Not all of the following photo and image manipulation software is available as a free download, but most is or at least offers a free trial version. There are also a number of professional software applications, Photoshop Cs5 for example, that can be used for free for a limited trial period. It’s a good way to find out if you like the application before investing in it. I have not listed it here because it is simply too costly for the average computer user.
Often developers of open source software will ask for donations or support if you use and appreciate their products. They certainly deserve it as there is now so much good open source software to choose from.
This is a list of some of the photo and image manipulation programs that, with the exception of picasa, I have explored;
Gimp was an early favorite of mine. It is I think it is the next best thing to Photoshop in open source software (some people say they like it better), but it is complex.
Photoscape is so simple and intuitive to use it’s just fun. It opens the Windows Photo gallery, rather than offering a separate organizer which I prefer.
Paint.NET shouldn’t be confused with the Paint program on Windows though at present it’s only available for Windows. It’s a more complex program that supports lots of filters and effects and layers.
Picasa is from the good folks at Google and I have to admit that I largely ignored it on my computer because I was so busy looking elsewhere for photo editing software. From the reviews I have read it’s great for organizing and for sharing photos as Google also offers free Picasa web albums.
Adobe Photoshop Elements has to be purchased but it is much more affordable than the software that the company started with and it was a big hit with me. For most users it offers more than enough features and has a simple interface that’s easy to learn and use.
Helicon Filter 4.93.2 is a favorite for the times I just want to edit a photo without using any fancy filters or effects. I always seem to get really good results using this program. Helicon Filter 4.93.2 is the free offering from this software company; there are other programs and professional versions of this software available to purchase from this company.