10 Best Photo Editing Apps for Windows of 2026

Affinity ranks first for Windows because it gives individuals a professional photo editor without a bill. Since Canva took it over, every tool in the Pixel, Vector and Layout studios is free with a free Canva account, and Affinity's FAQ says the Windows app is the same app as the Mac version. For photos, the Pixel studio lists full RAW editing, tone mapping, lens correction, an inpainting brush, healing tools, dodge and burn, plus batch processing with recordable macros, HDR merge and panorama stitching. That covers most of what people pay Photoshop and Lightroom for, though Affinity has no cloud photo library of its own. The catches are small but real: you must sign in with a Canva account, and Canva AI features inside Affinity need a premium Canva plan. Beginners who only crop and brighten pictures will find Microsoft Photos quicker. We compared documented features and published prices rather than testing each app.

Adobe Lightroom is the strongest pick for people who shoot a lot and want one library on every device. Adobe's help pages describe Generative Remove, Generative Expand, prompt-based edits, masking for local adjustments, Assisted Culling, HDR and panorama merges, tethered capture and a People view, so editing and organizing happen in one place. The main limit for this list is Windows support: Adobe's system requirements list Windows 11 version 24H2 or later, 8 GB of RAM at minimum and 16 GB recommended, so Windows 10 users cannot install the current desktop app. Lightroom is a subscription, and Adobe's plan page showed local currency rather than USD from our location, so its price is marked pending. If you only need occasional edits, Affinity or Microsoft Photos cost nothing. We compared documented features and published requirements.

Microsoft Photos is the editor most Windows users already have. Microsoft's Windows learning center confirms that Photos and Paint are included with Windows 11 and ready for photo editing, and its support page walks through the tools: crop, flip and rotate with preset ratios, light and color sliders, fifteen filters plus the original, and markup with two pens and a highlighter. You press Ctrl + E on a photo to start, and Reset undoes every change. On Copilot+ PCs, Photos adds Restyle Image and Super Resolution, and any PC can send a picture to Microsoft Designer for AI edits. It is a viewer first and a light editor second: there are no layers or RAW development tools documented, so anything beyond quick fixes belongs in Affinity, Paint.NET or Lightroom. For most people answering the question of what app to use for a few holiday snaps, it is enough. We compared documented features.

Paint.NET is the simplest free upgrade from the editor that ships with Windows. Its site describes image and photo editing software for Windows PCs with layers, unlimited undo, special effects and a wide range of tools, and it started as a free replacement for Microsoft Paint. Version 5.2 was released on November 10, 2026 and runs on Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 21H2 or newer, which matters for people who have not moved to Windows 11. It bundles its own .NET runtime and supports Windows Ink pens and tablets. The hardware floor is higher than you might expect for a light app: a 64-bit CPU with AVX2 or ARM64, at least 4 cores and a Direct3D 11 GPU. It does not list RAW development or a photo library, so photographers who shoot RAW should look at darktable or Affinity. We compared documented features and published requirements.

ACDSee Photo Studio Home suits people whose real problem is a hard drive full of unsorted photos. Instead of importing files into a catalog, it points at the folders you already have and lets you add ratings, tags, categories, keywords, location data and color labels, then find shots with Quick Search or AND/OR search. AI face detection and facial recognition let you name a person once and search by name. The 2027 version adds Generative Fill, Generative Edit, AI Remove and text-to-image, alongside split tone, Color EQ, Skin Tune, red-eye and haze removal. The store lists Photo Studio Home 2027 at $69.99 full price, cut to $59.95 until November 18, 2026, as a one-time purchase. Generative tools draw on AI credits, which ACDSee sells from $18 for 20,000. Photographers who need RAW development should look at the Ultimate edition, Affinity or darktable. We compared documented features and published prices.

darktable is the free answer for Windows users who shoot RAW and want something closer to Lightroom than to Paint. The project describes it as an open source photography workflow application and RAW developer, with a zoomable lighttable for browsing and a darkroom for editing. All edits are non-destructive, and the full image is only rendered on export. Its module system covers everything from crop, exposure and spot removal to advanced processing, and it is one of few free projects that supports tethered shooting. Version 5.6.2 ships Windows installers for both x64 PCs and Windows on Arm. The trade-off is learning time: darktable exposes many modules and options, so it scores lowest here for ease of setup. It also has no layers for composites, which Affinity or GIMP handle. We compared documented features.

Adobe Photoshop is still the tool most design and retouching jobs are built around. Adobe's product page lists unlimited layers and blend modes for composites, AI features that match lighting and perspective, AI-powered removal tools, advanced color grading, non-destructive adjustment layers and Camera RAW, plus heal, clone and remove tools that keep natural texture. It also covers illustration with customizable brushes and pattern and gradient tools. For a Windows user who mostly edits photos, that power comes with a monthly bill and a steeper learning curve than Lightroom or Affinity, which is why it ranks in the middle here despite the highest capability score. Adobe's plan page showed local currency rather than USD from our location, so the price is marked pending. A free trial is offered. We compared documented features.

Luminar Neo is built for people who want striking results from a few AI tools rather than a manual workflow. Skylum's feature list covers Sky AI, Light Depth, Atmosphere, Water, Face AI, Skin AI, portrait background and Studio Light, plus generative tools called GenErase, GenSwap and GenExpand and a Photo Restoration tool for old prints. It runs on Windows and macOS as an app and as a plug-in. Skylum sells it as a one-time purchase: the Desktop Only perpetual license covers two devices and includes continuous updates, but Skylum notes that big upgrades may need extra payments, and the bundle plans include one year of access to the generative AI tools. A 30-day money back guarantee applies. The pricing page showed Polish zloty from our location, so the USD price is pending. We compared documented features and published plan terms.

GIMP is the long-running free alternative to Photoshop and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Its site lists high quality photo manipulation, from retouching and restoring to creative composites, along with color management for print work. What sets it apart is extensibility: GIMP can be scripted in Python, Scheme and other languages and supports a large number of third-party plugins, so technical users can automate repetitive edits. Version 3.2.8 was released on November 2, 2026. It is free software, so you can change and share the source code. For a typical Windows user, Affinity now offers a more polished free editor with RAW support, and Paint.NET is quicker for simple jobs, which is why GIMP ranks lower despite its depth. Pair it with darktable if you shoot RAW. We compared documented features.

Capture One is the RAW editor many studio photographers choose for color and tethering. Its product page highlights RAW processing with custom camera profiles, a color editor with hue, saturation and luminance control, and tethered shooting with Live View, Snap to Eye and Next Capture Adjustments that apply edits as you shoot. It supports more than 550 cameras. Capture One sells Pro, All in One and Studio subscriptions plus a one-time Pro License for people who do not need the newest updates, and it says subscriptions can be cancelled anytime without fees. The pricing page did not show USD prices from our location, so the price is pending. For most Windows users it is more tool than they need; Lightroom is easier to start with and darktable is free. We compared documented features and published plan terms.