---

11 Best photo editing apps for Android and iOS

According to Meta, around 600 million people have uploaded filtered images on Instagram and Facebook. 90% of young people from France, the UK, and the United States use editing apps to enhance their images before uploading them on social media (Snapchat). The best photo editing app for Android free improves the tone, and facial features, and clears skin to make it attractive.

4 out of 10 smartphone users have a soft corner for photo editing apps (Statista’s consumer insight) So far you must have understood what this blog is all about. You can find the best app for photo editing from the list of top 11 best photo editing apps for Android and iOS.

In today’s world pictures are like stories. They tell the tales of our lives. If you love sharing photos on social media and enjoy likes, and comments on your photos, editing apps can make it more easy. Many businesses want the best custom app development company so that they can also develop an AI-driven photo editing app.

We will talk about everything in our blog, stay tuned and enjoy knowing about the top 11 photo editing apps.

What is a photo editing app?

A photo editing app is like an artistic toolbox on your phone that helps you beautify your pics and videos. The best photo editing app can turn your simple picture into stunning works of art. It makes your social posts and personal photo collections look incredible.

A photo editing app offers various features that help people enhance their images before putting them live. So, you can say it is a type of software application designed for smartphones or computers that enables users to modify their photos.

Users can adjust brightness, color, special effects, contrast, text, and more using photo editing apps. 40% of smartphone users use editing apps to beautify their images.

The image shows consumer spending on photo and video editing apps from 2019 to the second quarter of 2021

Image source

Key features of the best photo editing apps

Before we head to know the best photo editing app, know about the most common features found in these apps. It will help you make a custom photo editing app. Moreover, you can also make a video editing app effectively.

• Basic editing tools: Features like cropping, rotating, straightening, and resizing images are the basic editing features that every photo editing app contains.

• Filters and effects: Pre-set filters and effects that add different moods, styles, or artistic touches to photos come under this type of feature. Posting these pics on the top dating apps  can increase your visibility.

• Adjustment tools: You can add contrast, saturation, shadows, brightness, color balance, exposure, and other features to enhance the appearance of your image.

• Text and graphics: By adding text, stickers, and graphics users can enhance their images and make them useful with a purpose.

• Export and sharing options: Export and sharing options have become common in all photo editing apps as people like to share their memories with others. Users can save images in various formats and share them with their friends and family members on social channels.

• Retouching and healing tools: Users can remove blemishes, spots, and imperfections, and refine images using these features of a photo editing app.

• Layers and mask: Advanced tools allow users to work on different layers and apply masks for more intricate editing. Many Ffaceapp alternatives   or apps have this feature.

• User-friendly interface: Engaging features, intuitive navigation, and innovative photo editing tools make an app effective and user-friendly.

• Collage and layout: You can use multiple images to create one image. For this, a typical photo editing app provides collages and formats.

• Brushes and selection tools: Tools for painting specific areas and making precise selections help users modify their images effectively.

Learning about these features helps you to include them in your app easily. Effective discussion can take place before you hire Android app developer for your project.

11 best free photo editing apps to use in 2024

Photo editing apps equip app users to transform their simple-looking photos into more visually appealing or artistic creations. It makes them suitable for sharing on social media, printing, or personal enjoyment. These apps present different features from the basic level to advanced editing capabilities, allowing users to express their creativity.

1. Canva
2. Snapseed
3. Bazaart
4. Adobe Lightroom Mobile
5. Touch Retouch
6. Pixel Cut
7. Photo Director
8. Adobe Photoshop Express
9. VSCO
10. Google Photos
11. Lensa

Scroll down to learn about all these apps in the details below.

1) Canva:

Canva is a popular photo editing app. Millions of people use this app to enhance their images and share them with their loved ones on various social media channels. If you are looking for a convenient image editing app, then Canva can be a winner. Beautiful effects, filters, and adjustments help users modify their pics like never before.

Upload photos to edit them, now explore the features to add filters, remove background, crop, add image colors, adjust image settings, blur photos, and more. Canva is useful for creating visual communication, content creation, team collaboration, asset management, branded team collaboration, planning and scheduling content, and much more apart from just editing photos.

Features of Canva:

1. Extensive library of templates
2. Filters, text, and graphics
3. Auto adjust
4. Canva Pro includes additional features

Download- iOS  Android

2) Snapseed:

It is the best photo editing app for Android phones without a watermark. Its comprehensive editing tools include basic adjustments, curves, and white balance. Various filters and creative effects make it easy for users to beautify their images before sharing them on social platforms.

