Free Photo Editor Downloads

+ Free Online Photo Editing Sites inc. Photoshop Express

The free photo editor downloads listed here include Photoshop and Corel which are 30-day trials. The other two free downloads, GIMP and Paint.net, are freeware so once you download it, it's yours to keep for all time without any further obligation.

Below the list of free photo editor downloads you will find another list of free photo editors which cannot be downloaded but can be used online. Some ask you to register, some don't, and some have certain features which only unlock if you create an account so check first.

I suggest you try out more than one of the free photo editor downloads as they tend to vary quite a bit. If you prefer to stick with one, then I recommend Photoshop - there's no doubt it is the best. You can either download the 30-day trial or try out Photoshop Express online which is a cut-down version but will give you a good idea of how the interface works and what sort of features it offers.

If you want to purchase Photoshop but don't want to invest several hundred dollars/quid in the software now, another option is to purchase an older version which comes at a much reduced price and then upgrade in the course of time. This spreads the cost over a longer period and you will find that earlier versions are still jam-packed with all the features you will need for a long time to come. And of course, you can buy Photoshop or Elements at a greatly reduced price if you are eligible for student & teacher editions.

Free Photo Editor Downloads

Photoshop

Photoshop is without a doubt, the best photo editor on the market but it comes with a hefty price tag. If you want a 30-day trial, fully functioninng and totally free, click on one of the links below. You can use upgrade or even downgrade to a cheaper version after the 30-day trial by purchasing a licence online.

Photoshop trial CS5
Photoshop Elements Free Download

GIMP

Of the four free photo editor downloads listed here, GIMP is perhaps one of the better known ones and has good online support. It is not dissimilar to Photoshop and with it you can retouch your photographs. It works with Microsoft Windows, Apple Macs and Linux. With GIMP, you can also do drawings and make animations but it's main strenghth is its image editing capabilities which include cropping, resizing, making photo montages, and converting your shots into different file formats. Download GIMP free photo editor software here.

Paint.net

Paint.net is also free software for computers running on Windows. Don't confuse it with Microsoft's Paint program which is for making drawings and is not used for photo editing. You can use Paint.net to edit photos plus it has certain Photoshop-like features such as the ability to work with layers, special effects and there are lots of tutorials and forum support. Paint.net photo editor free download here.

Corel PaintShop Pro

The older versions of PaintShop Pro are still available as free software but more recent versions need to be purchased. Some obsolete version are available in the UK on the free CD that comes with certain computer magazines. You can download a 30-day, fully functional trial version of PaintShop Pro X4 here.

Free Online Photo Editing Sites

Befunky

Free software for photo editing - needs to be used online but no registration required. Connects with Facebook or you can create your own photo library online but for that you need to register. Try out Befunky here.

FotoFlexer

Lots of fun filters plus the ability to do more 'ordinary' photo editing - also has layers and more advanced techniques. Integrated with PhotoBucket, Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, Smugmug and Myspace. Some actions are not available unless you register. Try out FotoFlexer here.

Pixlr

Photo editor whose interface mimics Photoshop to some extent. Wide range of tools. Try out Pixlr here.

Photoshop Express

Being developed and added to all the time. Probably the best free photo editor that you can use online without needing to download anything. Good range of tools, intuitive interface although it looks a bit serious at first. Try Photoshop Express here.

Picnik

Picnik is closing in April 2012 and will be moved to become part of Google+. So no way of knowing what Google will do with it but it is available until 9th April if you want to try out the photo editing tools. Picnik Premium is now free so you get full access to all their tools up until the day it closes. Also, it's integrated with Picasa so if you have photos stored with Picasa you can click on the edit tab and Picnik will launch. Try Picnik here.