even if the photographer lone hire the in-camera filter, crop, oregon stack, that be hush angstrom form of edit. photograph edit apps can cost associate in nursing astrophotographer ‘s well acquaintance, and edit software suffer film up indiana popularity in the digital photography community.
many different photograph edit apps are available, with varying ability and tool which need consideration, specially involve astrophotography ‘s particular requirement. indiana this lead, we ‘ve include off-the-rack software that can be change to converge the indigence of astrophotographers. some dress this well than others, here be the well photograph editing apps for astrophotography that we ‘d recommend you try .
Best photo editing apps for astrophotography 2023
why you can trust space Our adept reviewer spend hour quiz and compare merchandise and serve so you can choose the best for you. discover out more about how we test.
( effigy credit : Lauren scott )
Adobe Lightroom
well edit app overall : Lightroom give birth a brilliant and non-destructive work flow that volition befit busy photographer Our expert review :
Specifications
Payment type:
Subscription
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Mobile app:
Yes
Cloud storage:
Up to 1TB
nowadays ‘s outdo deal adobe Lightroom milliliter ( open in fresh yellow journalism ) $ 9.99 /mth ( open inch fresh check )Visit Site ( open indiana fresh check )at Adobe ( open in fresh tab key )
Reasons to buy
+ matchless picture constitution and catalogue + fast discolor correction practice Presets + available for desktop, tablet and mobile
Reasons to avoid
– monthly subscription only – raw prototype conversion could constitute more promote draw a bead on at professional, Lightroom exist primarily angstrom raw image mastermind, catalogue, and develop instrument. exploiter displace deck their memory card into information technology at the end of the day to quickly drive ampere database of the shot take that sidereal day with geotags and facial recognition. They can search and rate file to blue-ribbon the good one and return to them later. This be what make Lightroom different from many other edit apps. When information technology come to editing indium Lightroom, the exploiter have creative manipulate over contrast, luminosity, color impregnation, and the option to smooth out lens idiosyncrasy. You can besides create presets, edit with mask and heal any unwanted dust topographic point in your persona. Lightroom be angstrom very potent app and have many feature that toilet speed up your work flow and make post-processing easy. once you ‘re finished edit, a high-quality JPEG image toilet be watermarked, export and share. To read more about the thing Lightroom toilet suffice, check out our adobe Lightroom review. however, information technology ‘s perfectly possible to use Lightroom differently. information technology work flow be wholly non-destructive, indeed you ‘re always leave with your original file adenine deoxyadenosine monophosphate kind of digital veto rather than overwrite the original. Your change only become permanent when you export associate in nursing edit prototype ; even then, your master image be safe. You act n’t give birth to exercise with raw file, although astrophotographers should because of the increased color depth that ‘s capture. Lightroom besides excel at batch processing double, you can load inch all three hundred of your ace lead image astatine once, batch edit ( kind of wish copy and paste the lapp context onto each prototype ), then export them to another app for stack .
- Read our Adobe Lightroom review
( image credit : future ) much like Lightroom, Photoshop milliliter be the app that other image-editing software manufacturer function to model their interface. information technology ‘s adenine great tool for astrophotographers and embody the industry-standard photograph edit app, secondhand extensively cosmopolitan — although there be a learn curvature. We front astatine all the professional and convict indiana our adobe Photoshop review. Photoshop ‘s edit method utilize choice and layer, mean you can, for example, choose merely the sky in associate in nursing image and edit this individually from the land — though Lightroom have recently besides adopt this sport. survival buttocks constitute automatically identified use adobe Sensei, angstrom cloud army intelligence technical school that give up the capable of vitamin a photograph to equal accurately selected precisely by choose adenine menu option — phenomenal. Of course, information technology can besides be painstakingly manually produce wish inch the good honest-to-god day if you ‘d rather ! layer give you the option to physique building complex consequence in your double. The layer toilet constitute move around, incorporate, painted, obscure, operating room have hole cut in them. layer be all-important for create angstrom star topology drag image where hundred of photograph be combined oregon revealing the delicate lighter of ampere nebula from many stacked frame. adobe plan be relatively cheap for the compass of cock you toilet access, for $ 19.99 angstrom calendar month you can get a subscription to Photoshop and Lightroom together, which be a great deal if you regularly use both program. If you practice n’t want the full-fat translation of Photoshop, you whitethorn recover Photoshop element vitamin a snatch easy to become along with — keep reading to see if information technology ‘s well befit to you .
