvements to layer selection and the general user interface.

Ratings

4.4/5

G2

4.4/5

Capterra

4.4/5

Software Advice

4.4/4

GetApp

Pros:

  • Customizable user interface

  • More than 90 templates included

  • Great for graphic design

Cons:

9. Xara Photo and Graphic Designer

Why I picked it: This vector-based photo editor really has it all, from layers to clone tools, making it perfect for graphic design.

Key Features

  • Non-destructive editing
  • Customizable template and content library
  • Supports a wide variety of formats

From image retouching to social media posts and show-stopping website graphics, do it in one tool. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, your photo editing, illustration, and graphic design ideas are made possible using the free trial version of this program. A simple interface integrates powerful photo editing, enhancement tools, and flexible illustration tools powered by the fastest graphics software. An August 2025 update features precision tools and cleaner workflows.

Ratings

4.4/5

G2

3.5/5

Softonic

4.5/5

BestReviews

3/5

TopTenReviews

Pros:
Cons:

  • Steep learning curve

  • Lacks batch processing

How to choose the best photo editing software

Photoshop is great, but fortunately for those of us who don’t have deep pockets, there are plenty of great free alternatives available. Perhaps you might be feeling that there are too many. As much as you may research, you still might not have a good idea of which free photo editor will work for you. Hopefully, my extensive tests will help you determine what will best suit your needs. Just think hard about your specific situation. Do you want to post an infographic to social media? Canva will provide all the help you need. Or maybe you’re a professional photographer who needs access to advanced features. If so, GIMP could be a better fit.

The best way to figure out the free photo editor that will fit you best is to test them out, as I have. As you can see, I included a few programs like Movavi Photo Editor that only have free trials available. That’s both because, thanks to the ease of use and speed of these programs, I was able to finish multiple projects within the free trial window, and because those trials will give you a chance to decide if these quality photo editors are worth the expense. It's also helpful to pay attention to user reviews online and look specifically for ones that mention if a program is easy to use.

It can be frustrating trying to decide between free photo editors and whether a paid program might be a better option. I hope this article has given you the necessary knowledge to help you find the free photo editor that will be a perfect fit.

Movavi Photo Editor
Easily enhance images and get professional-grade results in a snap.
Download for FreeAbout the Windows version
Download for FreeAbout the Mac version

*The trial version of Movavi Photo Editor has the following restrictions: you can save up to 10 images with added watermark, screenshots are disabled.

Movavi Photo Editor

Frequently asked questions

What are the best free photo editing apps for Windows?

For free photo editing apps for Windows, Movavi Photo Editor is an excellent choice. Its intuitive interface and powerful tools make it easy to edit your photos, even if you're a beginner. With its wide range of features, you can enhance your photos, create collages, and even add special effects, all for free. This software is perfect for anyone who wants to quickly and easily improve their photos without spending any money.

What are the best free photo editing software options?

If you're looking for free photo editing software options, Movavi Photo Editor is a great option. It offers a robust set of features for making professional-looking edits, including color correction, cropping, resizing, and more. It's also great for creating collages and applying special effects to your photos.

What is the best open-source photo editor?

While Movavi Photo Editor isn't open-source, it's still a great option for users looking for the best open-source photo editor. If you're looking for a free and powerful photo editor, Movavi Photo Editor is a great choice. It offers all the essential features for basic photo editing, including cropping, resizing, and adjusting brightness and contrast.

What are the best photo editing software options for Windows?

In terms of the best photo editing software options for Windows, Movavi Photo Editor is a great choice. Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features make it great for both beginners and experienced users. Plus, its affordable pricing makes it a great option for individuals and businesses alike.

What is the best photo editing software overall?

When it comes to the best photo editing software overall, Movavi Photo Editor is an excellent choice. Its combination of ease of use, powerful features, and affordability makes it a top pick for anyone looking to improve their photos, whether they're a professional or just starting out.

Which is the best photo editing app for PC for free?

Movavi Photo Editor is a fantastic option if you’re looking for a free photo editing app for your PC with features like AI background removal, cropping, and color correction.

Does Windows come with a free photo editor?

Yes, Windows comes with the Microsoft Photos app, which is a competent free tool for basic editing but lacks advanced features.

What photo editor is easiest to use?

With its user-friendly interface that gives you hints on how to get the most out of new features, Movavi Photo Editor is the easiest to use.

Is GIMP better than Photoshop?

GIMP is open-source and free, while Photoshop is not, but Photoshop is a more powerful photo editor with a better user interface.

How do I edit photos on Windows 10 for free?

Simply download and install Movavi Photo Editor, add an image file by clicking “Browse for Images”, and you’ll be ready to start editing!

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