Best Web-Based Image And Photo Editors - Sharewood Guide

Web-based image editors are online tools that anyone can use to easily modify, resize, edit and crop digital photographs or graphics files, without needing to download and install any software.

Photo credit: Pixlr Interface

Digital image editors, are typically free, and, in most cases, do not even require a registration in order to be used: just select an image or provide its URL, wait for the system to upload it and start editing it. No matter whether you need to rotate, resize, crop, or adjust the color tone of your images, these web-based image editors are designed to simplify your task when it comes to such operations.

Basic key features are pretty much the same for all of these web-based image editing tools. Among these, here are my selected top traits for a web-based digital image editor tool that you can use to more easily select the one that could be best for you:

• Layers: Let's you have multiple layers on a single image, so that you can easily mix more objects together on the same canvas
• Registration Needed: Shows if you need to sign up to the service in order to start editing your images
• Advanced Selection Tools: Helps you select part of the image that you wouldn't be able to extract with traditional instruments

Here a comparison table of all my selected web-based digital image editors and a full set of mini-reviews introducing each one of them:

Best Web-Based Image Editors - Comparison Table

go to the table!

Web-Based Image Editors Tool List

1. Pixlr
   
   Pixlr is an online image editing application that anyone can use to modify pictures online. Without any registration you can jump in, open any picture and start editing it: you can resize it, crop it, apply effects and filters, use layers, and every other thing you would do using a normal standalone software. Pixlr is free to use with no signup needed.
   http://pixlr.com/






2. Aviary
   
   Aviary is a web-based suite of image editing software, that you can use to edit all of your pictures without having no software installed on your machine. You can edit and resize pictures, create color schemes, edit vectors, apply effects, create fonts, and more. Currently in private beta it is free to use after someone invites you or you get accepted in the beta.
   http://a.viary.com/






3. Adobe Photoshop Express
   
   Adobe Photoshop Express is the web-based counterpart of the famous software based photo editing tool. This version, gives you 2GB of free space to upload all of your pictures and arrange them in galleries. But it obviously also lets you edit them: you can apply any kind of effect, resize, rotate, crop, adjust colors, saturation, brightness, and everything you would expect from a normal editing software. Free to use, registration needed.
   https://www.photoshop.com/express/






4. Splashup
   
   Splashup is a powerful photo editing online software that allows you to edit your pictures online without even registering to the service. You can edit any type of image, and you can resize it, crop it, select different regions, use layers, add captions and effects, and more. When you are finished with a picture, you can save it in a different format to your PC, or simply upload it your favorite photo sharing system (like Picasa, Flickr...). Free.
   http://www.splashup.com/






5. Flauntr
   
   Flauntr is a free online photo editor that you can use to edit your images easily and apply effects with one click. You can get photos from Flickr, your PC or online photo storage service, and edit it with basic and advanced features (resize, rotate, crop, captions, and many effects). Then, you can save them online on flauntR's free photo storage, Flickr, or share them by email. Registration needed.
   http://www.flauntr.com/






6. FotoFlexer
   
   FotoFlexer is a Flash-based image editing tool, that you can use to edit your pictures online. After register for free, you can start creating as many photo albums as you want, in which you upload pictures that you can further edit by cropping, resizing, removing blemishes and wrinkles, changing eye color, adding captions, and more. It is completely web-based and free to use.
   http://fotoflexer.com/






7. Picnik
   
   Picnik is an image editor that lets you quickly edit all your photos online. It helps you resize, rotate and crop pictures, but also fix underexposed photos, remove red-eye, or apply many special effects. When done, you can save your image locally in various formats, but also upload it directly on all major image sharing sites. Picnik is completely free to use.
   http://www.picnik.com/






8. Sumopaint
   
   Sumopaint is an online Flash-based image editor, that lets you modify all of your images online with lots of features. Reminding Photoshop with its interface, Sumopaint supports layers, lets you apply filters, effects, create shapes, and edit your images just as if you were using a professional software-based editor. Free to use, no registration needed.
   http://sumopaint.com/






9. PikiFX
   
   Pikifx is a web-based image editor that you can use to edit your images with no additional software. You can decide whether to use a picture from your PC or to provide a URL, and immediately start editing it. You can rezise it, crop it, add effects, borders and captions. When you're done, you can save your image in JPG, BPM, PNG, TIFF and GIF, email it, and get the HTML embedding code. Free to use with no need to register.
   http://www.pikifx.com/






10. FixPicture
    
    FixPicture is a web-based image editor that you can use to edit and convert pictures online. Just pick whether you want to use the Flash or HTML version, upload a picture from your PC or provide the URL, edit your picture(resize, crop, rotate, mirrorand adjust levels), apply basic effects, and choose the output format(jpg, png, bmp, gif, tiff, pdf). Free to use.
    http://www.fixpicture.org/






11. PikiPimp
    
    PikiPimp is a browser-based image editor, that enables you to edit your pictures with some basic editing tools. After you upload an image or type its URL, you are able to crop it, rotate it, set brightness, saturation, contrast, black&white, and more. It also offers many effects and tools, like sepia tone and captioning. When done, you can download the final image, and save it if you're a registered user. Free.
    http://www.pikipimp.com/






12. Dr. Pic
    
    Dr. Pic is a Javascript-based online image editor that offers you some basic editing tools to modify your pictures. After you load an image, you can resize, crop rotate, add text, and even apply some basic effects to it. When done, you can export your image in different formats (JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP) with different quality settings. Free to use, no registration required.
    http://www.drpic.com/






13. LunaPic
    
    LunaPic is a simple online image editor. Simply upload your photo or paste the URL, and you can start editing your picture. You can crop, resize, rotate, apply filters, add text, draw...but also add as many animations and effects as you want. If you like what you created you can save it or send it and, if you have an account, you can save your photos in your own gallery. Its is completely web-based and free to use.
    http://www.lunapic.com/editor/








14. Picjuice
    
    Picjuice is an easy-to-use web-based image editor that allows you to modify any image online. Just upload the picture you want to edit, and it'll let you resize, crop, flip, rotate and adjust all of your images without installing any software. After all of the changes have been made, you can save the new picture in JPG or PNG format. Free to use, no registration needed.
    http://www.picjuice.com/






15. SnipShot
    
    SnipShot is a browser-based image editor that lets you open any file from URL or PC, and to apply basic editing to it: you can resize, crop, rotate, enhance, adjust exposure and contrast, and apply effects. The result can be saved in multiple formats and shared with other people via email. Free, no signup needed.
    http://snipshot.com/

Originally written by Nico Canali De Rossi for Master New Media and first published on September 29th 2008 as "Best Web-Based Image And Photo Editors - Sharewood Guide"