What is Photo Editing Software?

Photo editing software is used to alter raw images digitally to improve their quality or amend their characteristics. This software can have features for basic manipulation of images to industrial end uses for professional photographers. Photo editing software is usually user friendly and effective in making the photos look sharper and clearer. It also helps in retouching pictures. Nowadays, many vendors offer photo editing tools as a part of mobile apps. Some mobile apps are AI-powered. That means they automatically remove blemishes, smoothen the skin texture, and remove wrinkles from a portrait. They also offer intuitive features, which give users a preview of the final photo. These apps use cloud storage as storage space. Some vendors provide video editing features in a photo editing program. Vendors also offer free photo editor software, free versions, or open source software, which can be helpful for beginners or small businesses. This same ease of setup is what makes the best photo editing software for creative teams with no IT support so valuable, since everything needs to work right out of the box. Many image manipulation tools provide tutorials for users on how to use the software. Some open-source software also offers tutorials to help beginners know its functionality and uses.

What are the Common Features of Photo Editing Software?

Based on G2 reviews, marketers and graphic designers evaluate photo editing software by comparing ease of use, export and file format options, and AI-powered editing capabilities. The following are some core features within photo editing software that can help users in the following ways: Cropping: To crop an image is to remove the outside edges of a photo to focus more on the object in the picture. It is used to attract viewers’ attention to the main object of the picture. Sharpness: This functionality brings about edge enhancement in the photo by identifying the sharp edges and then darkening the dark pixels and brightening the bright pixels surrounding the edges. Effects: The overall impact of the image can be changed using this feature, just like plugins. Vignette: This feature is used to add blurry edges to the photo. The feature allows the user to choose an oval. The area outside the oval gets blurred. Red-eye removal: Redeye is caused when the subject’s pupils dilate with the camera's flash. The red-eye feature in the photo editing software helps remove the namesake effect. Rotating image: This feature helps to rotate and straighten the image. There are options such as rotate clockwise, rotate anti-clockwise, flip horizontally, and flip vertically. HDR: One of the latest functionality offered by most vendors these days is HDR. This helps the camera click the pictures in high definition or makes the photos look sharp. Watermark removal: Watermarks are used to avoid copying any document or image easily. That could be because of various reasons, like requesting buyers to purchase the image. The watermark feature helps remove the watermark from the pictures and improves the resolution. While this sounds very confusing, it can be easily used by beginners. Resizing: Resizing functionality helps change the image size to smaller or larger without cutting anything out. Resizing affects the image quality. It is usually used to reduce the size of large files and make sharing easier via email. Many vendors provide a feature that allows users to retain the quality, thus providing high-quality photos. These photos can also be stored on cloud storage. Gradient tool: The gradient feature in photo editing software allows the users to make gradual transitions between two or more colors. Batch processing: This feature is helpful for beginners and freelance graphic design teams. It is used when there are several pictures to be edited in less time. Background removal: As a photo editing feature, background removal helps remove unwanted backgrounds from the picture and place the desired background. Lens correction: It is used to improve image quality. The lens correction feature removes imperfections like darkening at the image's corners and straight lines that appear curved. Retouching: This feature helps modify any unwanted effects in the photos. Presets are one of these tools. Presets: Presets are a group of photo editing settings that help in enhancing photos overall. They are commonly known as photo plugins, styles, and photo filters. Templates: Templates are the dimensions in which an image can fit depending on its end use. Many photo editing tools offer this feature. The template the user chooses is based on where the online photo will be uploaded, like social media, or as a banner.

What are the Benefits of Photo Editing Software?

Photo editing has numerous benefits. From the entertainment industry to branding agencies, photo editing software forms the backbone of their business offering. Brand building: Powerful photos are important when it comes to building a brand image and conveying a brand voice. Photo editing software helps enhance photos and edit them to maintain a consistent look and feel. This allows customers to connect with a brand and recollect the brand’s offerings. For more specialized editing, there are various open-source editing software available that supports Linux, Windows, and Mac operating systems. Improves social media approach: Social media marketing is a rage. Wisely edited pictures can help brands get an edge over the competition. Using industry-standard photo editing software helps give professional-looking pictures as the end result. Batch processing of images helps generate many copies of online photos to post on various platforms. Creates credibility and reputation: Customizable photos have the potential to make a statement. Thus, photo editing tools creatively can aid in generating a potential target customer base.

Page 2 | Best Photo Editing Software: User Reviews from October 2026

GIMP

The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows and more operating systems. It is free software, you can change its source code and distribute your changes. Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, GIMP provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done. You can further enhance your productivity with GIMP thanks to many customization options and thousands of third-party plug-ins, almost all available at no cost. Paint with a pressure-sensitive stylus; create and edit images with high bit depth (deep color) and color managed workflows; import and export a wide range of image formats; customize keyboard commands and menus; choose or create many themes; use industry-standard brushes (Photoshop, mypaint, and more); write vertical text; the possibilities are yours to explore! The terms of usage and rules about copying are clearly listed in the GNU General Public License. GIMP has been translated by volunteers into a large number of language (more than listed here) and more translations are very welcome.

Average Rating: 4.3/5.0

Total Reviews: 1,437

How Do G2 Users Rate GIMP?

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?: 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10)
Ease of Admin: 8.4/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10)
Quality of Support: 7.5/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

Who Is the Company Behind GIMP?

Seller: GIMP
Year Founded: 1996
HQ Location: Wilberville
Twitter: @GIMP_Official
37,337 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page: www.linkedin.com
419 employees on LinkedIn®

Who Uses This Product?

Who Uses This: Owner, Graphic Designer
Top Industries: Design, Computer Software
Company Size: 69% Small, 21% Medium

What Do G2 Reviewers Say About GIMP?

AI-generated summary from verified user reviews

Pros

Users highlight GIMP's completely free nature, providing powerful editing tools without any cost barrier.
Users find GIMP to be user-friendly, offering powerful tools without the complexities of paid software.
Users love GIMP for its powerful free photo editing capabilities and extensive features that rival paid software.
Users value the powerful features of GIMP, appreciating its free, open-source nature while offering professional-level image editing.
Users commend GIMP for its exceptional efficiency, offering powerful image editing tools without any cost barriers.

Cons

Users find GIMP's steep learning curve challenging, especially for advanced features and intuitive navigation.
Users find GIMP's steep learning curve and unintuitive interface frustrating, hindering usability and workflow efficiency.
Users experience slow performance with GIMP, particularly when handling large files or during startup, affecting productivity.
Users find GIMP has limited features compared to other software, impacting its professional usability and efficiency.
Users find GIMP's navigation poor, leading to frustration and a steep learning curve, especially for beginners.

What Are Recent G2 Reviews of GIMP?

"GIMP: open source, excellent but not for professional editing"

Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars

— Fabrizio M.

Best Photo Editing Software - Page 2

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