With so many options and features available, choosing the perfect photo editing software isn't easy, especially if you're a beginner and don't know where to start.

With the help of Product Specialist Lizzie James at Jessops, we've compiled the best photo editing software for beginners, considering features, prices, and user-friendliness.

Contents

What is photo editing?

How to choose the best photo editor for beginners

Best photo editing software for beginners

Best for creative editing: Adobe Photoshop

Best for batch editing: Adobe Lightroom

Best for versatility: Capture One 23

Best AI features: Skylum Luminar Neo

Best budget option: Affinity Photo 2

Best all-rounder: Cyberlink PhotoDirector 365

Best subscription-free option: Corel PaintShop Pro 2023

Sharpening — Enhance the clarity and crispness of your subjects, making them stand out.

Contrast — Adjust contrast levels to make your photos more vibrant and engaging. Or, you can go the other way and mute the tones for a more subtle feel.

Hue and saturation — Hue adjustment allows you to give your photos a coloured tint and saturation control lets you intensify or tone down the vibrancy of colours.

Object removal — Using photo editing software, you can say goodbye to unwanted objects or blemishes, leaving you with clean, flawless final images.

Platform compatibility — Check if the software is compatible with your computer's operating system, whether it's Windows, macOS, or a specific version of each.

Tutorials and support — Look for software that provides tutorials or online resources, especially if you're new to photo editing. These resources can help you learn and enhance your editing skills. Good customer support is also useful if you encounter issues.

Lizzie says, “when picking photo editing software, think about how you plan to edit your photos. Do you simply want to make basic adjustments like brightness and contrast? Or are you looking to get creative by removing backgrounds or overlaying images? Understanding your editing goals will help you choose the right software that aligns with your specific needs.”

“Opting for software with innovative AI features will also streamline the editing process by automating tasks like exposure correction and white balance adjustment. This not only makes editing more efficient but also beginner-friendly, as it reduces the need for manual adjustments. This allows novices to achieve professional-looking results with ease.”

“You should also consider what you're shooting on. Most digital cameras capture images in JPEG format, and these images can be edited using most software. However, certain advanced cameras, like some mirrorless or DSLR models, have the capability to shoot in RAW format. While RAW images are high quality, they contain more data, so require specialised software equipped to manage it.”

Thankfully, all our photo editing software choices come with RAW editing capabilities!

We've pulled together a list of the top photo editing software options for beginners, considering their features, pricing, availability of free trials, and user-friendliness for newcomers to image editing.

Here's a round-up of our choices: 

(Correct as of February 2024)

“Photoshop is a versatile photo editing software that stands as a top choice for both beginners and professionals,” says Lizzie. “Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive toolset make it a powerful ally for anyone looking to enhance their photos.” It includes tools for correcting exposure, cropping and straightening images, fixing flaws and more. The Magic Wand and Lasso tools, in particular, take precision to a new level, allowing you to make specific selections within your image for editing.

What's more, Adobe has harnessed the potential of AI, making editing and retouching a breeze. By simply providing text prompts, you can add, remove, or expand content within your images, streamlining your entire editing process.

Plus, Adobe provides a wealth of online tutorials and resources specifically tailored for beginners. These step-by-step guides help you learn the basics and progress to more advanced editing techniques.

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“Lightroom excels in organising photo libraries, making it ideal for efficiently handling extensive collections of photos,” explains Lizzie. “Plus, whether you're on your mobile device, desktop, or web platform, you can edit your images on the go.” Lightroom is also a powerful tool for editing RAW images, offering a wide range of options to enhance your photos while preserving their high-quality data.

You have easy access to fundamental AI-powered editing tools, presents and filters, helping beginners achieve professional-looking results with just a few clicks. Guided tutorials are also available within the app, making it easy for beginners to learn from other photographers. 

Lizzie says, “of course, Adobe Photoshop boasts more advanced features compared to Lightroom. However, these two programs work hand in hand; Lightroom shines when it comes to everyday touch-ups and Photoshop steps in for intricate tasks. Together, they provide a winning combination.”

You can buy Adobe's Photography Plan, including Lightroom and Photoshop, for £9.98 monthly.

At Jessops, you can also purchase a 4-hour online Adobe Lightroom Tutorial that helps you improve your editing skills.

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Capture One 23 has a lot to offer. With features like advanced layer and masking capabilities that allow you to work on specific parts of your image without affecting the entire photo, colour correction tools, and user-selectable shortcut keys for faster editing, it's a versatile choice. The software also offers AI-powered photo editing. The smart adjustment feature, which automatically adjusts exposure and white balance based on a single reference image, is particularly valuable for beginners. It eliminates the need to individually adjust sliders for each photo, streamlining your editing workflow.

It's expensive but comes with a wealth of great features and tools that make it worth considering. Plus, the 30-day free trial means you can get a feel for it before committing to a purchase.

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“Lumiar Neo is a fantastic choice for anyone new to photo editing. It has a user-friendly interface designed with beginners in mind, says Lizzie. “You'll find it incredibly easy to navigate, making your editing experience smooth and enjoyable.” One of the standout features is its intelligent AI technology, which automatically detects areas in your photos that could use improvement. With just a single slider, adjustments are applied accurately.

It also has a lens correction tool that allows you to correct issues in your photos caused by optical distortions, like dark corners or colour blurriness.

Plus, you can experiment with your images without the fear of losing your original. Your initial photo is always safe and you can revisit your edits whenever you like.

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“Affinity Photo 2 is an excellent choice for beginners entering the world of photo editing, offering a subscription-free alternative to Adobe Photoshop,”explains Lizzie. The user-friendly interface is clean and simple, ensuring a hassle-free experience and what sets it apart is its array of advanced features designed to simplify the editing process. With flawless retouching tools for smoothing skin, removing blemishes, and more, achieving professional-looking results becomes effortless.

Another advantage is the lightning-fast real-time editing feature. It lets you see instant changes as you adjust your photos, providing a responsive and intuitive editing experience.

Affinity Photo is not only beginner-friendly but also fantastic value for your money with its one-time purchase model.

However, compared to other software, Affinity falls short in AI tools, potentially impacting its efficiency.

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With Cyberlink PhotoDirector, it's easy to start editing – you can import photos directly from your camera and organise them with tags and keywords. Plus, there are helpful video tutorials for newcomers. This software offers a wide variety of powerful AI tools, making image enhancement, object removal, and background changes a breeze. Fixing common photo issues like noise and blur is also effortless with smart one-click tools like the AI Image Enhancer. There's also a free version available. However, while this is a great way to get a taste of what the software has to offer, the available tools are limited.

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PaintShop Pro 2023 is a beginner-friendly editing solution that's often considered a budget-friendly alternative to Photoshop. It has some impressive AI-powered features that allow you to quickly eliminate image noise and effortlessly replace backgrounds with just a few clicks. This significantly streamlines the editing process, making it more efficient. Plus, just like Photoshop, you can work with advanced layers, allowing you to edit a specific area of your photo without affecting the whole image.

Although this software does boast advanced features at a budget price, it's only available for Windows users.

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Now you know the best photo editing software for beginners, it's time to start shooting. If you're looking for a new camera or accessories, we have a wide range at Jessops from leading brands like Sony, Canon, Fujifilm and Nikon. 

If you're new to photography, check out our beginner's guide to choosing the best digital camera. Or, for more valuable advice and inspiration, take a look at our blog.

If you have any questions or are uncertain about which product best suits your needs, contact us today.

(All information and prices in this guide are correct as of February 2024)