Top 5 photo editing apps for iPhone in 2024

Smartphones have come a long way over the years when it comes to photography. Most phones have a triple camera setup comprising a primary sensor, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a macro or a telephoto unit. iPhones are widely known for their photography prowess. Some phones also come loaded with a manual or professional mode for those wanting to click stunning images. But is that enough?

Best photo editing apps for iPhone

At times, clicking a proper image is only 50 per cent of the job. After that, you also need to edit (or post-process) it for a polished output. There are a plethora of apps for fine-tuning the captured picture. The App Store is a treasure trove of countless free and paid editing apps that can give your photos a whole new look. 

To avoid getting confused about which one to download, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 editing apps for iPhone. Check it out if you are a photography enthusiast. 

1. Adobe Lightroom

2. Snapseed

3. Apple Photos

4. Afterlight

5. VSCO

1. Adobe Lightroom

When it comes to editing photos, Adobe is the first name that comes to everybody’s mind. Professional as well as hobbyist photographers will be familiar with the interface of Lightroom’s mobile app. Although the app offers free and paid plans, the former also packs a lot of powerful tools. 

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You can sort and organise images or even back up using Adobe’s cloud storage. It also supports the RAW image format. Editing features in the basic plan include one-tap presets, exposure, colour, contrast etc, and also the powerful curve tool. The premium subscription to Adobe Lightroom gives access to more advanced tools like selective adjustments, healing tool, and more.

2. Snapseed

This is another popular editing app, truly a great one developed by Google for both Android and iOS devices. The best part is that this app is completely free and it packs almost every useful editing tool. You get unlimited creative freedom with your images. There are selective adjustments, perspective correction, exposure, and sharpening settings. 

Snapseed also has various filters from modern to vintage styles and punchy HDR effects. The app also packs additional features like lens blur, portrait enhancement, double exposure, text, and frames.

3. Apple Photos

Apple Photos is baked right into every iPhone. It is basic and not the most powerful photo editor out there. However, it is easy to use, and yet comes with the ability to adjust exposure, brilliance, vibrancy, sharpness, noise reduction, and more. This app is ideal for those who want to make quick edits, especially on the go, instead of having to move over to another app. 

4. Afterlight

Afterlight packs a wide selection of preset filters and textures. There are also exposure, colour, and sharpening adjustments, along with advanced tools like curves, gradients, and more for fine-tuning the image.

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The app also offers dust and light leak overlays as well as double exposure tools. There are some premium features behind a paid subscription. Afterlight is ideal for those who want more creative freedom with their pictures.

5. VSCO

VSCO remains one of the most well-known photo editing apps around. It is favoured by photographers and Instagram users. There are one-tap presets with adjustable filter strength that often give classic film vibes. You also get the usual editing tools for controlling exposure, contrast, and more. VSCO has over 200 preset filters that can be accessed through a paid plan. Only 15 filters are a part of the free plan.

Almost every photo editor mentioned above is good for post-processing and enhancing your captured images. There’s a bit of a learning curve with advanced tools. Even the popular image-sharing platform Instagram, which is not mentioned in the list, has some useful editing tools and filters in its app, if you want to directly share your photos there.