In an age where the potential of getting overwhelmed by photo numbers is quite natural, the best photo organizing software can be of tremendous assistance in various ways. Sure, Google Photos can back up and organize your smartphone photographs, and it does an excellent job at it, but you can still lose track of essential details amid the chaos.
When this happens, you’ll want to employ the best photo organizing software available to save even the lousiest of photos that you might find valuable later on. Using this technique, you can easily organize your images to be easy to discover when you need them – whether for editing at a later stage or digging out for a personalized Christmas card. This is a valuable tool for anyone who works with images as part of their job and has to access and organize them quickly to be effective.
Top 10 Best Photo Management Software of 2022
Here are the best photo management software options available today.
1. Adobe Lightroom.
Our favorite feature of this edition of Adobe Lightroom, when used in conjunction with the Adobe Photography Pack, is that it automatically backs up your current project to the cloud when it is in active use. In other words, your files are easy to access because you may scroll through them on your laptop or via the mobile app, depending on your preference. So, suppose you’re out and about photographing. In that case, you can organize your photographs immediately rather than wait until you get back home and have access to your computer, as would otherwise be the case.
It’s important to note that this is simply a slight advantage of this all-star application, which allows you to effortlessly rename and tag images and add geographical data without learning complicated software. Additionally, you can batch sort images, which is helpful if you’ve shot many photos in a particular location and want to group them based on tags, places, or other information. You can also choose to have copyright information included automatically when photographs are imported, which is a time-saving tool for professional photographers who need to save time.
If you wish to work on more design-related tasks, you can quickly import your images into Photoshop and edit them there before transferring them back to Lightroom. Alternatively, if you want to work on more photography-related projects, you can immediately import your photographs into Lightroom and edit them. Various views are also available to assist you in visually categorizing images, and you can use them to your advantage. It is simple to share photos or folders of photos with friends and family or colleagues (or clients, if you’re a business) and track their reactions and activity on each image or folder shared with them. Considering that Lightroom is also an unparalleled picture-editing product, the value you receive from this purchase is incredible.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows and Mac
Install size: 458MB
Tagging: Yes
Rating: Yes
Reasons To Buy
- Organizer and editor in one
- Superb mobile app
- Works perfectly with Photoshop
Reasons To Avoid
- A little tricky to navigate
2. CyberLink PhotoDirector
When it comes to beginners who wish to combine a photo organizer and an editor in a single software tool, CyberLink PhotoDirector is a fantastic solution. Even though it is less expensive than Adobe’s Lightroom CC, it includes several essential features that make it a viable alternative to the popular photo management software. Suppose you have many images of individuals to sort through and organize. In that case, you can utilize PhotoDirector’s face recognition software in addition to the conventional sorting options such as tags and ratings. Incredibly accurate, it will almost always arrange your images in the proper sequence.
In addition to a collection of complex editing tools for people who are more experienced with enhancing and changing images, more than 40 pre-set filters are available for beginners to use once photographs have been imported. Even though it does not have the power of Lightroom and Photoshop combined, it is sufficient for most users.
The interface allows you to import images from flash drives, digital cameras, and scanners without ever having to leave the application itself. Therefore, while it supports RAW and JPG photos, TIFF and PNG files, and other formats, it does not accept PDF, PSD, or GIF files. Depending on the size and content of your image collection, this may or may not be a deal-breaker for you. Thanks to your 50GB of cloud storage, you will be able to access your images from any connected device. You will be able to import them into any HDD or immediately into Facebook and Flickr after you have completed your course.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows, macOS
Install size: 2GB
Tagging: Yes
Rating: Yes
Reasons To Buy
- Sort by face recognition
- Simple to use
- Cheaper than Adobe CC
Reasons To Avoid
- Limited file support
3. ACDSee Photo Studio 2020
In addition to other capabilities, ACDSee Photo Studio Professional 2020 allows you to organize your images in various ways, such as using keyword tags or color labels. Also accessible are evaluations for your photographs, which will help you rapidly sort through your collection of best pictures. Intuitive and straightforward, ACDSee’s organizing interface assists you in keeping track of and organizing your photo collection, and it does so through the use of metadata viewing and editing capabilities. We were particularly impressed with the program’s ability to search for and eliminate duplicate images, which we found particularly valuable.
