Elevate Your Photos With These Top Editing Apps

Find a photo editor that suits your style. Image: Look Studio/Unsplash

Your phone is likely filled with countless photos capturing your daily life, but are you making the most of them? While you can share them as is, the right photo editing app can unlock their hidden potential, transforming a good shot into a great one. With the right tools, you can tweak your images in new and interesting ways, encouraging you to share memories you might have otherwise kept private.

While the default apps like Google Photos for Android and Apple Photos for iOS are capable, a world of powerful third-party editors awaits. Here are our top picks for the best mobile photo editing apps available today.

Pixlr: Versatile and Feature-Rich

Pixlr gives you a lot of options to play around with. Screenshot: Pixlr

Pixlr is a well-established name in photo editing, offering a robust suite of tools on both mobile and the web. Its mobile app is perfect for making quick, effective edits on the go. You'll find everything from basic collage-making features for social media to advanced tools like healing and sharpening brushes.

For those looking to get creative, Pixlr allows you to add text and stickers to your images. However, it also excels at fundamental edits like cropping and color correction. The app now includes AI generation features, which are available through a premium subscription. For $3 a month, you can unlock AI tools along with more templates and collage options.

Pixlr (freemium) is available for Android and iOS.

Snapseed: Powerful and Completely Free

Snapseed is intuitive and easy to use. Screenshot: Snapseed

Developed by Google, Snapseed is one of the best and most beloved mobile photo editors—and it's completely free. The app's Tools tab reveals a surprisingly deep set of features, including a curves editor, white balance control, and separate adjustments for highlights and shadows.

Every tool is designed to be intuitive, often requiring just a simple tap or swipe to apply changes in real-time. If you prefer a faster approach, Snapseed offers a wide variety of stylized filters and looks, such as Grunge, Retrolux, and Vintage. In many respects, it surpasses the editing capabilities of the default Google Photos app.

Snapseed (free) is available for Android and iOS.

Afterlight: For the Serious Mobile Photographer

Afterlight offers a host of tools to play around with. Screenshot: Afterlight

Afterlight has earned a strong reputation among serious mobile photographers. It packs a host of powerful features into an elegant and intuitive interface, including precise adjustments for hue, saturation, contrast, curves, and exposure.

The app also includes numerous filters and presets that let you create vintage film looks or polaroid effects with a single tap. You can even make detailed selective edits, such as blurs and fades, on specific parts of an image. To unlock the full collection of tools, you can subscribe to Afterlight Pro for $4 per month.

Afterlight (freemium) is available for Android and iOS.

Adobe Photoshop: The Industry Standard in Your Pocket

Photoshop for mobile carries over many of the desktop features. Screenshot: Adobe

Photoshop is a household name in photo editing, and Adobe has successfully adapted many of its best desktop features for mobile. The app offers advanced capabilities like selections, layers, brushes, and background replacements, giving you a portable editing suite in your pocket.

Adobe has even integrated generative AI features for creative edits. The app provides a range of tools for precision adjustments and access to a library of stock photos. While the app is free to use, some advanced features require a subscription of $7 a month or an existing Photoshop desktop plan.

Adobe Photoshop (freemium) is available for Android and iOS.

VSCO: Pro-Level Tools and Artistic Filters

VSCO brings with it some pro-level editing tools. Screenshot: VSCO

VSCO, from the Visual Supply Company, is another favorite among professional-level photographers. The app is designed for serious editing, offering fine-tuning for a wide variety of image parameters, alongside numerous effects and collage options.

For quick edits, you can apply one of the many preset AI-powered filters to instantly transform your images. The app also provides robust options for sharing and exporting your creations. More advanced tools and filters can be unlocked with a paid subscription, which starts at $2.50 a month.

VSCO (freemium) is available for Android and iOS.

Luminar: Your AI-Powered Creative Companion

Luminar is a feature-packed “creative companion.” Screenshot: Luminar

Luminar positions itself as an all-in-one photo editor and "creative companion." It is packed with a vast array of tools and tweaks, yet its interface remains uncluttered and user-friendly. This makes it accessible for beginners while still being powerful enough for experts.

You can perform edits like crops, rotations, and adjustments to lighting, contrast, and color. The app also features borders, AI transformations, and background replacements. Many of its effects can be applied with a single swipe, though granular control is available if you need it. A pro subscription costs $5 a month and unlocks all features.

Luminar (freemium) is available for Android and iOS.