Photography Image Editing Software Comparison 2025

Executive Summary Table

Software Platforms Ease of Use Key Features Plugins/Extensions UK Pricing (2025)
Adobe Lightroom + Photoshop PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Web Medium Industry standard, RAW processing, AI tools, cloud sync Extensive plugin ecosystem £19.97/month (1TB plan) or £119.09/year prepaid
Adobe Lightroom (Cloud only) PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Web High Simplified workflow, cloud-based, AI editing Limited £11.99/month (1TB plan)
Affinity Photo 2 PC, Mac, iPad Medium Professional features, non-destructive editing, one-time purchase Limited but growing £48.99 one-time (often 50% off at ~£34)
Capture One Pro PC, Mac, iPad Medium-Hard Excellent RAW processing, tethering, colour management Some available ~£18.59/month or £372.87 perpetual (subject to 6% increase March 2025)
DxO PhotoLab 8 PC, Mac Medium Best-in-class noise reduction (DeepPRIME), lens correction Limited £129-229 one-time purchase
ON1 Photo Raw 2025 PC, Mac Medium Layers support, non-destructive, all-in-one solution Some available £78-99 one-time purchase
GIMP PC, Mac, Linux Hard Full-featured, open source Extensive plugin support Free
Canva Web, iOS, Android, PC, Mac Very High Template-based, design-focused, AI tools Limited Free / £10.99/month / £99.99/year
Photopea Web Medium Photoshop-like interface, PSD support Limited Free / £8-50 for premium
Snapseed iOS, Android High 29 professional tools, non-destructive stacks None Free
VSCO iOS, Android, Web High Film emulation presets, creative community None Free basic / £24-30/year premium
Darkroom iOS, Mac High Apple Photos integration, batch editing None £6.99/month or £39.99/year

Detailed Software Comparisons

DESKTOP SOFTWARE (PC & Mac)

1. Adobe Photoshop + Lightroom Classic (Photography Plan)

Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web

Ease of Use: Medium (Photoshop: Hard / Lightroom: Medium)

  • Lightroom is relatively intuitive for photographers
  • Photoshop has a steep learning curve but unmatched power
  • Extensive tutorials and community support available

Features & Capabilities:

  • Lightroom Classic:
    • Non-destructive RAW processing
    • Comprehensive cataloguing and organisation
    • Advanced colour grading and local adjustments
    • Presets and batch processing
    • Print and web gallery modules
  • Photoshop:
    • Advanced layer-based editing
    • Generative AI tools (Generative Fill, Generative Remove)
    • Advanced masking and selection tools
    • Healing and clone tools
    • Support for all major file formats

Extensibility:

  • Excellent plugin ecosystem including:
    • Topaz Labs (AI enhancement)
    • Nik Collection
    • Luminar plugins
    • Countless third-party presets and plugins

UK Pricing (2025):

  • Photography Plan (1TB): £19.97/month (annual commitment, monthly billing)
  • Photography Plan (1TB): £119.09/year (prepaid annual – equivalent to £9.92/month)
  • Lightroom only (1TB): £11.99/month
  • Note: The 20GB plan is no longer available to new subscribers as of January 15, 2025
  • Price increases came into effect in 2025 for monthly billing subscribers

Best For: Professional photographers, those needing both cataloguing and advanced manipulation, users invested in Adobe ecosystem

2. Affinity Photo 2

Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPad

Ease of Use: Medium

  • More accessible than Photoshop but still professional-grade
  • Well-organised interface with “personas” for different workflows
  • Good learning resources available
  • Steeper curve for photographers coming from Lightroom

Features & Capabilities:

  • Professional RAW processing
  • Non-destructive adjustment layers
  • Advanced selection and masking tools
  • Focus stacking and HDR merging
  • Panorama stitching
  • PSD file compatibility
  • Frequency separation
  • Tone mapping persona for HDR
  • Liquify persona for distortion
  • Export persona for batch processing
  • Lacks asset management/cataloguing features

Extensibility:

  • Growing plugin support
  • Macro recording for automation
  • Compatible with some Photoshop plugins
  • More limited than Adobe ecosystem

UK Pricing (2025):

