Are you struggling to decide between the different Instagram photo editing apps?
Chances are, you’re experiencing a paradox of choice.
It happens when you have too many options to choose from. Instead of increasing your freedom, the stress of making a decision leaves you unsure of what to do.
Sound familiar?
To help you out, here’s a list of the best photo editing apps for Instagram – no matter your skill level.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, on a budget or looking to splurge, these Instagram photo editing apps will help you edit photos and curate the Instagram feed of your dreams.
The Best Instagram Photo Editing Apps
Level up your Instagram game with these tools, platforms and editing apps. Use the unique features and photo effects to create a visually appealing grid and a memorable editing style.
1. Adobe Lightroom Mobile
Adobe Lightroom Mobile is the O.G. of Instagram editing apps.
It has absolutely everything you need to take your photos from “meh” to “wow”.
…And the best part?
You can access its basic yet powerful editing features for free on Android or iOs.
Here’s what you can expect from the Lightroom Mobile app:
• Upload or create and save custom presets.
• Use tone curves to adjust the colour, brightness and contrast of images.
• Bulk edit your photos and create a consistent editing style.
• Edit specific sections of a photo with custom settings.
• Resize photos for Instagram Stories, Reels covers, or in-feed posts.
• Download to your phone or share your photos straight to Instagram.
P.S. If you prefer editing your Instagram photos on a desktop, you’ll need to pay for the monthly Lightroom subscription.
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2. Snapseed
Is Snapseed worth the hype? Absolutely.
It’s one of the top editing apps for Instagram, with a range of tools and professional-grade presets.
And the best part?
There’s a $0 commitment.
You immediately gain access to an advanced Instagram photo editor without a one-time purchase or monthly subscription.
With a user-friendly interface, the advanced tools give you complete control over the final look of your images. Whether you’re looking to enhance the lighting, edit out a photo bomber or add a unique filter like a lens blur, Snapseed has everything you need to create stunning Instagram posts.
No prior editing experience required!
3. VSCO
VSCO is one of the best Instagram photo editors.
And that’s a fact.
It has a bit of a cult following:
• 3.5 million followers
• 200 million #VSCO posts
• 280+ million monthly active users
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Unlike other editing apps, it’s two-for-one. You get basic editing tools and a minimalist social media platform with no follower counts, comments, or ads.
For beginners, VSCO is an easy-to-use photo editing app. It has 20 free photo preset filters and standard editing tools like saturation, contrast, shadows, and brightness.
When you’re done with your edits, you can share your creation inside the app, save it to your camera roll and post it to Instagram.
If you want more control over your edits, sign up for the paid version of VSCO. It has over 200 presets, advanced editing tools, and photography resources.
4. Facetune
What sets Facetune apart from other photo editing apps is it’s more for portraits than scenic landscape photos.
With a few swipes of your finger, you can:
• Smooth your skin texture
• Whiten your teeth
• Remove objects from a picture
• Change the colour of your hair or eyes
• Enhance your facial features
• Choose an angle from which the light falls
• Use the ring light function
…And so much more!
P.S. Facetune goes beyond basic photo editing tools. It also lets you modify your videos, helping you to step up your Instagram game no matter the format.
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5. Darkroom
Never heard of Darkroom? It won the 2020 Apple Design Award for its innovation and is one of the newer Instagram photo editors.
What makes Darkroom unique compared to the other apps?
Darkroom makes editing simple for Instagram users and supercharges its platform with powerful A.I. algorithms. Generate a 3D map of your photo and edit the primary subject, foreground, background or anything else in between.
The app helps you keep tabs on your photo library. Import your images, favourite what you love, and reject the rest from your camera roll from the app.
After editing with the pro-grade tools, export your finished photos and post them to social media. You can even share your custom presets with anybody anywhere.
While it’s not a free tool, you gain access to advanced features that you usually only see in premium editing tools at much higher price points.
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6. Capture One
Capture One is a powerful photo editing app for professional photographers.
There isn’t an Android or iOS app, but iPad and desktop versions have everything you need to create incredible photos for your Instagram feed.
You’ll find tailored profiles for nearly 600 camera models and lenses, helping you keep image quality high and nail true-to-life colours.
If you have the iPad app, you can take your workflow anywhere, quickly transfer edited images to your desktop, and pick up where you left off to make more refined adjustments.
But the thing that sets CaptureOne apart? Its pricing model.
You can buy the software for a once-off fee, which is cheaper in the long run compared to other professional photo editing apps.
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Which Instagram Photo Editor Should You Use?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all Instagram photo editing app.
Most apps have the same basic features like batch editing, customizable templates, and more advanced tools on their premium plans.
To find the best photo editor, download a few and try them out.
Once you’ve found an app that suits your skill level and budget, lock in your choice and start Plann’ing your Instagram content calendar.
Plann’s all-in-one social media suite gives you everything you need to grow your brand, one post at a time. Harness a drag-and-drop visual planner, leverage thousands of high-performing hashtags, unlock done-for-you caption starters and so much more.
Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Plann Pro and create a content calendar that’ll help you achieve your Instagram goals.
