7 Best AI Photo Editors 2023 (50 AI Image Editors Ranked)

by Chris Von Wilpert • Last updated May 28, 2023

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Today there are 234 different AI photo editors. We spent 127 hours comparing the top 50 to find the seven best you can use to make use of AI to edit your photos.

What is the Best AI Photo Editor?

  1. Luminar Neo — best of the best
  2. Adobe Photoshop — best for professional photo editors 
  3. Topaz Photo AI — best for noise reduction and image sharpening 
  4. ON1 Photo RAW — best for RAW image processing
  5. Photolemur — best for one-click photo editing
  6. DxO PhotoLab — best for lens-based corrections 
  7. Capture One — best for color grading

Our Verdict — Best Of The Best

Price: Starts at $9.95/month

Luminar Neo is a futuristic photo editing software that leverages AI to turn simple pictures into masterpieces. We think it’s the best because of its mind-blowing AI capabilities, extensive library of presets, and intuitive interface.

The Best Part:

  • It’s super user-friendly. Luminar Neo's sleek interface and easy-to-understand controls make it a breeze for users of all experience levels, even if you've never edited an image in your life.

The Worst Part:

  • No team collaboration support. Luminar Neo doesn't have built-in support for collaborating on projects.

Get it if you want a user-friendly photo editor with an extensive library of AI-powered presets that you can apply with a click.

I recommend you get the Lifetime plan with the extensions pack for $318.

(14-day free trial)

Best For

Luminar Neo is best for photography enthusiasts and creatives who want to let AI make professional–looking edits to their photos.

Top Features

  • Beautiful scenery. Swap out dull skies for dramatic ones, without any tedious manual masking or selection.

  • Set the perfect mood. Easily adjust lighting in your images to create the perfect mood and ambiance with Luminar Neo’s Magic Light AI tool.

  • Get rid of distractions. Remove any unwanted objects and distractions in your photos, leaving you with clean results in a snap.

  • Cinematic flair in a click. Apply professional color grading to your images with Luminar Neo's extensive HDR Merge features.

  • Fine tune all details. Use Luminar Neo's Supersharp AI to bring out the fine details in your images and make them punchier and more engaging.

Pricing

Luminar Neo offers four pricing plans:

  • Explore: $9.95/month for newbies who want to dip their toes into AI editing and get access to Luminar Neo’s community, 24/7 support, and automatic upgrades to future versions.
  • Pro: $14.95/month for photography enthusiasts and creatives who want to unlock all of Luminar Neo’s extensions, with an extra license.
  • Lifetime: $149 one-time payment, for photography enthusiasts and creatives who want to invest in an AI-driven photo editor without worrying about recurring payments. 
  • Lifetime, with the extensions pack: $448 one-time payment, for photography enthusiasts and creatives who want to invest in the full Luminar Neo experience, including all AI extensions.

Annual plans provide up to a 33% discount.

Try Luminar Neo today with a free 14-day trial.

Our Verdict — Best For Professional Photo Editors

Price: Starts at $31.49/month

Adobe Photoshop is the go-to image editing software for pros. We think it’s the best for professional photo editors because of its extensive range of editing tools, robust AI-powered features, and industry-leading layer management.

The Best Part:

  • Seamless Adobe Suite integration. Adobe Photoshop's flawless integration with other Adobe apps, such as Lightroom, InDesign, and Illustrator, boosts your photo editing game and keeps your projects in perfect harmony.

The Worst Part:

  • Pricey subscription plans. Adobe Photoshop's price tag could be a tough pill to swallow for budget-conscious photo editors, with the Monthly plan going for $31.49/month.

Get it if you want a comprehensive photo editing solution with robust AI capabilities and unmatched precision, control, and customization features.

I recommend you get started with the 7-day free trial, then get the annual subscription for $20.99/month.

(7-day free trial)

Best For

Adobe Photoshop is best for professional photo editors.

Top Features

  • Age is but a number. Tweak facial features such as skin, hair thickness, or expressions to see with Photoshop’s Smart Portrait feature.

  • Search your presets. Find specific brushes, swatches, gradients, styles, patterns, and shapes with ease with the added search functionality.

  • Add some drama. Add depth to your image backgrounds with Photoshop’s Depth-Aware Haze feature, making your subject stand out beautifully.

