The best camera and best photo editing apps are the ones you have with you” is a saying in photography and this proverb certainly holds a lot of truth in it. I own about five cameras at home, with the phone camera being the one I use most (probably more than anything else). What substantiates that amazing is smartphone cameras are so good nowadays that it is not a “sacrifice” any longer.
But it is only the first half to create a decent picture while taking photos is important. On top of that, processing a photo is a must. Fortunately, to this day, a lot of software has been developed to such an extent that the handiest photo editing tool is essentially the one you usually use. Some high-quality best photo editing apps for the iPhone and Android can perform tasks as complicated as the desktop or web app.
Premier iPhone and Android Photo Editing Tools
If advanced algorithms can do all that, there is not a tough problem for developers to work on. Therefore, the plethora of photo editing apps on the market that do relatively well is one of the reasons. Not even the shadiest of apps that are full of ads, can substitute for a real photo editing tool.
The worst apps are easy to avoid, but the main issue of this situation is that the market is full of mediocre photo editing apps that are more of a marketing gimmick, they use aggressive marketing and a high monthly subscription to stay in business, instead of being a better alternative. If you select one of the apps you’re more than likely to be happy with it as your photos will be nicer but you’re spending more money on tools that you get for free on more user-friendly apps.
The Featured Mobile Editing App
On a positive note for me, I get to set high standards for apps I name on this list. undefined
- Have powerful editing features. At least you have to be able to make adjustments on the exposure, contrast, color, and crop, and ideally more. It is worth mentioning that most of these apps come with advanced tools such as curves, HSL, and local adjustments which could be missing in the free plan. Although not just required to be a part of this list, every app that does not come pre-installed on your mobile has them.
- Be easy to use. A good photo editing app remains invisible while you work on your photo. The best apps even have to ensure a pleasant, smooth working experience. Yes, the more advanced apps are more complicated, but all the apps here are also suitable for photographers of any skill level.
- Provide repeatable results. More than once you find yourself in need of editing in the same way a batch of images. This happens in a few ways, so I was disappointed by the lack of professionalism and the high cost of the apps. The most interesting feature is that you can save your edits as your own preset which you can drop on any image, but you can also copy and paste the settings between images and reapply the previous set of edits. For example, even excellent filters and comprehensible instruments work in emergencies.
- Be sold at the right price with no ads and little badgering about upgrades. You don’t need to spend a lot on a subscription just to edit your basic pictures. And you shouldn’t have to deal with ads or constant upgrade reminders in free apps either. In most cases, the best tools are free of charge. Therefore, an app must provide a real reason for charging if it wants users to pay for the subscription.
In this list, I included only those photo editors. The consequence is that Android phones don’t have Canva, any of the hundred collage makers out there, or even image organizers. Though some of them do help edit images, it is more difficult than using a dedicated photo editor and then loading the edited photo to your chosen design app.
To test any of the apps that looked like they might meet the criteria, I did the obvious thing: I imported some pictures and then started manipulating them. Using apps like these has been part of my life ever since the iPhone 3GS, so in many cases, it was easily noticeable that some were deficient. If I had a SHEIN full-screen ad on one entire screen, I would stop tapping. In the end among all the 30-something apps that I considered, these six stood out. If you are even a little bit into photography, their names should probably be well-known to you.
Quick Glance: Top Mobile Photo Editing Apps
Name | Best For | Pricing |
VSCO | Filter-based photo editing | From $7.99/month ($29.99/year) |
Snapseed | Free and powerful photo editing | Free |
Lensa | AI-powered editing | Free to save one image per day; from $2.99/week or $4.99/month |
Google Photos | Android | Free and included with your Android |
Apple Photos | iPhone | Free and included with your iPhone |
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom | Professional photo editing | Free version available; from $4.99/month |
Supreme Choice for Filter-Based Photo Editing on iPhone and Android
VSCO (iOS, Android)
![VSCO Editing app for iOS, Android](https://peaceloverbio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/VSCO-Editing-app-for-iOS-Android-1024x619.png)
VSCO Pros:
- Provided that the most effective filters you would find in any app
- Nice, intuitive editor
- Incredibly well thought-out
VSCO Cons:
- The free plan is very restricted and the monthly plan is not exactly a bargain, quite pricey.
- It is not for everyone.
Even though Instagram started the trend of heavily filtered images a while back, filters are still really handy for keeping a consistent style in all your pictures. Lets move on to the topic of the best of the camera apps which is VSCO.
The people behind VSCO first started out making Lightroom presets like film stock, and later brought that knowledge and created a great, pusher-to-filter photo editor.
What makes VSCO different from other apps is that each of its many presets is carefully made. You can learn more about how each one was created on VSCO’s blog. The filters are organized into packs with similar names. Take Portra as an example. The 8 multipurpose presets names are CG1 through CG8; and the KP1 through KP9 are each a simulation of Kodak Portra, a well-liked film stock.
Presets don’t work for every image equally well; however, there is normally something to choose from (or to save) among each user’s preferred set of presets or suggestions provided by VSCO.
