Free help and advice to the UK Further and Higher Education community

Helpdesk

Free Online Image Editors - Comparison Table

This table should be read in conjunction with the accompanying advice document Free Online Image Editors.

We tested each service by uploading the same 3008 × 2000 JPG image file (2.6MB). Where possible we also attempted to upload PNG, GIF, TIFF and Raw format (Nikon NEF) files.

Note that by giving links to each site, we do not endorse any of the services they provide - it is up to you to decide whether they are suitable for your needs.

Below the table we have highlighted some of the terms of use/privacy policies that are important to be aware of. If you use these services to work on images that belong to your employer, or images that you have licensed from elsewhere, make sure you are not contravening any existing policies, agreements or terms by using these services. Before using these sites please follow the links to read each of the service's terms of use and/or privacy policies in full.

Online image editor Aviary Phoenix DrPic FotoFlexer LunaPic Phixr Photoshop.com Picnik PicResize Pixer.us Pixlr Splashup Sumo Paint
Registration required? cross icon, no
But additional  features if you do
cross icon, no cross icon, no
But additional features if you do
cross icon, no
But additional features if you do
cross icon, no
But additional features if you do
tick icon, yes cross icon, no
But additional features if you do
cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no
But additional  features if you do
Premium version available? cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes
Various paid subscription options for more storage
tick icon, yes
Paid subscription option with more advanced features
cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes
Paid option with more advanced features
Sample photo to practice on? tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no
Upload features
Aviary Phoenix DrPic FotoFlexer LunaPic Phixr Photoshop.com Picnik PicResize Pixer.us Pixlr Splashup Sumo Paint
Uploadable file formats JPG, PNG, GIF JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP
JPG, PNG
JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP
JPG, PNG, GIF
JPG, TIFF, PSD, DNG and other Raw formats JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF
JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP JPG, PNG, GIF JPG, PNG, GIF
Raw file format support? cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no
Import images from any URL? tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes
Import images directly from Flickr, Facebook, Picasa, other photo sharing sites? cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no
Maximum file size
Not stated
Not stated Not stated 2MB Not stated 200MB 16MB Not stated Not stated
OK with 2.6MB JPG, but not with 6.3MB PNG
Not stated Not stated Not stated
Maximum image size (dimensions of longest edge). Images larger than this will be resized down
1600 pixels
1024 pixels
2240 pixels 1000 pixels 1440 pixels 2048 pixels 2800 pixels Not stated
Did not resize our 3008 pixel image
Not stated
Did not resize our 3008 pixel image
Not stated
Did not resize our 3008 pixel image
Not stated
Did not resize our 3008 pixel image
Not stated
Did not resize our 3008 pixel image
Editing features Aviary Phoenix DrPic FotoFlexer LunaPic Phixr Photoshop.com Picnik PicResize Pixer.us Pixlr Splashup Sumo Paint
Resize tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes
Crop tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes
Rotate tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes
Flip tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes
Autofix cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no
Brightness/ Contrast tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes
Levels/ Curves tick icon, yes
Levels
cross icon, no tick icon, yes
Curves
cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no Premium version only cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes
Red eye correction cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no
Text tool tick icon, yes
Uses fonts on your computer
tick icon, yes
Uses standard web safe fonts
tick icon, yes
Uses its own selection of fonts
tick icon, yes
Uses its own selection of fonts
tick icon, yes
Uses its own selection of fonts
tick icon, yes
Uses its own selection of fonts
tick icon, yes
Uses its own selection of fonts
cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes
Uses fonts on your computer
tick icon, yes
Uses its own selection of fonts
tick icon, yes
Uses fonts on your computer
Undo previous actions
More than 10 undos More than 10 undos 10 undos More than 10 undos Fewer than 10 undos, plus revert to original More than 10 undos, plus revert to original More than 10 undos
Revert to original only Only one undo, or revert to original More than 10 undos 10 undos More than 10 undos
Layers tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no Premium version only cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes
Saving/exporting features Aviary Phoenix DrPic FotoFlexer LunaPic Phixr Photoshop.com Picnik PicResize Pixer.us Pixlr Splashup Sumo Paint
Export file as ... JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP JPG, PNG
JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP JPG, PNG, GIF, PDF JPG JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, PDF, TIFF
JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP JPG, PNG, BMP, PXD (native Pixlr format)
JPG, PNG, FXO (native Splashup format) JPG, PNG, SUMO (native Sumo format)
JPEG compression settings 1 - 100 quality sliding scale 4 pre-set quality settings No choice 9 pre-set quality settings 1 - 100 quality sliding scale No choice 1 - 10 quality sliding scale 3 pre-set quality settings No choice 1 - 100 quality sliding scale 1 - 100 quality sliding scale 1 - 100 quality sliding scale
Online storage options (in addition to saving files to computer) Aviary's own servers if registered DrPic's own servers (email required) Various photo sharing sites Various photo sharing sites Various photo sharing sites Various photo sharing sites Various photo sharing sites PicResize's own servers (email required) Computer only Pixlr's own servers
Various photo sharing sites Sumo's own servers if registered
Other features Aviary Phoenix DrPic FotoFlexer LunaPic Phixr Photoshop.com Picnik PicResize Pixer.us Pixlr Splashup Sumo Paint
Manage/ organise images? tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes
If so, storage limit Not stated - - - - 2GB - - - - - Not stated
Advert-free? tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes cross icon, no tick icon, yes cross icon, no cross icon, no tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes tick icon, yes
Link to terms of use/ privacy statements * Terms of use
Privacy policy
Terms of service
Privacy policy
Terms of use
Terms of use
Terms of service
Privacy policy
No terms or privacy policy
No policy as such, but FAQ mentions privacy
Terms of use and
Privacy policy
Terms of use