  • Reach new horizons with Neural Filters. Try out a bunch of cool AI-generated filters that transform your images in seconds, from skin smoothing to style transfer.

  • Perfect object selections. Make precise selections around complex subjects and similar backgrounds with Photoshop’s Refine Edge Tool.

Pricing

Adobe Photoshop offers three pricing plans:

  • Monthly: $31.49/month for beginners and casual users who want to explore Adobe Photoshop's features without a long-term commitment.
  • Annual (paid monthly): $20.99/month for professional photo editors and photographers who want a comprehensive AI photo editing solution for the long term.
  • Annual, prepaid: $239.88/year for professional photo editors and photographers who want to invest in an advanced photo editor with AI features, and prefer to save money by making a one-time annual payment.

Annual plans provide a 36% discount.

Try Adobe Photoshop today with a free 7-day trial.

Our Verdict — Best For Noise Reduction And Image Sharpening

Price: $199

Topaz Photo AI is your one-stop shop for fixing noisy and blurry photos. We think it’s the best for noise reduction and image sharpening because of its state-of-the-art denoising technology, advanced sharpening tools, and intuitive interface.

The Best Part:

  • State-of-the-art denoising technology. Topaz Photo AI’s denoising tools let you say adios to grainy photos, giving you crystal-clear results even in low-light conditions.

The Worst Part:

  • Heavy on the wallet. Topaz Photo AI’s one-time payment of $199 may be steep for some users, especially those looking for a subscription model with affordable monthly payments.

Get it if you want an AI-driven photo editor that tackles noise reduction and image sharpening like no one else.

I recommend you test Topaz Photo AI with the free demo, then get the paid version for $199.

(free demo)

Best For

Topaz Photo AI is best for photo enthusiasts who want a cutting-edge AI noise reduction and image sharpening software that’s easy to use.

Top Features

  • Sharper than a sword. Give your images extra pop with Topaz Photo AI’s incredible Sharpen AI sharpening tool.

  • Say goodbye to grainy pics. Wipe away noise in grainy images while preserving every detail, with Topaz Photo AI’s DeNoise technology.

  • Zoom in to perfection. Topaz Photo AI’s Gigapixel feature upscales image resolution with eye-catching, high-quality results without pixelation or blurriness.

  • Accelerate batch touch-ups. Breeze through multiple photos in a snap with Topaz Photo AI's handy batch editing, to apply filters or custom adjustments to an entire batch of images, with just a few clicks.

  • Compare on the fly. Topaz Photo AI offers a real-time before-and-after view, allowing you to see the impact of your edits instantly.

Pricing

Topaz Photo AI’s offers a single pricing plan:

  • Topaz Photo AI: $199 one-time payment, for photographers, editors, and hobbyists who want powerful noise reduction and image sharpening capabilities in an AI-driven photo editor.

Try Topaz Photo AI today with a free demo.

Our Top Three Picks

Here’s a quick summary of our top three picks:

  1. Luminar Neo — best of the best
  2. Adobe Photoshop — best for professional photo editors 
  3. Topaz Photo AI — best for noise reduction and image sharpening

Here’s a quick comparison of our top seven picks:

Tool

Entry Offer

Pricing

Luminar Neo

14-day free trial

Starts at $9.95/mo

Adobe Photoshop

7-day free trial

Starts at $31.49/mo

Topaz Photo AI

Free demo

$199

ON1 Photo RAW

14-day free trial

Starts at $7.99/mo

Photolemur

Free plan

$39.99/yr

DxO PhotoLab

30-day free trial

Starts at $54.75/mo

Capture One

30-day free trial

Starts at $29/mo

Here are the top 50 AI photo editors we considered in this review:

  1. Luminar Neo
  2. Adobe Photoshop
  3. Topaz Photo AI
  4. ON1 Photo RAW
  5. Photolemur
  6. DxO PhotoLab
  7. Capture One
  8. Aurora HDR
  9. LightZone
  10. Photo Pos Pro
  11. ACDSee Photo Studio
  12. PhotoDirector
  13. Fotor
  14. PhotoWorks
  15. Movavi Picverse
  16. PicsArt
  17. Pixlr
  18. GIMP
  19. PhotoScape
  20. Paint.NET
  21. Zoner Photo Studio X
  22. Darktable
  23. Canva
  24. PicMonkey
  25. Snapseed
  26. Prisma
  27. Polarr
  28. VSCO
  29. InPixio
  30. Pixelmator Pro
  31. Affinity Photo
  32. BeFunky
  33. IrfanView
  34. Camera+ 2
  35. FastStone Image Viewer
  36. Hipstamatic
  37. RawTherapee
  38. Ribbet
  39. Afterlight
  40. Google Photos
  41. Pixlr E
  42. SumoPaint
  43. FotoFlexer
  44. PictBear
  45. Pho.to
  46. Pizap
  47. Lunapic
  48. iPiccy
  49. Aviary
  50. Photofiltre

Which is the best photo editing AI?