With compatibility for 86 file formats, including the most popular – RAW, JPEG, TIFF, and PSD – it is a formidable tool for photographers of all experience levels. You can directly import images into the software from digital cameras, scanners, and flash drives, among other sources. Once your photos have been imported, you can enhance their creative quality by applying one of the 54 available filters. Adding minor edits to your images, such as red-eye removal, cropping and resizing, and making color adjustments, can enhance their overall appearance. Batch processing allows you to save time by applying the same edits to a large number of images at the same time while you are working with many photographs. Advanced users will be dissatisfied by the absence of extra in-depth capabilities, whereas beginners will be content with the new features.
Unfortunately, while ACDSee 2020 does contain an online photo gallery, accessing it requires you to subscribe to the Home Plan, which significantly diminishes the overall value of the software package.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows
Install size: 2GB
Tagging: Yes
Rating: Yes
Reasons To Buy
- easy to use
- Search for and delete duplicate files
Reasons To Avoid
- No Mac version
4. Corel Aftershot Pro 3
Consider the following options to save money on your picture organizer while still getting something powerful enough to improve images, batch convert images, and correctly categorize your photos. Aftershot 3 is an excellent substitute for the original. It is designed to work as a companion program to PaintShop Pro 2021 and operates like the Lightroom / Photoshop combination. In addition to a vast array of tools, the photo retouching and enhancement software Aftershot have many presets for when you don’t want to fiddle with the settings for exposure, contrast, and highlights. Aftershot is available for both Mac and Windows.
Aftershot 3 is a powerful organizer capable of handling various jobs. In addition to the conventional sorting choices such as labeling, rating, and the creation of galleries and folders, you now have access to the advanced sorting options. Several quick review alternatives and a range of search options for your images are available to help you sort among similar photographs. If you’re looking for specific types of images, you may use the search tools to find them (you can, for example, search by camera type to separate phone and digital camera shots).
Aftershot, on the other hand, is distinguished by the fact that it is reasonably priced. When purchased at the total price, it retails for roughly $70. However, it is frequently available for less than $50, making it a fantastic deal for such a powerful organizer.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows and Mac
Install size: 400MB
Tagging: Yes
Rating: Yes
Reasons To Buy
- Fast batch conversion
- Well priced
Reasons To Avoid
- Needs PaintShop Pro for detailed edits
5. Corel PaintShop Pro 2021
If you want a powerful editor mixed with a helpful organizer and you don’t want to be tied down to a monthly membership payment, PaintShop Pro 2021 is an excellent option to explore. The program organizes images by keywords, calendar dates, and categories like the other picture organizers. Photographs may be rated and searched for based on how much you like them, which is another feature. As a bonus, you may use a backup manager to keep track of your images and view the EXIF and IPTC metadata linked with them to figure out what settings your camera was using when you snapped a photo. However, this operation will have to be completed manually because the software cannot search for and remove duplicate images. In addition to being incredibly user-friendly, this interface provides all of the necessary capabilities to satisfy even the most seasoned users.
A number of the most advanced editing tools are included in Paint Shop Pro, such as the content-aware fill feature, which removes extraneous things from your images while realistically filling in the gaps. Yes, these tools are included in Photoshop CC, but they come at a higher cost if you want to use them. A blemish remover and healing tools are included to ensure that unwanted imperfections do not mar your portraits and photographs. In addition, there are paintbrushes and pencil tools.
This is genuine software for anyone looking to buy the whole package at a reduced cost than what Adobe is now offering them to purchase it separately. The software is not as powerful as Lightroom and Photoshop combined, though. Because Corel releases yearly upgrades, you will miss out on new features if you do not upgrade, which reduces the package’s overall value.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows
Install size: 3GB
Tagging: Yes
Rating: Yes
Reasons To Buy
- Good value organizer and editor
- Very powerful
Reasons To Avoid
- No online storage
- No Mac version
6. Zoner Photo Studio X
Zoner Photo Studio is an excellent choice for photo editing software because it provides several organizational features. Management, Development, Editor, and Creation are the four tabs that comprise the user interface (UI). Each of these tabs is responsible for a specific function. All of the items are well labeled, making it simple to locate what you’re looking for. The Manager Tab is where you’ll discover all of your photographs, all of which have been sorted for you. You have the option of assigning star ratings, keywords, calendar dates, titles, locations, and color labels to your images. Adding subtitles to your photographs is also an option. Also available is the ability to tag photos with a specific GPS location, allowing you to see where you’ve been on a map and search for images depending on where they were taken. Because of the many searchable options available, it will be straightforward for you to arrange your photographs in the method that makes the most sense to you.