Moreover, VSCO allows you to tweak your images by adding several types of filters, and it contains all the regular image editing tools that you need and two advanced functions which are dodging and burning (selectively darkening or brightening needed parts of your photo), and split toning (where you add different colors to the shadows and highlights). There are also things such as “grain patterns”, “scratches” and “film borders” that you can add to it as well. You may save the recipes that are based on a certain combination of different options and possible edits.
VSCO, which is the main focus of this review, has some social features built into it, but you can live a carefree life without them. It has been so for ten years now.
There are two main problems with VSCO. First, there are a lot of filters, so it might take some time to get used to them. Second, the free plan doesn’t offer much. You have 15 filters and editing tools not so advanced. But around $29.99/year, VSCO is an excellent choice if you want the ultimate of film/filter aesthetic – I finally opt to pay it. The $7.99/month offer is not great value, so you can try the free trial to see what you think, and if it is not for you, don’t forget to unsubscribe.
VSCO Pricing: Beginning at $7.99/month ($29.99/year) that allows access to Pulltube Plus with most filters and features; from $59.99/year for Pro with a desktop app and few extra presets.
Best Free Image Editing App for iPhone and Android
Snapseed (iOS, Android)
![Snapseed Editing App For iOS and Android](https://peaceloverbio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Snapseed-Editing-App-For-iOS-and-Android-1024x613.png)
Snapseed Pros:
- Free for all features without exceptions.
- Great local adjustment system
- Easy to use
Snapseed Cons:
- Not a focus for Google, updates are therefore received only occasionally.
Snapseed, in touch with pioneering mobile photo editing apps, was one of the first great mobile photo editing apps. Even the deal with Google was good because they purchased it to get the founders of the dev company and the technology behind it. However, Snapseed, of course, is nothing that shakes the ground for Google. But is still an excellent and free mobile image editing app.
Snapseed comes in armed with almost all the basics, some good filters, and an amazing selective adjustment system. These are referred to as U Points, they enable the users to conveniently adjust the brightness. And hue of the different parts of the image. The adjustments will be locked to the paid version there for even though Snapseed is not been critically updated for a few years. It still has many prospects compared with Lightroom in a way that requires less learning.
The latest Snapseed software is lacking in the repeatability aspect. Presets and batch processing are two of the most valuable features that are provided in the desktop version of the editing tool. However, in the mobile app, you only have the option of reapplying edits. Your concern may likely be to have a particular look for all the images that you post on your social media accounts and therefore this is probably not the right app for you. Nevertheless, if you are looking for something free, potent, and easy to use, you otherwise won’t go wrong.
Snapseed Pricing: Free
Photo Editing AI-powered App For iPhone and Android
Lensa (iOS, Android)
![Lensa Editing App For iOS and Android](https://peaceloverbio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Lensa-Editing-App-For-iOS-and-Android-1024x605.png)
Lensa Pros:
- AI is integral, not just an afterthought.
- It’s the real and absolute best icon editor out there.
- Travel plans are free to test for you.
Lensa Cons:
- A couple of uncertainties in the AI specs.
- It can be pricey for single-image downloads.
What they all have in common is some degree of AI but none of them use it as Lensa’s Magic Avatar feature does. Which trains a Stable Diffusion model with the use of a bunch of selfies captured via the smartphone camera in order to produce a bunch of AI portraits. (And I think it’s very adorable, but it has nothing to do with this article.)
Lensa uses AI image recognition and analyses if the image is a portrait, landscape or anything else. The tools you get differ depending on it you are a portrait or a landscape. In the former you’ll get a set that allows tweaking things like.
Your skin looks smooth and your cheeks look rosy. There’s another feature that lets you change the sky for a more dramatic one. Lena’s version of these tools is done pretty well, if you ask me. If you have got them in a right balance. You can create wonders, whereas if you have got them in a too much favour, you get an image too much artistic. They are not the first resource I rely on but they do have some uses under certain conditions.
But there are two things that secured Lensa’s place on this list: its menu of editing tools. If the rest of it; and its free service. However, the mode of operation employed by Lensa is very much similar to that of Lightroom, and it comes with its own AI-driven magic eraser. You can as well use a mask to make adjustments just as they are done in Lightroom. Notwithstanding a few unwise AI-powered art filters or so, this is a brilliant image editor.
With the free plan, Lensa gives you all the tools without any ads bothering you or pushing you to upgrade. Because will get to save a single image daily. It is a very good option between free plan and paid plans. And gives opportunity to try its AI bots without committing to an expensive plan or using a poor app. Subscribing is an option if you want, but due to its price tag. It is among the higher end of things at $2.99/week or $4.99/month. But it is a significantly better value than any other app I tested that aggressively marketed itself as AI photo editor.
Pricing: You can have 1 image per day free trial, and from $2.99/week or $4.99/monthseperately from $3.99 Magic Avatars.
Top-notch Free Photo Editing App for Android
Google Photos (iOS and Android)
![Google Photos Editing for iOS, Android](https://peaceloverbio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Google-Photos-Editing-for-iOS-Android-1024x609.png)
Google Photos Pros:
- Great AI-powered auto-adjust
- Included with the rest of the Photos utilities.