Many best face swap apps also offer selective editing with control points for precise adjustments. Healing and brush tools for retouching equip users to create effective images. The app offers swiping gestures feature for enhancing images through different effects. Automatic adjustment of color and contrast beautifies your image like never before.

Default filters and editing features help Snapseed users enhance their images in the way they want to. Snapseed won iPad App of the Year in 2011 and was featured in the 100 best Android apps of 2018.

Features of Snapseed:

1. A wide range of powerful tools
2. Intuitive features
3. Ability to edit raw files
4. Free to download and use

Download- iOS  Android

3) Bazaart:

All the design needs of users are combined in this amazing app. Using this best photo editing tool, you can create logos, posters, profile pics, cards, collage stories, and much more. Bazaart is here to help users turn their simple pics into effective and engaging looks. Several people use this app to upload beautiful pics on various social media channels.

Bazaart is an AI-powered design app that makes simple photos beautiful. Not only photos but also videos and graphics. Moreover, the app is not only for individuals, businesses can use the Bazaart app to promote their brand on social media, invite friends to a party and finish a project. So, it makes various tasks easy for you.

Do you hate when unwanted people get into your pics and ruin them, Bazaart provides you features to remove the background and sides from your pics magically. Creating videos for your bestie’s birthday and marriage is also effortless and effective. Cut out the footage, apply a filter, choose an outline, adjust the shadow, and now complete improving it.

Features of Bazaart:

1. Create professional-looking designs
2. Flawless removal of background
3. Curated graphics and fonts
4. Clean photos

Download- iOS  Android

4) Adobe Lightroom Mobile:

The use of AI technology in the Adobe Lightroom mobile app makes it one of the most effective apps. Editing, organizing, and sharing your best photos in this app turn them into mesmerizing results. You can create amazing portrait effects in any photo and enhance its look. The best photo editing app for Android provides a new streamlined editing experience to its users

Lightroom is a free photo editing tool for Android, iOS, and iPad devices. Powerful and easy features allow you to edit on the go like a pro. It makes editing easy from top to bottom with the help of AI-driven features and tools. It offers around 150 handcrafted free and premium presets, an ample number of options with a wide variety.

You can make the color more vivid in your images. Many expert photographers use this app due to its easy, effective, and new features. Vanish any object and person from the image in a few seconds. Yes, you can remove unwanted background distractions from your images with the healing brush tool.

Features of Adobe Lightroom Mobile:

1. RAW editing
2. Organization
3. Sync across devices
4. Editing tools

Download- iOS  Android

5) Touch Retouch:

Touch Retouch is a specialized app focused on quick and easy retouching and object removal from photos. You can easily remove unwanted objects, blemishes, and distractions from images. It’s like your pocket app that helps you remove unwanted stuff from photos.

Users can remove unwanted objects, distractions, and blemishes from their images and make them in the way they want them. You can blur the faces of other people in your photos with a single tap. It eliminates the need for cropping the area and the person you don’t want in your photo by just blurring it.

Touch Retouch app improves any regular photos and makes them pleasing to the eyes and that is also in no time. If you want to remove particular elements from your image, it offers brushes for the same. A User-friendly interface with intuitive designs makes it easy for app users to utilize the app effectively.

Features of Touch Retouch app:

1. Quick brush tool
2. Object removal
3. In-app tutorial
4. Effective interface

Download- iOS  Android

6) Pixel Cut:

Pixel Cut is the best app for photo editing because of its amazing features. AI technology plays a major role in making it an all-in-one editor to create images with ease. The speed of the app is amazing due to AI. Beautifying photos with AI-generated backgrounds is an appreciable feature of the Pixel Cut app. Editing tools of the app allow you to edit photos to perfection.

Magic eraser removes unwanted elements, objects, and persons from your image in a second. The Upscaler feature of the app increases the pixels in a blurry image and improves the quality of the app. You can improve the quality of your products’ images and upload them on your website and TikTok. Read how to repost on TikTok as it is one of the crucial features of the app and helps you upload the right posts.

Clear and high-resolution images look credible to the people and they feel more likely to buy these products. You can create 10x more photos with Pixel Cut virtual studio and that is without the need of professional photographers.

