PCMag has been testing image and video editing tools for more than 30 years—our first Adobe Photoshop review appeared in the print edition of PC Magazine, way back in 1993. Today, photo and image editing is a huge business, worth $1.15 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, the digital video editing software market is significantly larger, currently valued at $3.54 billion.
Today, we review every conceivable photo and video editing app that comes to market, and they’ve moved well beyond the desktop, especially as the creator economy continues to boom.
“As smartphone cameras continue to improve and account for a large portion of media creation, the use cases for traditional desktop-based apps narrow,” says PCMag managing editor for software reviews Ben Moore. “Mobile photo and video editing apps can increasingly handle intermediate edits and are arguably more convenient for sharing your work to your platform of choice.”
“Of course, dedicated desktop software still has its place, especially when it comes to resource-intensive processes and detailed edits in which a larger screen is beneficial,” Moore adds. “Meanwhile, online photo and video editing apps split the difference, providing a comfortable editing environment without the hassle of installing a local program.”
This year, for the first time in our Readers’ Choice survey, we asked you to share your preferred editing tools. Here’s who comes out on top.
The Top Desktop Photo Editing Software for 2025
Digital photo manipulation began on the desktop, and that’s where it truly excels, thanks to the extra horsepower of PCs. Adobe, the maker of Photoshop, is the most-used brand in our survey, and indeed owns 70% of the user base, but market share doesn’t always translate to being the favorite.
In fact, Adobe comes in fourth place for desktop photo and image editing software overall. The Reader’s Choice award goes to Topaz Labs, the maker of image-enhancement software Topaz Photo, which also happens to be an Editors’ Choice favorite. Our readers give it the highest overall satisfaction score (our top measure). Topaz also boasts high ratings for its customer service and generative AI features.
“A great product with constant improvements,” is how one reader describes Topaz Photo, adding that it is “a clear winner for post-processing of images for clarity, sharpness, and noise reduction. No wonder so many professionals and organizations use it.”
“Not only is Topaz Photo the top choice when it comes to removing noise from digital photos, but it now uses AI to correct lighting and color as well,” says PCMag principal writer Michael Muchmore, who has spent time testing the program. “If your main concern is getting crisp, well-balanced photographs, Topaz is hard to beat. And its corrections are automatic, so you don’t have to mess with adjustment sliders.”
Topaz has serious competition, though. ON1, maker of ON1 Photo Raw and numerous plug-ins that work with tools like Photoshop, is a close second, tying Topaz in terms of likelihood to recommend and outperforming Topaz and all other brands in terms of image import and export, photo correction, and built-in creative tools.
Likewise, third-place Affinity, which offers a direct Photoshop competitor that doesn’t require a subscription, is top-ranked for value, speed and stability, and drawing and text options. Adobe’s best score is for third-party support (i.e., help found on Reddit threads and YouTube videos).
High-end digital photo manipulation is notoriously expensive these days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it for free. We specifically ask PCMag readers if the software they use has a free version; the chart below narrows down the brands that are available at no cost. At the top of the list, narrowly beating out both Adobe and Apple, is one of the best-known open-source projects, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). It’s a top pick for value (earning a 9.4, the highest score on the chart), image import and export, creative tools, and likelihood to recommend.
“It’s remarkable how many Photoshop-style features you get for free with GIMP, which runs on Linux as well as macOS and Windows,” Muchmore says. “It’s an open-source dream for photographers of an independent bent. It supports a ton of plug-ins, and developers can tinker with its code to get it to do their bidding.”
GIMP isn’t the easiest option to use, however. “GIMP is like the Swiss Army knife of free photo editors: versatile, reliable, and surprisingly powerful once you learn its quirks,” one survey respondent says. “It’s not as polished as commercial tools, and the UI can feel clunky, but for batch edits, creative tweaks, or privacy-conscious workflows, it’s a solid choice. Plus, the community support is fantastic; Reddit and YouTube tutorials have saved me more than once.”
When it comes to paid options, Topaz, which doesn’t offer a free version, again comes out on top, followed by ON1 and Affinity.
Finally, we specifically ask respondents whether their desktop image editing software is for personal or professional use. A vast majority, 90%, say it’s the former. But among pro users, two behemoths compete: Adobe and Microsoft.
Adobe is the winner for pros. Microsoft posts great scores for value—after all, programs like Paint and Photos come with Windows—as well as for its user interface, speed and stability, and photo library management. But in the other categories, Adobe’s products score higher, particularly for image import and export, and photo correction. Adobe is also the most likely brand to be recommended for professionals.
Many readers note that they have never strayed from Adobe products. “I’ve used Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom since they were introduced,” one says, “and I’m more than happy with my decades of use.”
