Best Mac Photo Editing Software - Free/Trial or Cheap 1. Apple’s Photos (Built-in app) 2. Luminar (7 days trial) 3. Photolemur 3 (Free Version with watermark) 4. Aurora HDR (14 days trial) 5. Pixelmator (Trial 30 Days) 6. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 (Trial link) 7. Affinity Photo (Free Trial) 8. There aren't many Mac photo management apps that aren't geared towards a specific purpose, but among the few we think Lyn is the best for it's speed, wide format compatibility, and good. So, we have scoured the web and compiled the best Photoshop alternatives for Mac. These alternatives have great features that you need and are a cheaper option. Even better is that few of the alternatives below are free and others offer a Free trial period. Affinity Photo – Professional Photo Editing Software for Mac and PC.
Which is the best photo organizer for Mac? Adobe Lightroom is the best photo organizer for Mac users. Lightroom is a cloud-based service that gives you everything you need to edit, organize, store, and share your photos across any device.
- January 02, 2020
- 30 min to read
With smartphones increasing in popularity, nowadays everyone (even a professional photographer) needs a tool that will help them to manage and organize their photos. After all, you do not want the risk of running out of storage space be the reason that do not capture every special moment? And with thousands of photos on your hard drive, you will for sure need a tool to help you track down a specific photo or remove those annoying duplicate photos.
Plus, let’s face it, hard drives do fail (and usually the day before you planned to make backups). Therefore, it is a very good idea to invest in a photo management software solution that lets you upload your pics to the cloud.
Though, the right photo management tool will offer you so much more than simply an organized storage space for your shots. Some tools will even let you add metadata about things like the camera model that was used, the dimensions, aperture value etc. The majority of these software solutions will also offer you a couple of standard editing tools such as color filters and cropping.
So, which features should you look for in a photo management tool? Here are 18 of the best photo management software solutions, in no particular order, that are currently available on the market. These will give you a good idea of what the current standard is.
1. Adobe Bridge
If you use the popular Adobe Creative Cloud software package, you will most likely already be very familiar with Adobe Bridge CC. It is a photo and digital asset management software solution that is compatible with both Windows as well as Mac OS.
With this free tool, you can access all the resources and files that you require for your specific project. It boasts several useful features that include on-demand metadata generation, batch photo editing, organizing general and individual files, watermarks, centralized color settings and much more.
To help you organize your different photo folders, you can use its metadata tools, tagging or rating features. Plus, you can also rename and organize a bunch of images at the same time.
It is also very simple to import pics or videos from your card reader, smartphone, tablet or digital camera, thanks to its picture upload feature. All things considered, it is one of the best solutions for professionals and can help them to streamline their workflow significantly. Though, it might be a bridge too far if you are looking for a tool that will help you to sort only your own (personal) photos.
2. Luminar 4
Luminar 4 boasts really great photo management features! The beauty of Luminar 4 is that it makes it easy to navigate your library with the help of shortcuts. For example, if you select “All Photos”, you can sort your photos either by their date of capture or the date on which the files were created. Another popular and easy-to-use shortcut is marking it as a Favourite. This way you can even add a star rating to all of your top photos.
You can also use folders to organize your photos. What makes this feature so convenient is that Luminar’s folders actually connect directly to your hard drive’s folders. This means that you can organize the folders of your hard drive via Luminar and the other way round. What’s more, you can then also group your photos together in Luminar by using albums without changing the location of the images on your actual hard drive! All in all, this is one of the best photo editing software solutions available on the market.
3. XnView
With the help of XnView, you can look at more than 400 photo formats and save as many as 50 different file formats. It is available free of charge for educational or non-commercial use and is compatible with Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems.
This multimedia viewer, photo converter and browser is powerful and boasts all the fundamental features, yet remains very simple to use and sleek. Some of its most popular features include lossless JPEG conversion, adjusting images automatically, a duplicate file finder, batch processing and a built-in picture editor. You can also use it to get info about all your images, making it one of the most popular tools for organizing your photos.
4. Nomacs
While Nomacs might be small, speed is for sure not something that you have to worry about as this free open-source image viewer is built for speed. After all, dynamite comes in small packages, right?
It is efficient and can be used with all of the most popular file formats which include PSD and RAW. Just like with XnView, you will get all the info about your pictures that you need.