You can quickly and easily import photographs into Zoner Photo Studio using your phone, camera, or Facebook account. This makes it extremely simple to get started. Zoner Photo Studio is available for both Mac and Windows operating systems. The major disadvantage we observed is that this software can only be obtained as part of a subscription that costs either $4.99 per month or $49.00 per year, depending on your preference. The use of editing tools, such as those that modify the color, brightness, and contrast of photographs, can help you present your images in the best possible light. Thanks to the 35 built-in filters, you can change your pictures into works of art in seconds.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows
Install size: 300MB
Tagging: Yes
Rating: Yes
Reasons To Buy
- The interface is straightforward to navigate
Reasons To Avoid
- You must pay a subscription to use this software
7. Apple Photos
The image captures made with iPhones or iPads are saved in the Apple Photos application, available for iOS and Android devices. The search function, photo editing, and sharing functionality are available. Apple has done an excellent job of making it simple to access photographs and movies in this spot is a testament to their efforts. It is much easier to search for photos and videos on a computer when Apple Photos organizes images by year, month, and day, as shown in the screenshot below. Intelligent curation and on-device machine learning can help decrease the amount of clutter in an image collection by selecting the best photographs from a series of similar images. Because of this, the user interface is less cluttered, and choosing pictures is more accessible.
Apple Photos analyzes photos and presents images where the principal subjects are in sharper focus for more detailed previews. This is accomplished through the use of artificial intelligence. Several suitable basic editing applications are also readily accessible; several are now capable of editing video and still images. Lastly and most importantly, it is also compatible with raw files, as you would anticipate (for those using iPhones and iPads with A9 chips or later). The intelligent search suggestions enable you to look for places, people, and events in your immediate vicinity.
Specifications
Compatible with: macOS, iOS
Payment model: Free (payment for upgraded storage)
Free trial: N/A
Reasons To Buy
- Free to use with compatible devices
- Intelligent AI-powered search options
Reasons To Avoid
- Apple devices only
- Some features only available on the latest models
8. Google Photos
After adding various Artificial Intelligence (AI) features to the Photos app and automated photo and video backup, Google has improved the Photos app’s capacity to automate the classification of photos (and videos). Whether the images are accessible using the app or by clicking on a web link to your photos, they may be viewed on any device. It is possible to find images using criteria such as GPS position and who is portrayed in the photograph because the photos are automatically organized and searchable. Through artificial intelligence, pets, and cats, vehicles and planes, and occasions such as birthdays and weddings, can all be found.
Because of the straightforward folder management structure, it is simple to share photographs and albums with friends and family members. Furthermore, you may place orders for prints and photo books directly from the app, and they will be delivered to your residence or place of business. In addition to enhancing colors and levels, essential editing tools, which are intended for inexperienced users or those with limited image editing expertise, can assist in improving colors and grades. The Google Photos plug-in for various image editing software applications can also be used to upload images directly to Google Photos from within the image editing software application.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows 7 and up, macOS El Capitan (10.11) and up, and internet browser support
Payment model: Free (payment for upgraded storage)
Free trial: N/A
Reasons To Buy
- Machine learning organizing tools
- Free across devices
- Compatible with any device with an internet browser
Reasons To Avoid
- Payment required for upgraded storage
9. Adobe Bridge
Despite being identical to Lightroom Classic, Adobe Bridge does not include the complex editing package found in Lightroom Classic. The opposite can be said, with Bridge being significantly more straightforward to use for file viewing and organization than Photoshop, primarily because it provides quick access to EXIF data views, which is ideal for content creators such as Art Directors who require this information but do not require any of the additional editing features.
The navigation layout is outstanding, with views divided into six distinct categories, with different types added later. The pictures are divided into six specific categories, with additional classes to be added later. A complete read-out of EXIF data and information about the directory and files included within the given folder are all presented in the Essentials mode. Create Cloud Libraries to keep your design styles and materials consistent across all of your devices if you’re developing a brand or working on a specific project that contains multiple images and other files. Find out more about Creative Cloud Libraries by visiting their website.
When it comes to managing and organizing images, the filmstrip view may be the most logical option for those familiar with the Lightroom Classic interface and workflows. The user can make contact sheets in various paper sizes with the assistance of the helpful Output tab, placing the power in their hands. Grids and margins can be displayed, headers and footers can be inserted, and watermarks can be used to protect intellectual property while creating a document.
