Whether you’re a professional photographer or just need to occasionally crop or add some text to an image, it’s important to choose the best photo editing apps for your mac.
What is Choco for Mac. Choco is the ultimate photo collage designer, loaded with more than 100 helpful templates, layout generators, frames, shadows, and built-in effects to bring your images to life. Endless template options. Get started with more than 100 pre-built templates, in three helpful categories: Classic. Launch your favorite collage app and select the template/layout that fits your needs. In general, the templates can be irregular, grid, classic, or free forms.For example, the grid. This Mac collage app provides six collage templates to make. A Collage Maker to Create Photo Collage on Windows & Mac OS. 4.8/5 (39 Reviews) Get Amazing Collage Maker software to Make Photo/Picture Grids on Windows or Mac OS. CollageIt Photo Collage software allows you to make photo collages using templates in couple of seconds.
Good image editing software will make it quick and easy for you to adjust the look of your photos and create simple graphics for your website and social media.
For simple photo editing, there are plenty of free apps to choose from. If you’re really into your photography or graphic design, you might want to pay for more professional software to access premium features.
Either way, we’ve rounded up some of the best photo editing apps for Mac in 2021 to help you choose.
1. Apple Photos & Preview (Best Free Apps for Quick Edits and Photo Management)
We’ll start with the easiest and most obvious tool, as it’s free and comes pre-installed with MacOS.
Photos is more of an image management tool, but you can use it to make simple edits to your photos (including RAW files) such as resizing, cropping, rotating, adjusting colors and contrast, and applying pre-set filters.
You can also use the one-click enhancer to automatically adjust and improve your photos.
All users get access to 5GB of free cloud storage and you can upgrade for more for a small monthly fee. The app will also sync across multiple devices. This makes Photos a useful tool for backup as well as editing.
Apart from the Photos app, another useful free app that comes pre-installed on Macs is Preview.
The editing function of Preview isn’t too obvious so many users don’t know it’s there. But it’s a very handy way to make quick changes to your photos such as resizing, adjusting colors, and adding text and simple shapes.
Price: Free
More info:
2. Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom (Best Pro Image Editing Tools for Photographers)
We’ve bundled these tools together because they’re now available together under a monthly subscription plan. Although you can pay for them separately, it’s not any cheaper.
Photoshop has been the undisputed king of photo editing apps since the ‘90s, and no professional digital artist or designer would be without it.
Whatever you want to do with your images or whatever kind of graphic you want to create, you can do it with Photoshop.
In fact, this app is so powerful and well known that “Photoshop” has become a verb. We no longer talk about “editing” photos to remove a blemish from a selfie or replace a dull background with a more appealing one. Instead we “Photoshop” them.
However, the tool is not without its downsides. The software is resource-intensive and can run slowly on older macs or those that don’t have a lot of memory. Opening up Photoshop is overkill if you just want to make a quick edit.
It’s also not exactly the cheapest option but for many people who are serious about image manipulation, it’s the only choice.
While Photoshop is the ultimate app for image manipulation, most photographers prefer working in Lightroom for more subtle edits. It’s not the tool for advanced photo retouching down to the pixel, but it’s perfect for adjusting the overall color balance, tone, and contrast of your images.
In Lightroom, you can record a series of edits, called a preset, and batch-apply this preset to several images to speed up your workflow.
This app is also one of the best choices for organizing your photos, and if you’re using the Cloud based version it’s a useful tool for backup too.
Pricing
Adobe moved from a traditional software model a few years back and Photoshop is now only available as a “Creative Cloud” subscription. You can still use Lightroom as the “Classic” non-cloud version but need to pay a monthly subscription to access it regardless.
A Creative Cloud subscription starts from $9.99 a month, which includes Photoshop for desktop and iPad, the cloud and Classic versions of Lightroom, and 20GB of cloud storage.
For Lightroom only, you can opt for a plan that includes 1TB of cloud storage for $9.99 a month.
There’s also a Photoshop-only subscription for $20.99 a month, which includes 100GB of cloud storage and a drawing and painting app called Adobe Fresco.
For those who like Photoshop but don’t need the full suite of editing tools, Photoshop Elements is an alternative to consider. This software costs $99.99 as a one-off payment with no monthly subscription needed.
More info and download:
- Creative Cloud Photoshop Lightroom
3. Affinity Photo (Best Budget Alternative to Photoshop)
Affinity Photo is a great budget alternative to Photoshop and has become more popular since Adobe changed to a subscription-only pricing model.
As well as all the editing features you’d expect, Affinity includes professional tools such as HDR merge, panorama stitch, and 360-degree image editing. You can also edit PSD files with full layer integrity, plugin support, and smart object import.
