Photoshop is the world’s most popular photo editing tool that can be used for photo manipulation, photo transformation, photo enhancement, etc. Studies from 2020 show that around 71% of people edit their photographs before using them anywhere. In this article, we aim to help you find some great Photoshop alternatives that are built and operated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

Best AI Photo Editors for 2021

1. Photolemur 3

2. Corel Paintshop Pro

3. Topaz Labs

4. Luminar 4

5. Sharpen AI

6. PhotoDiva

7. Aurora HDR

 

1. Photolemur 3

This AI based photo editing software is user-friendly with many AI features installed. It supports a variety of formats as well, which is why it is such a popular alternative to Photoshop. Photolemur 3 costs about $35 to $55 for a yearly subscription depending on the number of devices connected.

Pros—

• Fast

• Less manual effort needed

• Photo temperature is set automatically

• Instant fix for skin imperfections

Cons—

• Automatic editing is sometimes incorrect
• It was reported to glitch by many users
• It is expensive
• The automatic adjustments can be unwanted to users

 

2. Topaz Labs

Topaz Labs offer multiple individual software to complete a variety of photo editing tasks. It works for both Windows and Mac and is best for sharpening images, noise cancellation, masking, etc. It offers a free 30day trial and works as a good alternative to Photoshop.

Pros—

• Extensive features available
• Great for converting JPEG to RAW files
• Even has a video editing software
• Increases dynamic range

Cons—

• Purchasing individual software can get expensive

• One can easily over edit with so many adjustment features

• The filters are outdated

• One might get confused with which plugin to purchase

 

3. Luminar 4

Luminar 4 is designed to make photo editing a simpler task and it contains many AI tools — meaning that it is a very good alternative to Photoshop and even better than Lightroom in comparison. Also, known as Skylum Luminar 4, this software costs $69.99 and has many beneficial features.

Pros—

• AI sky replacement tool is available
• The portrait editing feature is provided
• Can sync AI edits across other photos
• Fast and user-friendly

Cons—

• Expensive
• Reduces processing power
• No mobile version
• No features such as face thinning are available

 

4. Sharpen AI

The Sharpen AI software is a popular alternative to Photoshop that has mastered its photo sharpening features. It works well in restoring image details and can work as both a standalone software or a plugin for Lightroom, Ps, or Topaz studio software.

Pros—

• One-click edits
• Fast
• Better image detailing
• Easy to use

Cons—

• Expensive

• Doesn’t offer an adjustment brush tool

• May change unnecessary things

• Needs some learning to make good edits

 

5. PhotoDiva

PhotoDiva specializes in creating professional portrait photo edits that make your photo Instagram ready in just a matter of minutes. One can even say that they provide digital plastic surgery due to its high-quality photo enhancement features. It costs under $30 but you can also use a free version.

 

Pros—

• Has more than 100 different filters

• Fast and automatic retouching

• Comes with realistic digital makeup tools

• Supports background blurring

Cons—

• No Mac version

• No mobile version is available yet

• One can go wrong with the automatic features

• The free version doesn’t support RAW files

 

6. Aurora HDR

The Aurora HDR software mainly focuses on HDR image editing and is free of cost. Features such as LUT mapping, color toning, dodge and burn work well to edit images. Thus it’s a very good alternative to Photoshop for photo editing.

 

Pros—

• Plugins are supported

• Creates a near-to-perfect color toning effect for pictures

• Allows non-destructive editing

• The edits look realistic

Cons—

• Slow image loading speed

• Lens correction profiles are not available

• Localized retouching is limited to a few times only

• The plugins are not cost-efficient

 

7. Corel Paintshop Pro

Corel Paintshop Pro is a great AI photo editor for Windows based users. It is best for applying a variety of art styles to photos and cleaning up noise.  It has AI and machine learning technology that allows it to contain some very useful editing tools and features. This software costs about $59.99.

Pros—

• Comes with an easy face detection feature

• Beginner-friendly

• Supports more than 40 file formats

• Fast image loading

Cons—

• Doesn’t have a MacOs version

• Some features work with slow speed

• The user interface is inconsistent

• Lesser number of advanced tools

 

Artificial Intelligence has taken the IT industry to such a level that many people couldn’t even imagine just a few years back. In the photography and photo editing industry, we have also seen some tremendous impacts. No doubt, these AI powered photo editing tools will help designers, especially beginners to make the basic and somewhere advanced image editing and retouching activities done at less effort and cost as well. But in many cases, you may need the assistance of human beings to furnish the complex projects.