Best photo editing software? 6 Photoshop alternatives tested and rated

jmeyer | Accessories | Reviews | 12/03/2013 01:00am

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The photo editing software we tested

1 Adobe Photoshop Elements 11, £79 
It looks like a cut-down version of Photoshop designed for novices and intermediate photographers, but Elements actually does a lot more than you might think

Read our Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 review

2 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, £104 
Offers a new approach to digital imaging that combines powerful cataloguing tools with non-destructive editing. Could it really replace Photoshop?

Read our Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 review

3 Apple Aperture 3.4.3, £55
 Apple’s professional image cataloguing and editing tool is a direct rival to Photoshop Lightroom, but at around half the price. If you own a Mac, you need to take a serious look

Read our Apple Aperture 3.4.3 review

4 Corel PaintShop Pro X5, Standard £60
Ultimate £80 You get image cataloguing, image editing and, in the Ultimate edition, a set of Nik special effects. And at the time of writing, PaintShop Pro is cheaper still as a download

Read our Corel PaintShop Pro X5 review

5 DxO Optics Pro 8, Standard £135, Elite £269 
French optical specialist DxO has made a science of lens corrections, and DxO Optics Pro 8 can transform your camera’s pictures in an instant

Read our DxO Optics Pro 8 review

6 Serif PhotoPlus X6, £71 
It looks like Photoshop, it boasts the same tools as Photoshop (mostly), so is PhotoPlus X6 a genuine giant-killer? Serif’s got its sights set on its Adobe rival

Read our Serif PhotoPlus X6 review

PAGE 1: Why you might want a Photoshop alternative
PAGE 2: The photo editing software we tested
PAGE 3: How we tested this photo editing software
PAGE 4: Best photo editing software – our top Photoshop alternative