Top 10 Best Free Photo Editors of 2012 | +Bonus Apps

2012 is a remarkable year on photo editing apps landscape. We’ve lost Picnik; Instagram was swallowed by Facebook. Old free photo editors were updated and continue to edit your pictures better than before.

Some photo editors kept top positions since the Best Photo Software list of 2011 was published.

This year Photo Software & Design Blog compared over 30 free photo editing websites and software programs one by one. And now we are willing to show the complete list of best free photo editors of 2012 in our review.

These photo editors edit photos, create collages, add awesome photo effects, remove skin imperfections, rotate, flip, crop, cut your images, merge and compile pics, create wonderful frames, convert your photos into stylish black and white images and do much more cool things to improve your photographs.

Top 10 Free Photo Editors of 2012

1. Pixlr Express

See Pixlr Express review

Pixlr Express is a member of free Pixlr photo editing apps family. It helps you quickly edit a photo online without additional hassle. We are glad to call this photo editing website a discovery of the year.

2. Befunky

Befunky is a popular free online photo editor. Millions of people prefer to enhance their pics with Befunky each day. So what can be better? Right – only Befunky 2012! Creators of this powerful web app made it even faster, more customizable and funky to use after the summer update! Check it yourself.

3. PhotoScape

Obviously, PhotoScape is #1 free desktop photo editor software for Windows. Needless to say, it can do everything from simple image resizing, collages and deleting unnecessary objects to advanced image editing manipulations, including photo mosaics and image overlaying. If you want to fine-tune your skills, follow our detailed guides: Create Photo Mosaics and Overlay Two Pictures in PhotoScape.

4. PhotoMania

Learn more about PhotoMania in our review

PhotoMania is a useful collage photo editor. It’s really in fashion on Facebook. Install PhotoMania Facebook app and start editing photos directly in your Facebook photo albums.

5. PicMonkey

PicMonkey review by our team

PicMonkey is a breakthrough of 2012. This online photo editor is created by ex-Picnik team. If you don’t remember, Picnik was shut down by Google in 2012. PicMonkey is ready to replace Picnik with all cool picture editing features. Try it and judge by yourself.

6. Photo Montager

Find more about Photo Montager photo frames

Photo Montager is one more photo editor which is worth talking about. This photo editor is notable for the huge number of photo frames it offers for your digital photos. Here you’ll find photo frames for all holidays and events, for example: for birthday, St. Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day and so on.

7. WebCam Toy

See WebCam Toy review for details

WebCam Toy is a unique photo app. It’s tightly connected with Facebook and your web camera. It shoots photos with your webcam, edits them on the fly and posts them to Facebook albums. You don’t need to install any extra software or deal with complicated webcam settings. WebCam Toy adjusts everything automatically. You just visit WebCam Toy website and start taking great pictures.

8. Sagelight Image Editor

Find why Sagelight Image Editor is great pro photo editor

Sagelight Image Editor is the serious desktop software. It’s not an easy online photo editor website with colorful texts, funny add-ons, and bright filters. Sagelight Image Editor edits and improves images professionally. Don’t expect to get cute collages or hilarious photo frames. No, Sagelight Image Editor is made for other things. For instance, it can turn a dark image into a light one.

9. Microsoft Paint

Learn about Microsoft Paint 2012 refinement

Microsoft Paint is an old photo buddy. It’s often underestimated. However, with newly released Paint 2012 on Windows 7 or 8 you can try lots of photo editing tricks: rotate, flip, enlarge image, add more space, squeeze or join several images into one picture.

You’ve probably noticed that the list isn’t complete. Yes, we want to hear you! What free photo editor would you add to the list of best photo editors of 2012? Tell us in comments!

Bonus apps that you might miss in 2012:

• Online Microsoft Paint alternatives: Sketchpad by MugTug, Splashup
• Free photo collage makers: Loupe, CollageIt

Watch video below about Loupe app and continue reading more on Loupe collages here at Photo Software & Design Blog:

Watch CollageIt teaser video guide and read our review (link above):

P.S. Don’t forget to check best photo editing tutorials and how-to guides collection of 2012 that we’ll publish soon. Follow us!

Blog’s Freebie of the day:

• Badge Maker by MakeBadge