Every day we come across billions of perfect photos all over the internet and social media. That might raise the question “Can I do it?”. Well, with the right accouterments and willingness, is something more than feasible. If we suppose you have the second, let’s have a look at the first. 

A lot could say that if you desire a professional and outstanding photo you ought to have the proper equipment, meaning a three-thousand dollar camera, other accessories that worth a considerable amount of money and, of course, the most expensive and premier photo processing app.

However, not each and every one of us has that option. So here we are, after extended research, to present the best free photo editing apps that only require your smartphone. Obviously, the fact that these apps are free has nothing to do with their quality. On the contrary, you will see that every single one keeps up with your high expectations.  

So let’s get started…

Adobe Lightroom CC 

Adobe Lightroom is an photo editing app that has the whole package. It offers an enormous amount of simple editing tools for beginners,, and  more complicated tools such as curves, color mix, and grading for more advanced users.

It also gives you the opportunity to crop, rotate, and straighten your photos in order for your photo to be exactly as you wish. 

Last but not least Adobe Lightroom has an extensive filters package that provides you the chance to completely change your photo with just one click.   

 To sum up, Adobe Lightroom offers the following:

• A powerful collection of editing tools 
• One-click filters 
• A friendly environment
• It can be utilized by both beginners and pros users
• It’s available on both iOS and Android
• It’s free unless you want more features that come along with a subscription fee.

Snapseed

Snapseed is the most known photo editing app for beginners. It contains editing tools that are very effortless to use but at the same time maintain advanced ones such as curves and brushes.  

With Snapseed you can, of course, crop, rotate, straighten, correct the perspective and exposure. In addition, Snapseed equips you with a vast number of frames, filters, text, and healing tools that remove sectors from your photo. 

In conclusion, Snapseed:

• It’s suitable for both beginners and advanced users
• It’s accessible from iOS and Androids 
• Offer tractable editing tools
• Provides a pleasant environment  
• It’s absolutely free (no additional fees).  

VSCO

VSCO or visco photo editing app, it’s mostly known for its huge variety of filters. Not only that but you can adjust the intensity of the filters to befit your photo. 

Besides that VSCO allows you to crop,  and sharpen your photos or change their exposure and colors Thus, it contains editing tools as contrast, clarity, shadow and highlight tones, and saturation.

One thing that is special about VSCO is that you can immediately share your modified photos with the VSCO community and you can have an eye on others’ work. 

Closing, VSCO:

• It’s perfect if you desire to add a filter to your photo
• It’s downloadable from the App Store and Play Store
• Has a modern environment and comfort editing tools 
• Allows you to share your photos and compare them with others
• It’s free but with a subscription, you can have over 100 new filters.

Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop Express includes all the basic editing tools like contrast, highlights, and you can also crop, rotate, correct the perspective, and straighten your photo through it. 

This photo editing app it’s worth downloading for its outstanding and infinite effects, themes, frames, filters, and texts that give your photo a different perspective.

Gathering it all together, Adobe Photoshop Express:

• It’s ideal for bringing your photo into shape with only one move through its amazing filters
• It’s available for both iOS and Androids
• It has the basic package of editing tools
• As an app from Adobe family maintains a cozy, familiar, and peaceful environment 
• It’s free but you have the option of paying a subscription fee that provides you with extra filters and tools.  

Afterlight 

As with every other photo editing app, Afterlight comprises all the classic tools. Cropping, rotating, and straightening are only some of those.

You can “play” with your photo’s tones by changing the brightness, shadows, contrast, or exposure and saturation.

You may wonder why you should choose this one, as I haven’t presented anything unique till now. Well, if we exempt the fact that Afterlight contains an honorable number of filters, it has something that no other photo editing app does. You are able to color shift your photo. 

So, Afterlight:

• Offers all the basic editing tools
• Can be used by both beginners and pros
• Gives you the exceptional ability of color shifting
• Is pretty serviceable
• It’s available on both App Store and Play Store
• It’s free for downloading and using, differing Afterlight 2, with a subscription fee. 

Lens Distortions

Lens Distortions photo editing app isn’t the regular photo editing program. Certainly, you can work with some of the elementary tools like brightness, shadows, and sharpening. However, you won’t find tools like crop, rotate, or straighten.

When it comes to filters Lens Distortions is one of its kind. It gives you the chance to add weather effects, such as rain, snow, or fog, to your photo. Moreover, you can insert light from every angle you desire, which promises to make your photo look more vivid.

Summing up, Lens Distortions:

• Offers a set of editing tools but without photo adjustment apparatus
• It’s mostly designed for advanced users
• It’s downloadable for both iOS and Androids
• It’s distinctive for its effect pack 
• It’s free with a subscription fee for more features.

Our final recommendation 

We can’t deny that every single one of the photo editing apps above is extraordinary and it’s gonna be useful if you select it. Nevertheless, you need to find the right one for you.

In my opinion, the best one is Snapseed. This one has the privilege of being totally free, compared to all the others that you have to pay if you wish to use their whole package. It’s excellent for beginners, but advanced users will find anything that they require too. 

On the other hand, if I had to make a choice based on not only the editing tools but also on filters and effects then I would probably go with theAdobe Photoshop Express. It unites simplicity with a more professional environment that will please every discriminating taste.

Tip: You can download two of them and process your photo with a combination from both, for a better outcome. For example, use Snapseed for its editing tools and Lens Distortions for its weather effects to create a photo with a nostalgic touch.