One of its best features is that you can use it to synchronise different viewers who use the same local network or computer. It is also a great tool if you need to compare photos in order to identify differences. Some of its other useful features include a built-in graphics editor and automatic photo adjustment. It can be used with Mac OS, Linux and Windows platforms.
5. Google Photos
Google Photos is one of the best free photo management solutions that you can use for your videos and photos. Everything that you have come to expect, Google Photos can offer.
It is very simple to upload a photo. You can either use the button (that is somewhat difficult to spot) or the drag-and-drop feature which is much easier. As your videos and photos get uploaded and sorted to cloud storage automatically, it is a really convenient tool to add to your arsenal. It will sort out and display your panoramic photos and high dynamic range (HDR) ones in no time at all. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to sort out your albums and make suggestions regarding which images you should archive. What is more, you can also search for a specific photo or video at once, after it has been uploaded.
Some of its most popular features include creating metadata and drafts on request and photo batch processing. It also boasts a couple of basic photo editing tools that include color filters and cropping. Then, last but not least, all you have to do is select the pics that you want to share and either post it on social media, create a link or include it in one of your shared albums.
All things considered, Google Photos is the complete opposite of a tool like Adobe Bridge CC, making it the perfect tool if you are simply searching for a way to share those special moments with your friends and family members. And, thanks to the unlimited backup storage that is available if you choose not to upload it in full resolution, you do not have to make plans for when you run out of space. All things considered, with millions of users already who upload over a billion photos every single day, surely Google Photos is doing more than a couple of things right.
6. XnViewMP
If you like XnView, then you will really like XnViewMP which is an enhanced version of the first-mentioned. It is the ideal tool if you have to sort file formats that are not as common as it supports over 500 different image file formats. Unfortunately it does not arrange your photos for you automatically. However, it does offer a feature that you can use to edit the metadata and tags of your photos via a convenient batch mode. Thanks to this tool, you can issue those tags at the speed of light.
That being said, XnViewMP is more than just a basic photo management tool. You can also use it to create a graphic presentation, screenshot, slideshow or multipage animated file. Just like, XnView, XnViewMP is also compatible with Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems
7. Pictorial
If you are familiar with using Lightroom, you will find Picktorial quite similar. Though, Picktorial is more convenient as you do not have to create a directory or folder in Picktorial as you can work directly from your PC’s file system. What’s more, you can also modify its interface so that it suits all your specific tasks. Some of its other useful features and tools include color correction and image retouching. All things considered, it is a very practical photo editor that will help you to sort out your photos and even possibly edit them. Sadly, it is only compatible with Mac operating systems.
8. JetPhoto Studio
JetPhoto Studio is compatible with Windows and Mac OS and boasts almost all the tools you will need to sort out and edit your photos. This free photo management software solution boasts powerful photo batch processing, geo-tagging and tags. Although it does not offer cloud storage, you can use it to share your photos with others by making a Google Map gallery or using the JetPhoto Server or Flickr. And, if you use a browser that supports Flash, you can use JetPhoto Studio to create a Flash gallery in a flash.
9. Apowersoft Photo Viewer
If you are searching for a software solution that is really user-friendly, be sure to check out Apowersoft Photo Viewer. Its interface is very easy to use and understand! If you want to view one of your photos, all you have to do is click on it and it will be displayed instantly. Plus, with Apowersoft you can also view detailed info about your different images.
Compatible with Linux, Mac OS as well as Windows, it supports a wide range of file formats, which includes PDF. If you use Windows, you can even view your High Efficiency Image File Formats (HEIF or also called HEIC) directly.
Some of its other features include a built-in graphics editor, the ability to take screenshots and edit photos. That being said, its biggest perk is most likely the fact that it is very fast. Thanks to the use of advanced technology, you will be able to work at the speed of light. All in all, Apowersoft is truly a powerful software just as the name suggests!
10. StudioLine Photo Basic
If you use Windows and are searching for basic photo editing tools as well as a tool that can help you to manage your photos, you will like what StudioLine Photo Basic has to offer. With this free software solution, you can rotate, crop, correct red eyes and resize your photos. It also lets you add tags and descriptions to your photos. Then, after you are done editing and organizing your photos, be sure to use the online gallery to publish and share your images with your friends and family members. Or, even better yet, why not use it to create a slideshow of all your best memories?
11. FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone Image Viewer is another great free photo management software solution for Windows users that supports all the big file formats. In addition to its wide selection of features that will help you to manage your photo memories, it also boasts several photo editing tools that you can use to tweak and manipulate your images. Some of its most popular features include EXIF data viewing, resizing, image viewing, red-eye removal, cropping and tagging.
Although it is very easy to use, it sadly does not offer cloud storage and you cannot use it to upload your “share-worthy” pics to social media sites. So, if you are happy just to store your photos on your laptop, FastStone Image Viewer is one of the best programmes for Windows.
12. digiKam Photo Manager
With digiKam Photo Manager, you can organize your photos by means of albums, tags or folders quickly. What’s more, you can also view and edit your metadata and it boasts a built-in graphics editor and RAW support too. All things considered, its intuitive interface makes this advanced app one of the most popular picks amongst Mac OS and Windows users.
Free Photo Management Software
13. MAGIX Photo Manager
This is one of the magic tools for Windows users (and the MAGIX Photo Manager Deluxe version offers great value for your money too). With this free tool, you can sort out your images effortlessly and quickly, locate specific videos, see detailed info about your images, share your best pics and make the most effective use of your library.
Its clean interface is easy to understand and use and, what’s more, it also offers a couple of tools that you can use to correct your images. If you simply want to use it to sort out your photos, you can use it to arrange your photos according to tags, date or the actual name of the file.
14. Flickr
Flickr is one of the best-known tools for organizing and managing your pics. It offers impressive storage space and lets you set your own privacy settings which is very useful.
It is also very easy to upload and edit your photos. With its built-in photo editing tool, you do a couple of basic tasks like cropping, adjusting the color and applying a blur effect. It also has a batch feature that makes it easy to edit multiple photos.
And, if you are worried that your edited version will not look better than the original, you can simply save it as a copy instead. Then, when you are done playing around with different frames, filters and brushes, remember to use Flickr to share your creations on social media or use the link and embed it on your blog.
15. Phototheca
Phototheca is one of the top photo management software solutions that are compatible with Windows. With the help of this free tool, you can view, arrange and share your videos and images effortlessly. Just like most of the other tools mentioned already, it also shares detailed info about your individual pics. All you have to do is upload your digital images to its database and then you can arrange them according to date or event or even organize them by creating a specific album. If you can look past its dated interface, this tool is one to add to your list.
16. SmugMug
You have got to love the name of this program! This software solution has actually been on the market for over a decade already and can be used by both pros as well as amateurs.
Similar to Flickr (it actually obtained Flickr), it offers great privacy and security features. While it does offer editing tools, it only has the basics like color effects and cropping. Though, what it might lack in the editing department, it makes up for when it comes to layout. The default layout is easy to use and understand, but you can also select other color schemes or themes. It is also super simple to organize your photos manually thanks to its drag-and-drop feature.
All things considered, it is this intuitive experience and smart features like the upload progress bar that make it one of the top tools.
17. PicaJet Digital Photo Management
With PicaJet, you can view your photos by date, rating or keyword and automatically sort out your photos at the speed of light. It also boasts a host of other features that include image sharing, automatic photo enhancement, a photo search engine, direct import and basic editing tools. And, if you want to get more creative than simple cropping or red-eye removal, you will love its slideshow feature.
18. 500px
One of the most attractive features of 500px is that it is suitable for professionals as well as amateurs. In fact, it has a very nice marketplace feature that pros can use to connect with their customers and generate some extra money. Even though you will not be able to upload a whole folder in one go, it is pretty straightforward to upload your photos one for one. Plus, you will also be able to include metadata, while it will add recommended tags automatically.
That being said, there are some glaring areas that need improvement. For starters, the interface is not that modern and sleek as you have come to expect and also not that intuitive. Another feature that it lacks, which most of the other programs mentioned in this list offer, is a couple of photo editing tools. While 500x allows you to edit the metadata, users are unable to edit their actual pics.
Reading Time: 12 minutes read
What is iad producer app on mac os. When it comes to photo editing on iOS and macOS devices – the world is your oyster.
There are a number of different apps available for photography enthusiasts to sink their teeth into – and if you count yourself amongst that crowd, then you’ve certainly come to the right place.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of the best free and paid photo editors available on iOS and macOS devices.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an experienced photographer, or only just starting your journey. We’ve carefully selected a list of apps to suit a wide range of capabilities behind the lens.
Scroll down to explore where you can find each app, along with the advantages and disadvantages associated with each.