Features of Pixel Cut:

1. Instant background removal
2. Free AI photo editor
3. Magic eraser
4. Image upscaler
5. Profile photo making
6. Recolor image

Download- iOS  Android

7) Photo Director:

It is an AI photo editor that gives an animated look to your images. AI-driven features make editing images easy, innovative, and quick. It’s a free photo editor and a collage maker to improve and animate images. It gives a fairytale-like look to the images. It is an all-in-one photo editing app that reduces the time and effort you have to put into enhancing a photo and video.

Its intuitive features and tools equip users with the power to improve their photos the way they want so that they can post them on any social media platform with confidence.

Features of Photo Director:

1. Add text and stickers
2. AI Avatar maker
3. Edit with filters and effects
4. Enhance photo quality

Download- iOS  Android

8) Adobe Photoshop Express:

If you are looking for a user-friendly photo editing app Adobe Photoshop Express can be a great option. It offers various features to its users to enhance their images like never before. Many essential editing tools are effective for quick and easy improvement and enhancement.

The best free photo editing app offers features like resizing images, straightening, rotating, and cropping them. Well, these are the basic editing tools that every photo editing app contains. It provides various filters and tools for the creative enhancement of the image.

Users can remove blemishes, spots, and red-eye quickly from the pics they want to share with their loved ones. They can also share the images with Girlfriend or Boyfriend on dating apps. You can find out how to build a dating app here.

Features of Adobe Photoshop Express:

1. Auto fix
2. Collage maker
3. Filters and effects
4. Esthetic mood boards

Download- iOS  Android

9) VSCO:

It is an intuitive photo and video editor to make beautiful and improved images for different purposes. Both individuals and enterprises can use this tool as per their needs and make creative images. It includes a library of 200+ premium-quality presets and tools. The curated collection of inspiring photography in all genres, esthetics, and styles inspires creators to experiment with the looks.

It is an amazing app to edit videos as well. You can also make video editing app by hiring developers and making them understand your business model. Individuals and businesses can edit their personal and product photos with top-quality presets and effective editing tools.

It allows you to share work with your friends and others. Get inspired by the creators from around the world.

Features of VSCO:

1. Professional grade presets
2. A camera app with built-in effects
3. Precision editing tools for full control
4. 200+ premium presets

Download- iOS  Android

10) Google Photos:

Google Photos app by Google securely backs up your photos and videos to Google Photos. So that you can fetch photos at any time and relive the moment in your mind. The app takes care of your memories that you can’t handle on your phone for a long time. It offers 15GB of storage and you can search what you see as well.

Easy-to-use editing tools make it an effective photo editing app. You can find the photos faster and print the moment that you love. It is a kind of home for your photos and videos that you can access anytime.

Additionally, it is a secure place to keep your photos and videos that you can’t keep on your phone. Your photos are automatically organized and easily searchable, making it easy to find images whenever needed.

Features of Google Photos:

1. Search photos
2. Search what you see
3. Editing tools and smart filters
4. A safe home for life’s memories

Download- iOS  Android

11) Lensa:

Lensa boosts edits with filters and effects of various types. If you want to give professional touching to your photos, use filters provided by the Lensa app. Users can edit the subject and background based on their needs.

So, it is an all-in-one app that offers a wide range of tools for every need. This photo editor tool is used for retouching portrait selfies. The app offers various editing filters and techniques to get a beautiful selfie. You can remove blur backgrounds like most photo editing apps mentioned in the blog.

Simple photo enhancement features and camera editing effects turn simple photos into perfect ones. The app can save many bugs as you don’t need to set up to click dark room to chill photos under sunlight.

Features of Lensa:

1. AI-powered features
2. Background replacement
3. Quick edits
4. Portrait enhancement

Download- iOS  Android

The business model of photo editing apps

The business model of a photo editing app typically revolves around several key strategies to generate revenue.

• Freemium model
• Subscription services
• In-app purchases
• Ad-based revenue
• Data monetization
• Enterprise solutions
• Partnerships and collaboration

Let’s understand in the space below, how a typical photo editing app makes money in the detail.

• Freemium model:

Many photo editing tools offer a free version with common editing tools and limited features. To unlock advanced functionalities, users will have to subscribe to premium offers or make in-app purchases. This model excites users to use the free version and encourages upgrades with premium features.

