Top 8 Photo Editing Software for Beginners in 2025 [Free & Paid]

In today’s digital world, everyone holds onto precious photos from their personal or professional collection. The growing number of individuals who use such photos in branding and marketing is an inspiration to others. Therefore, as a beginner, it may be overwhelming to use the tools of 2025 for photo editing.

This is why this article is here to assist you with these problems. You can learn about the best photo editing software for beginners in this article by exploring all the best options available in the market. Each of these tools will help you understand how you can edit a photo and more.

Part 1. Side-by-Side Overview of the Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners

This part will showcase the top 8 photo editing software for dummies in a comprehensive comparison table below:

According to the table, Repairit offers better facilities to the users than any other tool. It is the ultimate all-in-one photo enhancement tool out there, with enhancement and repairing features. You can access it on all devices and platforms and edit the best photo with stunning HD and 4K results.

Part 2. 8 Photo Editing Software for Beginners: The Ultimate Starter Guide

When it comes to choosing the right software for photo editing, there are several tools on the market. Therefore, to ease your searching hassle, this part will provide you with a list of the best photo editing software for beginners in the following:

1. Repairit

The very first and most recommended photo editor for amateurs is Repairit, which is known for its powerful and intuitive editing features. It utilizes the most advanced technology to fix and enhance multiple photos within a short period and delivers quality results. In addition, it is a multifunctional software that combines the latest AI technology, which can fix broken photos, sharpen the image, and revive old photographs.

The difference between Repairit and other programs is that it is very versatile and allows custom tools to increase the quality of the picture without compromising its features. Furthermore, it supports over 20+ image formats, allowing you to use its batch enhancer and repair features. This photo editing software for beginners also guarantees a 99.5% success rate, which photographers and content creators will find very helpful.

Key Features

• Blurry Photo Enhancer: You can use AI to sharpen, clarify blurry photos, and restore all the lost details.
• >Old Photo Restoration: Creators can revive faded or damaged photos with Repairit by making them colorful and enhanced.
• Facial Detail Enhancer: Facial recognition technology identifies and enhances features, skin texture, and expressions.

Easiest Guide on How to Enhance Pictures with Repairit

In the following, learn how to utilize this good beginner photo editing software in the given steps:

Step 1. Open the Desired Image Enhancer Tool

Access the “AI Media Enhancer” tab and click the “Start” button in the “Blurry Photo Enhancer” option. After that, click “+ Add” and insert the blurry or pixelated image.

Step 2. Access General Mode and Initiate Process

After that, select the “General Mode” from the 3 AI Models and hit “Start Enhancing” to begin the process.

Step 3. Save the Final Enhanced Image after Previewing

When the image is enhanced, preview its before and after by dragging the “Preview” slider, and hit the “Export All” button.

Note: You can also use the Repairit App to help editing your photos with a single sentence.

Key Features

1. Comprehensive Photo Repair：Fixes old/faded/scanned photos (removes scratches, colorizes B&W images) and repairs corrupted/unreadable files (supports 17 formats including RAW like CR2/NEF) via AI.
2. AI-Powered Image Enhancement：Sharpens blurry/low-res photos, optimizes portrait details, and removes unwanted objects (people/text/clutter) with seamless background reconstruction.
3. Text-Driven Editing：Enables photo fixes (e.g., "brighten dark photos") and creative edits (e.g., "turn to Ghibli style") via simple text prompts, no professional skills needed.

2. Luminar Neo

With over 24+ AI-based tools and 100+ precise features, Luminar Neo is another photo editing software for beginners. This user-friendly tool is filled with a variety of photo editing tools, like sky replacement, background removal, color correction, creative color effects, and more. Moreover, along with supersharp, upscale, and generative abilities, it offers various merging tools, like panorama stitching and more.

Key Features

• Batch processing helps apply color enhancement, cropping selection, and more to multiple images.
• With Portrait Retouching, change the skin color, slim it, and modify the eyes and lips.
• Utilize Accent AI to automatically balance hue, saturation, highlights, contrast, and details.

User Reviews

Positive

“Its ease of tools. Presets are handy too. Its AI based tools are excellent. It is very good value for the price.” - P.R.S. S.

Negative

“I wanted to love Luminar Neo. The simplicity and effectiveness on the surface are great. But after months of real-world use, it’s clear this software is nowhere near professional-ready.…” - samuel Kbrom

3. Lightroom

You can say goodbye to photo flaws and distractions, and enhance them with this photo editing software for dummies. It offers a comprehensive set of tools, such as advanced RAW processing, AI-powered editing, and synchronization across devices. Lightroom has non-destructive editing, which makes your image pop with vivid colors. Additionally, it offers robust tools, like generative remove, quick fine-tuning, and instant preset addition.

Key Features

• Use advanced enhancing features, like Denoise, Raw Details, and Super Resolution.
• Fine-tune images using texture, dehaze, and clarity sliders to smooth out blurred edges.
• Quick Actions can help enhance specific parts of the image and make it unique.

User Reviews

Positive

" It has powerful features, it's relatively easy to use compared to Photoshop, and it's easy to edit and adjust photos during the workflow. I also liked the tagging options in Lightroom." - Dragan S.

Negative

" Like all Adobe products it comes with a moderate monthly price tag but like all Adobe products every bug is fixed and every update is applied as soon as you’re ready for it!." - Brian G.

4. Polarr

Another one of the best photo editing software programs for beginners is Polarr, which offers a rich library of photo customization tools. You can craft aesthetic photo edits by adding layers, masking, and using AI-powered object detection features. Moreover, make basic adjustments to the photo, such as crop, effects, toning, LUT, and more. This software even provides tools, like batch processing, custom overlays, and high-quality exporting options.