  • Mac or Windows version: £48.99 one-time purchase (frequently discounted to £33.99 or less)
  • iPad version: £19.99 one-time
  • Universal License (all 3 Affinity apps on all platforms): £79.99-159.99 (often 50% off)
  • No subscription required
  • Major version upgrades (V3 when released) will require new purchase

Best For: Photographers wanting professional tools without subscriptions, users who need advanced editing but not DAM features, those transitioning from Adobe

3. Capture One Pro

Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPad (limited features)

Ease of Use: Medium-Hard

  • Professional interface with steep learning curve
  • Excellent for studio and commercial photography
  • Best-in-class tethering
  • Highly customizable workspace

Features & Capabilities:

  • Industry-leading RAW conversion
  • Exceptional colour management and accuracy
  • Professional tethering capabilities
  • Advanced layer-based adjustments
  • Styles and presets
  • Session and catalogue workflows
  • Excellent for Fujifilm users (film simulations)
  • Local adjustments with control points and masks
  • Strong colour grading tools
  • Asset management included

Extensibility:

  • Limited plugin ecosystem compared to Adobe
  • Styles and presets marketplace
  • Integration with Photoshop possible
  • Scripts and automation available

UK Pricing (2025):

  • Monthly subscription: ~£18.59/month
  • Annual subscription: Varies by plan
  • Perpetual license: £372.87 (subject to 6% increase March 2025)
  • Note: Perpetual licenses no longer receive feature updates, only bug fixes
  • Loyalty programme available for long-term subscribers

Best For: Professional and commercial photographers, studio shooters, tethered shooting, Fujifilm users, those prioritising colour accuracy

4. DxO PhotoLab 8

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Ease of Use: Medium

  • Intuitive interface once learned
  • Less user-friendly than Lightroom
  • No built-in cataloguing system (uses your file structure)
  • Excellent for technical corrections

Features & Capabilities:

  • Best-in-class noise reduction (DeepPRIME and DeepPRIMEXD)
  • Exceptional lens correction database (automatic corrections)
  • Smart Lighting for dynamic range
  • U Point technology for local adjustments
  • Non-destructive RAW processing
  • Optical corrections (distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberration)
  • HSL colour wheel
  • No built-in asset management
  • Limited creative/artistic tools compared to competitors

Extensibility:

  • DxO FilmPack plugin (film emulations)
  • DxO ViewPoint plugin (perspective correction)
  • Nik Collection integration
  • Adobe Lightroom plugin available
  • Limited third-party plugins

UK Pricing (2025):

  • Standard edition: £129 one-time purchase
  • Elite edition: £229 one-time purchase
  • Frequently discounted (Black Friday, etc.)
  • Free 30-day trial available
  • No subscription required

Best For: Photographers shooting at high ISO, technical perfection seekers, those with extensive lens collections, users who want the best optical corrections

5. ON1 Photo Raw 2025

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Ease of Use: Medium

  • User-friendly interface
  • Combines multiple functions in one application
  • Module-based approach (Browse, Develop, Local Adjustments, Effects, Portrait, Resize)
  • Faster learning curve than Photoshop

Features & Capabilities:

  • Complete workflow solution (DAM + editing)
  • Non-destructive layer-based editing
  • AI-powered masking and selection
  • Sky replacement
  • Portrait retouching tools
  • HDR and panorama creation
  • Extensive effects library
  • NoNoise AI for noise reduction
  • Lightroom catalogue migration tool
  • Local adjustments with layers
  • Batch processing

Extensibility:

  • Limited plugin ecosystem
  • Recipe system for combining effects
  • Preset marketplace
  • Can be used as Lightroom/Photoshop plugin

UK Pricing (2025):

  • One-time purchase: £78-99
  • Frequently available at £48-50 during sales
  • Optional subscription with cloud storage available
  • Free 30-day trial
  • Annual upgrades available (not required)

Best For: Photographers wanting all-in-one solution without subscription, users needing layers, creative photographers, those leaving Lightroom

6. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

Ease of Use: Hard

  • Steep learning curve
  • Non-standard interface (especially on Mac)
  • Powerful once mastered
  • Interface less intuitive than commercial alternatives

Features & Capabilities:

  • Full-featured professional editing
  • Layer-based editing and masking
  • Customizable brushes
  • Advanced selection tools
  • Colour management
  • Animation capabilities
  • RAW support (via plugins)
  • Script-Fu for automation
  • No cataloguing/DAM features
  • GIMP 3.0 (released March 2025) adds non-destructive editing

