PicMonkey

Web and mobile photo editor and design maker with touch up tools, one click background remover, templates, and brand kits for social and business graphics.

PaidBeginnerWebiOSAndroid

Overview

PicMonkey is a photo editor and design maker in one. The editing side covers crop, color, exposure and portrait touch-up tools. Templates cover posts, ads, banners and cards. Pro adds a one-click background remover, Shutterstock stock photos and brand kits for your logos, fonts and colors. Pro also has Smart Resize, which reshapes one design into every social format.

It runs in the browser and in iOS and Android apps, with cloud-synced projects. On the web there is no free plan: you can build and save designs, but downloading or sharing needs a subscription, sold monthly or annually. The phone apps are free for basic edits and saving.

Key features

Photo editing: crop, color, exposure & effects
Portrait touch-up tools
One-click background remover on Pro
Templates for posts, ads, banners & cards
Shutterstock stock photos & graphics on Pro
Brand kits store logos, fonts & colors, on Pro
Smart Resize adapts one design to all formats, on Pro
Cloud-synced projects across web & mobile

When to use

Use PicMonkey when photo edits end as graphics:

  • You edit a photo as step one of a design: crop and fix, then it becomes a post, ad or banner in the same tab.
  • You make branded graphics repeatedly. Brand kits, on Pro and above, hold the logos, fonts and colors so every design starts consistent.
  • You need one design to fit many platforms. Smart Resize, on Pro and above, rebuilds the layout for each format instead of you redoing it.
  • You want stock to lean on: Pro and above pull from Shutterstock's photo and graphics library.
  • You edit on the move: projects sync between the browser and the phone apps.

When NOT to use

Skip PicMonkey if any of these describe you:

  • You will not pay a subscription. The web workspace downloads nothing without one, and the trial is for evaluating. Free photo editors cover basic edits.
  • You only need a cutout. The background remover is locked to the Pro tier, and dedicated background remover tools do it free.
  • You want deep retouching or RAW work. PicMonkey's touch-up tools are quick fixes, and photo retouching tools go further.

Frequently asked questions

On the web, no. You can build and save designs without paying, but downloading or sharing needs a subscription, sold in monthly or annual tiers, with a trial to evaluate. In the iPhone and Android apps, basic edits and saving to your phone are free. A subscription there adds premium features like touch up and image storage.

Both, in one flow: normal photo editing plus templates, stock, text and graphics, so an edited photo can leave as a finished post, ad or card.

Stored logos, fonts and brand colors that drop into any design, keeping repeat graphics consistent. Business plans support multiple kits for teams.

It reshapes one finished design into other social formats, moving and scaling the layout instead of you rebuilding it per platform.

Yes, with one click, but only on the Pro tier and above. If you only want a cutout, a dedicated background remover costs less.

Yes. The iOS and Android apps share cloud-synced projects with the browser editor, so a design started on desktop finishes on the phone. Basic edits and saving are free in the apps. The web editor charges for saving.

Every paid tier exports JPG and PNG. Pro and Business add PDF, on the web only. Custom font uploads are also web only.

Alternatives to PicMonkey

Freemium

Canva

Design platform with a capable photo editor: fix a photo, then drop it straight into a post, poster or thumbnail.

BeginnerWebWindows
Paid

Adobe Photoshop

The industry-standard layered image editor, now with generative AI built in.

AdvancedWebWindows
Paid

Adobe Lightroom (Web)

Cloud-first photo editor and organizer: every shot backed up, searchable and editable on any device.

BeginnerWebWindows
Free

Photopea

Photoshop-style editing free in your browser: opens PSDs, runs locally, nothing to install, no account needed.

AdvancedWeb