10 Best Photo Filter Apps of 2026

Snapseed ranks first because it gives away what most filter apps charge for. Google's App Store listing says the app includes 30+ pro tools and filters with no subscriptions, purchases, ads or watermarks. For aesthetic edits it now has realistic film simulations of historic film stocks, plus Halation, Bloom and Grain tools for an analog glow, and a Discover Looks section where photographers share complete edits you can try on your own photos. You can import presets and LUTs, batch apply a Look to many photos, and shoot with live film looks through Snapseed Camera. Editing is non-destructive and RAW files are supported. The tradeoff is curation: VSCO, Tezza and A Color Story sell larger libraries of trend-driven presets, while Snapseed expects you to build or import a look. It is available on iPhone, iPad and Google Play. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not run test edits in each app.

VSCO is the app most people mean when they ask for aesthetic presets. Its US App Store listing describes 200+ photo presets and filters, including Film X presets inspired by Kodak, Fuji and Agfa film, and Recipes that save an edit so you can reuse it. You can paste one edit onto up to 100 photos at once, which keeps a feed consistent, and the same presets apply to video. Advanced tools include HSL, Dodge and Burn, Split Tone and Grain, while AI Lab removes distractions and upscales photos on the Pro tier. VSCO also runs a community with Spaces, profiles and galleries. The catch is cost: the complete preset library sits behind membership, listed at $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year for Plus and $14.99 a month for Pro, with a 7-day free trial. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Android. We compared documented features and published prices only.

Adobe Lightroom is the strongest pick when filters are only the start. Adobe's App Store listing describes Preset Edits with film filters, Adaptive Presets and Quick Actions that suggest edits for each photo, and a community feed where creators share filters, templates and presets, including vintage film and retro looks. Batch edits apply a look to a whole concert or travel day. Beyond presets, Lightroom adds color grading, hue and saturation controls, background blur and two generative AI tools: Generative Remove erases objects and Generative Expand extends a photo's edges. The US App Store lists Premium plans from $1.99 a month for 40GB and $6.99 a month for 100GB, which makes it cheaper to start than VSCO. The downside is depth: it has more sliders than a filter-first app, and the iPhone app needs iOS 18.0 or later. We compared documented features and published prices only.

Afterlight is the value pick for film aesthetics. Its App Store listing describes 300+ one-tap film presets made to emulate Kodak Gold, Portra, Agfa Vista and disposable cameras, plus 100+ overlays, including light leaks made with real 35mm film, dust textures, vintage paper and VHS effects. Film effects such as Double Exposure, Halation, Color Shift and Chroma sit next to 30+ adjustment tools, and you can save combinations as a Fusion Filter. A camera mode applies looks live, with RAW presets modeled on classic digital cameras and medium-format film, and you can finish with borders or an instant film frame. Afterlight PRO is listed from $2.99 a month, with lifetime purchases also on the listing. The team says it does not collect, store or share any user data. It lacks video editing and a feed planner. We compared documented features and published prices only.

A Color Story suits people whose aesthetic is bright and colorful rather than moody. Its App Store listing describes over 500 stackable filters and over 120 customizable effects designed by photographers and influencers, plus one-tap Styles that recreate trending looks. You can save a filter and effect combination as your own preset, batch edit multiple photos, and preview your Instagram grid in the app before posting. Editing tools include Object Removal, HSL sliders, curves and selective editing across 20+ advanced tools. ACS+ unlocks unlimited filters and effects, the Color+ tool and unlimited grid accounts at $4.99 USD a month or $29.99 a year, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. The developer says the app has been downloaded over 20 million times. Some filter packs are also sold one by one, which can be confusing. We compared documented features and published prices only.

Dazz Cam takes a different approach: instead of filtering a photo afterward, you shoot through a recreated vintage camera. The App Store listing says the team sampled real film stock to recreate 135 film, 120 film, toy, slide, half-frame, instant, 3D and disposable cameras, along with digital compact and CCD color profiles. Video formats include 8mm, 16mm, VHS and DCR. Accessories cover double exposure, flash, fisheye, starburst, prism and ND filters, and on select cameras you can save the negative and reprocess exposure and color temperature later. Dazz Pro unlocks all cameras and accessories for $6.99 or as a $19.99 one-time purchase, and single cameras sell from $0.99. The limits: it is an iPhone and iPad app with no Android listing we could find on Google Play, and importing existing photos only works on some cameras. We compared documented features and published prices only.

Tezza is built for content creators who want the full aesthetic package rather than filters alone. The App Store listing describes 40+ presets made by the founder in vintage, dark and moody, minimal and bright styles, plus vintage effects such as Stop Motion and Subtitles and retro film frames like Super 8, VHS, 8mm and VCR. It adds 150+ story templates in film, editorial, 90s, y2k and moodboard designs, overlays such as Paper, Dust and Light, a drag-and-drop feed planner that supports multiple accounts, batch editing and 14 adjustment tools including HSL, Blur and Grain. Tezza Pro is listed at $6.99 a month or $39.99 a year and Tezza Luxe at $9.99 a month. The preset library is smaller than VSCO's, the iOS app is iPhone only, and it is a large 856.4 MB download. We compared documented features and published prices only.

1998 Cam is the simplest way to get a 90s film look. The App Store listing describes 100+ filters across film, vintage, black and white and cinematic styles, applied in real time with light leaks, dust and film grain, plus vintage video effects. After shooting you can still adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness and grain, and the developer states photos are shared with no watermark. The vendor says the app has over 50 million users. Premium is listed from $1.99 a month on the US App Store, though the listing shows several monthly prices up to $5.99 and a $39.99 lifetime option, so check the price shown in the app before you subscribe. Unlike Dazz Cam it is also on Google Play. It lacks the deeper tools of Lightroom or Snapseed and documents no batch editing or feed planner, so it suits quick snapshots more than a planned feed. We compared documented features and published prices only.

Prequel is the pick when your aesthetic is loud rather than subtle. Its App Store listing lists 800+ effects and filters among the free features, with signature effects named DISCO, DIAMOND, BLING, TEAL, MIAMI, PRISM, VHS and D3D. D3D turns still photos into 3D moving pictures, and templates create aesthetic videos in one tap. You can add text with 30+ fonts, music and stickers, and fine-tune with adjustment tools. Prequel Gold unlocks a larger library of filters, effects and advanced tools; the vendor says prices vary by country, and the plans shown on the US App Store listing changed between our checks, so confirm the price in the app. It is on iPhone, iPad and Google Play. The effects suit Reels and TikTok better than a calm, film-toned grid, where VSCO or Afterlight fit better. We compared documented features and published prices only.

Picsart is the broadest app on this list, and filters are only one part of it. Its App Store listing describes stylized AI filters and AI effects alongside a Background Remover, an Object Remover, AI Enhance and AI Retouch for portraits, and customizable templates for posts, stories and collages. Picsart Aura generates and edits images and videos by chat, using models such as Nano Banana, Veo, Kling, Runway and Luma, with availability that may vary. The vendor says 150M+ creators use the platform. That breadth is the reason to pick it and the reason not to: someone who just wants a consistent film preset will move faster in VSCO, Afterlight or Snapseed. Pricing is also higher, with Picsart Plus at $11.99 a month or $64.99 a year on the US App Store and separate Gold and Pro tiers. We compared documented features and published prices only.