For more, read The Best Photo Editing Software We’ve Tested.
The Top Desktop Video Editing Software for 2025
Thanks to the bevy of great software available, anyone can use a desktop system to edit videos at near Hollywood-level quality. Blackmagic Design, the company behind the DaVinci Resolve products, earns top marks across the board in the desktop video editing software category; the only measure where Blackmagic Design doesn’t win is the user interface.
Its best scores are for value (the baseline DaVinci download is pro-level, yet free), speed and stability, video import and export, and likelihood to recommend.
“DaVinci Resolve punches way above its weight for a free editor,” says one survey taker. “The color-grading tools are unmatched, and it’s surprisingly stable even on complex timelines. The UI takes some getting used to, and media management could be smoother, but once you’re dialed in, it’s a serious contender. I use it for everything from social clips to cinematic edits. It’s earned its spot in my workflow.”
“Although I am now retired, I was a professional network producer with experience in several desktop video editing systems, including those from Adobe, Apple, and Lightworks,” says another respondent. “DaVinci Resolve is head and shoulders above the rest.”
When it comes to user interface, Cyberlink is the leader (it ranks second overall behind DaVinci Resolve). Cyberlink makes PowerDirector 365, which Muchmore considers the pinnacle of consumer video editing software, having given it 5-star reviews on multiple occasions.
“For the video enthusiast who wants every possible effect for their projects—whether that’s AI-powered background removal, speed changes including freeze-frame, color LUTs, or motion tracking—PowerDirector is there for you,” Muchmore says. “Subscribers even get a continuously replenished supply of stock content, templates, and new AI effects. But you don’t have to subscribe: You can still buy the software outright for a one-time price.”
When we focus on professional use of video editing software, the competition comes down to two brands. Adobe defeats Apple, whose software includes iMovie and high-end programs like Final Cut Pro.
Adobe Premiere Pro is our Editors’ Choice winner in the pro-level desktop space. “Premiere Pro is on the vanguard of AI tools like Generative Extend to lengthen clips to fit your timeline, auto color grading, and automatic captions with text-based editing,” Muchmore says. “It’s also become a standard for web video editors and even pros, since it integrates with other Adobe offerings that have become standards, such as After Effects and frame.io.”
For more, read The Best Video Editing Software We’ve Tested.
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The Top Web-Based Photo Editing Apps for 2025
Many online photo storage services, including Google Photos and Microsoft OneDrive, offer web-based photo editing capabilities. Meanwhile, Adobe offers an online-only version of Photoshop.
When it comes to web-based photo editing, the top brand with readers is Google, whose Google Photos boasts support for many of the company’s new AI image tools. Google gets high scores for value, photo correction (in a tie with PicsArt), and library management. It ties with Canva for the highest overall satisfaction, but Google takes the award thanks to the highest likelihood to recommend rating.
“Not only is Google the most powerful image organization tool, but its pure photo-editing chops and AI tools can match many found in installed apps,” says Muchmore, who gave Google Photos a 4.5-star rating. “Google Photos can wrangle a massive collection of images, letting you easily organize, find, and share the right shots.”
When we narrow things down to free online apps, Google comes in second place to Canva, which offers both paid and free options. Canva has the highest overall rating, plus it comes out on top for creative tools, and drawing and text options.
In our review of Canva, which notes its “excellent free version,” the app earns a 4.5-star rating and an Editors’ Choice award. As for our readers, one calls it incredibly easy to use and ideal for quick design and social media content, adding, “Its tools have evolved significantly, especially with the introduction of artificial intelligence.” Another calls it “one of the best web-based photo edit apps right now.”
For more, read The Best Online Photo Editing Software We’ve Tested.
The Top Web-Based Video Editing Apps for 2025
Online-only video editing tools are a little harder to find. For this survey, only two brands made the cut.
YouTube’s editor is part of YouTube Studio, the primary dashboard for YouTube channel owners. It goes head-to-head against Vimeo’s editor and creator (included with a paid Vimeo account). YouTube wins the Reader’s Choice award here, coming out on top in six categories. Meanwhile, Vimeo ties YouTube for its user interface and leads in video correction and creative tools.
“YouTube Studio is my command center,” says one respondent. “I use it weekly to manage uploads, track performance, and optimize content. The analytics are deep, the interface is clean, and it’s incredibly stable. While the editing tools are limited, the overall platform delivers serious value for creators who want reach and control. It’s not where I build my videos, but it’s where I make them work.”
Recommended by Our Editors
For more, read The Best Online Video Editors We’ve Tested.
