15 Best Photo Editing Apps for PC and Laptop

After reviewing the list of the Best Video Editing Apps for PC and Laptop, this time Techpk will recommend a list of the Best Photo Editing Apps for PC and Laptop.

Photo editing applications on a computer are an unavoidable necessity. No wonder many computer users install this kind of application on their PCs and laptops. The most famous is Adobe Photoshop. This application can be said to be an application that is widely installed by Indonesian users, even though what they install is a pirated version.

In fact, users in worldwide can take advantage of free photo and graphic editing applications. Even among these applications, there are even more interesting than Photoshop.

So, how many exact applications are there? Quite a lot actually, but this time Techpk has compiled a selection of photo editing applications that are recommended to be installed on PC devices, both those using Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 10, Mac and other operating systems.

Some of the photo editing applications that we recommend are also not all free, some carry a subscription fee mechanism or one-time purchase. Some photo editing applications also generally have a  free trial program for those of you who want to try before buying. Let’s start this discussion with Adobe Photoshop.

List Of Best Photo Editing Apps for PC and Laptop

1. Adobe Photoshop

When people talk about photo editing programs on PC devices, many people immediately think of Adobe Photoshop. Fair enough because this program is quite famous.

Starting from the initial series, the CS series, and now the CC series, this application continues to grow and succeed in the market. Although this application is also often hijacked, it is still the most popular editing and design application and is widely used by professionals.

Complete features, tools that have many uses make this application a favorite of many people. The  most popular tool used in this application is to edit photo backgrounds. You only need to cut a certain part of the photo and paste it on a  certain background. Or, you can also change the background  color of the  photo according to your needs.

When this article was written, Adobe Photoshop released the CC series which is sold with a subscription system, which is around 13 USD/month. Information about the Photoshop application can be found on this page. In addition, Photoshop requires a PC or laptop with a processor of 2 GHz and above and a minimum of 8 GB of RAM (16 GB is better). As for VGA, make sure you have 2 GB of video memory (4 GB is better).

2. Adobe Lightroom

If Adobe Photoshop is too expensive, then you can use other applications from Adobe. This application was originally an application for processing RAW images (raw images). This application also initially has a function as a catalog.

Over time, this application has almost the same features as Photoshop. Especially for the fourth version, this application is already very good. If you have the funds, you should choose this application over Photoshop. Moreover, this application is lighter when run.

For information on Adobe Lightroom, you can visit the site here. Oh yes,  the system requirements for this application are also not much different from Photoshop, requiring a 3 GHz CPU with 8 or 16 GB RAM, and 2 GB video memory and above.

3. DxO PhotoLab

One more application that we recommend for professionally editing photos on PC, DxO Photolab. Although it is classified as having  more complicated tools  than other applications, DxO Photolab has a variety of powerful features and certainly makes users more satisfied with photo editing.

Naturally, the article DxO Photolab is intended for those of you who are already professionals in terms of image editing. Usually, DxO Photolab is used by professional photographers. Well, if you are curious and want to also try this application, then you can download DxO PhotoLab here.

It is recommended that the laptop has an Intel Core i5 and above with 8 GB RAM and 1 GB VGA that has OpenCL support.

4. Adobe Photoshop Elements

How did you feel when you used Adobe Photoshop for the first time? Chances are, you’ll feel awkward with its self-contained features and require special skills to find the features you need. Almost all processes performed in Photoshop run manually as well.

This is what ultimately drives the need for a simple photo editing application, namely Adobe Photoshop Elements. Here you don’t have to wait long to get  familiar with the  tool. With Photoshop Elements, all you have to do is make edits automatically. Suitable if you want to edit photos in large quantities but with simple editing.

To be able to use  this software comfortably, you must have a powerful laptop or PC specification. It must have a minimum of 8 GB of RAM, and use an 8th generation Intel CPU or equivalent. If you want to try it first, there is a  free trial program available. For the price alone you have to pay $69.99. Visit this page to complete the purchase process.

5. Corel PaintShop Pro

When this article was written, PaintShop Pro had already reached the 2020 series. In this series, this application offers even better capabilities. No wonder this application is the choice for professional photographers other than Photoshop. Maybe in the near future, this application can become a serious competitor for Adobe Photoshop CC.

Moreover, this software that has the ability to edit photos and graphics has a cheaper price than Photoshop, which is $63.99 or around $55 for one license forever. You can check information about this one program on the official website.

For  the system requirements, it’s better to use a laptop with Intel Core i5 and above or the AMD Ryzen series, it also requires  a discrete  VGA that supports DirectX 12.

6. GIMP

If asked, what photo editing application on a computer is free and equivalent to Photoshop? Then Techpk will answer GIMP. This open source program is a program that is highly recommended for designers and photographers. This program has almost all the features and tools of the paid software.

Its open source nature makes GIMP much favored by designers and photographers. Not even a few of these professionals use GIMP to edit photos, create logos, or process images. This free software can run on various computer operating systems, ranging from Windows, Linux, and Mac. You can download GIMP here.

7. Skylum Luminar

With the presence of 45 interesting filters, of course Luminar deserves to be included in one of the best photo editing applications on the Techpk PC version. Not only rich in filters, even Luminar has various tools  that can be accessed quickly without being slow.

In addition,  Skylum Luminar  also makes it easy for users to correct color,  tone, lens distortion,  and  chromaticity  in the image to be edited. However, if you want something more practical, you can take advantage of the  automatic correction  feature to beautify your image editing.