This table should be read in conjunction with the accompanying advice document Free Online Image Editors.

*Notes about terms of use/privacy statements

Below we have highlighted some of the terms that are important to be aware of. If you use these services to work on images that belong to your employer, or images that you have licensed from elsewhere, make sure you are not contravening any existing policies, agreements or terms by using these services. Before using these sites please follow the links to read each of the service's terms of use and/or privacy policies in full.

Aviary Phoenix: If you choose to make your work publicly available via Aviary, Aviary can allow the work to be used by a third party in a way which promotes Aviary. Read Terms of use in full

DrPic: Uploaded picture files are automatically deleted after 20 minutes. Read Privacy policy in full

FotoFlexer: If you register to save images to FotoFlexer's servers, please note the following: "By sharing your images, you grant other Users of FotoFlexer an irrevocable, perpetual, non exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly display, reformat, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute your images for any purpose on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such images, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing." Read Terms of service in full

LunaPic: Read Privacy policy in full

Phixr: "We do not claim, nor gain any right with regard to data you upload to our servers. It's your data, and it remains your data." Read Terms of use in full

Photoshop.com: "Once you share Your Content via any one of the sharing features ... you will be granting Other Users certain rights in and to Your Shared Content..." Read Terms of use in full

Picnik: "By displaying, publishing, or posting any Content on or through Picnik, you hereby grant Bitnik the license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, and publicly display such Content. You further acknowledge that by making Content available to the public, you authorize other Picnik Users to copy, display, use, post, publish, modify, and/or adapt the Content outside of Picnik." Read Terms of service in full

PicResize: "Our system automatically, without intervention, deletes all your images (including original images and resized images) permanently from our servers exactly 20 minutes from time of resizing." Read Privacy policy in full

Pixer.us: No terms or privacy policy

Pixlr: No policy as such, but FAQ mentions privacy - any uploaded file is "deleted from our servers after 5 minutes." See their FAQ for details

Splashup: Read Terms of use and Privacy policy in full

Sumo Paint: Read Terms of use and Privacy policy in full

This table should be read in conjunction with the accompanying advice document Free Online Image Editors.