The Top Mobile Photo Editing Apps for 2025
These days, the real multimedia action is happening in the palm of your hand. When it comes to mobile photo-editing apps, Adobe, Apple, and Google are the leading contenders.
The Readers’ Choice is Google. It owns the decade-plus-old Snapseed app, but in this arena is better known for Google Photos. The latter comes standard with any Android device and is available on iOS/iPadOS. As noted above, Google Photos gets a 4.5-star rating from Muchmore for excellent search abilities and terrific adjustment tools.
Google locks down its win thanks to its overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend scores. It also comes out on top in terms of value, speed and stability, and support from third parties. It ties with Adobe for generative AI features (Google Photos will soon be one of the top ways to access Google’s Nano Banana AI image generator).
Meanwhile, Apple, which offers the Apple Photos app on iOS, scores the best ratings for user interface, drawing and text options, and photo management. Last-place Adobe (which has app versions of Express, Photoshop, and Lightroom) scores above the others for customer support, photo correction, and creative tools.
Readers appreciate Google Photos’ quick edits and AI abilities. “I have been able to produce edited photos rather quickly using this app,” one reader says. “And I could remove unflattering features from the pics!”
When we reduce the scope to only free mobile photo editing apps, Google slips down the chart. The top free brand is Adobe, which wins in all but two subcategories. The win can possibly be attributed to Adobe offering a full version of the Photoshop app on Android for free during a beta trial. Adobe Express is free on Android and iOS, at least for basic features, though it places a watermark on images.
For more, read The Best Mobile Photo Editing Apps We’ve Tested.
The Top Mobile Video Editing Apps for 2025
Last, but certainly not least, are mobile video editing apps. If you’ve ever seen an influencer in the wild shooting a video and wondered how they can get content online so fast with what appears to be pro edits, it’s because of programs like these.
Adobe and Apple both appear here but trail the winner—ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok—by a large margin. ByteDance also publishes the video editing app CapCut, which is a primary way for TikTokers to shoot, edit, and post content to the platform. (Note: Last month, President Trump signed an executive order for the US to take over ownership of TikTok from ByteDance.)
CapCut is the absolute favorite in almost every subcategory. However, Adobe’s mobile video editing apps score higher in terms of generative AI features.
CapCut also has desktop and online versions, but it began on mobile, and that’s where it appears to have the largest audience. CapCut offers a standard plan for $5.99 per month, as well as a less robust free version. Below, you can see how the free option outpaces Apple’s mobile video editing options like iMovie and the recently discontinued Clips app.
“To keep up on TikTok, you need a way to do a lot of fast-paced editing right on your phone,” says PCMag senior software writer Jordan Minor, who has reviewed CapCut. “There are limitations, but CapCut’s convenience, combined with plenty of power suitable for most casual users, is hard to beat.”
“CapCut is my mobile editing MVP,” says one respondent. “It’s fast, intuitive, and surprisingly robust, especially for a free app. Whether I’m prototyping a concept or polishing a social clip, CapCut delivers. It’s not just a tool, it’s a creative enabler.”
For more, read The Best Mobile Video Editing Apps We’ve Tested.
The PCMag Readers’ Choice survey for Photo and Video Editing was in the field from June 23 to Sept. 22, 2025. For more information on how we conduct surveys, read our methodology.
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About Our Expert
Eric Griffith
Senior Editor, Features
Experience
I’ve been writing about computers, the internet, and technology professionally since 1992, more than half of that time with PCMag. I arrived at the end of the print era of PC Magazine as a senior writer. I served for a time as managing editor of business coverage before settling back into the features team for the last decade and a half. I write features on all tech topics, plus I handle several special projects, including the Readers’ Choice and Business Choice surveys and yearly coverage of the Best ISPs and Best Gaming ISPs, Best Products of the Year, and Best Brands (plus the Best Brands for Tech Support, Longevity, and Reliability).
I started in tech publishing right out of college, writing and editing stories about hardware and development tools. I migrated to software and hardware coverage for families, and I spent several years exclusively writing about the then-burgeoning technology called Wi-Fi. I was on the founding staff of several magazines, including Windows Sources, FamilyPC, and Access Internet Magazine. All of which are now defunct, and it’s not my fault. I have freelanced for publications as diverse as Sony Style, Playboy.com, and Flux. I got my degree at Ithaca College in, of all things, television/radio. But I minored in writing so I’d have a future.
In my long-lost free time, I wrote some novels, a couple of which are not just on my hard drive: BETA TEST (“an unusually lighthearted apocalyptic tale,” according to Publishers’ Weekly) and a YA book called KALI: THE GHOSTING OF SEPULCHER BAY. Go get them on Kindle.
I work from my home in Ithaca, NY, and did it long before pandemics made it cool.
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