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10 Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone in 2024

Kirk McElhearn
Kirk McElhearn
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Check out this list of photo editing services for iPhone that can help you handle even the most complex tasks. Find out all the pros and cons of these services and choose the one to enhance your image.

With the advent of social networks, we began to pay more attention to mobile photography. For example, Instagram has more than 2 billion active users at the moment. Software developers caught this trend and created apps for editing pictures right on your smartphone. You can find lots of options in AppStore.

However, their functions and purposes are different. Some applications are designed to work with color and light, others - to remove objects from the frame. Look at these ten top-rated and recommended iPhone photo editing apps and services.

1. Adobe Lightroom Mobile – For Color Correction

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Adobe Lightroom Mobile

Pros:
- A huge range of image editing capabilities
- User-friendly
- Pretty quick syncing
- Stunning results

Cons:
- High learning curve for good results

Adobe Lightroom Mobile is a functional and easy-to-use free photo editing app. It is a mobile and simplified version of Lightroom, a powerful desktop RAW photo editor. It allows users to complete basic corrections and improve pictures with a few clicks, making it an excellent choice for those who love photography.

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2. Photoshop Express – For Basic Photo Retouching

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Photoshop Express

Pros:
Fantastic choice of options
- Provides 2GB of storage
- Many social media templates
- Great sharing capabilities

Cons:
- Key features are hidden behind 'premium'

Adobe Photoshop Express is a mobile version of the world's most popular graphics editor. This app for photographers allows users to combine images, apply various effects, share finished projects with friends on social networks, and more.

Photoshop Express allows you to perform color correction and interact with your gadget's camera. It provides convenient selection and retouching tools and supports photos in any resolution. Unlike the desktop version, this application does not require any special skills. As a bonus, the developers provide users with 2 GB of free space in the Creative Cloud storage.

3. VSCO – A Variety of Filters

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Vsco

Pros:
- Straightforward, beautiful design
- Lots of different filters
- Decent editing options for exposure and color
- Possibility of manual editing

Cons:
- Requires a paid account to use most filters
- Dark-mode isn’t available

VSCO is a powerful photo editing app for iPhone with an excellent interface and many tools for digital image processing. It offers many filters, effects, and templates to enhance your photos. It also has sync capabilities across devices, making it a good companion for those who take photos across multiple platforms.

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4. Snapseed – For Working with RAW Files

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Snapseed

Pros:
- There are no ads and payments
- Awesome set of high-end presets and tools
- RAW file support
- Simple photo editing with sliders

Cons:
- Lack of templates

This is one of the most requested photo retouching services for iPhone. This app has a great set of tools and is easy to use. It is suitable for adjusting contrast, sharpening, color correction, cropping, and straightening. The Healing Tool, custom settings, and other advanced editing options are available.

Moreover, you will find many unique filters. You can apply various effects, achieve the desired color shades, and turn ordinary pictures into art pieces with them. When you’ve finished, you must tap once to share your photo on Instagram or WhatsApp or save it to your smartphone. Just click on the icon on the screen, and it will be downloaded to your phone. This app is the perfect solution for beginner photo editors.

5. Facetune – For Face Retouching

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Facetune

Pros:
- Great retouching and face-modification features
- Stunning reshaping options
- User-friendly interface
- Trial period for paid modules

Cons:
- Most features are available through subscription or in-app purchases
- AI features may occasionally freeze

Facetune is a portrait enhancement app that also works well for landscapes and objects. Its retouching tools help smooth skin and add aesthetic value to images.

If your iPhone is running out of space with these high-res edits, you can also effortlessly move photos to iCloud to free up storage.

6. Picsart – For Adding Stickers

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Pros:
- Impressive bundle of tools and effects
- Drawing capabilities
- Amazing filters with good adjustment capabilities
- Layered effects

Cons:
- The free version contains ads
- Sometimes works slowly on AI features

PicsArt offers a variety of photo editing options, from color correction to adding stickers and text. It’s also well-known for its collage-making features.