Extensibility:

  • Extensive plugin support
  • G’MIC plugin (powerful filters)
  • Python scripting
  • Can use some Photoshop plugins
  • Large community-created content library

UK Pricing (2025):

  • Completely free and open source
  • No hidden fees or premium features
  • Available in 82 languages

Best For: Budget-conscious users, Linux users, those supporting open source, users with time to learn complex software

MOBILE SOFTWARE (iOS & Android)

7. Adobe Lightroom Mobile

Platforms: iOS, Android (cloud-synced with desktop)

Ease of Use: Medium-High

  • Simplified mobile interface
  • Gesture-based controls
  • Syncs with desktop Lightroom
  • AI-powered suggestions

Features & Capabilities:

  • RAW editing support
  • Presets and batch editing
  • Cloud-based workflow
  • Selective editing with masks
  • Healing brush
  • Geometry corrections
  • AI-powered sky selection
  • Generative Remove tool
  • Camera controls for capture
  • Sync across all devices

UK Pricing:

  • Free version with limited features
  • £11.99/month for full Lightroom plan (1TB)
  • £19.97/month for Photography Plan (includes desktop Photoshop and Lightroom Classic)

Best For: Adobe ecosystem users, mobile photographers needing professional RAW editing, those requiring cloud sync

8. Snapseed

Platforms: iOS, Android

Ease of Use: High

  • Intuitive finger-swipe controls
  • Clean, minimal interface
  • Easy to learn
  • Non-destructive “Stacks” system

Features & Capabilities:

  • 29 professional tools and filters
  • Selective adjustments (Control Points)
  • Healing brush
  • Perspective correction
  • RAW file support
  • HDR Scape
  • Double exposure
  • Text and frames
  • Curves tool
  • Vintage filters
  • No cloud sync or cataloguing

Extensibility:

  • No plugin support
  • Self-contained application

UK Pricing:

  • Completely free
  • No ads or in-app purchases
  • No subscription

Best For: Mobile photographers, beginners, quick edits on-the-go, those wanting professional tools for free

9. VSCO

Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

Ease of Use: High

  • Minimalist, elegant interface
  • Film-inspired aesthetic
  • Creative community features
  • Gentle learning curve

Features & Capabilities:

  • Famous film emulation presets (Kodak, Fuji, Ilford)
  • Manual editing controls
  • Tone Split colour grading
  • RAW editing support
  • Video editing (Pro tier)
  • Creative community for sharing
  • Recipe system (save adjustment combinations)
  • Limited compared to Lightroom

Extensibility:

  • No plugin support
  • Self-contained ecosystem

UK Pricing:

  • Free basic version with 10 presets
  • VSCO Plus: £24-30/year (200+ presets)
  • VSCO Pro: £19.99/month (video support, commercial licensing)

Best For: Film photography enthusiasts, Instagram content creators, users wanting aesthetic presets, creative community engagement

10. Darkroom

Platforms: iOS, Mac (Apple ecosystem only)

Ease of Use: High

  • Seamless Apple Photos integration
  • No import needed
  • Clean, native iOS design
  • Batch editing support

Features & Capabilities:

  • RAW editing including ProRAW
  • Depth-based masking
  • Curves and selective colour
  • Batch processing
  • Filters and presets
  • Direct Apple Photos library access
  • No cloud storage needed
  • Shortcuts integration
  • Custom icon options

UK Pricing:

  • Free version available
  • Premium: £6.99/month
  • Annual: £39.99/year
  • Lifetime: £99.99 one-time

Best For: iOS/Mac users, those heavily invested in Apple ecosystem, photographers using Apple Photos

WEB-BASED SOFTWARE

11. Canva

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac apps

Ease of Use: Very High

  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Template-based workflow
  • Minimal learning curve
  • Designed for non-designers

Features & Capabilities:

  • Photo editing basics (crop, filters, adjustments)
  • Background remover (AI)
  • Magic Resize for multiple formats
  • Text and graphic overlays
  • Extensive template library (610,000+)
  • 100+ million stock photos and elements
  • Brand kit management
  • Video editing
  • Design-focused rather than photo manipulation
  • AI tools (generative AI, Magic Studio)
  • Social media scheduling
  • Collaboration features