8. Cyberlink PhotoDirector

You don’t need to have years of experience to be able to edit photos. CyberLink PhotoDirector can be used by beginners, unlike Photoshop which takes more time to master. With a variety  of user-friendly tools and automation, you can give effects or  tweak photos more quickly.

There are two types of payments you can use, namely subscriptions or lifetime purchases. For the subscription version, you have to pay $40.99 per year to buy PhotoDirector 365. As for PhotoDirector Suite 365, the subscription fee is $96.99.

Well, for a lifetime purchase package, the product you get is a little different. Instead of getting PhotoDirector Suite 365, you get PhotoDirector 12 Ultra for $74.99 and PowerDirector 19 Ultimate + PhotoDirector 12 Ultra for $169.99.

The system requirements for this application are also fairly heavy. You must have an Intel CPU series i or equivalent, then make sure your VGA has memory above 128 MB. Available for Windows 7 and above on 64 bit architecture and macOS versions 10.13, 10.14, and 10.15. Visit the official page here.

9. ON1 Photo RAW

With this application, you can do RAW Conversion. Not only that, ON1 Photo RAW also has a  plug-in  feature, which means users can add Lightroom and Photoshop into this application. Just like other photo editing applications, ON1 Photo RAW is also very good for reducing noise, retouching, to  preset effects.

Unfortunately, this application has the weakness of importing  images that are slow and easy to  lag. Even so, the price offered by ON1 Photo RAW is quite affordable when compared to previous applications. And best of all, this application can be run on Mac or Windows. Want to try it? Directly download the application here.

10. ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate

If you want to use a photo editing application that is a combination of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom, ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate is the right choice. All the tools for photo editing can be found here.

Plus,  the photo editing software has a very reliable performance, including several other unique features such as  cloud integration, face recognition,  geotagging, and much more. Some people also often prefer ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate to Lightroom.

Available for the latest versions of Windows and MacOS (Windows 7 SP1 or MacOS 10.12 and above), at least you must have a laptop with Intel Core i3 or equivalent and use 2 GB RAM with 512 MB Video RAM. Interested? Come on, click this link to go to the official page!

11. Exposure X6

Not only Photoshop, you can also rely on Exposure X6 for all your  photo editing purposes, such as giving certain effects or simply changing  the tone of a photo. It is a  plug-in for Photoshop and Lightroom, but it is also available as a  standalone version of the app.

There are at least 500  presets  that can be used to further beautify photos, as well as various other photo editing features that are quite complete. Starting from  automatic adjustment, color editing, to  noise reduction that is adjusted to the characteristics of the camera sensor.

For both macOS and Windows, you must use VGA output 2015 and above with at least 2 GB of VRAM. Also, at least need an Apple M1 or Intel Core 2 processor for smooth application use. Try to have 16 GB of RAM, but 8 GB of RAM is also good enough  for less heavy operations. You can visit the official website here. It costs $129, and you don’t have to pay a subscription fee. Interested?

12. Zoner Photo Studio X

Zoner Photo Studio X is a bitmap photo editing application like Photoshop. In fact it also presents an editing interface using  layers. So, those of you who are already familiar with Photoshop will probably feel  familiar with this application.

In addition to presenting RAW  photo processing, you can also convert photos into videos, either in the form of  presentation  slides or timelapse videos. All can be done without having to change applications.

The app, which has been downloaded more than 10 million times, can run on Windows 8 and 10, with a  subscription fee of $49 per year. As a minimum, you should have an Intel processor with four cores at  a clock speed of 3 GHz and also a VGA with 2 GB of VRAM and above. Get the application via this link.

13. Microsoft Photos

Don’t want to download or install additional applications on Windows OS on your laptop? Don’t worry, Microsoft also provides a default photo application called Microsoft Photos. This application is the  default application when you open an image file on a laptop.

It’s not like Photoshop and friends who have full features. However, Photos is sufficient if you just want to  crop or change the aspect ratio of the image. Just install Windows 10 on your PC and you can start using Microsoft Photos right away without needing to install anything else. Click this link to visit the product page.

14. Apple Photos

If on Windows we know Microsoft Photos, then for Apple devices like macOS and iOS we will find the Apple Photos application. Its function is more or less the same, it can organize photos, but now with filter support by year, moment, and collection.

The advantage over Microsoft Photos is that this application also supports RAW files and video formats such as MP4. Besides being able to  retouch photos automatically, Apple Photos also provides full manual control if the user wants it. Like Microsoft Photos which can be  synced with OneDrive, Apple Photos also supports  cloud integration with iCloud.

15. Shotwell

Shotwell is also a  photo organizer application. But more than that, Shotwell can also be used to edit RAW photos and videos, such as Apple Photos. The features are quite  basic, such as  cropping, making tilted photos straight, making color enhancements, removing red eye, and so on. Shotwell is the default application available for Linux OS.

  Read Also:

1. 10 Long Screenshot Apps for Desktop PC and Laptop
2. 10 Best Video Cutter Apps for PC and Laptop

Thus the list of photo editing programs on the computer that Techpk recommends to be installed on your computer. You can choose according to your needs. If you are a designer and don’t mind the price, of course the best choices are Adobe Photoshop and CorelDraw Paintshop Pro.

If you have a problem with funds but want to need full features, you can choose GIMP. Well, if you are a beginner in design and don’t want to be complicated, you can use Photoshop Elements.