A lot of people use PicMonkey for a couple of its features but the main problem is that there’s not much you can do without paying for it. That’s why most users opt for a PicMonkey alternative after a while.
Even after they revamped their online web app, PicMonkey is still relatively slow to use. With no free plan, all of the features are locked behind a paywall.
Users that want to use basic features like adding drop shadows to their pictures are left out. It’s not a smart decision to invest in a paid software for just a couple of features.
In this article, we’ll discuss the ideal PicMonkey alternative, along with other potential software you can use.
Let’s get started.
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What’s the Best PicMonkey Alternative?
The best PicMonkey alternative in the market is currently Pixelied because of features like pre-designed templates, third-party integrations, stock photo libraries, and more.
Since PicMonkey rebranded and updated its UI, its web app has been hard to use for most users. For new users, there may be a slight learning curve. That’s not a good thing because an app like PicMonkey shouldn’t have one.
On the other hand, Pixelied is pretty straightforward. You can start editing your photos and designing your posts off the bat. There are no training guides required, nor is there any need for software downloads and plugins.
All you have to do is open Pixelied’s editor, upload your photo, and start editing. All the graphic design tools are available right in front of you, are easy to use, and can be utilized as you want.
A lot of people who don’t know much about photo editing software tend to opt for Adobe Lightroom. Soon after, they’re looking for a Lightroom alternative. However, what they want can easily be done on an online photo editor.
That’s why people who need an online graphic design and photo editing tool opt for Pixelied.
Furthermore, PicMonkey is pretty slow to use if you don’t have a decent computer. It uses your computer’s hardware and your browser pretty heavily, making it extremely slow. It also does not have an extensive library to create realistic mockups on the go. That along with the fact that you can only use it free for seven days doesn’t make it a great option as compared to other better alternatives.
Alternatively, Pixelied has a robust free plan that you can use to do most of what you need. However, the best thing is that you can heavily edit your photos and designs in Pixelied’s editor without it taking a toll on your PC.
Pixelied’s Features and Tools
PicMonkey has some useful features like red-eye reduction, collage maker, special effects photo retouching, but they don’t work as well in most cases. That’s why most people use it for its basic editing features.
However, for users who want basic image editing features, it’s better to use a more user-friendly tool. Pixelied combines all those features, tools, and adds some unique options to edit photos quickly and conveniently. Here are some of the notable features and tools.
- Ready-Made Templates – Pixelied offers hundreds of ready-made templates for different kinds of pictures and posts. You can use the templates on your photos and vice versa.
- Stock Photos – With access to thousands of stock photos online directly from the editor, you have access to most stock photo libraries.
- Icons – You’ll find plenty of icons (like social media icons) and stickers in the editor without having to go to another site to find them.
- My Files – You can upload your photos directly.
- Illustrations – There are custom illustrations and vectors that you can add to your designs.
- Elements – If you want to add directional arrows, shapes, or other elements, you can do that directly.
- Brandify – You can save your brand logo, colors, fonts, and more to instantly add them to your designs.
- Blend – You can use this option to create custom color blends while maintaining HDR colors.
- Workspaces – This allows you to have multiple designs, edits, and projects running simultaneously.
Other than that, you’ll find plenty of basic editing options like overlays, layering, opacity, shadows, borders, alignment, resizing, and photo effects.
How to Use Pixelied for Editing
If you’re looking to quickly edit your photos with all the options you want in front of you, you can do it using Pixelied by following these steps.
- Open Pixelied’s editor on your browser. Once you open it, you’ll see the following window with a blank canvas and some default settings that you can easily change.
- On the left panel, you’ll see a box for My Files. Click on it and you’ll see a prompt for your files.
- Here, you can either drag and drop the photos you want to edit or you can click on the Browse button and manually select the photos from the file browser.
- Once you’ve selected the photos, you can start importing them on the editor. It may take a few seconds for the upload and checks to complete.
- Once they’re uploaded, you can access the photos any time you want. Just click or drag them on the canvas to start editing them.
If you want to remove your files, just right-click on them and click Delete. Confirm the deletion and your photo will be removed.
Once done, you can use the download button in the top-right corner. Click on the Download button, choose your options, and click on it again to start the download.
Additional PicMonkey Alternatives You Can Use
PicMonkey was created as an offering against photo editing apps like Canva, Fotor, and GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). However, people looking for GIMP alternatives usually want free alternatives. Since PicMonkey doesn’t have a free version, only a 7-day trial, it isn’t a great alternative.
Even PicMonkey’s mobile app on both iOS and Android has low ratings. Some people report basic compatibility issues with a Mac, leading to functionality issues.
That’s why PicMonkey is usually used by bloggers who just want to add a drop shadow to their pictures before uploading them. There is a limited user base because there is no free version of the image editing software.
That’s why it’s better to use a PicMonkey alternative like Pixelied that has a better user interface, a free version, and an all-rounded image editor. However, if you want to look at other options, here’s a list of the best PicMonkey alternatives you can find today.
