With the rise of visually centered social media platforms like Instagram, photo editing has become more critical than ever for those looking to impact the platform.

We now have the power to inspire, connect, and influence people worldwide through visuals.

But with so much content on Instagram, how can you ensure that your photos stand out and make an impact? 

The answer lies in photo editing. By enhancing your images with colors, filters, and effects, you can turn a simple capture into an actual work of art that can capture your followers’ attention on the platform.

This blog post has compiled a carefully curated list of Instagram’s 20 best free photo editing apps.

Whether a novice or a professional photographer, these apps can help you bring your vision to life.

So, whether you’re looking to express your creativity, showcase your brand, or more, these free photo editing apps will help make a lasting impression on your Instagram followers and help you stand out.

Now, let’s dive in and explore the world of free photo editing for Instagram together.

20 Best Free Photo Editing Apps To Level Up Your Pictures

1. TouchRetouch

Availability: Android & IOS

As a content creator who’s always up for finding new ways to improve my photography, I leave no stone unturned as I constantly hunt for tools that could help me achieve this vision, and that’s how I stumbled upon TouchRetouch.

After testing the app, it does exceed my expectations, and here’s why.

Touch retouch is an excellent tool for removing unwanted objects and blemishes from photos. 

What sets it apart from its kind is its advanced AI that, instead of getting the spaces patched up, intelligently fills in the gap with pixels that match the surrounding area.

That creates a natural-looking edit that seamlessly blends into your photo, making it ideal for erasing logos, watermarks, stickers, texts, and blemishes. 

2. Canva

Availability: Android, IOS & Web

Canva is an all-in-one graphics design platform that has revolutionized how creatives approach design.

It provides a range of customizable design elements, from marketing materials to social media posts.

On a personal note, Canva has become an indispensable tool for my Instagram content and other creative processes.

Its library of templates and intelligent mockups are some of its standout features for creating stunning visuals for your Instagram and other social media posts.

3. Snapseed

Availability: Android & IOS

If you’re an active type of person who needs more time to spend on complicated photo editing software for your Instagram needs, Snapseed can be a perfect selection for you.

With a clean and intuitive interface and easy-to-use tools, you can do advanced image editing quickly.

Its selective editing feature makes it easy for you to adjust areas of your photos to brighten up faces, remove distracting objects from the background, and more.

It also comes with a wide range of advanced features like HDR escape, glamour glow, facial pose adjustment and enhancement, lens blur, and more, there’s just no limit to what you can create with Snapseed, and it is entirely free to use.

4. Pixtica: Camera and Editor

Availability: Android

Another renowned app that will complement your Instagram photo editing needs is Pixtica, currently available to android users.

What I love about this app is its comprehensive set of manual controls that lets you utilize your camera tools to their fullest potential, among several other features such as a meme editor, photo booth, and focus adjustment. 

Another feature that makes the Pixtica camera editing standout for Instagram usage is its extensive selection of filters and effects, giving it an outstanding versatility that makes it ideal for users of all levels.

5. Phonto

Availability: Android & IOS

Another worthy app for our list of the 20 best free photo editing apps for Instagram is Phonto, an app that many Instagrammers can’t ignore when adding occasional fonts to images.

At the heart of Phonto is its vast font library. It comes with various fonts, from classic to modern, allowing users to add text to their photos in the desired style.

The app also allows you to import external fonts, which adds more creativity to your designs.

This app goes above and beyond in allowing users to adjust texts, tweak transparency, and change colors, backgrounds, and outlines, among many other things.

In short, Phonto had its role in helping users embed texts most creatively within their images, an app that could reshape how you deliver images to your Instagram followers.

6. Lumii Photo Editor

Availability: Android

This app is for those who understand that the magic of a great photo lies in the editing process. 

Among the 20 best free photo editing apps for Instagram, what best describes the function of this app is an ultimate photo companion.

One of Lumii’s power points lies in its powerful AI background remover that does its job with utmost precision for the effortless removal of unwanted background objects and the creation of captivating compositions.

The app also has advanced tools that complement professional image editing for your daily Instagram needs.