The best free photo editors
If you’ve only just ventured into the world of photography, but are still keen to test the potential of your iPhone or Mac from a photo editing perspective – it might be worth checking out what the free apps have to offer before splashing the cash on the more advanced programs.
Here’s a few suggestions to get you started…
Canva
Canva is a multi-purpose design app that can be downloaded on mobile and desktop.
Also available directly from you web browser, the vast majority of Canva’s functionality is free (although you can pay for some additional features).
As far as actually editing photos, Canva is fairly limited compared to other apps on the market – although it’s very easy to upload images and work them into a variety of design templates ready provided.
This includes cards, flyers, social media posts .
Price | FREE |
Where can I get it? | Online, App Store |
Benefits | ✓ Free to use ✓ Easy to upload images ✓ Easy to share things when working in teams ✓ Extensive choice of design templates ✓ Automatically saves designs |
Drawbacks | ☓ System glitches and bugs are sometimes common ☓ Limited tool for advanced technical photo editing |
Fotor
Much like Canva, Fotor is a multi-platform photo editing and graphic design tool which couldn’t be more straightforward to use.
Again, it’s fairly limited when it comes to the more technical elements of photo editing, but if you want to get a simple introduction into the basics – Fotor is a great place to start.
The standard photo editor feature is especially great for mobile users, as it’s a nice tool to play around with while you’re on the move.
And, with more than 300 million using the Fotor app worldwide – you have all the social proof you need right there to convince you to give it a try!
Price | FREE |
Where can I get it? | Online, App Store |
Benefits | ✓ Free to use ✓ Easy to upload images ✓ Easy to make basic photo edits (brightness contrast, saturation etc.) |
Drawbacks | ☓ Limited tool for advanced technical photo editing |
Snapseed
Given the fact that Snapseed isn’t available on Mac, you might be wondering why we’ve included it on our list?
Well, for starters – Snapseed is widely regarded as the best free photo editing app exclusively for mobile devices and images captured via mobile.
One of the main reasons why iPhone and iPad users speak so highly of Snapseed in app review forums especially, is that it takes up such little storage space in comparison to other free photo editors.
It’s also less limited in terms of functionality – with plenty of effects and creative frames beyond the basic editing tools. This makes it a great free option for beginners looking to hone their craft.
Price | FREE |
Where can I get it? | App Store |
Benefits | ✓ Free to use >br>✓ Only takes 22MB of memory>br>✓ Available in 40+ languages |
Drawbacks | ☓ Limited to iOS only |
GIMP
GIMP is seen as the go-to free alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
This alone makes it a popular choice for people with a more advanced eye for photo editing – not least because they can access many of the equivalent tools that Photoshop users enjoy.
Of course, it doesn’t have everything that Photoshop has to offer – but when you look at the price tag (or lack thereof!) you won’t see many people complaining.
Price | FREE |
Where can I get it? | Online, App Store |
Benefits | ✓ Free to use ✓ Provides many of the features you normally get on Adobe Photoshop ✓ Wide range of free plug-ins |
Drawbacks | ☓ System glitches and bugs are sometimes common |
PhotoScape X
Photoscape X is an all-in-one photo editor, collage maker, animated GIF creator and printer.
It supports all the usual file formats – and much like Fotor and Snapseed, it enables you to carry out basic photo enhancements very easily and quickly.
However, unlike the apps we just mentioned, Photoscape enables you to perform batch edits for extra efficiency and also has a printing capabilities – enabling you to convert RAW image files into works of art in JPEG format, ready to come out of your printer.
Price | FREE |
Where can I get it? | ✓ Online, App store |
Benefits | ✓ Free to use ✓ Good for batch editing and printing ✓ Comfortable layout |
Drawbacks | ☓ Limited to Mac OS only |
The best photo editing software (paid)
If you’re willing to part with some cash to get the best from your photos – it’s worth remembering some paid-for programs might be more suitable for what you need than others, so invest wisely!
Here’s a list of apps worth looking at before you make up your mind…
Adobe Photoshop CC
Photoshop is one of the most widely used programs for creative professionals – let alone photographers.
Being Photoshop-savvy is a skill in itself. And that’s before you start trying to edit photos.
If you know your way around the program – the possibilities are endless. If you’re a beginner, you might want to consider Lightroom instead (more on that below).