1. Adobe Photoshop Express or Lightroom
Adobe products such as Photoshop, Lightroom, and InDesign are some of the best photo editing software in the industry. However, they are also one of the most complicated ones with a steep learning curve.
While Photoshop and Lightroom have different purposes, they both help edit and adjust photos. Photoshop can be used to create designs too, along with photo editing. Lightroom is dedicated to photo editing, with photo enhancement, retouch options, presets, and touch-ups, and more.
The good thing about both of them is that they support plug-ins and have in-app tutorials. Other than that, you have a lot of advanced tools like face detection, gradient adjustments, and luminance masking.
On the flip side, importing photos can be a pain, especially RAW photos. Other than that, there is no free version of the software.
If you’re looking to create social graphics and web pages, you can use Adobe Spark.
You can check out Adobe software here.
2. Pixlr
Pixlr (formerly Pixlr Express) is a relatively simple PicMonkey alternative, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to use. It offers a lot of basic photo editing tools, along with a good workflow feature.
You can find effects, borders, overlays, filters, blending modes, a history tool, and a healing tool. The good thing about Pixlr is that there’s no download involved as it’s a web-based photo editing app.
Another unique thing about Pixlr is that it offers AI design tools. These help quickly retouch your photos and designs, increasing your editing speed.
However, it doesn’t have a good user interface. Furthermore, the resize and redesign options are harder to use than usual. Here’s a handy list of Pixlr alternatives if it isn’t what you’re looking for.
You can check out Pixlr here.
3. BeFunky
BeFunky is similar to Pixlr because it’s an online app that offers various customizable templates. However, it’s also compatible with most social media platforms, offering direct integration.
It’s a great multipurpose tool that you can use for basic photo editing, graphic design, and even to make collages. It’s pretty easy to use and has user-assisting tools to help you quickly make relevant edits.
You can upload multiple photos at once, saving time on the import and export of assets. There’s a full-screen mode if you want to get really into the editing process.
Other than that, there is a lot of ease of accessibility, such as drag-and-drop functionality.
On the flip side, it’s going to be pretty slow compared to other alternatives. Some features don’t work as well, including the photo retouching tool.
However, the worst part is that you’re going to be getting a lot of ads because it’s a free photo editor.
You can check out BeFunky here.
4. Apple Photos
If you have an Apple computer, phone, or tablet, you have access to Apple Photos. It’s the built-in photo tracker and editing tool that can edit both basic and RAW photos.
It doesn’t have any templates or the ability to create complex graphics. However, you have many photo editing tools like visual effects, album creation, retouching options, text options, and more.
If you own Apple devices, it’s a great PicMonkey alternative because it also helps you organize your photos.
However, it doesn’t work with any other OS and you’re better off editing your photos in another tool than importing them on Apple Photos.
You can learn more about Apple Photos here.
5. FotoJet
FotoJet is a graphic design tool and photo editing software that offers the best of both worlds.
It offers basic editing features like resizing, exposure setting, and color adjustments. At the same time, you can make use of advanced features like focus editing, noise reduction, and automatic photo sharpening.
You also have a ton of templates and effects that you can immediately apply to your photos.
However, it’s only good for quick edits, not in-depth editing.
You can check out FotoJet here.
6. Pizap
Pizap is among the easiest-to-use editing tools on this list. It’s also a one-in-all tool that offers basic editing tools like cropping, brightness options, and rotating abilities.
Along with that, you can add filters, frames, borders, stickers, text, and textures. You can also use the painting tool, add doodles, and create collages.
It’s pretty simple to use and extremely fast. However, it’s only good for basic editing and casual users.
You can check out Pizap here.
7. Ribbet
Ribbet is an appealing photo editing tool with an extremely good-looking user interface. It’s much faster than other tools at editing, importing, exporting, and rendering photos.
It’s pretty useful if you have a lot of photos to edit. Other than that, you can create designs from scratch, make collages, and you can do it on its app too.
However, a lot of the options are hidden behind a paywall and there is little customizability in the interface.
You can check out Ribbet here.
8. RelayThat
RelayThat is a design tool that lets you create custom graphics for your photos, social posts, and more. It has a lot of templates, stock photos, fonts, and other options to choose from.
If you have an account on RelayThat, it learns your brand’s preferences and automatically applies them according to your preferences.
It’s easy to use, intuitive, and quick. However, it’s not as great for editing photos outright.
You can check out RelayThat here.
Choosing the Ideal PicMonkey Alternative
Other than the ones listed above, you’ll find a lot of open-source photo editing tools like Luminar and Paint.NET. Each of them has unique features, so your ideal PicMonkey alternative depends on that. For example, if you’re into analog photography, you’re better off with tools that offer certain analog filters.
However, if you’re looking for help with marketing design and basic photo editing, you’re better off with the list above.
It’s important for such tools to have free versions that help the user acclimatize. That’s why Pixelied is the best option you can opt for as it has a robust free plan, intuitive UI, and value-added features like templates and a BG remove tool.
It’s designed to make your editing and designing process quicker, better, and more efficient.