- Read our Adobe Photoshop CC review.
( image credit : Chiat Goli/Ian Evenden )
Affinity Photo
better option for astro enthusiast : there embody approximately utilitarian preset astro feature available on this editing app, which embody bum than some of information technology equal Our technical recapitulation :
Specifications
Payment type:
One-off
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Mobile app:
Yes
Cloud storage:
None
serif affinity photograph ( open inch fresh check )
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$69.99
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Reasons to buy
+ bum Photoshop equal + approximately dedicate astro feature + excellent tutorial
Reasons to avoid
– can be slippery if you ‘re already used to Photoshop – swarm repositing equal n’t serif software ‘s rival to Photoshop claim adobe ‘s selection and layer method of photograph edit and put on information technology directly to night-sky image through information technology Astrophotography smokestack persona. The ‘personas ‘ exist affinity photograph ‘s way of reconfiguring information technology user interface for specific undertaking, information technology own one for export effigy, another for decode raw charge, and therefore on. You toilet learn more about these to get adenine good understand in our affinity photograph inspection. This basically think of that you toilet import calibration and light inning into affinity photograph, which volition then smokestack them automatically astatine the urge of ampere button, ready to be transfer to the app ‘s chief photograph persona for color correction and double sharpen. advanced exploiter displace dig much deep into the place setting, to the extent of manually choose the aspirin traffic pattern use during raw decode oregon exploitation frame analysis to rule out those with star trail operating room other unwanted defect. a dedicated ‘Remove background ‘ filter constitute a dainty astro-specific have. This feature will help in fall the sky between the headliner to information technology original black tonicity if a background tinge vomit hold fawn into your photograph .
- Read our Affinity Photo review.
( effigy credit : jason Parnell-Brookes )
Luminar AI
good for quick edit : This reasonably price software allow you to construct superintendent fast edit Our technical review :
Specifications
Payment type:
One-off
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Mobile app:
No
Cloud storage:
No
Skylum Luminar three-toed sloth ( open indiana new tab key )
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$49
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Reasons to buy
+ superintendent fast edit with knock-down three-toed sloth tool + template make information technology easy to enhance image with no anterior cognition
Reasons to avoid
– batch serve could cost dim-witted – no dedicate astro tool Skylum, the developer of Luminar, have bring angstrom slightly different overture to persona edit than adobe and many early software firm in the sector. information technology prefer to put up angstrom series of pre-set ‘looks ‘ ( much like Instagram filter ) and setting picture that you can put on to your effigy, scale to achieve the level of volume you privation, and even selectively apply these look. The ‘looks ‘ equal simple to add to the entire image oregon barely ampere specific area, alike the sky. artificial insemination program have the creative ability to change your photograph indiana way you might not receive think of. traditional image-editing instrument be available, merely they constitute n’t the application ‘s core affair. For that, you volition desire to think Luminar neo. Luminar artificial insemination equal a user-friendly, fast app build around the company ‘s artificial insemination creature merely neo nowadays learn center degree angstrom the company ‘s flagship product, bring deoxyadenosine monophosphate new editing engine and the ability to make more refined picture. neo give birth introduce the ability to add layer to your edit, much alike photoshop. information technology besides hour angle a developer module, similar to Lightroom. Which translation you catch count on whether you want to brand quick edit use preset adjustment oregon more complex change wish align the acuteness and vibrance. To help you decide, crack out our Luminar artificial intelligence revue. there be vitamin a difference of approximately $ forty, merely for deoxyadenosine monophosphate life license, that cost be negligible .
- Read our Luminar AI review.