The best photo editing AI, as of now, is Luminar Neo. 

It is an advanced AI-powered photo editor offering a wide range of editing features designed to aid professional photographers and hobbyists alike. Luminar Neo, developed by Skylum Luminar AI, includes powerful tools for photo quality enhancement, color correction, and sky replacement. Moreover, it excels in removing unwanted objects from photos, making it a top-notch photo editing tool.

Its intuitive interface and dynamic range of options for photo effects cater to different editing styles. Despite its advanced features, it doesn't have a steep learning curve, and it isn't as complicated as some other software. Its lifetime license, priced at $318, includes an extensive library of creative filters and AI-powered tools for image generation and editing.

Luminar Neo's AI capabilities also include enhancing portrait photos and altering facial features, such as eye colors. Besides, it boasts a magic correction tool that intuitively adjusts lighting and details, ensuring high-resolution images and superior image quality. Although it lacks team collaboration support, its features make it an excellent choice for both professionals and beginners.

What is the best AI to edit photos for free?

Adobe Photoshop Express, commonly known as Adobe Express, is one of the best free AI photo editors. It's a standalone program that provides quick editing features, leveraging machine learning and neural networks for effective results. 

While it may not have the same advanced tools as its full-fledged counterpart, Adobe Photoshop, it offers a range of useful features, such as one-touch editing function for quick fixes, and photo effects for enhancing photo quality. Adobe Express also provides cloud storage, ensuring easy access to your edited images across devices.

What is the AI photo editor everyone is using?

As of now, Luminar Neo is the AI photo editor that's gaining significant popularity. Its AI-powered capabilities, intuitive interface, and range of advanced tools are attracting a wide range of users, from professional photographers to digital artists. Luminar Neo's appeal lies in its ability to handle complicated tasks like sky replacement, object removal, and photo enhancements with ease, offering professional-quality results.

Is Luminar better than Photoshop?

Whether Luminar is better than Photoshop largely depends on the user's requirements and expertise. Luminar, with its AI-powered capabilities, offers a simple interface and quick editing, making it ideal for beginners and those who prefer a more automated process. It provides features like sky replacement, AI-enhancements, and object removal conveniently.

On the other hand, Photoshop is a comprehensive tool, preferred by professional photographers and graphic designers. It provides a high level of precision and control, and it integrates seamlessly with other Adobe products. Photoshop's advanced features enable detailed edits, complex graphic design, and manipulation tasks. However, it has a steep learning curve compared to Luminar.

Is Luminar worth buying?

Yes, Luminar is worth buying, especially for those who want a user-friendly yet powerful photo editor. It offers a range of AI-driven tools and features that automate complex tasks, making it easier for both beginners and professionals to enhance their photos. Its lifetime license is available at a reasonable price, considering the extensive functionalities it provides.

Luminar also offers an annual subscription model, allowing users to spread out the cost over time. Whether you're a professional photographer, a hobbyist, or a beginner, Luminar's dynamic range of features, like AI-enhancements, sky replacement, and advanced color correction, will cater to your needs.

It's worth noting, however, that while Luminar is excellent for quick edits and automatic enhancements, it may not replace a more comprehensive tool like Adobe Photoshop for some users, especially those requiring advanced editing and graphic design capabilities. In terms of the value it provides, its ease of use, and its AI-powered capabilities, Luminar is certainly a worthwhile investment.

The Bottom Line

To recap, here are the best AI photo editors to try this year:

  1. Luminar Neo — best of the best
  2. Adobe Photoshop — best for professional photo editors 
  3. Topaz Photo AI — best for noise reduction and image sharpening 
  4. ON1 Photo RAW — best for RAW image processing
  5. Photolemur — best for one-click photo editing
  6. DxO PhotoLab — best for lens-based corrections
  7. Capture One — best for color grading

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