If the AI image generators like Midjourney and DALL·E have been the ones making the biggest news stories over the past year, AI photo editors — apps that use AI to enhance or modify your photos — have been making steady progress behind the scenes.
And I’ll be honest, the AI photo editors are ten times more useful. You’re not necessarily looking for a digital painting of a Canadian guy on a moose in a maple grove. Instead, you want your own photos — be they selfies or product shots — to look their best. That is where AI photo editors come in handy.
Having over 10 years of professional photo shooting and editing, I have been following the impact and evolution of AI-powered editing tools closely. I’ve been testing and using these features as they’ve been released, and I can confidently say: AI is revolutionizing photo editing.
However, due to AI being so large in the headlines, some apps milk the publicity. I’ve seen overpriced apps that cost $40/month for basic tools, focusing on marketing over true functionality. Using AI, using quad-core hammers, you can have the best photo editing experience without overpaying.
So, following testing with my team, here are the best AI photo editors currently available.
What Does an AI Phone Editor Do?
AI-driven photo editing isn’t necessarily a new idea. Photoshop launched Content-Aware Fill in 2010 and, GPT Drive to 2020 Similar to the case with AI art generators, which are predicated on recent advancements, most of the AI editing tools are built on older technologies that have been well tuned.
So what, precisely, can AI photo editors accomplish? Below are some of the major features you’ll find in these tools:
- Enhance low-res or blurry images by upscaling and sharpening them
- Recognize the kind of photo (portrait, landscape, etc.) and recommend edits.
- You can remove backgrounds in a single click.
- Substitute skies, changing the lighting to suit the scene.
- Auto enhance the brightness, contrast and colours.
- Retouch portraits, smoothing skin smoothing skin and brightening eyes.
- Repair or color old black-and-white photographs.
- Subject auto-select for accurate manual edits.
Some make heavy use of AI — like Photoshop’s Generative Fill, which works similar to AI art generators. Others, such as auto-detecting image types, render simpler recognition algorithms. In any case, they’re all deploying AI techniques to build a more intelligent, intuitive editing experience.
What Makes a Good AI Photo Editor?
There are many apps that say they’ll use AI — but there’s a world of difference between an app that makes basic auto-adjustments and one that you will actually want because of smart suggestions and automation.
Here’s what I considered as I tested:
- Advanced AI tools: Generative AI, auto-subject detection, intelligent upscaling
- Full workflow capabilities: Everything from start to finish: not just a plugin or a generator.
- Ease of use: Strong features should come with low overhead.
- High-quality results: No over-filters, images, or poor selections
There are some promising AI tools, Modyfi, for example, but aren’t mature enough yet. Now, without further ado, let’s jump to the top five AI photo editors.
5 Best AI Photo Editors Glance
- Adobe Photoshop – Best for Fully-Featured Editing
- Canva — Best AI-Powered Design Tool
- Luminar Neo – The Best AI Photo Editing Software
- Pixlr – Best Easy Online AI Editing
- Lensa – The best mobile AI photo editor
Best AI Photo Editors For 2025
1. Adobe Photoshop – Best for Fully-Featured Editing
Adobe Photoshop was the standard bearer in image editing for more than 30 years, and remains state of the art with AI-powered tools.
Key AI Features:
- Remove Tool: Easily remove objects by filling in what was there with AI-generated background matching.
- Generative Fill: Insert or swap elements using Adobe’s Firefly AI.
- Neural Filters: Change facial expressions, transfer color styles, and so on.
- Automatic selection & Intelligent modifications: AI-driven object and scenery selection.
Pros:
- Top AI tools from the web.
- Be fully manual when you need to be.
Cons:
- Learning curve can be steep.
Pricing: Starting at $19.99/month (Photography Plan includes Lightroom + 500 generative credits)
2. Canva — Best AI-Powered Design Tool
Canva offers a new suite of AI tools to streamline your graphic design process even further.
