Today's digital world requires small businesses to become content savvy. Graphics editing tools like PicMonkey allows novice users to develop digital assets quickly.
Whether you need to design logos, social media graphics, photos, or covers, you can leverage a photo and graphic design tool to get the job done. Such visual content is increasingly becoming important in digital marketing. In this post, we're going to cover more about PicMonkey and compare it to other alternative tools.
What Is PicMonkey?
PicMonkey is an online digital editing product that allows users to create and edit digital assets. It combines photo editing and graphic design into one tool. Its simple interface, step-by-step instructions, templates, and presets removes intimidation for novice users.
Its photo editing tools are impressive. Capabilities include the ability to apply the Bokeh effect and over 100 textures and filters. The photo editing tool allows you to crop, sharpen, edit, resize, and rotate images. You can perform digital makeup application with Magic Face Editor. You can fix blemishes, erase wrinkles, photo airbrush, or even change your eye color.
The tool's flexible capabilities let you start your editing on one device and complete it on a different device. If you are editing a photo on your desktop and need to jump in an Uber to meet your client, you can continue editing on your mobile. Sometimes you need to get a photo "profile-ready" in a flash—PicMonkey's mobile app, Presto allows you to perform one-touch editing.
PicMonkey only supports a few file types. The Basic plan only supports JPG or PNG while the Pro and Team plan support PDF along with JPG and PNG. They do not allow editing is native photo files like RAW.
PicMonkey is a browser-based application and works best in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari 11.1+. You can use it on devices with Windows 7+, Apple OS X 10.9+ and Google Chrome OS. Their site also notes support and performance issues with Google Chrome OS.
Make sure you have a powerful graphics processor, or you may experience slow performance. Your computer processing capabilities can slow down your ability to edit or create work.
PicMonkey offers tutorials, step-by-step guidance, and a user-friendly interface great for beginners. They have a help and support page that helps users get started and find answers to common questions such as billing, browser requirements and identifying performance issues. However; they only offer priority email support on the premium plans. Customer complaints are primarily difficulty in reaching customer service and trial cancellation.
Product Specs
PicMonkey plans include over 3,000 graphics, fonts, textures, overlays, and frames. It also comes with over 2,400 customizable templates and 70 pre-set blank canvases. Their online photo editing tools feature photo cropping, exposure correction, color sharpening, rotation, and resizing.
The Magic Face editor allows users to lightly or fully retouch photos. It includes the Blemish Fix, Wrinkle Remover, Eye Color Changer, and Airbrush tools.
All plans include access to the library of tools, graphics, fonts, textures, filters, templates and presets. The Basic plan includes 1 GB of Hub storage, and ability to export files as JPG or PNG. If you subscribe to the Pro or Team plan, you also get unlimited Hub storage, ability to export in PDF, priority email support, and ability to use your own custom fonts.
Pricing
The basic plan is about an affordable price per month, or you can annually and get the membership for around cheap price per month. The Pro plan is above average price per month, or you can pay annually which works out to more than average price per month. The team plan requires a minimum of 3 members and costs for an affordable price per seat, per month or if your pay annually it will equate to paying a bit over a cheap price per seat per month.
How It Compares
We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
PicMonkey
- PicMonkey is your perfect pick for super-easy, gorgeous online photo editing.
- It all happens right in your browser, with nothing to download and no manuals to read.
- Royale is PicMonkey's special sauce—premium membership that unlocks deluxe features not available to freebie users.
- Awesome effects for photo editing, gorgeous fonts, cream-of-the-crop stickers and frames, crazy-dramatic touch up tools, and a collage maker that will blow your mind.
- Choose between monthly and annual Royale membership options.
Price $$ | ||
|---|---|---|
Ease of Use | PicMonkey has a user-friendly interface and offers step-by-step instructions. It is an excellent tool for beginners. | |
Illustration Capabilities | Users have access to over a plethora of graphics, fonts, textures, templates, and preset canvases used to create logos, announcements, business cards, flyers, infographics, and greeting cards. | |
Photo & Image Editing | You can perform standard photo editing capabilities and digital retouching. PicMonkey allows you to apply frames, filters, effects, and overlays to your photos. The functionality is great for a beginner or even a photo enthusiast but not for a professional photographer. | |
File Compatibility | Depending on your plan, you can only export files to JPG, PNG, or PDF. Photographers cannot work with native files, such as RAW. The file compatibility is enough for the target users. | |
Performance | You can only use the program with Chrome, Firefox, or Safari (check the PicMonkey for versions). There are performance, support and stability issues with Chrome. You may experience slow performance depending on your | |
Support | The pro plan comes with email support. They do not have a "human" support presence, and you can only send emails. There have been users complaints regarding canceling after the free subscription period and knowing how to contact the company. They do have a great support web page that answers most of the typical questions. They also have online tutorials and interactive help within the tool. | |
PROS
CONS
Corel PaintShop Pro X9
- Create with impact at home and at work with all in one photo editing and graphic design software
- Time saving tools help you achieve your creative goals faster
- Professional level photo editing at an affordable price
- Simpler tools reduce complexity for increased productivity
- Fast fixes and instant effects
Corel PaintShop is a powerful yet easy-to-use tool that allows you to edit photos and draw vector images. The tabbed interface provides for a more seamless workflow. This tool offers geolocation and facial recognition. It supports keyword and tagging capabilities allow you to organize and find files quickly. It supports Camera RAW file processing.
