Fotor is a photo editing software which is available as an online photo editor, as well as a downloadable desktop version and a mobile app for editing on the go. Being able to choose between the three different versions is great, as it allows you to select the app that works best for you, or even switch between them. With the Fotor web version, you can access it from any computer with an internet connection. If you prefer to edit your photos right on your phone, the Fotor mobile app is one of the best photo editor applications around right now.

The company masterminds have carefully designed each version, creating an excellent user experience and a seamless workflow. You’ll be impressed by the range of the tools available and the difference you can make to your images with this clever software. There’s even an amazing auto-colour correction feature which can work wonders with your images at just the click of a button.

While some online or desktop photo editors can be clunky, slow, or just plain annoying to use, that’s not the case with Fotor. You can tell that a lot of thought, time, energy, and money has gone into designing the Fotor apps. The functionality is exceptional, the interface is intuitive, and we guarantee that you won’t be disappointed with the user experience. When you first install and open up Fotor, you get 3 options to choose from: Edit, Collage, or Design. On the desktop version, you get an additional Batch feature, too. We’re going to explain what you can do within each category, plus our verdict on how well each feature works.

The photo editor module in Fotor has a wide range of exciting tools and great effects that will improve your photos significantly. With the powerful tools in this image editor, you can correct colours, crop, adjust, and retouch your images, and experiment with difference Scenes, filters, borders, and textures. It’s simple and easy to use: just upload your image, and you’ll see it displayed with a menu of editing options on the right-hand side. Each of the different applications has a very similar look to them, so you can switch between them and quickly find the tool you need. We were impressed by the range of image formats that Fotor supports, as well as the option to edit RAW files. It’s rare to find a free image editor that can open RAW file formats, so this is a real positive for Fotor. Do note that you can only do this on the desktop version but not on the online photo editor.

Scenes is a great little tool which enables you to change the lighting of your image. You get access to 13 different free Scenes, from Portrait to Sunset, Darken to Flash, Fluorescent, and more. ‘Auto’ is the only paid Scene option that you get if you do invest in the upgrade. However, I wouldn’t recommend using the Auto function within the Scene menu. I found that it did not improve my images at all or make them look eye-catching and high quality. Instead, the colours appear over-saturated, and you get a lot of noise too, particularly in the background.

The Adjust menu is similar to what’s available in Lightroom. You get a good selection of tools to use, such as Exposure, Brightness, Contrast, Vibrance, and Saturation. The sliders are a helpful and convenient way to alter your photos with precision, for your desired result. You can also use them to play with your image and experiment with different effects and adjustments. It’s possible to improve your photos significantly with these simple but powerful tools.

Out of the Effects menu, you get 12 free Effects and another 7 paid options if you upgrade. The included Effects are subtle and aesthetically pleasing, without being exaggerated or too much. You can choose from Cinematic, Classic, Disposable, Retro, and Mono amongst others. The paid Effects are Filmatic, Purity, Artistic, Groovy, Mellow, Returned, and Spring. It’s great fun to try out different Effects and see what suits your shots best. I was really impressed by the quality of these Effects in a free photo editor program – they compare favorably to much more expensive software.

It’s quick and easy to create amazing collages with the Collage module within Fotor. There are loads of templates to choose from, in a wide variety of styles. All you need to do is upload your images, select your desired aspect ratio, and arrange the pictures so that they look great.

The Design module is sufficient for simple design projects where you don’t need advanced tools. You can’t create designs from scratch, however. It’s only possible to edit available photos, for example, by cropping them to the right format for different social networks. The design functions are relatively limited, but what is available is useful. You’ll save lots of time that you would otherwise spend manually adjusting the format and size every time.

The Batch feature is available on the desktop version, and it’s a great, handy feature which you’ll use a lot. You can save time on your editing by sorting your photos into specific categories or batches. It’s quick and easy to select your desired effects and edit multiple photos at a time. For example, you can crop or resize a whole group of images at once, add borders, or select a specific effect to use on all of them.

Although Fotor has its flaws, it’s still one of the best free/budget photo editors around. The carefully designed apps contain a wide range of quality editing tools, much more than you would expect for this price. You have the versatility of working on your images online, through a desktop Windows or Mac software, or from your phone.

If you’re a beginner photographer just looking to get started with photo editing and graphic design, Fotor fits the bill. It’s also ideal if you want to make collages, or edit images on your phone and upload to social media. Fotor is a fantastic image editor with lots of free services and an affordable subscription. You can start off by using the free software to get the feel of the product. If you like what you see, you can upgrade your account to Fotor Pro for the full range of features.