Affinity Photo is a cross-platform application that has full file format compatibility so you can work across multiple devices including Mac, Windows, and iPad.
Like Photoshop, there’s a learning curve to making full use of the app and it may be too advanced for those just wanting to do basic edits. But for anyone looking for a cheaper alternative for working with existing PSD files, it’s an excellent choice.
Pricing: $24.99 for the Mac version. The iPad app is an additional $9.99.
4. GIMP (Free Alternative to Photoshop)
GIMP is often described as the open-source version of Photoshop, and its suite of advanced editing tools is certainly more than what you’d expect from free software.
As it’s open-source, there are also a lot of third-party plugins available to extend its functionality and provide filters and tools for speeding up your workflow.
However, while GIMP may be powerful, it’s not the most user-friendly app on this list. There are also very few tutorials (official and user-created) compared to other software.
This app also has its own scripting language that you can use to automatically run a series of edits on a batch of photos, much like Lightroom actions. But the process of setting this up is pretty intimidating if you don’t have any coding experience.
GIMP is definitely a tool for the technically inclined. If you don’t mind spending the time to learn and the unappealing user interface, you can do a lot with it. But it’s not as advanced as Photoshop and lacks a mobile version for on-the-go edits.
Pricing: Free
5. Pixelmator (Good Budget All-Rounder)
Pixelmator is a very popular and easy-to-use image editing app for Mac that’s also very affordable.
This app comes in two versions: Classic and Pro. Classic is still available and includes all the tools you’d expect from an image editor including making selections, adjusting colors, retouching, adding effects, and adding your own text, vector shapes, and freehand painting. This version is no longer being actively developed.
The Pixelmator team is now concentrating on the Pro tool, which includes additional and enhanced features such as non-destructive workflow, a new painting engine with dual-texture brushes and advanced blending, and enhancements for fast performance.
Pricing: Pixelmator Classic is currently available for $4.99, while Pixelmator Pro is normally $39.99 but is on sale for $19.99 at the time of writing
6. Luminar (Best AI Tool for One-click Image Enhancement)
Luminar is an AI-powered editing tool that can help to improve your photography by making automatic tweaks guided by its internal algorithms. This means that it’s very easy for beginners to use to improve their photos without needing to learn how to make advanced photo edits.
You can also use Luminar to carry out more sophisticated changes such as replacing the sky in landscapes and adding effects like sunrays and digital fog, and perfecting skin and features in portrait photography.
Luminar is a great choice for anyone who wants to make their photos look more impressive at the click of a button. But while it has all the basic editing options, it’s probably not the best choice if you dislike auto-edits and filters and prefer to have more fine control over edits.
Side note: The popular free AI-powered photo-editing app Photolemur is no longer available and is now part of Luminar AI.
Pricing: From $73.70 for a single computer license for Luminar 4. Luminar AI costs an additional $108.90, which includes a license for two computers.
7. Fotor (Free Basic Editor with Upgrade Option)
If you’re looking for a free photo-editing app with basic functionality, you might want to give Fotor a try. This app is the perfect antidote to complicated software with dozens of options. You can also install it on multiple devices.
Fotor includes all the basic photo editing tools you need to adjust the color, contrast, sharpness, and saturation of your images. You can also apply photo effect filters in a single click and use the portrait retouching tools to enhance your pictures of people.
There’s also a suite of design tools so you can easily add borders, stickers, and text to create photo collages, graphics, posters, flyers, and more. The app includes thousands of pre-designed templates that you can edit as needed.
Pricing: Fotor Basic is free to download and use. Fotor Pro is also available from $8.99 a month. This version includes advanced editing tools and more photo effects, layouts, and templates.
8. PhotoScape X (Simple Free Image Editor & GIF Creator)
PhotoScape X is another free image editing tool that makes it easy for you to adjust and enhance your photos.
The software comes with a number of filters and photo effects to create artistic looks with your photography. There are also hundreds of frames and patterns to create graphics, and a collage and cut out tool.
You can edit your RAW images with this app, and it also includes a handy GIF creator.
Price: Free
9. Movavi Picverse (Best for Photo Restoration)
Movavi Picverse Photo Editor is an easy-to-use image editing app. It’s designed to meet the needs of beginners and professional photographers alike.
Its AI-powered tools make it quick and easy to enhance your photos, remove or replace image backgrounds, remove objects from images, and restore scratches, stains, and noise from scans of old photos.
You can apply one of hundreds of filters to change the look and effect of your photos instantly.
There’s also a suite of advanced photo retouching tools for improving portraits including removing blemishes, applying makeup, and enhancing smiles.
Pricing: $59.95
What is the Best Photo Editing App for Mac?
