Movavi Photo Editor

  • Image restoration with neural networks

  • Effective object and background removal

  • Automatic photo enhancement in one click

  • User-friendly interface with tips

How to Choose the Best Free Photo Editor for Mac

Edited by Ben Jacklin
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What a great time to be alive! Backtrack a few decades ago, clicking breathtaking photos with your phone was considered impossible. If you need a flattering picture, then, you have to hire a pro to do the job.

Oh well, the wind of change is here. Thanks to the ever-evolving technology, just about anyone can take amazing photographs with a smartphone.

Down to the smallest iPhone and most smartphones out there, they all come with a great camera, photo-editing apps, and editing tools, making it super easy and fun to grab amazing photos anywhere and at any time of the day.

However, it is essential to mention that photo-editing software are not made equal. While Apple has incorporated a free picture-editing software for Mac, we can’t argue that there are a ton of other pro photo editors that are way better than the native app.

And of course, you know these apps come in handy when you need to create flawless photos for personal or professional use.

Therefore, we have put together the 6 best free photo-editing software for Mac to help you make the best of your Macintosh.

Essential features to look out for

With tons of applications on the market claiming to be the best free picture-editing software for MacBook Pro and other Mac products, choosing the ‘finest of them all’ can get really complicated. Not anymore though.

Listed below are a few features you should keep an eye for while choosing the best free photo editor for Mac.

  • Ease of use: The app design and ease of use are very important. You do not want to download an app and never use it.

  • Response speed: Some apps take forever to open and even longer to respond to the command. Be sure to check this out before jumping on the app.

  • Photo retouching: The essence of getting a photo editor is to help improve your pictures. You have no business with one that does not perform that exact function.

  • Ads: You will agree that ads get really annoying sometimes, especially when you have got to get in there and finish a project but you have to wait for some seconds or minutes due to incessant ad display. Well, that is what you get with free apps. You can always upgrade to the full version to cut off the ads.

  • Editing features: I guess this goes without saying. Of course, you have to check out the features contained in the app before clicking download. Some apps only provide basic features that you can get from native apps. Some other apps will ask for some in-purchase to unlock basic features too. We advise you to check out the features contained before deciding on any photo-editing software for Mac.

  • Advanced functions: Sometimes basic features are just not enough. You need some additional spice to bring the prize home. To qualify as the best free photo-editing software for Mac, such app must come with additional editing tools.

Top 6 best free photo-editing software for Mac

Movavi Photo Editor

Movavi Picverse

Known for its excellent photo-editing features, Movavi Photo Editor for Mac is unarguably one of the best photo editors in the market. The app was carefully created by experts to help photo-lovers get their pictures right on the first click. Yes, it is totally possible. Have you got a blemish or unwanted objects in the picture? No worries at all! This photo maker got you covered. It comes equipped with a ton of basic and advanced features to cater to the unique style and taste of just about anyone – beginners and pros alike! Besides being super easy to use and impressively responsive, Movavi Photo Editor enables users to perform a ton of editing activities including blemish removal, portrait retouching, and, best of all, restoring old photos – even after scanning. Incredible, right? Well, that is not the best part yet. You can enjoy these features and many more at no cost at all with the free trial version. Of course, only the trial version is free to use. Totally worth, I must say.

Photos

Photos

One astounding perk that Mac users will find exceptionally helpful is the decluttering feature that Photos offer. As one of Apple’s native apps, it is not uncommon to see macOS users leaving it for some other apps. When, in fact, you have got a great photo creator right on your phone. The Mac-only app was designed with ease in mind. The app allows you easy access to photos that you are actually searching for while giving you a few editing tools retouch your photos without visiting the studio. However, this editing software is only available to recently-launched Macs and it doesn’t really offer much compared to others. But it is a good way to go. If you do not care so much about advanced editing tools, then you should go with this photo editor.

GIMP

GIMP

Officially known as the GNU Image Manipulation Program, GIMP has got to be one of the best free photo-editing software for Mac on the planet. The open-source app, which ranks among top-notch apps such as Adobe’s Photoshop, works just as the name stated – image manipulation. Whether you are a photo freak looking to tush up your pictures before posting them online or a pro searching for a great tool to edit images in your Macintosh PC, the GIMP is arguably the tool for the job. Despite being packed with a ton of features – both basic and advanced – the photo app is incredibly easy to use and very responsive too. The best part of it all is that it comes absolutely free.

PIXLR

Pixlr

Are you searching for one of the famous yet free photo editors for MacBook Pro or Mac OS X? Look no further than PIXLR. Just as the website rightly puts it, PIXLR is the photo editor for everything. Yes, it is. From photo retouching to drawing tools and a truckload of filter, PIXLR has proven to be a hub for them all. For those who know their onions in the photography industry, you will be happy to see some flattering features such as night vision, Gaussian blur, heat map, and color correction. You can’t go wrong with PIXLR.

Fotor

Fotor

Fotor has been around for a long time and it is still holding the fort as one of the best free photo-editing apps out there. The photo app dubbed the Revolutionary Photo Editor and Design Maker is home to a plethora of templates, filters, icons, graphics, and other editing tools. Fotor allows its users to quickly – and easily – create professional photos anywhere in the world. It contains all the basic tools there is on the market and some additional advanced tools for super flattering photo makeover. Whether you are looking to make YouTube videos or retouch your wedding photos, you can count on Fotor for the job.

PhotoScape

PhotoScape

Of course, our list of the top 6 free picture-editing software for Mac will be incomplete without reviewing this amazing photo editor dubbed PhotoScape. The all-in-one photo editor is famed as a great editing tool for beginners in the photography world as well as professionals who are looking for a free tool to complete a simple task. The app, which currently competes with outstanding editors such as Photoshop and Movavi Photo Editor, is optimized perfectly for Mac and offer a ton of editing tool, including basic and advanced editing tools. Like the apps mentioned above, PhotoScape works with virtually all the file format on the market. It is absolutely easy to use and boasts incredible Photoshop-like features. You can edit, cut, remove blemish, retouch, and do a whole lot more without breaking a sweat. It is totally simple and fun to use. You should check it out!

Photography has come a long way. Thankfully, we live in a smart world where you can get everything done without any troubles. The photography industry isn’t left out of this big change. But too many developments can leave you wondering where to begin from. We hope this quick review helps you to choose the best free photo editor for Mac OS.

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