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7. Pixlr – For Photo Styling

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Pixlr

Pros:
Google Drive support
- Tons of filters
- Masks and layers
- Simple interface

Cons:
- Abundance of ads
- Less feature-packed in comparison to other apps

Pixlr provides basic and advanced photo editing tools, including red-eye correction, cropping, and working with layers. The app is popular for adding captions and texts to images. If you’re searching for high-quality images for your edits, check out the 11 Best Stock Photo Sites for everyday use.

8. Phonto – To Add Text to the Photo

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Phonto

Pros:
- Comprehensive interface
- Includes over 400 fonts
- Supports third-party fonts
- Amazing text-related editing capabilities

Cons:
- Sharing options could be improved

Phonto is a simple photo editing app for iPhone that perfected editing photos with any kind of text. In addition to various fonts, there is also a large set of stars, hearts, and other stickers. You can change their color and angle using your finger or arrow keys. You can move the finished text, change its angle, and achieve the perfect position if necessary.

Stencil letters provide an exciting appliqué effect. If the built-in collection is not enough, you can add fonts to the collection on your smartphone. In-app purchases allow you to install and change themes blocked in the free version. Despite being easy to use, this app has quite a rich feature set.

9. Darkroom – The 'Smoothest' One 

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Darkroom

Pros:
Feature packed
- Great Apple ecosystem integration
- Decent video editing capabilities
- Nice set of presets

Cons:
- Sharing options could be improved

Darkroom shines with its robust set of tools, including powerful filters, color correction, and photo exposure adjustments. The app’s RAW editing capabilities allow photographers to fine-tune every detail of their shots, ensuring the highest quality edits. For video creators, Darkroom also offers a range of tools such as frame-by-frame editing, color grading, and trimming to produce polished, professional-quality videos.

The app integrates seamlessly with Apple’s ecosystem, allowing users to organize, edit, and export their media directly from the Photos app. With customizable presets, batch editing, and the ability to sync across devices, Darkroom streamlines the workflow for creators who value efficiency and precision. Its powerful yet approachable tools make it a go-to choice for users who want comprehensive editing without complexity.

10. Afterlight - Great at Editing Light 

Best Free Photo Editing App for iPhone Afterlight

Pros:
Filter overcharge
- Great work with light
- Good social media integrations
- RAW image support

Cons:
- Some vital features paywalled
- Occasional Ads

One of the standout features of Afterlight is its extensive filter library, which includes both preset filters and the ability to create custom filters. Users can easily fine-tune their images with tools for adjusting brightness, contrast, saturation, and more. Afterlight also offers unique textures, including light leaks and film grain, allowing users to add a retro or artistic feel to their photos. Additionally, the app supports RAW image editing for those who want to work with high-quality files and get precise control over their adjustments.

Afterlight also includes tools for adding text, frames, and overlays to photos, enhancing the creative possibilities. Its integration with the iOS platform allows for seamless photo management, editing, and sharing directly from your device. Whether you're looking to make quick adjustments or dive into more intricate edits, Afterlight is a versatile tool that caters to a wide range of editing needs, from social media posts to professional photography projects.

FAQ

What is the best iPhone app for color correction in photos?

Adobe Lightroom Mobile is considered one of the top apps for color correction on iPhones. It offers a range of professional tools for adjusting exposure, contrast, and color tones, and it supports RAW file editing for precise adjustments.

Can I edit RAW images on an iPhone?

Yes, several apps like Adobe Lightroom Mobile and Afterlight allow you to edit RAW images directly on your iPhone. These apps provide advanced editing tools, enabling you to make detailed adjustments to high-quality image files.

What iPhone app offers unique textures for photo editing?

Afterlight is known for its unique textures, such as light leaks and film grain. These features allow users to give their photos a retro or artistic feel, making it a popular choice for creative photo editing.

How do I add text and overlays to photos on an iPhone?

Apps like Afterlight allow you to add text and overlays to photos. They offer tools to customize images with text, frames, and overlays, making them suitable for both casual edits and more creative projects.

What are the top apps for editing photos on iPhone?

Some top iPhone photo editing apps include Adobe Lightroom Mobile for color correction, Afterlight for creative filters and textures, and other specialized apps depending on the editing task, such as object removal or lighting adjustments.

Kirk McElhearn
Kirk McElhearn
Contributing Writer at Softorino
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