TechRadar
Best photo editing software in 2017
There's more to image-editing than Photoshop, and we check out some smart and affordable alternatives
Once upon a time, if you asked anyone which was the best photo editing software, they'd always say Photoshop. OK, so Photoshop is still the most powerful program there is at what it does, but what we want to do as photographers has changed.
Photoshop is not much good if you need creative inspiration â it can create any effect you ask of it, but you have to know what you want. If you need creative inspiration, there are better places to look.
- What better way to edit photos than with a brand-new MacBook?
It's not much good at organising your photos, either. It does come with Adobe Bridge, but that's just a glorified folder/photo browser, not an image cataloguing tool.
And while many photography experts understand the value of shooting unprocessed raw files and processing them later on the computer, very few are aware that not all raw converters are the same and that Adobe Camera Raw â as used by Photoshop â is not necessarily the best.
So can Photoshop hang on as the best photo-editing software on the market, and which are the rival apps you should be looking at too? Read on to find out.
1. Adobe Photography plan
Get Photoshop and Lightroom for a single and surprisingly affordable subscription
Adobe caused a storm when it moved over to a subscription system for its software, and it did initially look like a pretty pricey deal. But the price has dropped, the dust has settled and the world has carried on turning on its axis. Now, if you take out an annual subscription, you can get Photoshop and Lightroom for just £8.57/$9.99 per month.
That's why Lightroom is an indispensable part of the Adobe double-act. Lightroom combines an image cataloguing database with Adobe Camera Raw's 'non-destructive' editing tools in a slicker interface. It means that you can make non-permanent adjustments to an image which you can change later â and your original photos are never modified. These tools can't do everything â for selections, layers, masks and many more complex effects you'll need Photoshop. But that's OK, because you get both programs in the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan and they complement each other really well.
2. Phase One Capture One Pro 10
Capture one is a high-end rival to Lightroom and delivers high-quality results
3. Serif Affinity Photo
Serif shrugs off its budget background with a stunningly powerful Photoshop rival
4. Adobe Photoshop Elements 15
Elements is a great image-editing tool, but version 15 brings just a handful of changes
5. Cyberlink PhotoDirector 8 Ultra
PhotoDirector 8 is like a third-party homage to Lightroom, but with some twists of its own
6. MacPhun Luminar 1.0
Luminarâs loopy-looking approach to photo editing is actually rather smart
7. MacPhun Creative Kit 2016
This Mac-only suite is a clever, modern creativity-booster
You get a collection of programs that can work as standalone tools or as plug-ins for Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture (if anyone is still using it). Noiseless and Snapheal are easy and effective tools for noise and object removal respectively, while Intensify adds contrast and drama to your pics and Tonality is really rather good at creating mono/retro effects. Focus is good for bokeh and tilt-shift effects, while FX Photo Studio's in-your-face photo effects reveal unexpected subtlety and depth.
8. ON1 Photo 10
On1's all-in-one photo browsing and editing suite has a new name and a new look
Platform: PC and Mac | Image-editing: Yes | Cataloguing: Folder browsing and albums | Raw conversion: Yes
9. Corel PaintShop Pro X8
Corel's veteran image-editing software is brought right up to date
Platform: PC only | Image-editing: Yes | Cataloguing: Folder browsing | Raw conversion: Yes
10. DxO Optics Pro 10
Optics Pro 10 extracts the best quality possible from your raw files and your lenses
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