There are a dizzying number of apps out there for filtering photos. How do you know which ones are right for you? You can’t just download a bunch of them and try them all out (though what a fun way to spend an afternoon!)
Instead, you need some guidance on which photo filter apps are the best. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the top five photo filter apps in the market.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Filtering Photos
- VSCO – Our Choice
Customizable filters
One-tap filters with customizable intensity
Advanced picture editing tools
Integrated camera
Delicate color and B&W presets
None
vsco filter app logo
VSCO
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Verdict: VSCO is one of the most popular filter apps, where you can fine-tune all filters. Instead of the usual “Filters” section, VSCO offers “Presets”. Each collection of free VSCO presets resembles a film effect.
In the Presets section, you will find a wide range of both color and B&W filters organized into separate collections. After applying a filter, VSCO offers a single slider for adjusting the intensity of effects. With its help, you may soften the effect or make it more intense. Moreover, it is possible to make additional adjustments, like setting color, exposure, sharpness, skin tone, film grain, vignette, etc.
The presence of a built-in camera is another advantage. You can snap pictures right in VSCO and immediately continue editing them. The camera has some fine adjustments, in the form of a focus point, ISO and white balance. Besides, you get access to a full range of 130+ VSCO filters as well as additional picture correction tools by signing up for a VSCO membership ($19.99 per year).
vsco filter app interface
- Snapseed
Wonderful set of filters for portraits
Adjustable filters
Portrait enhancement filters
Powerful selective picture editing tools
Non-destructive image editing
May be complicated for a newbie
snapseed filter app logo
Snapseed
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Verdict: Snapseed’s set of filters makes it the best filter app for experienced photographers. Filter categories include black and white, vintage, grunge, grainy film, Retrolux and Glamour Glow. A part of presented filters isn’t as delicate as in similar applications. However, they are adjustable, so you can lower the intensity of effects.
One of the distinctive features is non-destructive picture editing. It means that you may delete or change any individual edit at any time in the future. Once you have made some changes to a shot, tap the “Edit History” icon at the top of the screen. Here you can remove any of the layers.
Snapseed allows adding HDR effects and adjusting curves with a designated control point in your shots. In addition, Snapseed provides a brush mask and healing customization functions, just like professional software. This photo editing app is available for free.
snapseed filter app interface
- A Color Story
Over 100 filters, including 40 motion effects
100 adjustable filters
Possibility to create unique, custom filters
Over 40 motion effects
Selective edits and batch photo processing
Possible crashes
Batch editing slows down the performance
a color story filter app logo
A Color Story
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Verdict: A Color Story is one of the best filter apps that provides more efficient adjustments than Instagram’s integrated filters. It is mainly aimed at correcting colors in images. The filters increase the brightness and saturation of all colors, including white. On the whole, Color Story freshens up the shot, making it more original.
This filter app offers more than 100 filters, including 40 motion effects: lens flare, bokeh, light leakage, glow and texture. You may move, resize, rotate these effects and adjust the transparency. In addition, it is possible to create your own filters and save them for future use.
Aside from filters, Color Story provides 20 additional tools, including brushes, curves, sliders for adjusting shadows, exposure, etc. The batch editing feature lets you apply filters and other changes to multiple shots at once. Though the app is free, you may encounter in-app purchases.
a color story filter app interface
- Darkroom
Advanced filters for Insta pics
Filters are conveniently organized into categories
Advanced image improvement tools
A huge variety of color and B&W filters
You can create your own custom filters
Only 12 free filters
Batch editing may lag
darkroom filter app logo
Darkroom
Verdict: Darkroom is a powerful, feature-rich editor offering a large selection of filters. An interesting feature is that you can apply a filter to a “live photo”. Photo filters range from bright and colorful to faded vintage and monochrome. They are organized into categories, including landscape, portrait and black and white. You may adjust the intensity of a filter with a slider.
You can create your own filters and save them as presets for future use. In addition, a free version of Darkroom provides batch editing mode, so you can apply filters and other adjustments to the whole album of shots at once.
Also, Darkroom has a collection of advanced picture editing tools. Among them are HSL, curves, selective adjustments, shadow settings, exposure, healing brush, and more. Most of the tools Darkroom provides are completely free. But there are only 12 free filters, while the full, premium collection consists of 50 options.
darkroom filter app interface
- Afterlight
Filters created by famous photographers
Filters from professional photographers
A large number of overlays
You can create presets
Filters are conveniently grouped by color
Free functionality is limited
Very rare updates
afterlight filter app logo
Afterlight
Verdict: Afterlight is a filter app that offers plenty of professional filters created by famous photographers. Each filter is designed to convey a certain mood in a shot, not just raise brightness, contrast, etc. They range from cool and fresh to grungy and vintage, giving you great flexibility for different styles.
You may use filters separately or in combination with the manual adjustment tools: edit the tone, saturation and intensity of an effect. Additional special effects include selective coloring, double exposure and dust textures. By the way, many Instagram photographers use this application for photo editing.