So, when it comes to unleashing your inner artist to create one-of-a-kind content for your Instagram, Lumii is a great app to start with.

7. Visage Face Retouch

Availability: Android & IOS

When you pass your image through Visage, you’re not just playing around; you’re creating a work of art thanks to its stunning filters and advanced algorithm.

But what’s even more impressive is how Visage Face Retouch can transform your look, picturing you in a new light as more beautiful, unique, and full of potential.

With its automatic face retouching, skin makeup tools, dozens of artistic effects, and so many other features built-in within the app, Visage has allowed many people to reconnect with their creativity and make the most of their appearances for their audience on Instagram.

8. Adobe Photoshop Camera Photo Filters

Availability: Android & IOS

Suppose your standards are incredibly high regarding your Instagram photo editing needs. In that case, you’ll demand nothing less than perfection for your images, and that’s where the Adobe Camera App will come to the rescue.

The app has impressive filters and other editing tools that could transform how you approach mobile photo editing for your Instagram audience.

Adobe Photoshop Camera Photo Filters also include an AI in its plethora of tools which improves the way you take photo shots and can also analyze your already taken photos to recommend a good-going filter.

It also integrates with other Adobe products, such as lightroom, to enable a seamless workflow, making it a more viable match for Instagram users with high-standard editing requirements.

9. Foodie – Camera for Life

Availability: Android & IOS

If you love exploring new restaurants and trying out unique dishes, chances are that you’ll want to capture the essence of the meals you enjoy and share them with your Instagram followers, and that’s when this app comes in handy.

The Foodie camera for life app is a perfect tool to help document your culinary journey.

It makes it easy to snap photos of your meals and apply one of its 30+ food-specific live filters to make your food look appetizing.

It also comes packed with additional tools that aid in a perfect mood and atmosphere for the perfect food scenery. 

With its intelligent guide feature that complements the sleek design and user-friendliness of the app, you don’t need to be a pro before you can get it right using this app.

10. Google Photos

Availability: Android & IOS

Imagine a scenario when you’re feeling frustrated while scrolling through your camera roll, desperately searching for that perfect shot you captured during your vacation last year to update your Instagram with. 

Unfortunately, it’s buried deep beneath many underexposed and blurry photos.

But Google photos has got you covered, offering endless creative possibilities that will help you bid farewell to the days of disorganized photo libraries.

Google photos also have embedded image editing tools that can sustain your Instagram editing needs with filters, color correction, cropping, straightening of your images, and more.

With your Google account allotted 15GB of free storage, you can back up as many photos as you wish for later use.

11. Camera 360

Availability: Android & IOS

Another renowned app In our list of the 20 best free photo editing apps for Instagram is. Camera 360 is an app that lets you capture beautiful moments of your world.

One of its most impressive features is its facial retouching tools that give you the perfect facial shape and remove spots through AI and other manual tools.

It also has over 300 filters, a dozen color settings, and other adjustment features ideal for giving your Instagram photos a flawless and professional look.

12. Photoroom Studio

Availability: Android & IOS

You can monetize your Instagram audience in many ways, and one of the most effective ways is to sell your products. 

However, taking professional-looking photos of your products can be daunting, especially if you need the right editing tools.

Photoroom Studio makes this process easier for you as you can take high-quality pictures of products with just your mobile phone.

The app has an AI-Powered background remover that removes or replaces the product backgrounds with our preferred solid color or any other background.

Other editing tools also aid in a more professional view of your images.

While I found an ideal use for Photoroom studio as a perfect option for editing product images, especially for small Instagram businesses, its usage is more extensive than these highlights.

13. PicsArt AI Photo Editor, Video

Availability: Android & IOS

PicsArt is an app I cannot recommend enough and one of Instagram’s top 20 best free photo editing apps.

The app offers a vast range of editing features, such as drawing tools, image collages, and AI tools that create your photos for absolute uniqueness and appeal.

One thing that sets PicsArt apart from its competitors is its intuitive interface. 

When you open the app, you’ll be impressed by its stunning visuals and easy-to-use navigation.