- Free of cost and was included with your phone
Google Photos Cons:
- Idioms are too basic for certain individuals.
Google Photos is indeed available on both iOS and Android, but owing to its built-in convenience, it is more attractive for Gogole’s phone users. Here is another convincing example. As soon as you touch the picture the magic is also just one click away – “Edit.”
Google continues to go all in on AI and offers three suggested auto edits: Get rid of the tiring job manually done and let AI. And robots do it while I have quality time to spend with my family. Every one of them worked just fine to better my test pictures and can hold their respective weight. If you don’t know yet whether you wanna make some special fixes, I’d suggest that you try them and only then do something about it.
Otherwise, Google Photos lets you make all sorts of tweaks: brightness, contrast, white point, highlights, blacks. And contrast curves; brightening, darkening, and any color changes you like. And there are several attractive filters to pick from.
If a stronger option is needed, check one of the other apps on the list. On the other hand, if you have an Android phone and just need an app for eliminating a few photos. Then Google Photos is all that you need.
Pricing: Free and packed with your Android since the beginning.
Best Photo Editing Apps for iPhone
Apple Photos (iOS)
![Apple Photos Editing iOS](https://peaceloverbio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Apple-Photos-Editing-iOS-1024x610.png)
Apple Photos Pros:
- Easy to use
- Has all the image editing tools needed for your job.
- Integrates with other Photos app elements.
Apple Photos Cons:
- Too common sense to some people
Apple Photos isn`t the most functional editor out of there. But you don’t pay anything for it and it’s right in your camera roll. Edit is all you need if you just want to make some simple changes to the photo that you recently took.
My auto-adjust feature is great, and there’s no shortage of basic—and not-so-basic—editing tools. Using the slider system, you can customize the exposure change, brightness, highlights, shadows, contrast, back point, saturation, vibrancy, color temperature, sharpness, definition, noise reduction, and vignette. The filters are solid and even better you can make copies across images.
Although it is hardly the most exciting pick, it would be unacceptable. If I hadn’t admitted to using Photos for making all the time edits previously. If you’re not sure you want a more powerful app, include the extra features, or want an app that doesn’t have ads. And is intuitive, definitely go elsewhere—especially if somewhere else is a free app with a bad interface.
Apple Photos pricing: Absolutely. It is free and comes with your iPhone.
Leading Professional Mobile Photo Editing App
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (iOS, Android)
![Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Editing For iOS and Android](https://peaceloverbio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom-Editing-For-iOS-and-Android-1024x619.png)
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Pros:
- Shockingly great free plan
- Super powerful editing features
- All around best-in-class
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Cons:
- A bit of the price system is unclear
- Some learning curve would be required.
AB Photoshop Lightroom is a professional photo editing app that works on any platform, including iOS and Android. While it is meant for professional and hobbyist photographers. It is perfectly fine for editing any image you create with your phone camera.
Lightroom is surprisingly robust for the size of an app. It is one of the best apps for managing photos, and you can use it to categorize your images (or even backup them to Adobe’s cloud storage), I am here to talk about the editing features.
All the essential tools for image editing are included in the program for free. From curves and the ability to save your own presets. You can modify exposure, color, contrast, crop, etc. The auto-adjust feature is highly accurate, and I frequently use it as a benchmark for my images.
Lightroom Premium gives access to functions like local adjustment and masking tools. Smart healing as an additional badge, and more presets. And different amounts of cloud storage. The cheapest option is to upgrade through your smartphone for $4.99/month. This gives you Lightroom Premium on mobile and 100 GB of cloud storage. For only $9.99, the Lightroom 1TB plan gives Lightroom on the web and desktop while offering 1TB of cloud storage.
The biggest downside is that they expect you to be knowledgeable enough about photography skills. If the term “exposure” sounds like an alien language, then you will need to begin learning. The tutorials are good enough, but the app is useful and it is enjoyable to work with it, but it may take quite a bit of time.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom price: from 4.99/month for Lightroom Premium 100GB plan that comes packed with 100GB of cloud storage.
Which Photo Editing App is Good for Android or iPhone?
With any overwhelming photo editors you can get pretty good results, but some of them make the process a lot easier.
Apple Photos and Google Photos are perfect for instant edits of the images you projected from your device. Snapseed represents a good free fundamental option, while Lightroom is definitely the gold standard one. And deserves being learned if you’re a real photography lover. Therefore, separating from this fact, VSCO and Lensa cost a little more. But their algorithms, especially the filter and AI, are really good.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that, presently, Lensa is the only mobile AI-powered editor. That I know of, where they heavily promote the fact that it uses AI. To my disappointment, all the other brands I tried turned out to be way overpriced. And, to be honest, rather mediocre as well. As for the autofocus feature in the Apple Photos and the Google Photos app, they are comparable—and they’re completely free.
One last thing: Instagram has got a decent image editor if you want to share your photos in the Instagram for the one who plans to share his/her photos with it.