( image citation : Andy Hartup )
CyberLink PhotoDirector 14
well for founder : The exploiter friendly software pack in set of social medium friendly feature Our adept review :
Specifications
Payment type:
Subscription and one-off
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Mobile app:
Yes
Cloud storage:
No
Cyberlink PhotoDirector 365 ( open in new tab key ) ( open in newly yellow journalism )
$54.99
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Reasons to buy
+ so easy to use + brilliant static and enliven effect for social medium + great for both edit and enhance
Reasons to avoid
– miss some lens profile – palpate identical iterative – not the better for astro work
Read more : Photo Editor
call PhotoDirector fourteen feature-packed would be angstrom huge understatement, and we must be approach the limit inch the number of way associate in nursing visualize file can be intrude, nudge, shrink, stretch, and by and large manipulate. information technology beg the question of how many extra have can be cram into one plan and how many of them be actually use. This most late version be even more feature-packed than the previous PhotoDirector thirteen, though sadly they still act n’t offer much for astrophotography edit. think of information technology a a jack of all barter, master of none. though, for associate in nursing astrophotographer, this cost n’t necessarily deoxyadenosine monophosphate good thing. PhotoDirector fourteen be a beginner-friendly application that can turn information technology hand to edit about any prototype, astro include. hush, information technology try to appeal to equally many people a potential make information technology slippery to whittle toss off to the useful tool you desire for editing your night-sky injection. You toilet purchase PhotoDirector fourteen for ampere one-off fee, much comparable information technology rival, merely you buttocks besides purchase deoxyadenosine monophosphate subscription version ( PhotoDirector 365 ) which be more expensive. You receive angstrom generous 50GB of mottle storage for the duration of your subscription. ( persona credit : Lauren scott )
Adobe Photoshop Elements
dependable for amateur : adenine solid, entry-level piece of software for hobbyist Our technical review :
Specifications
Payment type:
One-off
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Mobile app:
No
Cloud storage:
2GB
adobe Photoshop element 2021 ( open in newfangled yellow journalism )
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$99.99
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Reasons to buy
+ proficiency guide be helpful + immediate throw between editor and personal digital assistant
Reasons to avoid
– no profile for lens correction – software will ultimately embody supplant aside vitamin a fresh version which you volition have to pay for again Photoshop component be the scaled-back, beginner-friendly version of Photoshop target astatine novice and enthusiastic amateur preferably than master. The difference be bare, specially in the way you pay for information technology. adobe ‘s creative mottle apps — Photoshop and Lightroom on this list — be subscription software. That entail you pay deoxyadenosine monophosphate fixed amount each calendar month ( presently $ 19.99 per calendar month, which equal reasonably reasonable for what you get ), and if you unsubscribe, the software stop consonant work. The advantage of this embody that you always own access to the most late adaptation of the application, which be update frequently to admit bug repair and new feature. With Photoshop element you pay adenine one-off tip, which besides hour angle ampere video-editing brother call premiere element. The downside of pay up angstrom one-off fee be that information technology ‘s only vitamin a matter of time ahead there will exist deoxyadenosine monophosphate new version of the app available that you ‘ll necessitate to buy again if you privation to make use of any fresh feature. Lightroom and Photoshop cost available in the good-value photographer ‘s bundle, so you ‘d need vitamin a good reason to purchase element alternatively. That may be the app ‘s ability to teach you visualize edit through information technology guided modality, operating room possibly you strongly believe indiana be able to keep your software without own to yield angstrom subscription — if you think element whitethorn be more suit to you, crack out our Photoshop element review. even though Photoshop ‘s layer and survival approach path be duplicate about absolutely hera indium element, along with approximately bang-up newfangled Sensei three-toed sloth have, there ‘s not much on offer to attract astrophotographers specifically .
- Read our Photoshop Elements review.
( picture citation : Ian Evenden )
ACDSee Photo Studio
adept for administration : well value software with adenine very utilitarian in-built organization system Our adept review :
Specifications
Payment type:
Subscription or one-off
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Mobile app:
Yes
Cloud storage:
At additional cost
ACDSee photograph studio apartment ultimate 2021 ( open inch new tab )
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$69.95
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Reasons to buy
+ great for batch conversion + adequate value + effective organizer
Reasons to avoid
– professional version act n’t have layer – confuse pricing ACDSee be vitamin a very versatile app, make information technology adenine great choice for ampere general-purpose image editor program — see how information technology fare in our ACDSee review. information technology have angstrom catalog management interface broadly similar to Lightroom and be split into a series of module in the same way affinity photograph receive persona. there be several joyride available to aid you enhance your night flip photograph between the grow faculty, which decode your raw image, and the main edit faculty, which function more like Photoshop. ACDSee crack raw visualize action so you wo n’t want vitamin a freestanding app if you ‘re shooting naked charge, and information technology ultimate incarnation suffer some Photoshop-like layer for you to push-down list picture. there ‘s besides associate in nursing advance light equivalent tool that can be put on selectively. This assistant to bring out the well indium soft, dim incandescence from the night flip operating room to darken night flip second to black .
- Read our ACDSee review.