Its features also complement both beginner and advanced-level usage, making it easier for beginners to make professional-looking images.

14. PhotoDirector

Availability: Android & IOS

The thing about good and innovative apps is that once you come across them, you’ll know they’re the one, and that’s precisely the case with PhotoDirector.

Its admirable features extend from its AI-powered editing tools that let the app analyze your image inputs and suggest customized edits, and also help animate your images to its creative editing tools and a library of attachments that lead you to more possibilities when it comes to feeding your Instagram followers with the right content.

Moreover, the app’s intelligent organization features make importing specific photos from your camera roll and exporting seamless, increasing efficiency, especially when dealing with large workflows.

15. VSCO

Availability: Android & IOS

There’s a world of creativity waiting to be explored with VSCO. 

The app has reshaped how many Instagram influencers and businesses edit and share their photos with their communities.

The app has over 200 presets and effects on its free version, among many other features that would help showcase your taste for good images.

Beyond the editing tools you can play around with, VSCO spaces is a community within the app that lets you connect with other creatives, learn and share your experiences while using the app and achieve a lot more.

16. PicMonkey

Availability: Android & IOS

Another ultimate tool in our range of the 20 best free editing apps for Instagram is PicMonkey, a medium-sized yet powerful app at your disposal. 

Aside from the regular features found in almost all image editors, PicMonkey comes with other advanced tools, ranging from color correction, sharpening, and cloning, allowing you to enhance and transform your photos.

It is another app that creates no boundary between experiences; it is an excellent choice for both beginners and professionals in editing.

17. Adobe Express Graphic Design

Availability: Android, IOS & Desktop

Imagine unleashing your proud image editing skills to record the perfect moment for your Instagram followers, but no matter how you try to admire the shots, they still need to include some things. 

The colors need to be more vibrant, the details need to be sharper, or the mood needs to be corrected.

If these seem like something you constantly battle with, why not use apps like Adobe Express to make it to your taste?

With Adobe Express, you can adjust the exposure, contrast, and saturation, add filters and effects, or even work with different styles of image texts and more.

Using Adobe Express, you can use millions of professional templates to start something great and explore new ideas for your next post.

18. YouCam

Availability: Android & IOS

Another Instagrammer’s favorite, YouCam, lets you experiment with different makeup and beauty looks. 

With just a few taps and swipes, you can try on various lipstick shades, eye shadow palettes, and more within this simple yet powerful app.

Its detective AI feature lets you apply makeup to your digital image in real-time, allowing you to virtually try out products of different brands.

It is a lifesaver for makeup artists and other Instagram influencers to improve their appearances before hitting the publish button.

19. Mextures

Availability: IOS

If you want to create photos that evoke emotions and tell stories to your followers on Instagram, Mextures is a must-have, as it lets you take this game to the next level.

Mextures offers an extensive library of filters, textures, and overlays that allow you to elevate the mood and styles your images portray.

It doesn’t just end there, as the app also allows you to create customized elements that’ll help widen your possibilities.

So, if you want to advance with filters on your Instagram, this app is one of your best options for using an iPhone.

20. Photo Editor by BeFunky

Availability: Android & IOS

Beyond a regular image editor, BeFunky is an artistic companion that helps you explore and express your creative side with your followers, making it a suitable candidate as one of the 20 best free photo editing apps for Instagram in the market.

Using BeFunky, you can experiment with various effects, textures, and filters to create unique and eye-catching images. 

Its selective color and curve adjustments provide extensive liberty in adding special touches to your images, turning them into masterpieces.

The app also hosts a range of graphic designing tools to aid in your creative exploration so that you can offer only the best content to your growing audience.

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re an aspiring influencer, a brand, or someone who wants to make your Instagram feed stand out, our list of the top 20 free photo editing apps for Instagram is the perfect place to start. 

These apps offer a wide range of features that allow you to edit your photos to perfection and create a feed that captures your audience’s attention. 

The best part is that they are free, and since most offer paid sophisticated alternatives, trying them out as a free user can help you decide if any of them are worth paying for. 

So, try them out, and let your imagination run wild!

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