• Subscription services:

Photo editing apps often offer subscription-based models, providing users with access to a broader range of premium tools, advanced editing features, and exclusive filters. Subscriptions can be monthly, yearly, or one-time purchases.

• In-app purchases:

Apps can offer additional filters, editing tools, and effects in the in-app purchases. You can buy individual features and packs to improve your editing experience.

• Ad-based revenue:

Some free photo editing apps rely on advertising as a revenue stream. They display ads within the app, they can be banners. This method generates revenue for the app owner based on user interaction.

• Data monetization:

Analyzing user behavior and preferences within the app provides insights to data analysts. It helps them to come up with informed decisions. The insights can be monetized. For example, aggregated data can be sold to advertisers or utilized for targeted marketing campaigns.

• Enterprise solutions:

Some photo editing apps offer a mix of these strategies and features. It is often related to refining their business models based on feedback, market trends, and technological advancements to ensure sustained growth and profitability.

• Partnerships and collaborations:

Collaboration with brands and photographers or influencers for exclusive filters, tools, or presets can generate revenue. These partnerships can attract users interested in specific styles and aesthetics associated with these collaborations.

The best photo editing apps for Android free have almost all the revenue strategies mentioned above. Many apps like the best face swap apps also use a similar business model.

The top photo and video editing apps in 2023 are mentioned in the image below.

Image source

How to develop the best photo editing app for Android?

Developing the best app for photo editing involves several steps. We are presenting each step in the space below.

Step 1: Market research- Understand the target audience, competitors, and market trends to identify user needs and preferences.

Step 2: Define features- Determine the core features and functionalities of the app such as editing tools that involve cropping, filters, and effects. Also, find and set your unique selling point.

Step 3: User interface and user experiences- Design an intuitive and visually appealing UI/UX that provides smooth and effective navigation to users.

Step 4: Editing tools and filters- Implement a wide range of editing tools, effects, and filters to use the different editing styles and different user preferences.

Step 5: Performance and speed: People can leave your app as fast as they start downloading it if the app takes more time to start and perform. Optimize the app’s performance to ensure its fast loading time and smooth editing processes.

Step 6: Testing and feedback- You should conduct thorough testing to identify and resolve bugs. Gather feedback to refine the app based on its users’ point of view.

Step 7: Security and privacy- Ensure user data security and privacy by implementing robust security measures and obtaining necessary permissions.

Step 8: Regular updates- Continuously update the app with improvements, new features, and bug fixes to enhance user satisfaction.

Moreover, decide on seeking software development from in-house, freelancers, or offshore developers as it is one of the crucial steps to ensure timely and high-quality software solutions.

What is the cost of building a photo editing app?

Developers in the USA charge around $150/hour which is way more than the developers in India, Latin Africa, Eastern Europe, Malaysia, and Indonesia; they charge around $20-50/hour. However, the complexity of the app also leads to the high cost of developing photo editing apps.

The image shows app development cost by region.

Image source

Well, various factors determine the cost of building a photo editing app, apart from the charges of developers belonging to different regions and app complexity. Here are they.

1. Platform compatibility
2. User interface
3. Third-party integration
4. Backend infrastructure
5. Testing and quality assurance

Here is the breakdown of cost based on app complexity.

• Basic photo editing app – $10,000-$30,000
• Intermediate photo editing app – $30,000-$50,000
• Advanced photo editing app – $50,000- $170,000

The price can go up and down as the requirements and difficulty of features and functions increase and decrease.

Which is the best free editing app in 2024?

Photo editing apps include different features that meet the needs of different individuals and businesses. The apps serve specific purposes; so an app that is good at something might not be good at other things. Well, most people consider Adobe Photoshop Express the best free editing app.

Does the iPhone have a free photo editor?

I find Bazaart to be one of the most effective photo editing apps for iPhone users. It offers various features to its users that help to beautify and enhance images like a pro. Businesses can also increase the quality of their products using the intuitive features and tools of this app.

Which photo editor is 100% free?

There are many free photo editors. Snapseed is one of them; its free version offers many tools and features to turn simple images into attractive ones.

Which app is easy for photo editing?

Three apps that I find beginner-friendly are Snapseed, Adobe Lightroom, and VSCO. Easy and smooth navigation also enhances the user experience.

How long does it take to develop a photo editing app?

Every app is different and includes a variety of features and complexity levels. So the time required to develop them also varies. A simple photo editing app can be built in 3-6 months.