Best photo editing software? 6 Photoshop alternatives tested and rated

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

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How we tested this photo editing software

All of the photo editing software featured here were tested on a dual-core computer with 8Gb RAM in order to achieve a level playing field for speed and performance comparisons.

Lightroom 4, Aperture 3.4.3 and DxO Optics Pro were run under Mac OS X 10.8, while Elements 11, PaintShop Pro X5 and PhotoPlus X6 were tested with Windows 7.

The applications were evaluated using a range of criteria:

Range of tools compared to Photoshop
Additional options that are missing or less advanced in Photoshop
Ease of use and interface design
Range of effects and quality of results
Suitability for users of different levels

The brief was principally to find which program(s) are genuine alternatives to Photoshop, but also to highlight new advances or ideas in image-editing that Photoshop users may not have considered.

We use reviewers with long-standing experience in their respective fields, both with the products being tested and their previous versions. Our reviews also allow for the latest trends and developments in the marketplace.

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