Best Image Retouching Software in 2025

Adobe Photoshop remains the undisputed industry standard for image manipulation and retouching, offering an unparalleled suite of tools for everything from subtle skin smoothing to complex image composites. Its robust layering system, advanced masking capabilities, comprehensive selection tools, and an extensive array of brushes and filters provide pixel-level control unmatched by competitors. Professionals rely on Photoshop for its precise healing brush, clone stamp, frequency separation, liquefy tool, and AI-powered features like Neural Filters, which automate complex retouching tasks. While its learning curve is steep, the sheer depth of its features and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications (like Lightroom) make it indispensable for serious photographers and graphic designers. Its non-destructive editing capabilities are extensive, allowing for flexible and iterative adjustments. However, the subscription-only model can be a deterrent for hobbyists or those with limited budgets.

Affinity Photo has emerged as a formidable challenger to Photoshop, offering an incredibly powerful and feature-rich professional editing experience with a one-time purchase model. It boasts a remarkably intuitive interface that feels familiar to Photoshop users but often with a more streamlined workflow. For retouching, it provides robust healing brushes, cloning tools, impressive frequency separation capabilities, and sophisticated masking and layering options. Its dedication to non-destructive editing is a core strength, making it ideal for iterative adjustments without compromising image quality. Performance is generally excellent, even with large files, thanks to its optimized engine. Affinity Photo is particularly appealing to users who desire professional-grade tools without committing to a monthly subscription, offering exceptional value for money. While its AI features are not as extensive as Photoshop's Neural Filters, its core retouching capabilities are outstanding.

Luminar Neo stands out for its heavy reliance on artificial intelligence to simplify and accelerate complex retouching tasks, making it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced photographers looking to save time. Its AI tools can automatically enhance skies, correct lighting, smooth skin, and even relight portraits with impressive accuracy. The software offers a unique layered editing approach, allowing users to apply various AI modules and traditional adjustments non-destructively. While it may not offer the granular, pixel-level control of Photoshop for every single detail, its powerful AI often produces professional-looking results with minimal effort. It excels at portrait retouching, delivering natural-looking skin enhancements and intelligent scene analysis. Luminar Neo is a strong contender for those who prioritize efficiency and cutting-edge AI features over manual, detailed adjustments.

Capture One is renowned for its exceptional RAW image processing capabilities and professional-grade tethered shooting, but it also offers a surprisingly robust set of retouching tools, particularly for portrait and fashion photographers. Its color rendition is often praised as superior, providing incredible control over tones and hues. For retouching, Capture One includes powerful healing and cloning layers, sophisticated layer masks, and precise color editing tools. Its advanced masking with Luma Range and Color Range allows for highly selective adjustments, perfect for detailed skin work and dodging/burning. While not a direct Photoshop replacement for complex graphic design or compositing, it stands out for its image quality, tethered workflow, and excellent non-destructive retouching within a RAW workflow. It's often favored by studio photographers for its efficiency and superior image output.

Like its desktop counterpart, Adobe Lightroom (Classic and CC) is fundamentally a RAW photo editor and organizer, but it includes powerful and efficient tools for image retouching, particularly for batch processing and workflow efficiency. Lightroom excels at non-destructive global and local adjustments, including spot removal, healing, red-eye correction, and precise selective adjustments using masks (subject, sky, radial, gradient, brush). Its AI-powered masking tools have significantly improved its retouching capabilities, making it easier to select and refine specific areas of an image. For photographers who need to process large volumes of images quickly and efficiently, applying consistent retouching across a gallery, Lightroom is invaluable. While it lacks Photoshop's deep pixel manipulation tools, it's often the first step in a professional's workflow for primary retouching and color grading before moving to Photoshop for more intricate work.