Key AI Features:
- Magic Design: Generates templates based on text prompts.
- Magic Media: Text to image and video generation.
- Magic Eraser & Magic Edit: Object removal and AI-powered replacements Magic EraserMagic Edit
- Magic Write: AI-generated text for content.
Pros:
- Template design makes it simply to use.
- Perfect for social media, invitations and marketing materials.
Cons:
- Not as robust as dedicated photo editors.
Pricing: Free (limited AI tools) | Pro (from $15/month)
3. Luminar Neo – The Best AI Photo Editing Software
Luminar Neo utilizes AI in nearly every facet of photo editing, providing potent automated solutions.
Key AI Features:
- AI Enhance — Intelligent adjustments for tone, contrast, and color.
- AI Sky Replacement: Quickly changes skies and adjusts lighting.
- GenErase & GenExpand: Remove objects and flags in photos using AI
- AI Portrait Enhancements: With Auto skin smoothing, eye brightener, and more
Pros:
- App has AI at the core of it fully integrated.
- Fine-tuned control of effects.
Cons:
- Expensive for a single editor.
Pricing: From $79/year.
4. Pixlr – Best Easy Online AI Editing
Pixlr is a website-based editor containing several AI tools.
Key AI Features:
- AI Cutout: Eliminates backgrounds in a jiffy.
- Generative Backdrops: Tech for creating AI-generated backgrounds for images.
- Face Swap & Object Removal: It has artificial intelligence smart editing.
Pros:
- Inexpensive, operates in the browser and easy to use.
- AI capabilities are useful for fast edits.
Cons:
- Not as sophisticated as Photoshop or Luminar Neo.
Pricing: Free (limited ability to use AI); Plus from $2.49/month.
5. Lensa – The best mobile AI photo editor
Lensa specializes in AI-powered portrait touches and a Magic Avatar feature.
Key AI Features:
- Autotune: Automatically airbrushes portraits for a perfect finish.
- AI Eraser & Sky Replacement: Editing of smart background and object
- AI Filters: Styles available with one click.
Pros:
- Great for mobile users who touch up portraits and selfies.
- Free for one saved image a day
Cons:
- We usually have no chance to use desktop tools on mobile.
Pricing: Free (1 saved image/day); From $2.99/week or $4.99/month.
What the Future Holds for AI Photo Editing
This is only the start of using AI to edit photos. As all started with Generative Fill in Photoshop, which allows users to alter a few clicks of an image. AI editing capabilities are expected to evolve quickly, with new apps and features appearing all the time.
So far for the best A.I. photo editing experience these five apps deliver powerful, smart and intuitive tools to make your photos shine.
Wrap-Up on AI Photo Editors
With AI photo editing, we’re witness to a tremendous evolution that allows us to upgrade and re-imagine pictures with a few clicks. From pro-level tools like Photoshop and Luminar Neo to easy-to-use options like Canva and Pixlr, each use case has an AI-powered editor available. With these advancements, the future is bright for AI-powered editing applications – there will be even more features that provide smarter and more intuitive capabilities. Whether you are a professional photographer or casual user, AI photo editors are there to take your creative workflow to next level.
Best 5 AI Photo Editors: An Overview
| Tool Name | Features | Best For | Pricing |
| Adobe Photoshop | Automatic selection & Intelligent modifications | Best for Fully-Featured Editing | Paid plan start from $19.99/month |
| Canva | Generates templates based on text prompts | Best AI-Powered Design Tool | Free Limited AI access and paid plan from $15/month |
| Luminar Neo | Intelligent adjustments for tone, contrast, and color | The Best AI Photo Editing Software | From $79/year |
| Pixlr | Face Swap & Object Removal | Best Easy Online AI Editing | Free Limited AI access and paid plan from $2.49/month |
| Lensa | Automatically airbrushes portraits for a perfect finish. | The best mobile AI photo editor | Free Limited AI access and paid plan from 4.99/month |
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