Price | Annual Plan, prepaid – $239.88Annual Plan, paid monthly – $20.99 |
Where can I get it? | Online, App Store |
Benefits | ✓ Good place to start taking your photography skills to the next level ✓ You can import more photos and videos than you’re able to with free apps ✓ Enables you to easily transfer files across other Adobe programs |
Drawbacks | ☓ Can be challenging for beginners to get used to ☓ Expensive if you don’t make full use of it |
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic/CC
https://kitchenyellow274.weebly.com/blog/type-apps-for-mac. Lightroom is a program that’s more specifically tailored towards photography.
While Photoshop is a designer’s dream, which enables you to completely change the elements within a photo – many photography enthusiasts tend to prefer Lightroom as it’s a more scaled-down and simplified tool.
Photo Editing App For Mac
Lightroom enables you to do the basics, even better. Lighting, contrast, definition – you name it.
And, once you’ve mastered Lightroom, you can always turn your hand to Photoshop later.
Price | Pay monthly plan – $9.99 |
Where can I get it? | Online, App Store |
Benefits | ✓ Easier to grasp the basics of Lightroom in comparison to Photoshop ✓ Robust UI design |
Drawbacks | ☓ Slightly limited in comparison to Photoshop |
Affinity Photo 1.7
Affinity gives you many Adobe features, without the hefty monthly subscription.
You can literally buy the program outright, install it on your Mac or iPad – and benefit from the vast array of features provided.
Of course, there are some limitations which may frustrate the more experienced photo editors out there – but we’d argue that it’s a more than worthwhile investment for beginners looking to sharpen their skills.
![Best Mac Os Photo Editing App Best Mac Os Photo Editing App](/uploads/1/3/4/1/134154286/951687190.jpg)
Price | Mac OS version – $39.99iOS version – $15.99 |
Where can I get it? | Online, App Store |
Benefits | ✓ Great value for money ✓ Plenty of formats supported |
Drawbacks | ☓ Lack of lens-profile based corrections ☓ Can’t create custom workspaces |
PhaseOne Capture One Pro 12
As reflected in the price, Capture One Pro 12 exists on the market to directly compete with Photoshop.
However, a more fair comparison is probably Capture One Pro 12 vs Lightroom – with Capture One arguably having the upper hand over Adobe as far as colour management and adjustment is concerned.
That being said, files created in Photoshop and Lightroom can be seamlessly transferred across other Adobe programs – while Capture One Pro 12 is limited to PhaseOne applications which don’t have the same functionalities.
Price | Whole software – $299Annual plan, prepaid – $180Annual plan, paid monthly – $20 |
Where can I get it? | Online |
Benefits | ✓ Outstanding colour capturing qualities across all formats ✓ Great composition features ✓ Advanced primary image rendering |
Drawbacks | ☓ Export option can be tedious |
DxO PhotoLab 2.3 (OpticsPro)
Depending on which version you decide to buy, there are a range of different tools across OpticsPro which make it worthy of a mention here.
While you can compare Capture One Pro 12 to Lightroom, OpticsPro is comparable in many ways to Photoshop – in the sense that it’s a useful program for manipulating image elements.
One thing to bear in mind however, is that OpticsPro only supports some RAW files – with Fujifilm being a notable exception.
Price | ESSENTIAL version – $129ELITE version – $199 |
Where can I get it? | Online, App Store |
Benefits | ✓ Extracts amazing detail from certain RAW files ✓ As good as Photoshop in terms of photo manipulation |
Drawbacks | ☓ Only supports some RAW file formats from a handful of camera-types and lenses ☓ No built-in perspective tools |
Why should you edit your photos?
The answer to this is simple.
You take pride in your work!
And, with all the programs we’ve just listed – the potential to improve the quality of your shots is immense.
Sure, most digital cameras nowadays capture amazing still photographs on their own – but there is always room for improvement.
The only thing to watch out for is ‘over-editing’ your photos. Once you become invested in the tools it’s easy to get carried away!
Free Photo Editing For Mac
What is the best photo editing software for you?
Always start basic and work your way up.
If that means playing around with some of the more basic apps at no cost – then go for it. Then you can progress into the more advanced software features for photo editing and manipulation.
If you have a bunch of edited photos lying around doing nothing, then we might be able to help.
Motif enables you to make the best use of all your most treasured photographs. You can easily convert your edited photos into beautiful photo books, calendars and cards that you’ll cherish forever.
All produced at your own fingertips.
So, what are you waiting for? Download our free app extension for macOS or iOS and start creating today.