If you’re the sort of shutterbug who likes tweaking photos almost as much as actually shooting them, Google Photos and Apple Photos — the free photo editors that came with your phone — offer impressive features capable of handling a fast first pass at punching up your pics. But if you’re not satisfied with the results you can get from these default editors, we have suggestions — both for casual cleanups and more in-depth edits.After testing dozens of mobile photo editing apps over the past seven years, we’re sure that Snapseed (Android, iOS) is the best way for most people to edit photos on a phone or tablet. It is the most intuitive photo editing app we tested and provides all darkroom-inspired adjustments most phone photographers need, and it’s absolutely free (there aren’t even any ads). Top pickThe best mobile photo editing app for most peopleSnapseedThe app includes all the editing tools most people need — even some premium AI-powered features. It’s easy to use and completely free.Buy from Apple App StoreBuy from Google PlaySnapseed (Android, iOS) provides all the editing options most phone photographers need, including AI-assisted generative expand and portrait-perfecting enhancements. It’s more intuitive to use than the competition, with neatly arranged edit categories that move from most common to least common adjustments, and offers far more in-depth edits than your phone’s default photo app.The best part? It costs zero dollars and contains zero ads, and you’ll never be prompted to upgrade because there is no premium tier. Most of the core edit tools that you can find in our upgrade pick are here, and while they’re somewhat less refined, they’re more than good enough for quick edits on photos you want to post to social media. However, this app lacks Lightroom’s AI-powered masking and healing, adaptive color profiles, library organization, and cross-device editing.Upgrade pickThe most powerful mobile photo editorAdobe Lightroom A paid subscription isn’t cheap, but the app stands out for its huge range of adjustments, high-quality output, AI assists, cross-device editing, and excellent library-style file organization.Buy from Apple App Store(iPhone)Buy from Apple App Store(iPad)Buy from Google PlayIf you want the most versatile, most capable photo editing app — and don’t mind paying for the privilege — Adobe Lightroom (Android, iPhone, iPad) is unrivaled.Lightroom’s free tier is solid, if not as generous as Snapseed’s. It gatekeeps some features Snapseed provides for free, like its best-in-class Remove tool, but its basic edits are more precise, which may appeal to those who enjoy fine-tuning every aspect of exposure and color.But the premium subscription is where the full power of Lightroom reveals itself. It includes more advanced tools than our top pick, including AI masking and healing, perspective correction, and syncing to your desktop Lightroom library so that you can continue editing on your computer.Total beginners may face a bit of a learning curve with Lightroom’s technical terminology, and it won’t satisfy people looking for creative overlays and special effects, but it’s unbeatable for professional-looking results. Considering the investment in both dollars and the time it takes to master, we only recommend it for serious enthusiasts who spend a lot of time editing on mobile devices.