Photo retouchers, painters and vector editors — every tool on this shelf carries a data-based editor rating computed from public review videos, not opinions..
12 tools·12 rated·updated continuously
Luminar Neo
An AI-first photo editor built around one-click sky replacement and portrait fixes - now in a visible product transition.
Photopea
Free browser Photoshop clone that opens PSD files with no install
darktable
The free, open-source photography workflow and raw developer that treats your negatives like a database.
Adobe Lightroom
The photo library and editor that pairs AI-assisted culling with cloud sync across desktop, web and mobile.
Pixelmator Pro
Apple's own image editor now: Mac-native speed, AI built on Apple Intelligence, and a one-time price.
GIMP
Free, open-source raster editor for photo retouching and digital painting
Free
Krita
Free, open-source digital painting app focused on illustration and concept art
Free
Procreate
The iPad art studio that made digital painting feel native - pencil pressure, layers, and no subscription.
Clip Studio Paint
The drawing app illustrators graduate to, with a brush engine artists make videos about.
Inkscape
Free open-source vector graphics editor that treats SVG as its native format
About the Image Editors shelf
BetterPicker's Image Editors category gathers the tools that retouch photos, paint illustrations and edit vectors. Tools enter the shelf through editorial review; entries without a rating yet are still vetted for the basics — a working product and honest positioning.
Ratings here are data-based: each editor rating is a pure function of public review-video signals (views, likes, discussion), so a tool can't buy its way up this page. The shelf updates as new tools pass review.
One URL per shelf (/categories/<slug>) — long shelves paginate at 10 per page (?page=N); ratings update as new review data comes in.