Key Features

• Emulate your clouds, flares, effects, and more for stunning photo results.
• Use 14+ basic and 12 premium filter presets or create custom effects for dramatic pictures.
• With 12 blending modes and various masking options, you can get even tones, colors, and depth.

User Reviews

Positive

" I like how easy Polarr makes it to apply professional-looking filters and adjustments without needing advanced editing skills.” - Daniel S.

Negative

" Options are so overwhelming nowadays. It needs to be redesigned.” - Stephen Z.

5. Capture One

Creators can edit pictures with unmatched colors, lightning-fast results, and precise editing to deliver outstanding images. Another photo editing software used by photographers is Capture One, which offers raw file processing, advanced color grading, and tethered capabilities. Furthermore, its Studio helps you streamline photo editing with advanced tools, automation, and collaboration. You can also use its detail enhancement and other features, like retouching, color correction, and live view features.

Key Features

• Perfectly align flat lays using custom guides and cropping for consistent delivery.
• Match tones and styles across multiple pictures with automated adjustments.
• Automatically save images to a secondary location upon import, ensuring extra backup.

User Reviews

Positive

" I am truly impressed with Capture One as a tool for processing digital images. Customer support is also very strong, with access even to personal individual support...” - Harley Price

Negative

" There are too many tabs and they're not quite easy to understand in the development module. Export & Import time is quite long while Fujifilm ...” - Ankur B.

6. Affinity Photo 2

Affinity Photo 2 is a good beginner photo editing software that provides complex masking, live filter layers, and precise selections with AI tools. With its real-time adjustment layers, massive image support, and super steady pan, it’s an ideal tool for professional and newbie photographers. Additionally, you can use the advanced selection refinement algorithms, like the Selection Brush, Magic Wand, and Pen Tool, to take photo editing to the next level.

Key Features

• Retouch uses dodge, burn, clone, and patch options to give the picture a flawless skin.
• Magical Inpainting Brush can remove unwanted objects with seamless perfection.
• Apply a non-destructive live mesh warp to distort an image and match the surface.

User Reviews

Positive

" Had almost same functionality as Adobe Photoshop and one-time only license purchase, so it’s incredibly cheaper than Adobe.” - Alexandra L.

Negative

" I feel some of the features are a bit outdated compared to Photoshop, it takes a bit longer to do the same thing I could do in gimp/adobe.” - Dan S.

7. Darktable

If you are looking for an open-source photo editing software for dummies, Darktable is your best bet. It provides professional color management options with automatic display profile detection, like Adobe RGB, XYZ, and more. There's an extensive range of editing modules, like exposure correction, color grading, noise reduction, and sharpening. This tool has a powerful exporting system, which lets you save in low to high-dynamic range formats.

Key Features

• Enhance images using the darkroom feature, which includes basic, tone, and effect groups.
• Use color adjustment options to adjust shadows, radius, highlights, and more.
• Access the lighttable modules for seamless organization, like import, preview, and settings panel.

User Reviews

Positive

"My favorite in darktable is the color correction module, underappreciated by many I think, but invaluable for film simulation.” - Marc R.

Negative

"Import too many photos at once? Crash. Try to remove a collection from the film roll? Crash. Open the settings menu?...” - Smartich0ke

8. Corel PaintShop Pro

Corel PaintShop Pro is another ideal photo editing software designed for beginners and professionals. You can use its AI to enhance images, retouch, correct facial features, and experiment with hundreds of effects. It includes comprehensive editing tools such as layers, masks, and selection tools, plus creative design utilities for graphics. Moreover, with its real-time Blend Mode preview, you can blend and check simultaneously.

Key Features

Use AI Upsampling, Denoise, and Style Transfer for high-quality image improvements.

Access hundreds of templates, add layers, paint with Adobe Photoshop brushes, and more.

Apply photo effects, like Film Styles, Black & White, Retro, Traditional, and more.

User Reviews

Positive

"PSP is a good and mature piece of software. Numerous filters, options, plug-ins, templates are made for PSP over the decades of its development and uses. It even has image library….” - Aleksandar D.

Negative

"PSP is only compatible with Windows so far. It's missing detailed typography, something I love and want to have. Its also missing 3D modeling… - Nikki S.

Pro Tip: Edited Photos Got Corrupted? Use the Most Advanced and Quickest Solution

There are times when photos can get corrupted due to various reasons, such as malware, compression, and more. This can lead them to become blurry, discolored, scratched, and more, which you easily repair with Repairit. Its advanced repair technology can fix 20+ formats and any size of damaged or unreadable photo files. Moreover, it not only repairs but also upscale the image by 800% without losing any of its quality.

To speed things up, this tool provides a batch repair feature where you can import any type of image and fix it within seconds. With its preview screen option, you can go through the multiple repaired photos and download them to your device. Other than that, Repairit is capable of beautifying and fine-tuning images using its smart AI enhancement features.

Comprehensive Guide on How to Fix the Corrupted Photos using Repairit

In the following section, you can find the easiest steps on how you can repair even the heavily damaged photos with ease:

Step 1. Import the Corrupted or Damaged Image

Head to the “More Types Repair” tab, and press “Start” under the “Photo Repair” option. Next, click the “+ Add” button and insert the corrupted images to get started.

Step 2. Initiate the Robust Photo Repair Process

Hit the “Repair” button to start the process, or enable the “Advanced Repair Mode” for highly corrupted photos.

Step 3. Confirm the Photo’s Quality and Save

After the photos are repaired, click “Preview” to go through all the photos, and when satisfied, press the “Save” button.

Conclusion

In the end, this article explained the importance of why people look for photo editing software for beginners. Therefore, it provided you with the best 8 software with their respective key features and how they take your images to the next level. Considering the comparison table, the best photo editing tool is Repairit, as it offers advanced enhancement features that beginner can easily navigate.

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