Aside from ready-made filters and overlays, you may create your own presets and use them in the future. Also, it is worth mentioning that regular presets in Afterlight are grouped by color. On the top of each filter, you will see a line of a single color – blue, green, red, purple or orange. It indicates that a filter belongs to a certain category. This is made for users’ convenience. You can use free or paid version. Keep in mind that the former also has in-app purchases.
best filter app for selfies.
. Facetune 2
Best app for editing selfies in real time
facetune 2 selfie app screen
Rank (5/5)
iOS, Android
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Price: Free version; Full version with extra functions – $7.99 per month, $35.99 per 12 months and $69.99 – one-time purchase.
Pros
Quite a simple interface
Plenty of built-in selfie editing tools
Constant update support
Cons
The whole set of features is available only after the full version purchase
Limited social network integration
Facetune 2 is one of the best selfie apps using which you can edit your photos very fast. With this app, you can correct skin defects if there are any. This app offers nice built-in image retouching tools.
Thus, you will be able to correct problematic skin, perform teeth whitening, eyes brightening, makeup application and many more. Facetune 2 also provides professional tools for fixing the light, eliminating unwanted shadows and glare, adjusting colors and saturation.
Besides, you can compare the look of the edited photo with its initial look and you can do it after each step of the process. The app’s interface is simple. It is continuously updated and gets new options and functions. Among the new functions, you can find updated makeup palette, multi-color neon filters and prism effects.
Facetune 2 is completely free and it is, probably, the best selfie editor app compared to others. However, if you want to use all the functionality, you have to buy its full version. But don’t worry, it’s totally worth the money.
- Retrica
The best selfies app with a large number of filters
retrica selfie app screen
Rank (4.5/5)
iOS, Android
USE
Price: Free
Pros
Plenty of filters
Supports video and GIF images
The possibility to communicate with other selfie fans
Cons
Saving images can be problematic
Retrica is also the best selfie app and a social network that offers more than a hundred amazing filters. It supports selfie collages with different photos taken from different angles, live videos and GIF images.
In this app, you will be able to add annotations to your photos with images, time stamps, texts, etc. There, you can also communicate with other users and follow their pictures via the chronological look of the app.
In addition, you can send your pictures to Facebook, Instagram and other social media as well as share them via messages.
- Snapchat
Best free selfie app
snapchat selfie app screen
Rank (4/5)
iOS, Android
DOWNLOAD
Price: Free
Pros
You may communicate with other users
Lenses for selfies and filters are updated every day
The possibility to create 3D-Bitmoji
Video chat with up to 16 people
Cons
Possible interruptions in video chats
A few popular masks have been deleted
Snapchat is a nice app to make selfies look better. It provides great lenses, filters and a lot of other interesting functions such as 3D-Bitmoji. When you take a selfie, you can add text, “World Lenses”, “Bitmoji” to it, share it with your friends and delete it after some time so that it is visible only to the person you sent it to.
With this free selfie app, you can easily save all of your pictures and share them on social media. There is a chat where you can communicate with your friends. A video chat can include 16 people where you can add different filters and lenses.
View the best selfie poses.
- YouCam Perfect
Best selfie app for glamorous photos
youcam perfect selfie app screen
Rank (4.6/5)
iOS, Android
Price: Free version; Premium version – $2.99 per month and $17.99 per year.
Pros
A lot of image editing tools
Constant updates with new functions
Supports many languages
Cons
The free version contains ads
The quality of photos slightly worsens after editing
If your goal is to achieve ideal selfies, then YouCam Perfect is for you. This is another variant of good selfie editing apps where you can edit both images and videos. With this app, you can also perform automatic decoration which gives your photos a better look when you are taking them.
In YouCam Perfect, you can eliminate skin defects, make eyes bigger using the eye-enhancing function and remove puffiness under the eyes. This app offers everything you need for a great selfie: filters, stickers, collages, fonts, different effects, etc.
If you buy the Premium Version for $2.99 per month or $17.99 per year, you will be able to use more than a thousand frames, stickers and fonts. Also, there are no ads in the Premium Version of this app which you will experience in the Free Version.
Check out more selfie ideas.
- Perfect 365
Best selfie app for vloggers
Rank (4.6/5)
iOS, Android
Price: Free version; Perfect365 PLUS – $1.99 per month.
Pros
The possibility to try various makeup brands
Accurate photo editing
Presets and makeup tools
Video tutorials and makeup tips
Cons
Makes your face slimmer automatically
The majority of ready-made settings give you a weird look
This is the best selfie app for women because using it, they can apply makeup to shots in a matter of a few seconds. It provides 20 different tools for makeup and beauty, various presets and looks.
With its high-quality color palette, you can try different color combinations. This app also gives the possibility to adjust hair, lips, and skin. Perfect365 has built-in makeup tips, video tutorials from popular artists using which you can repeat different looks on your face.
With the facial recognition function, you can achieve a natural look and accurate makeup. The good thing about this app is that it’s absolutely free. However, remember that it has a Paid Version for $1.99 per month. Anyway, it is cheaper than getting a vlogging camera under 300 dollars.
There, you will be able to use all the features of the app, have fewer ads and use looks created by professional makeup artists.
Conclusion
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