Extensibility:

  • Limited plugin ecosystem
  • Some integrations available
  • Acquired Affinity (integration pending)

UK Pricing (2025):

  • Free plan (limited features)
  • Canva Pro: £10.99/month or £99.99/year
  • Teams: £9-23.98/month depending on users
  • 30-day free trial for Pro/Teams

Best For: Social media content, marketing materials, quick designs, non-photographers, template users, team collaboration

12. Photopea

Platforms: Web (works on any device with browser)

Ease of Use: Medium

  • Photoshop-like interface
  • Familiar to Photoshop users
  • Steeper curve for beginners
  • No installation required

Features & Capabilities:

  • Professional layer-based editing
  • PSD, XCF, AI, Sketch file support
  • Advanced selection tools
  • Filters and adjustments
  • Brush tools and clone stamp
  • Text tools
  • Smart objects
  • Blend modes
  • RAW file support
  • No cataloguing features
  • Works entirely in browser
  • No cloud storage (local file system)

Extensibility:

  • Limited plugin support
  • Scripts possible
  • More limited than desktop Photoshop

UK Pricing:

  • Free with ads
  • Premium: £8 for 30 days, £15 for 90 days, or £50 for one year
  • Removes ads and adds priority support
  • Team pricing available

Best For: Users wanting Photoshop-like features free/cheap, cross-platform consistency, no installation needed, opening PSD files without Photoshop

Detailed Feature Comparison Matrix

RAW Processing Capabilities

  • Best: Capture One, DxO PhotoLab
  • Excellent: Adobe Lightroom, Affinity Photo
  • Good: ON1 Photo Raw, Snapseed, VSCO, Darkroom
  • Limited/None: Canva, Photopea (basic support), GIMP (plugin required)

Noise Reduction

  • Best: DxO PhotoLab (DeepPRIME)
  • Excellent: Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop, ON1 (NoNoise AI)
  • Good: Capture One, Affinity Photo
  • Basic: Snapseed, VSCO, GIMP

Colour Management

  • Best: Capture One
  • Excellent: DxO PhotoLab, Adobe Lightroom
  • Good: Affinity Photo, ON1 Photo Raw
  • Basic: GIMP, Snapseed, VSCO

Asset Management/DAM

  • Best: Adobe Lightroom Classic, Capture One
  • Good: ON1 Photo Raw
  • Limited: Darkroom (via Apple Photos)
  • None: Photoshop, Affinity Photo, DxO PhotoLab, GIMP, Snapseed, VSCO, Canva, Photopea

AI/Automated Tools

  • Best: Adobe (Generative AI, AI masking), Canva
  • Good: ON1 Photo Raw, Lightroom Mobile
  • Limited: DxO PhotoLab, Affinity Photo
  • None/Minimal: GIMP, Capture One

Layer Support

  • Full: Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo, Photopea, ON1 Photo Raw
  • Limited: Lightroom (local adjustments only)
  • None: Capture One (adjustment layers only), DxO PhotoLab, Snapseed (stacks system), VSCO, Darkroom

Cross-Platform Sync

  • Excellent: Adobe Lightroom (all platforms), Canva
  • Limited: Affinity Photo (iPad separate), Capture One
  • None: DxO, ON1, GIMP, Snapseed, VSCO (limited), Photopea

Recommendations by User Type

Professional Photographer

Primary: Adobe Photography Plan or Capture One Complement with: DxO PhotoLab (for noise reduction), Affinity Photo (for advanced editing without subscription)

Hobby Photographer (Enthusiast)

Best Value: Affinity Photo + ON1 Photo Raw Budget Option: GIMP + Snapseed (mobile) Ease of Use: Adobe Lightroom Plan

Beginner

Desktop: ON1 Photo Raw or Affinity Photo Mobile: Snapseed Web: Canva (design focus) or Photopea (editing focus)

Social Media Creator

Primary: Canva Pro Mobile: VSCO or Lightroom Mobile Quick Edits: Snapseed

Studio/Commercial Photographer

Best: Capture One Pro (tethering) Alternative: Adobe Photography Plan

Travel/Outdoor Photographer

Desktop: Adobe Lightroom or ON1 Photo Raw Mobile: Adobe Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed Backup: DxO PhotoLab (noise reduction for high ISO)