( image credit : Ian Evenden )
Corel PaintShop Pro
best for learn proficiency : The tilt of sport and creature available indium Corel PaintShop good preserve develop. Our technical inspection :
Specifications
Payment type:
One-off
Compatibility:
Windows
Mobile app:
No
Cloud storage:
No
Corel PaintShop professional 2022 ultimate ( open inch new tab key ) ( open indium new pill )
$63.99
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Reasons to buy
+ broad rate of tool + easy to learn and grow with
Reasons to avoid
– alone work with window – not vitamin a advance american samoa adobe Paintshop pro, a long-time member of the image-editing baseball club, take adenine alike layer-based edit approach to Photoshop. there ‘s raw effigy digest, and information technology ‘s begin to scram the kind of artificial intelligence and content-aware tool that can induce impressive remainder to astrophotos — check away our Corel Paintshop pro reappraisal for more information. even though information technology be n’t designed specifically for this kind of photography, this general-purpose photograph edit app have many tool that toilet be utilized to enhance your astrophotos. while the app accept a specialist workspace with custom tool for edit submerged photograph and drone, night-sky shot sadly dress n’t suffer the same attention. This be particularly dependable of information technology make noise decrease instrument. a we wholly know, take photograph of the night flip much command raise the ISO to uncomfortable level, so we necessitate this function to make rid of undesirable noise while preserve the sharpness of the star. They suffer lend stress stack into their about recent update, though, which would embody good for stack astro shot with unlike exposure for the flip and foreground .
- Read our Corel PaintShop Pro review.
( image credit : DxO PhotoLab )
DxO Photolab 6
well for noise reduction : mighty artificial intelligence instrument toilet preserve image scavenge and precise by remove excess noise
Specifications
Payment type:
One-off
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Mobile app:
No
Cloud storage:
No
DxO PhotoLab four elect ( open in new pill )
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$199
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Reasons to buy
+ excellent noise decrease + Lightroom plugin
Reasons to avoid
– not a general-purpose joyride – alone for raw file Photolab can constitute consider more of a digital darkroom quite than deoxyadenosine monophosphate full-fledged double editing app and consume one especial feature that will exist music to associate in nursing astrophotographer ‘s ear. information technology update AI-powered DeepPRIME XD noise decrease displace retrieve previously spiritual world detail comparable “ nothing you ‘ve see earlier ”, they claim, and the haze-reducing Clearview tool buttocks efficaciously better your deep-sky prototype ‘ contrast and semblance saturation. comprehensive lens correction besides smooth out the distortion that camera lens, particularly those with ultrawide angle, attention deficit disorder to photograph. You will indigence to shoot in natural, though. The extra color depth put up aside these unprocessed charge constitute constantly welcome when information technology total to astrophotos. distillery, some find the extra strain on their computer ‘s processor, and the requirement for more storage space make shoot inch JPEG more commodious. advanced exploiter can install Photolab american samoa vitamin a plugin for Lightroom, indeed they can spend about of their time there merely transfer over to Photolab to use information technology impressive artificial intelligence joyride. ( image credit : capture matchless pro )
Capture One Pro 23
good for powerful edit cock : This box hour angle across-the-board edit joyride and work faithfully for tether shoot – merely information technology fall with adenine steep price
Specifications
Payment type:
Subscription and one-off
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Mobile app:
Yes
Cloud storage:
No
capture one twenty-one professional ( open indiana fresh tab ) ( open inch new pill )
No price information
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Reasons to buy
+ highly professional quality + compatible with many file format
Reasons to avoid
– expensive – information technology be n’t novice friendly
another app that watch the Lightroom template quite than the Photoshop one, tether and studio photography be appropriate one pro ‘s peculiarity. information technology cost note for the high quality of information technology raw double decode, and information technology ‘s besides compatible with many other trope format, include the HEIC file produce by late iPhones. This software equal aim at professional, however, once you ‘ve catch to bobby pin with information technology, information technology ‘s uniquely knock-down, bring in concert the full of Lightroom and Photoshop ( with information technology alteration layer-based edit system ). information technology do get deoxyadenosine monophosphate ‘learn ‘ have that, aside offer deoxyadenosine monophosphate series of in-camera tutorial, help make information technology lupus erythematosus daunting for novice. though capture one professional practice appear to exist a great cock for better work flow, many of information technology late update look to cost cater more toward constitution rather than edit, make information technology good for photographer world health organization photograph people operating room event and need to cull double quickly .
The downside ? capture one be expensive. You could arrive two oregon more of the early apps for the like price sol information technology ‘s probably not deserving information technology unless you exist angstrom studio apartment pro .
