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3 excellent, free online image editors

Niamh Lynch

Niamh Lynch

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Photo editing is going through some hard times. Our attitude to photos, and editing them, has changed drastically in recent years, and developers have launched app after app to try and keep up with changing demands and needs.

Do you need to edit images for a website, or to grace the cover of a book? Are you trying to edit out a zit, or add a funny caption to a photo of your dog? The tools you’ll need are so different, it’s almost impossible to round them all up in one article.

3 excellent, free online image editors

Here, I’ll show you some of the best online photo editors, great for quick and easy edits, and perfect for the occasional photo editor who doesn’t want to shell out money or install an app.

Photocat.com: cute, casual, fun

Photocat is cute and colorful. If you’ve got a soft spot for all things kawaii, or you know someone who does, then you should definitely take a look. The homepage shows you 3 options, but in reality, there are only 2. The editor can make basic edits to an image, retouch images, and contains a bunch of add-ons like frames, text, and DIY.

The selling point here is the retouching, which lets you add make-up, change skin tone, eye color, and more. The Collage function is easy and eye-catching, and between all the features, anyone who wants fun photos can spend plenty of time here.

Pixlr.com: the closest thing to the real deal

Pixlr claims to be the most popular online photo editor in the world, so it must be doing something right. When you visit the home page, you’ll see 3 options: Editor, Express and O-Matic. The Editor function is the closest to a traditional photo editor like Photoshop, and it’s by far one of the most “serious” online editors we’ve seen. Express lets you add quick, glossy effects and add-ons to your images, while O-Matic is a neat little tool that lets you add vintage effects, frames and other features by clicking a few buttons. It takes zero talent, but makes things look very cool.

It’s also available as a web-app, and as an app for iOS and Android.

Fotor.com: equal parts fun and functional

Fotor, also available as a web app, is sort of halfway between something serious, and something fun. It looks good and helps you make basic edits, like cropping, re-sizing, exposure, to name a few. It also has some frames, stickers and other fun stuff. If you’ve got some images of people that you’d really like to improve, however, the Beauty feature is one of the best we’ve seen.

Compared to other free apps, the advanced tool lets you erase wrinkles and shine, improve skin tone, and add make-up, and with careful use, you’ll be able to make significant changes. Another plus is Fotor’s Goodies section, where the app takes you through some more advanced features, like making cards and collages, Facebook cover photos, and other interesting image editing tips.

There are literally hundreds of online photo editors out there, so if none of these suit, you’re bound to find some that do. If you can’t find what you want here, you can also try Pizap, PhotoFunia, Photoshop Express, or SumoPaint.

These ones are all pretty reputable apps, but lots of online editors are amateur, ad-ridden or don’t let you save your images without registering or paying, so before you create your masterpiece, check it out to make sure it’s legit.

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Niamh Lynch

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