So, how to decide on the best photo editing software for you? You must first consider how much you’re willing to pay for it.
The free Photos tool that comes pre-installed on your Mac will do just fine for basic edits, or you can use a free app like PhotoScapeX or Fotor for more filters and options.
When you want to get into serious photo manipulations, you’ll need a tool that has a more advanced suite of editing tools.
If you have a spare $10 a month, check out the Photoshop/Lightroom combo. There’s no doubt this will help your images look amazing. If you’re making money from your photography, it’s worth the investment.
For those on a more modest budget, try Affinity Photo or Pixelmator Pro. They’re both impressively powerful for a very low one-off cost.
Artificial intelligence technology has made it possible to instantly improve your photos in a single click. You can also achieve tasks such as removing unwanted objects or people from your photos in a fraction of the time it would take you to do manually. If you want an AI-powered image editing app, take a look at Luminar or Movavi Picverse.
Do you take a lot of photos on your phone and post them directly to social media? Or prefer working on the go from your iPad? If so, it makes sense to choose an app that has cross-platform support. Photoshop, Affinity Photos, and Pixelmator all include cloud syncing tools. This means you can access your images and edit on mobile devices.
You might also want to take a look at our list of web-based photo editing tools. You can use these services to make quick edits on most devices.
How to make a collage of photos
If you are looking for an application to create collages from your digital photos or you simply want to replace your old collage maker for Mac, then you are free to try any of the tools found on this list. These apps support a variety of image formats, so you will surely find the best photo collage app for your Mac. Collage Maker For Mac free download - Picture Collage Maker, Picture Collage Maker Pro, Photo Collage Maker, and many more programs. Collage Maker For Mac free download - Picture Collage Maker, Picture Collage Maker Pro, Photo Collage Maker, and many more programs.
Get Inspired with Templates
Templates help you set a theme for your photo collage with minimal effort on your part. With Adobe Spark Post, you can browse through templates of all different shapes, styles, and formats. On your desktop, you can get started by clicking the links provided in this article. Or, get creative and build your own template from scratch.
Feature Your Favorite Photos
Upload photos to your collage from almost any library. With Spark Post, you can upload from your personal library, social platforms, Dropbox, Google Drive, or your Adobe Creative Cloud library. Place, rearrange, and crop your photos as desired to get the collage just right. If you need additional photos to fill a void, you can browse Adobe’s stock photo library for gorgeous images that will enhance your spread.
Standout with Colors, Graphics, and Text
This is the part where you let your creativity shine. Play with color-blocking by using colors in certain frames instead of all photos. Drop in text to fill frames, add captions, or create a header across the entire collage. On your Spark Post app, you can even sprinkle in icons and stickers for something especially eye-catching to share on your social channels.
Save and Share Your Photo Collage
Adobe Spark saves all your designs for you in your Adobe Spark Projects folder so you can pause at any point and return back to your collage when you’re ready. Download the finished collage from your workspace. From there, you can print out your collage into postcards, flyers, invitations, whatever suits you. You can also share your collage online with friends, family, or the whole world.
Reading Time: 8 minutes read
Don’t keep your digital photos hidden in your phone or PC. Memories should be celebrated and shared. That’s why photo collage apps have become so popular in recent years. A photo collage is a technique of combining multiple photos, images or items of sentimental significance to create a beautiful, customized visual representation of a special event or occasion.
Fortunately, smart technology has taken the art of making a photo collage to a new level. Gone are the days of scissors, glue and bulky albums. Now you can put together an amazing work of art using a digital photo collage app.
Share your best holiday photos with a themed collage, or make granny feel extra special on her birthday with a bespoke family legacy album.
The 7 best photo collage apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Making a photo collage is so much fun. It’s also a great way to personalize a gift or commemorate a special event. There are quite a few photo collage apps on the market so when it comes to choosing an app it’s important to consider your device suitability and what sort of features you’d really like to use. With this in mind, we’ve put together a selection of the best photo collage apps for iPhone, iPad or Mac.
PhotoGrid
Price: Free
Device: iPhone and iPad
Macbook Wallpaper Collage Maker
Features: PhotoGrid is one of the best photo editor apps on the Google Play Store. The app gives you a lot of different editing options, which you can apply to both your photos and videos. One of their unique features is the WowCam, created specifically for selfies. Unfortunately, PhotoGrid does not support Raw images. It also doesn’t have cloud storage to save your edits online.
Diptic
Price: $2.99
Device: iPhone and iPad
Features: This photo collage app offers the user more than 190 creative design layouts and you can upload up to 9 files for each layout. Its popularity lies in the app’s ability to allow one to customize their work. Change colors, sizes and aspect ratios. In addition to choosing photos from your iPhone, you can also select photos from your social media accounts, like Facebook or Flickr. Unfortunately, the Diptic app provides users with only basic instructions, so you will have to learn as you go.