Budget-Conscious Professional

Option 1: Affinity Photo + ON1 Photo Raw (£120-150 total, one-time) Option 2: DxO PhotoLab + GIMP (£130 + free) Mobile: Snapseed (free)

Apple Ecosystem User

Ideal: Darkroom (integrates with Apple Photos) Alternative: Adobe Lightroom or Affinity Photo

Cost Comparison (5-Year Total Cost of Ownership)

Software Year 1 5 Years Notes
Adobe Photography Plan (annual prepaid) £119.09 £595.45 Plus potential price increases
Adobe Photography Plan (monthly) £239.64 £1,198.20 Higher than annual
Affinity Photo 2 £48.99 £48.99 One-time only (unless V3 released)
Capture One (subscription) £223.08 £1,115.40 Annual subscription
Capture One (perpetual) £372.87 £372.87 One-time, but no feature updates
DxO PhotoLab £229 £229-500 One-time, optional upgrades
ON1 Photo Raw £99 £99-400 One-time, optional annual upgrades
GIMP £0 £0 Forever free
Canva Pro £99.99 £499.95 Annual subscription
Photopea Premium £50 £250 Annual subscription
Snapseed £0 £0 Forever free
VSCO Plus £30 £150 Annual subscription
Darkroom Annual £39.99 £199.95 Annual subscription
Darkroom Lifetime £99.99 £99.99 One-time purchase

Most Economical Professional Setup (5 years):

  • Affinity Photo (£49) + ON1 Photo Raw (£99) + Snapseed (Free) = £148 total

Premium Professional Setup (5 years):

  • Adobe Photography Plan (£595) + DxO PhotoLab (£229) = £824 total

Best Free Setup:

  • GIMP (Desktop) + Snapseed (Mobile) + Photopea (Web) = £0 total

Key Considerations When Choosing

1. Workflow Requirements

  • Need cataloguing/DAM? → Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, or ON1
  • Just editing? → Affinity Photo, Photoshop, DxO, or GIMP
  • Quick social posts? → Canva or mobile apps

2. Budget

  • No budget: GIMP, Snapseed, Photopea free
  • Under £150 one-time: Affinity Photo, ON1 Photo Raw
  • Willing to subscribe: Adobe, Capture One, Canva

3. Platform Requirements

  • Cross-platform sync needed? → Adobe Lightroom
  • Mobile-first? → Snapseed, VSCO, Lightroom Mobile
  • Web-based? → Canva, Photopea
  • Apple only? → Darkroom

4. Technical Level

  • Beginner: Canva, Snapseed, ON1
  • Intermediate: Lightroom, Affinity Photo, VSCO
  • Advanced: Photoshop, Capture One, GIMP

5. Specific Needs

  • Best noise reduction: DxO PhotoLab
  • Best colour accuracy: Capture One
  • Best film emulations: VSCO
  • Best AI tools: Adobe, Canva
  • Best value: Affinity Photo
  • Best free option: GIMP (desktop), Snapseed (mobile)

Conclusion

The photography editing software landscape in 2025 offers excellent options across all price points and platforms:

For professionals, Adobe and Capture One remain industry standards but come at a premium price through subscriptions.

For value-seekers, Affinity Photo and ON1 Photo Raw offer exceptional capabilities at one-time purchase prices that are incredibly competitive.

For enthusiasts on a budget, combinations like DxO PhotoLab (for technical excellence) with GIMP or Affinity Photo provide professional results without ongoing costs.

For mobile users, Snapseed remains unbeatable as a free professional tool, while VSCO caters to the creative/aesthetic crowd.

For quick design work, Canva dominates with its template-based approach and AI tools, though it’s less suitable for traditional photo editing.

The best choice depends on your specific needs, budget, existing ecosystem (Adobe, Apple, etc.), and whether you prefer subscription or one-time purchase models. Many professional photographers now use a combination approach: one tool for cataloguing and basic adjustments (Lightroom or Capture One), another for advanced editing (Photoshop or Affinity Photo), and a third for specialized tasks (DxO for noise reduction, or Canva for social graphics).

Document compiled November 2025 with current UK pricing Prices subject to change; verify on manufacturer websites before purchasing