If you’re a professional photographer looking for the best photo retouching software, you’re definitely in the right place. It is a battle to find the perfect software that works in parallel with your style.
Taking pictures is half of the work, retouching and editing are the real deal. It does not matter you are shooting on DSLR or a smartphone, you need good software for post-processing.
Do not worry you are at the right place, we have compiled the best photo retouching software in 2022 for you. These can make a dull image to something that can win an award.
Let’s start.
Adobe Photoshop
Price: Starts from $9.99/month.
Compatibility: It works fine with macOS and Windows.
Adobe Photoshop is one of the best photo retouching and graphic designing software for experts and beginners. The software is powerful to handle large image sizes and different image types. It edits the photos fast. In the past, it is launched with the simplest most tools and features. The purpose was to produce content for social media.
The latest updates of the software enable you to make the color more vibrant and pop. It also has a rich library full of pre-sets that allows you fast retouching. You can also make collages, albums, and cards of your photos. Overall, this software has a lot to offer. You can now remove skin blemishes, heal and erase objects, and add other magical edits.
Pros
- Automated color enhancement feature
- Smooth batch-processing
- Spontaneous interface design
- Huge range of effects and filters
Cons
- More expensive
Adobe Lightroom Classic CC
Price: $9.99/month and $52.99/month if purchased with Creative Cloud.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS
Let’s talk about the famous and best photo retouching software. Adobe Lightroom Classic is preferred by experts as well as beginners. It has been in the photography industry for quite some time now. At present times there is very little software that can stand the amazing features of Adobe Lightroom. This software lets your import individual or folder to edit.
Moreover, Lightroom lets you edit RAW files as well. You import them, edit them, and export them as a high-quality JPEG. It supports all of the RAW file images no matter which camera they are captured on. So, you do not worry about compatibility. Another amazing feature is organizing photos. Adobe Lightroom Classic is famous for its organizing tools. You can add tags to the photos, so they remain separate from others. If you plan to get the paid version, you will also receive extra storage.
Pros
- Provides complete creative control over tools
- Facilitates editing a huge number of photos
- Supports RAW file format
- Outstanding file-sharing
Cons
- It is expensive for beginners
Skylum Luminar AI
Price: It has a free download and you can also buy it starting from $47.
Compatibility: It works perfectly fine with Mac & Windows.
Skylum Luminar is one of the best photo editing software you can have on your PC/laptop. It uses the same shortcut keys as Adobe Lightroom. It is useful for people who are already familiar with Adobe Lightroom’s interface. If you wish to switch to Skylum Luminar the transition will be very easy. It features photo editing and organizing. This software gives you the liberty to upload photos in its library and edit them as you want. Its photo library is minimal but is more intuitive as compared to the Lightroom.
The preset workspace settings are where Luminar outperforms Adobe Lightroom. Luminar includes several preset workspaces, each of which is tailored to a unique editing activity. Though, it has fewer features as compared to Adobe Photoshop. The AI slider in Luminar has gained popularity since it automatically performs simple corrections to your photographs such as brightening, clarifying, toning, and other basic modifications.
Pros:
- AI slider is innovative and modern
- Adds realistic appearing sun rays to your photographs
- Has a wide range of preset options
- Extendable library
- Perfect for freelance photographers
- Offers a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom
Cons:
- Its full version is paid
- It has fewer features as compared to Photoshop
Exposure X6
Price: Starts from $120.
Compatibility: Windows and Mac OS.
Exposure X6 is a paid photo editor that has become popular in the past few years. The user interface and features are perfect for beginners. This software was first launched in 1996, since then it has been growing and updating to become the best and powerful. The users can edit pictures as they like.
This editor has color adjustment tools including hues, saturation, and contrast. It will let you edit the photo without much effort. The interface is easy to understand and use. You do not need additional training or anything to get started. Moreover, brightness control is a simple process to perform. It will make your picture look good and not fake.
Gimp has this amazing feature that supports a broad range of file types. So, you do not have to worry about the compatibility of the file. If you’re looking for photo editing software that will allow you to grow as a photographer while also being simple to use, Gimp is the one!
Pros
- Easy-to-use interface
- Excellent color enhancing tools
- Edit working panels
- Share images via cloud-based services such as Dropbox.
- It has overlays similar to layers in Photoshop.
- More than 150 filters and effects are available
- Best affordable software for retouching RAW images.
Cons
- None as such.
Capture One Pro 21
Price: The basic plan starts from $20.
Compatibility: Windows and Mac.
It is one of the best alternatives to Lightroom Classic. The Software works like wonders for beginners. The interface and settings are easy to understand, so it will not take much time to get used to it.
It allows you to view photos and also offers a large range of editing tools. Capture One Pro 21 is well-equipped with expert-level photo retouching tools. It lets you adjust colors, adds text, makes collages, and add frames to the photos. It has amazing features such as Heal Brush, Clone Brush, Before / After tool, layers, and even a Lightroom importer.
The software comes with an amazing batch-processing feature that lets you edit several images together. Moreover, beginners can do creative things as well.
It is a good pick for new photographers who have bought DSLR. The software is capable of converting a file from RAW to JPEG.
Pros
- Offers a wide range of photo editing tools.
- Effortlessly combines and merges photos.
- RAW to JPEG file compatibility.
- Exceptionally good for RAW images.
- Excellent batch-processing.
Cons
- None as such
ON1 Photo RAW – Latest upgrade 2021
Price: It starts at $99.99. You can avail 30-day free trial.
Compatibility: With both Mac and Windows operating systems.
ON1 Photo Raw offers a wide range of free video tutorials that will help you get started on this software. The software is pretty straightforward once you get used to the interface and features. It edits RAW photos fast and saves time. You must practice on simple photos just to get the idea of how the software and editing work.
ON1 Photo Raw is a unique software as it comes with premium features for experts.
This software is specifically designed to edit and organize RAW photos. You don’t have to upload your RAW photographs to edit them using this application.
In reality, all you have to do to edit your RAW photographs in ON1 Photo RAW is locate and pick them from your device’s storage. Because ON1 does not require you to import your RAW photographs into the software, it is extremely fast – even faster than Photoshop and Lightroom!
Pros:
- It edits RAW photographs pretty fast
- It has stackable filters and custom presets
- Available to download on any device
- Selectively apply the effects option
- Offers an add-on for Lightroom, Aperture, and Photoshop!
Cons:
- It is paid.
- It is for experts only
Final Thoughts
There is plenty of amazing photo retouching software available in the market. However, this number is only going to increase in the future. We have mentioned the software that works pretty amazing with RAW images.
There is also free and cheap software, but premium versions offer more control on the retouching. The subscription plans guarantee consistent software updates and the addition of features.
Whatever software, tool, or plugin you end up using, make sure that they can often be used in combination with your existing programs without interrupting existing workflows.
Happy Retouching!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is photo retouching important?
It’s necessary to retouch photos to increase their attractiveness and quality, hence improving their value. An image attractiveness can well be improved by color correction, adjusting poor image lighting, or restoring an image to its original color.
Do professional photographers retouch photos?
Yes, they do. And if you’re serious about photography, you need to. Shooting is only the first half of creating a good photograph, and it doesn’t end after you press the shutter button. Also, if a photographer is too busy to edit their photos, they will hire a company to retouch them.