How Did We Choose the Best Photo Editing Software Application for Mac?
There are no single best options in terms of photo editing software apps for Mac that fulfill the requirements of every person. Therefore, creating a list should focus on covering entries that cater to a larger audience. For that, we divided our research into three facets. Let’s explore them to unveil our criterion:
Your Skill Level:
- Beginner: It prioritizes user-friendly interfaces and basic editing tools. There are several free options like Apple Photos, GIMP, or Photoscape X that can be a great starting point.
- Intermediate: This category of software apps looks for a balance of user-friendliness and powerful features. A common example in this category is Fotor. Furthermore, these apps deliver a gentler learning curve compared to professional tools.
- Advanced/Professional: These software applications prioritize on extensive editing capabilities like RAW image support and precise control. It is where industry standards like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom Classic shine.
Budget:
- Free: These options lack several capable free options. These lack advanced features. Common examples are Apple Photos or Photoscape X.
- Paid one-time purchase: These deliver all the features forever at a one-time cost. Affinity Photo is a popular choice in the category.
- Subscription: These are tools that offer multiple editing options for a monthly fee. For example, Photoshop and Lightroom.
Specific Needs:
- Batch Editing: Photographers and other associated professionals process multiple images in a single go. Therefore, the app needs to have strong editing features.
- Social Media Integration: Some of the software applications cater to social media users. These deliver quick editing tools and easy sharing options ideal for social media executives, influencers, etc.
- RAW Image Editing: The majority of photographers shoot in RAW format. This is because RAW format is lossless and gives the photographer extensive capability to control every aspect of the image. Therefore, the capability to process RAW became a major point for our selection criteria.
How to Test the Best Free Photo Editing Software App for Mac?
To test a photo editing software application for Mac, we need to test it at all levels be it our skills or the capability of the tool. So, let’s begin:
1. Define Your Needs:
- Skill Level: It is important to factor in your skill level, i.e., beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Based on that determine the complexity of the software application features, you need.
- Editing Tasks: Understand the type of edits you make to your images. Some people are happy with applying filters while others need extensive tools to create composites or controlling colors.
- File Format: While formats like JPEGs are popular & compatible with almost every photo-sharing or photo-viewing app, they are lossy. On the other hand, RAW delivers major editing capabilities to control aspects of an image on a much more micro-level.
2. Research and Shortlist:
- Review Sites: Look for review sites like MobileAppDaily for their recommendations. These websites can help you share your overall impression and features of the app. This will help in determining apt tools as per your requirements.
- Focus on Features: Create a list of your favorite apps and compare their features together. Also, create a list of features that you prioritize. This will help you find an app that solves the majority of your editing problems.
3. Hands-on Testing:
- Download and Install: The majority of free software provides easy download options from either their website or the Mac App Store.
- Import Sample Photos: Grab different types of images such as landscape, portrait, low-light images, etc., and check the results post-editing.
- Test Key Features: Try out basic adjustments like cropping, exposure, and contrast. After that try out the advanced features and test the tool’s capabilities. For example, noise reduction, color correction, etc.
- Explore Interface: Check whether the interface is intuitive and easy enough to use.
- Performance: It is important to determine the performance of the app on your Mac. Check whether it lags or runs smoothly during editing.
4. Refine Your Choice:
Compare Results: Review edited images from each software. This will help understand a relevant software application that matches your preferences.
Identify Limitations: It can be a feature or anything else that can stall your creative endeavors.
Bonus Tips:
- Start with Free Trials: If a free trial is available for paid software, consider using that extensively first. Paid tools ideally deliver more professional results, therefore, try to use them against free options to estimate the advantage.
- Online Tutorials: Multiple photo editing options for Mac deliver online tutorials. This will help you learn the ropes of that tool.
- Online Communities: Join online communities or forums that are dedicated to photo editing. These communities will tell you about some popular tools share tips and help you troubleshoot issues.
Best Free Photo Editing Software Application for Mac - Comparison Chart!
A listicle can not be completed without comparing its top contenders with each other. We have picked three capable photo editing software applications for this comparison.
These apps are selected based on their capabilities and the skill levels required by the user. It will also help you determine the difference between a beginner app, intermediate, and advanced tool So, let's begin:
| Feature | Affinity Photo 2 | Fotor | Seashore |
| Price | One-time purchase | Free & In-App Purchases | Completely Free (Open-Source) |
| Skill Level | Intermediate - Advanced | Beginner - Intermediate | Beginner |
| Ease of Use | Moderate | Easy | Easy |
| Features | Powerful non-destructive editing, RAW image processing, vast library of tools | Versatile editing tools, extensive template library, batch editing | Essential editing features, layers, and alpha channel support |
| Pros | Powerful, feature-rich, handles RAW images, one-time purchase | User-friendly, great for beginners, templates | Free, open-source, simple to use |
| Cons | A steeper learning curve, expensive compared to free options | Lacks advanced features of professional software | Limited features compared to paid options |
Conclusion
Finding the best photo editing software for Mac depends strictly on your requirements. While some people only want to make basic edits, there are people who want to create composites. And this is possible with the best AI photo editors.
This entire range of editing requires basic features like cropping, color adjustment, etc., to advance requirements like blending, background removal, etc. So, finding an apt photo editing partner is tricky. But, the list of Mac photo editing software mentioned above offers plenty of options for both domains. With this list, we aim to provide tools that cater to each level of users. So, we hope that you may have found something dependable.
Also, do you have a similar photo editing software for Mac? Or any other digital product that can help people? If yes, list your product. Our team of MAD experts will review your product and place it in a relevant listing. This can potentially help you with more downloads, branding, and higher credibility in the market.