It also allows you to share content to Facebook, Flickr, and Google+. Corel PaintShop Pro X9 has the following new features: new templates, the ability to capture and edit screenshots, gradient fill tool, text presets, ability to export edit history, stylus and graphics tablet support, and batch smart photo fix capabilities. Enjoy Pro X9 enhancements including an improved text tool, real-time photo effects adjustments, and faster script applications. Corel PaintShop Pro also includes a guided tour guide to walk new users through the interface and key features.
Price $ | The retail price for the full download version is very expensive price, and the upgrade is more than average price. You can get it for a discount price, for example, there is a 50% discount on Corel's site at the time of this review. | |
|---|---|---|
Ease of Use | Intuitive tabbed interface and the guided tour make it easy to use. | |
Illustration Capabilities | While Corel PaintShop is mainly an editing tool, it has illustrative capabilities like its vector drawing tools. | |
Photo & Image Editing | Corel PaintShop comes with impressive photo editing capabilities including magic fill, quick selection tools, filters, non-destructive editing to RAW images, batch processing, correction filters and filters to remove camera noise and chromatic aberration. | |
File Compatibility | Corel PaintShop supports a large inventory of files like BMP, AI, CR2, DNG, RAW, PNG, AND JPEG. | |
Performance | Some advanced features cause a lag in processing speed. | |
Support | CorelDRAW Offers both chat and phone support seven days a week. Phone: 7 days a week Monday through Friday 9.am. -10 p.m. EST and on weekends from 9 am - 6 pm. Chat: EST Monday-Thursday - All day Friday 12 am to 10 pm; Saturday 6 am to 4:00 pm Sunday 6 am to 12 am. | |
PROS
CONS
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019
![Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019 [PC/Mac DISC]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51FMx9r2IgL._SL160_.jpg)
- Auto generated photo and video slideshows and collages are created just for you and delivered upon launch
- See what’s new since your last version, discover fun things to try, and get inspiring ideas, help, and tutorials in the new home screen
- Existing subscribers must first complete current membership term before linking new subscription term
- Share memes, collages, slideshows, and printed keepsakes
- Get step by step help with 53 guided edits
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a photo editor for beginners with powerful editing capabilities without the complexity. It is powered by Adobe Sensei which work behind the scenes using artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver a great digital experience. Other new features in the 2019 version include faster performance, HEIF support for Mac OS, and faster installation.
It also has new step-by-step guided edits for multi-photo text, partial sketch effects, meme maker, and text and border overlays. Expand your creativity with auto creations (powered by Adobe Sensei), easier photo collage creation, and re-designed templates.
Price $ | Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019 retails for very expensive price. | |
|---|---|---|
Ease of Use | This system comes with an intuitive interface, and it includes Adobe Sensei which works in the background using AI to simplify the workflow further and increase creativity. | |
Illustration Capabilities | Photoshop Elements is strictly a photo editing tool and lack some illustrative capabilities of some of its competitor. | |
Photo & Image Editing | Photo Elements is an excellent photo editing tool that includes powerful features like smart tagging, ability to open closed eyes, remove camera shake, batch editing, raw image editing, and photo background replacement. | |
File Compatibility | Adobe Elements support files such like PSD, BMP, GIF, Camera RAW, JPEG, Pixar, TIFF, and PNG | |
Performance | Adobe continues to improve performance in 2024. Installation and download are faster, switching between work areas do not cause performance delays, and edits application is speedy. There is only a slight delay when you create a slideshow. | |
Support | You can get support through Adobes community forum, chat, or by phone (depending on your plan). | |
PROS
CONS
Conclusion
We give PicMonkey a strong 3.5 stars. While it may not be the tool for skilled professionals, it is excellent for beginners and does not compromise the output quality.