PicCollage
Price: $0.99
Device: iPhone and iPad
Features: PicCollage helps you create beautiful collages from the photos stored on your phone and from images you source from the web. It’s an excellent choice for those who are new to creating collages. There are a number of different layouts and templates to choose from and you can even save your creations directly in your phone, share it with friends and on your social media networks. On the downside, premium content like frames and stickers, have to be purchased.
Collagelt
Price: Free
Device: Mac
Features: Collageltis suitable for Mac. The app offers a selection of preset templates so youdon’t have to spend too much time creating and arranging pictures from scratch.It’s the right choice if you want to create a collage quickly. The design makesit easy to apply edits and filters and you can share your creation on socialmedia. It’s quite a basic collage photo app so you might want to upgrade tosomething more sophisticated when you get bored with the limited functionality.
Motif Photos
Price: Starting at$0.99
Device: iPhone and Mac
Features: Motif is one of the few photo printing apps that is suitable for both an iPhone and Mac. Motif is the app extension for Photos, so it allows you the opportunity to create, organize and edit personal photo books. This premium app system provides you with all the creative tools you need to create a remarkable piece of art.
Canva
Price: Free
Device: iPhone and iPad
Features: Canva is a good choice for those who aren’t very good at graphic design. This is because there are tools and features that make it easy to apply your photos into ready-made custom layouts. The result: Canva will make your look like a design superstar! Unfortunately, the designs are a bit repetitive. It must also be noted that some users found the mobile app version for this tool difficult to use.
PicStitch
Price: Free
Device: iPhone and iPad
Features: PicStitch offers all the standard features of most collage apps but it also allows the user to insert video clips into layouts. The app functions as a simple photo editor, which allows you to put your photos into elegant frames. Just be advised that the app comes with a lot of ads, which can be quite distracting and you’ll have to upgrade at a cost if you want access to premium content.
How to make a photo collage
Making a photo collage is a relatively straightforward procedure. A lot of people ask how to make a photo collage on an iPhone or a Mac. We suggest that you learn the basics and follow the app’s instruction guide. You will soon get the hang of it.
1. Open you photos
Best Photo Collage Software For Mac
When you’re in the photo collage app you will need to open your photos and choose the images you wish to use. You should be able to open pictures from your PC, phone device, social media networks or photo backup system – it all depends on the app you’re using.
Best Photo Collage Maker For Mac
2. Select a layout
Once you’ve selected your photos, you will need to choose a layout. The collage app will provide you with a number of different layouts and themes. Select something that appeals to you and you can build out the creation from this starting point.
3. Customize! Customize! Customize!
Now you’re ready to personalize your photo collage. It’s really a matter of playing around with the app’s functionalities. You should be able to edit your photos, resize, add special effects and apply filters. Once you’re done with the creation, you can save your work and share it with the world.
5 tips for making a photo collage
When you learn how to make a photo collage it can become quite addictive. Soon, you will delight your friends and family with your enviable skills. We came up with five top tips to help you get started.
Best Photo Collage Free Download
1. Borders & frames
Free Photo Collage App Iphone
Use a border to help break up different parts of a design or to frame a specific item or message. Make sure your border colors complement your photos. Look for common colors in the images and then blend with a suitable border. You can even use unconventional border shapes, like a heart or triangle, for added effect.
Best Photo Collage Maker For Macbook Pro
2. Sizing
You don’t have to work with photos that are all the same size. Use of a mix of sizes and layouts (portrait and landscape). Make it interesting by selecting a primary photo as the focus and then add in some supporting photos.
3. Themes
Don’t jumble a whole bunch of your photos together. Photo collages work best when planned with a particular theme. Once you’ve decided on your topic or theme you can choose an appropriate template in the app that will support this idea.
4. Filters
Use the app’s filter tool to create uniformity in your photos. For instance, if you have a sequence of photos taken in different lighting, it can create a harsh contrast. Blend your colors with the filter and create a tone that suits your design.
Best Photo Collage App For Windows 10
5. Color scheme
Color is a powerful design tool. Different colors can help create certain emotions, like passionate red or calming blue. Make sure your color choices reflect your theme or message. Avoid using contrasting colors that will contradict your design aesthetic.
Download the Motif app
Free Photo Collage App For Iphone
With the MotifPhoto Book App you won’t ever have to sort through bulky photo albums again.Motifs’ advanced technology will make your memories last forever. Download the Motif app to create bespoke digital photo books, calendars and cards that you can share withyour family and friends. The premier app is available for both MacOS and iOS.