In addition to 3D textures and InDesign pages, Adobe Bridge can handle practically any other file format created with Adobe products, subject to certain constraints.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows 10 64-bit version 1909 or later, macOS v10.15 or later
Payment model: Free or as part of a Creative Cloud subscription
Free trial: N/A
Reasons To Buy
- Lots of organizational tools
- Multiple views/layouts
- Direct folder browsing
Reasons To Avoid
- Basic Collections
- Cross-folder searches are slow
10.FastStone Image Viewer
It is compatible with a wide range of picture files, and it can even read raw image data. There are no frills with this photo organizing and viewing tool, yet it can also perform simple modifications. Excellent alternatives for viewing and organizing your files. When other image organizing applications break or take a long time to load, we use this software to restore functionality. This is because it is lightning fast and provides excellent fullscreen or minimized viewing, with fly-out menus on all four sides to view the film strip and folder structure, display EXIF data, reach navigation options, and provide a suite of editing tools, among other things.
You may quickly navigate among file directories on the left-hand pane of the Browser view and promptly modify the position of photos and folders stored on the right-hand pane. A helpful preview window appears below, which provides a thumbnail view of the image that has been selected. Any chosen folder will display the contents of that folder on the right-hand side for quick perusal. Of course, you can simply use Windows’ built-in File Explorer to accomplish this. Still, FastStone Image Viewer is far more helpful for presenting photographs, as it has various view settings, additional easy-to-reach metadata display, and essential editing tools. Image editors can choose their favorite among up to four photos displayed next to each other in the Compare Selected Images view, which can be pretty helpful when organizing extensive collections of images. Unfortunately, it is only available on Windows-based systems; however, it may be installed on Mac devices using Bootcamp or operated in a Virtual Machine if necessary.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows XP and up
Payment model: Free for home use
Free trial: N/A
Reasons To Buy
- Ultra-fast processing
- Lots of viewing and search options
- Brilliant for viewing and organizing
Reasons To Avoid
- Windows only
- Basic editing tools only
11.XnView MP
It works similarly to a browser in that it displays opened photographs in individual tabs at the top of the app window, which some users may find a little clunky at first. It also includes basic editing features such as cropping, colour, and tone modification.
It is possible to switch between folders and storage devices with the same simplicity as you would expect from File Explorer or Finder because file directories are displayed in the left-hand pane of the application. There are tabs for Favorites and Categories Filter in the same pane, which help keep track of and search for suitable photographs.
XnView MP supports over 500 photo file types, including multipage and animated stills formats such as GIF, TIFF, APNG, and ICO. It also supports multipage and animated stills formats such as JPG, PNG, and TIFF. When saving, it can export to around 70 different file types, which is quite a variety.
Keyboard shortcuts can swiftly rate photographs for later categorization with a single click. The MP version has all of the features of XnView Classic and a few new ones. It is optimized for use on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers running 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems — making it available to practically anybody who owns a computer or has access to the internet.
Many features can be accessed using the scroll wheel/trackpad scroll gesture, which speeds up switching between options and images. However, it is possible for those unfamiliar with this to accidentally rate or change some photo options, which feels like an error.
Specifications
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, Linux (32 and 64-bit)
Payment model: Free (donations suggested, commercial licenses available)
Free trial: N/A
Reasons To Buy
- Lots of file formats supported
- Good navigational interface
- Available on all primary OS
Reasons To Avoid
- Basic search tools
Conclusion
These were some of my top selections for the best photo management software on the market at writing. The majority of these apps include photo editing capabilities and management functions.
Making a plan for your photographs and other media collections is vital for achieving individual or corporate clarity.
If you want to manage your photographs online, I’d recommend using Google Photos for free. It’s a fantastic free program that includes all critical photo organization functions. Adobe Bridge is the most outstanding overall photo management program on the market. Having access to all of the other Adobe Creative Cloud tools as part of the Adobe Bridge package is significant.
The critical reason Adobe Bridge is my number one choice is because of features such as:
- It allows you to categorize and rate your images by adding keywords, labels, and ratings.
- pretty powerful Filters, as well as advanced metadata search capabilities
- Adobe Bridge can be used to integrate stock pictures from Adobe Stock.
- Rename or export your photographs in bulk, with various scale and size options to choose from.
Go over all of your options and choose the one that best suits your budget and photo management requirements.
Which photo management solutions do you intend to use, and why do you want to use them? Please let me know in the comments section below.
